Lenovo International Warranty Service (IWS)
Whether I’m doing email, paying bills, reading blogs, surfing ebay, or just looking up a phone number, I’m on my Thinkpad. I can’t imagine working without the freedom to take it everywhere.
I suspect mobile computing has now become second nature for many of us, never going far without that familiar black rectangle tucked under our arm or stowed in a bag. We carry it to and from work, the corner coffee shop, and with us to the airport. We travel around the world with it.
Traveling with a Lenovo PC should be a great experience - it was designed to be. Many of our PCs are made for the international marketplace, so when traveling abroad there are a few things you’ll need to know in the off chance service is required while out of your home country.
What’s covered and what’s not? In a nutshell, your PC warranty is quite portable. However, the service delivery method can vary by country. The warranty time period and entitlement (1 year, 2 year, 3 year, etc) travel along with you while the type of service – onsite, depot, carry in, remain dependent upon the base terms for the country you are visiting.
Whether planning a new notebook purchase to support your global work travels, or just packing your present notebook along on an extended trip abroad, it will be helpful to know where service will be available for your particular model.
Lenovo publishes this information on our e-support site. Check out the International Warranty Service terms for the country you’re planning travel to, for your specific Lenovo PC model. Typically a mix of carry in and regional depot repair options are available. If your country of visitation doesn’t cover your particular model, you may need to ship your PC to the nearest country that has parts and service capability for that particular model. Knowing where to call for help is important too – see our Worldwide Support Center phone list. You can bookmark this page, or make note of the support number for the country you’re traveling to before your trip.
I would also suggest making those recovery CDs or DVDs for your system in advance of your travels and take them with you. These will ensure you can always reload your system with the appropriate language and operating system in case of the worst disaster.
These tips should help you travel worry free, knowing where to call and what to expect should the need for help arise.
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Lenovo H320 desktop
January 29th, 2008 8:44 am
Hi,
I appretiate the post. The IWS is one of the reasons I went with Thinkpad. My thinkpad experience involves 4 countries so far and all of MY experiences are good.
However I suspect your mail is partly due to some discussion about a case in Denmark, which is heavily discussed in some forums. Therfore a clear statement to this particular case might have been helpfull.
best,
ralf
January 29th, 2008 7:37 pm
Hi,
I just ordered an X61t with an SXGA screen (a must have for me) on Lenovo Canada’s website and I’ve been told there was no IWS for this system outside a few countries in America. Since I’ll be moving to Europe in a few months, this means I’ll have to cancel my order, much to my dismay.
I can’t figure out yet why the IWS for this system cannot work in Europe (whereas it does for other systems), but as the X61t is designed for people who travel a lot, this comes as a real surprise.
Maybe one could enlighten me as to the reasons of such a restriction.
Cheers,
Nicolas
February 1st, 2008 7:42 pm
Well, IWS is still questionable when ..let’s say.. travelling for less than a week to some foreign country and having maybe bigger worst case problems with a Thinkpad.
Why? The answer is, that most service centers around the world won’t be able to handle you service in an adequate time range, they mostly need several days instead of hours to fix and handle the notebook service at all. However, this is mostly a common problem with all notebook brands, since they are all somehow slow on reaction and thus things are often delayed a lot. So I say nowadays IWS is mostly worthless for busy travellers who are always on the go.
@Nico
In germany for example you would have for a X61t as default a limited warranty, which means the service-type would be usually “send in trough the customer” and the warranty time would be “three years parts and labor (system battery: one year)” if you don’t get/buy an optinal extra warranty scheme.
February 19th, 2008 1:21 am
A great product deserves even greater support. We assume that buying a high quality product, like a ThinkPad notebook; give us the guarantee that we should not have problems with the equipment. Engineers worked for months designing ThinkPads so that they will withstand the use and abuse of us business travelers. But things do happen and that’s why I have always valued the IWS (International Warranty Service) that IBM used to offer with their ThinkPads. I travel for long periods of time to many countries and have always trusted my ThinkPads and the support that came with them. Had a few problems in some of my trips, but IBM quickly solved them. The have replaced motherboards, hard drives, dvd players, even sent new and updated software, all of these problems fixed outside the US. But now I have noticed that Lenovo’s idea of what IWS is quite ridiculous. The restrictions they have imposed to the IWS makes this valuable service a joke. The list of countries where you could get IWS for your laptop is very limited and useless. A top seller like the T61p 14” type 8891, the only type sold on Lenovo’s website for this model, does not even have warranty in the US. Another top seller, the T61p 15” type 6459, also the only type for this model sold on Lenovo’s website, does not offer warranty in Latin America or Europe but does offer service in the Philippines, Thailand, and Singapore…. Mark Hopkins of Lenovo says on his blog about the IWS “Whether I’m doing email, paying bills, reading blogs, surfing ebay, or just looking up a phone number, I’m on my ThinkPad. I can’t imagine working without the freedom to take it everywhere.. We travel around the world with it. Traveling with a Lenovo PC should be a great experience – it was designed to be.”
