Faulty T61p but Lenovo have declined to refund

Question

I have had my T61p laptop for less than 2 months, and already in that time, it will be sent for repairs twice and Lenovo, in a poor attempt to provide customer service, have made 9 service errors to date.  Basically, the T61p is faulty but Lenovo have declined to refund the product. 
The 9 service errors that have been made by Lenovo (Australia) in less than 2 months of owning the laptop are outlined below:
From the time that I purchased the laptop (by ringing Lenovo Sales) to when the laptop was delivered, Lenovo failed to provide me with a Tax Invoice.  It was only until I contacted them on 9 Jan 2008 that I received a soft-copy of the Tax Invoice on 10 Jan 2008.
The laptop is a T61p model 6459A12 with Windows Vista Ultimate 32-bit and Intel® Core™ 2 Duo.  On the palm rest of the laptop, Lenovo have stuck the incorrect stickers – “Windows Vista Basic” and “Intel Core Duo”.  I would have expected this fundamental error from a low-end PC maker, not Lenovo, supposedly the “Best Engineered …….”
The Wireless connection constantly drops out.  Also, wireless speeds are very slow if and when connected.  I have already spent nearly 15 hours trying to fix the wireless problem.  This includes downloading the latest drivers, changing wireless channels and restoring the laptop to factory settings.  The problem is not with the wireless router (or access point) as 3 other computers (2 running win XP SP2 and 1 running Win Vista Ultimate) use the router and their wireless connection is error-free.
According to Lenovo, a refund may only be “considered” if returned within 10 business days of the date noted on the Tax Invoice.  This refund policy is misleading as the date on my Tax Invoice is 27 Dec 2007, but I did not receive delivery of the laptop until 9 Jan 2008 (delivery consignment note available on request).  Therefore, 8 business days (after taking into account Christmas holidays) had already elapsed before I even took possession of the laptop.
On 4 Feb 2008, after speaking to an IBM CSAT representative, I was advised that a refund would be declined but the laptop would be sent for repairs, and it would be picked up by the courier company on 5 Feb 2008.  I provided the CSAT representative with my pick-up address.  The courier company contacted me on 5 Feb 2008 to confirm pick-up but quoted my incorrect pick-up address.  Lenovo had provided the courier company with my wrong pickup address, which was not the address I provided the CSAT representative with.  As a result of Lenovo’s error, I had to wait an extra day for the laptop to be picked up.  I contacted the CSAT representative to advise of the error and arranged for the laptop to be picked up tomorrow from the correct address.
After the laptop had been repaired, Lenovo failed to contact me to confirm this and also failed to provide me with the date when the laptop would be delivered back to me.  No follow up was made by the CSAT representative regarding this matter.  When the laptop was delivered on the 8 Feb 2008 by the courier company, no one was home to accept delivery of the laptop (because I was not aware that it would be delivered on that day).  As a result, I had to take it upon myself to make arrangements with the courier company to deliver it again on 11 Feb 2008.
The repairs report noted that the wireless card had been replaced.  After using the laptop for about 30 minutes to an hour, the wireless connection continues to drop out constantly.  This is also evidenced by the event logs recorded on the laptop.
On 13 Feb 2008, I logged another complaint request.  The Lenovo Customer Care complaints policy state that “…within 24 hours of making a complaint, you will be contacted by the resolution owner to establish criteria under which you will consider the issue resolved and a timeframe for implementing a 'fix'…”  I was not contacted by Lenovo after 3 business days.
On 19 Feb 2008, I went out of my own way to ring Lenovo regarding my complaint and the CSAT representative responded along the lines of “…I have only taken on this new responsibility…” and “…been busy….”  Once again, a refund was declined but the laptop would be sent for repairs again.  Arrangements were made for the laptop to be picked up by the courier tomorrow 20 Feb 2008.  Imagine my anger when the courier turned up at the pick-up address within hours of me speaking to the CSAT representative.  The courier was turned away as the laptop was not ready for pick up.  I contacted the CSAT representative to advice of his error, and he commented along the lines of “…I didn’t think they would be so efficient”.  The CSAT representative had failed to record the date of pick-up.
I have lost all confidence in Lenovo and would like for a full refund as I do not want to have anything further to do with Lenovo ever.
This situation is ridiculous and I would not have expected that a reputable global company like Lenovo to treat customers this way.
The resolution that I seek is for a FULL refund from Lenovo (T61p laptop, Lenovo laptop carry case and 3-year Thinkpad warranty).
Message Edited by ed_h on 02-20-2008 12:18 PM
Lenovo Thinkpad T61p
C2 Duo T9300 (2.5GHz 800MHz) | 3GB DDR2 SDRAM | Vista Ultimate 32-bit | 15.4 WSXGA+ LG | Chicony | nVIDIA Quadro FX 570M 256MB | 200GB | DVD Recordable (Dual Layer) | Bluetooth | Fingerprint | 9 Cell Lithium-Ion

Answer 1

I am sorry, but I have to take issue with your comments about Mac.
I have owned many ThinkPads. I currently own a T61. I also own a MacBook Pro.
ThinkPad vs. MacBook Pro (PowerBook) has been the biggest debate and consumer question since notebooks had first come available, just Google it!
My MacBook Pro has proved far more reliable than my T61. Apple service is exceptional. Sure, I had to pay $299 for 3 years of support, but it was well worth it and far cheaper than Lenovo.
Look at the horror stories here! You will never find the type of abuse that the author of this thread has suffered at Apple, never. Look at how Lenovo is treating its Canadian customers. It is just sick! Lenovo owes a very big thanks to Mark for trying to handle it. He certainly deserves a very big bonus.
The sales figures prove it. Lenovo is losing to Mac big time.
I still foolishly buy ThinkPads in the hope that one day I will find the quality that had made it a legend.
Here is one of many studies that support my comments.
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9044618&sr=hotnews
Here is an article that illustrates Lenovo's horrible tech support.
http://www.digitaljournal.com/print/article/248931
Back to the purpose of this thread, Lenovo, PLEASE HELP THIS GUY, AND ALL THE OTHERS, OUT!
Message Edited by KieranN on 02-20-2008 07:14 PM
Message Edited by KieranN on 02-20-2008 07:15 PM