I have not been able to find a single configurable T61p, a top of the line ThinkPad, with a warranty that fulfills the IWS tradition that IBM designed for its customers. Lenovo has lost the point about the value that we, ThinkPad users, placed to the IWS.
Trying to replace our companies aging IBM ThinkPad T42p’s with newer Lenovo’s T61p’s with a decent IWS has been one of my worst buying experiences ever. Especially after learning that Lenovo does make the systems with the IWS that we need. But they do not sell it on their website and their sales force does not have the tools to configure one. It’s absolutely ridiculous and frustrating knowing that the systems that you want do exist but Lenovo has made it impossible for you to get them.
I hope Lenovo revises their policies regarding how they update the list with countries where you could get IWS for ThinkPads. Why the restrictions? The only think they manage doing this is lose sales and disappoint loyal customers.
I am waiting for the X300 to become available in the following days and hope that Lenovo will fix the IWS issues so that “traveling with a Lenovo PC should be a great experience” to any country, again.
February 29th, 2008 1:10 pm
Ok, IWS is indeed great, but I just don’t understand the restrictions.
For example, I wanted to get myself a customized X61 Tablet, but had to realize that these are not covered by IWS. Only the preconfigured 7762, 7763, 7767 series are. This limits me to only FOUR possible configurations with SXGA screen, none of which match my “perfect” customization, making me rethink my choice of the X61.
However, in the 19 total currently available configurations, every possible customization component is included at least once. So why should a service center in Europe be able to handle these 19 configurations, but not other mixtures of the components?!
March 20th, 2008 4:46 am
IWS is great – but how can I purchase on of the X61t with International Warranty? In the US lenovo shop is only 7764 and most of the other online stores don’t say anything about the number.
I’m a professional photographer, working international (staying for partly in Istanbul, Turkey now, moving to Belgium in April and Poland in summer. you see IWS is a must for me!)
March 21st, 2008 9:27 am
I travel frequently between Australia and the United States – if I buy my X61 Tablet in the US, the online store gives only part number 7764, which isn’t covered in Australia! (or most countries of the world…)
Please expand the Warranty Service! The X61 Tablet is available in Australia, why can’t the Australian repair centres handle it?
March 22nd, 2008 11:29 am
Thomas, Claudius, Anthony, Mario
I’ve contacted the product manager for IWS, and will get an update posted here.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this.
March 31st, 2008 11:06 am
Hi Mark, any update on this?
April 7th, 2008 7:12 am
Same question from my side…
the spring offer ends soon and it would be great if we could get information before…
April 7th, 2008 9:17 am
Hi, still no update?
Right now the customizable T61 on shop.lenovo.com is type 8891-CTO which doesn’t even have warranty in United States. What’s up with that?
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/supp.....yle=lenovo
April 7th, 2008 4:53 pm
Hi,
I’m all confused about this warranty thing, too. I’m thinking of getting a T61 (model 6459) in Canada. I’ll possibly move to Europe later this year. Unfortunately, there is no coverage in Europe – only in North America and Asia:
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/supp.....yle=lenovo
I’m also puzzled about the time period of the base warranty. It says
- 1 Year Depot/Express Warranty
but in the ThinkPlus Services Product Matrix
http://www.pc.ibm.com/ca/think.....Matrix.pdf
model 6459 shows 3 years EZS as warranty. What is it now, 1 or 3 years????
April 9th, 2008 6:15 pm
Mati,
I agree that the 8891 is available for config on the sales site in the US, and inexplicable is not listed as supported in the US on the IWS site. This is being looked into.
Thanks.
April 19th, 2008 6:12 am
so, right now in japan. there’s a promotion on lenovo japan site. ends tomorrow, sunday.
http://www-604.ibm.com/webapp/.....1&
the thing is.
the one with limited warranty, with type number 7675A31. so this is covered in the country i’ll be traveling.
but when add the full cover, the type changes to NA75C31, when i key in NA75 into IWS it is not supported.
i know this full cover is when you trashed your notebook, and even stolen
. it’s ok, for that to only covers japan.
i want to know if the limited factory warranty is still in effect? in case it malfunction on its own.
or at least i want to know if it malfunction on its own, i won’t be denied of service because i got japanese warranty on top.
April 19th, 2008 6:15 am
oh, thinking getting a basic x61
April 21st, 2008 6:13 pm
Also the X61 Tablet 7764, offered in the US online shop does not have IWS in the US (and only very limited other countries). Looks like the lenovo warranty system needs kind of a boost! Wel, I’ll wait with my order until this is fixed
May 5th, 2008 7:25 pm
Hi Mark. I am trying to find out some detail about the Lenovo X61 Tablet.
1. I want to buy this X61 tablet, but I’m not sure about the IWS.
I travell a lot to Israel… the X61 Tablet 7764, offered in the US online shop does not have
IWS in Israel. I called “Lenovo Israel” and they told me that 7767 model have IWS in israel, but they told me that I need to call them before I buy the laptop and tell them the serial number of the laptop that I am going to buy in order to know for sure about the IWS in israel. This is a very hard mission when you want to buy online. Can I be sure, even without the serial number, that the one I buy, 7767, 7763 or 7762 come with IWS that good in israel? Can I be sure only by the machine type, and by checking only by the machine type on the web site?
this is a huge problem for me…
hopefully you will answer to me ASAP…
THANK YOU.
AMIT.
May 15th, 2008 8:19 am
Well, I must tell you it wasn’t a good experience for me!
Apparently your IWS does not apply for China since you “may ask” for some additional documents (as stated here http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/supp.....926#lkiws). You may ask and you may not, right? You may offer the warranty service and you may not!!! Correct?!
I was deprived of this warranty right in China, so that makes it a fact: LENOVO DOES NOT PROVIDE INTERNATIONAL WARRANTY!
Check here if interested to find out about my complaint:
http://turcanu.net/blog/2008/0.....pad-users/
And Lenovo did not replaced the faulty battery it provided, nor have their customer support staff and supervisors helped me solved this issue.
May 17th, 2008 10:46 am
Serge,
Sorry to hear that it has been a bumpy experience for you. We are looking into your situation and will follow up with you early next week.
Mark.
May 19th, 2008 9:03 pm
I’ve been having some serious issues with the service this past weekend – a long weekend in Canada. The service rep, an “AJ” I believe, has told me to call back between 8am and 5pm for a hardware replacement? I had called last week, and was told that someone would get in touch with me… and my attempts to follow up on this have failed.
Is there someone I can talk to to get this straightened out? What’s the escalation process for problems with the warranty service?
May 29th, 2008 4:56 pm
I have the same question as AMIT regarding IWS coverage of Lenovo 7767 in Israel. There seems to be no way to tell whether a particular model is covered. The service center requests a serial number, and say for more information to call some other number (1-800-230-250). I called the other number and left a message twice, and got no answer. I suspect they want to prevent people in Israel from buying in the US, which is much less expensive, and then servicing under IWS.
This sounds a bit shady… Importing a top product, demanding about 50% more than US, and refusing IWS.
June 18th, 2008 3:03 pm
We have used the IWS on a T42 (we have 2 T30’s, 1 T42 and a MacBook) and it was quite easy. The service took FOREVER but that’s Mexico for you. In contrast, we took our MacBook in for service (still Mexico) and it was also painless (but MUCH quicker). IBM Mexico does have a sweet plan where they send you the box, you put your lappy in the box, send it off and it comes back to you fixed. Takes forever, but all the shipping and delivery is free.
I would like to get a ThinkCentre SFF but now it looks like the IWS is pretty problematic.
June 30th, 2008 3:56 pm
My US purchased A31 and A30p were both serviced in Mexico and I was very happy with the service, which appears to be performed at the factory in Jalisco as opposed to an outsourced service center. I’m praying however that my recently purchased T61p doesn’t break down, because it’s not covered in Mexico!
As a little back story, Lenovo does not offer English OS and keyboards in Mexico. Dell, on the other hand does. Nevertheless, when the T61p became available, I wanted it and I recently purchased it during a visit to the US. It’s my fault that I assumed, as was the case with my A series machines, that they would be warrantied in Mexico. I should have read the fine print a bit closer.
I recently had a go around with Western Digital about a hard drive that I purchased in Germany that failed and that they wouldn’t warranty in Mexico. A letter to the presiden of WD resulted in a FedExed replacement. All I said was computers are an international business. He agreed. I’ll bet that will never happen with Lenovo.
I’ve already heard the arguments about localized content, to which I reply, baloney. I never had the problem with IBM, no matter where I was located and what I needed. When my A30p went down, parts had to be brought into Mexico, resulting in an extended delay. The factory in Jalisco shipped me a T41, English, to use while I waited. I’ll bet that will never happen again either.
August 17th, 2008 8:59 am
I really want to know what is the company`s answer about the IWS in israel. I want to buy T61 and i really dont trust the israeli importer about him to be happy that i bought my laptop in a lot cheaper price and better spec.
Please write something about it and deal with the importer in israel…
Thank you!
August 25th, 2008 2:21 pm
I also have the same problem with Israel. Having an international warranty (in Canada and Israel in particular) is a deal breaker for me and I do not want to purchase the X61 until I can verify my laptop can be serviced there if need be…
Can lenovo not sort this out for us?
August 26th, 2008 4:24 am
Talk about IWS, I was thinking of buying the new T series ThinkPad (T400 and T500) and here is what I have found:
ThinkPad T400 integrated graphics 7474
ThinkPad T400 discrete graphics 2764
ThinkPad T500 integrated graphics 2242
ThinkPad T500 discrete graphics 2081
ALL THESE MODELS return the same warranty status:
This Machine Type is not eligible for International Warranty Support.
What is this? IS Lenovo stopping to provide international warranty support from the new T series onwards?
I do not check the other new model (SL,X, R,W) but I suspect the same result will be return.
If it is not, maybe Mr. Mark Hopkins can use his connection with IBM or Lenovo to check with his IWS department guy who is handling the data entry. Check whether the guy is sleeping/dreaming/busy with other more important stuff.
Thank you,
August 26th, 2008 4:33 am
Mark, maybe you can check for me on this as well. It has been more than the 48 hours and still no reply from Lenovo. (Today is 26 btw).
Is this standard operating procedure for Lenovo to send an automated reply for all enquiries and then just forget it, hoping the sender to forget about the query and then life goes on?
If not, then do I have to send in question again?
How many times should I send in?
Has anyone in Lenovo end even check on the mail sent to their customer service?
I am asking this here because the question i sent in was about IWS, similar to the one above.
======================================
Date: Fri, 22 Aug 2008 13:01:46 -0400
Dear Valued Lenovo Customer,
Thank you for contacting Lenovo, the makers of ThinkPad and ThinkCentre products!
Your message is very important to us. A Lenovo Representative will review your request and send you a personal response in approximately 48 hours.
If you have any further questions or concerns, please feel free to call us at 1-866-96-THINK (1-866-968-4465). We will be happy to assist you at that time.
Once again, thank you for contacting Lenovo.
Sincerely,
Lenovo Websales
websales@lenovo.com
Website: http://www.lenovo.com/us
======================================
Thank you .
August 26th, 2008 9:56 am
Nonsense,
I’ve raised the missing information concerning some of our newer systems – the T400 has come up in our forum as well, with regard to IWS. The team is working on this.
Sorry to hear that you haven’t received a response from your submission to websales – will look into that. In the meantime, I’ll respond via email so I can understand and get an answer for your specific question.
Kobi, Kinnert,
Aside from newer models which we have not updated completely on the IWS site, the site is the official place to define by model type, which countries service can be provided in. If Israel is listed for your system, you should be able to get service there.
Alas, I personally hold no sway over your importer or additional conditions imposed at a country level – sorry.
Best regards,
Mark
August 31st, 2008 3:39 am
Hi Mark,
First of all thanks for manning this blog.
Now, I am coming up with a question regarding a t61P 8891 to be bought in the USA. I am living in Europe and clearly the product is not supported in Europe, but apparently neither in the USA.
I could get an agreement with the seller that in case of failure he will handle the reparation, but if the machine is not supported in the USA, then it is pointless…
Thanks and best regards,
Alex
September 1st, 2008 10:17 pm
Alex,
I think we’ve noted the 8891 earlier in this thread as an anomaly. Let me follow up again to see what the disposition is.
Thanks for the prompt on this.
Mark
September 2nd, 2008 1:31 am
Thank you Mark. I will stay tuned.
September 3rd, 2008 9:53 am
Hello, Mark!
I live in Israel too and plan to buy X61 in US next week. Somehow, I’ve got same foggy answers from Lenovo Israel (sounds like: “please tell us your model number, and we’ll tell you if it is supported in Israel”. they can’t simply tell which one should I buy to be able to sure fix it here.)
Plans are cheap. We travel a lot. We live in one world. And we do look for answers. Would you please share any info you have regarding my issue, which is very similar to the (un-answered) issues of Amit, Kinneret and other questions in this thread? Please do.
Appreciate
Sasha
September 9th, 2008 6:49 pm
I’m planning to use Thinkpad T400 (2764) in Russia for at least the next year. I’ve also bought 3 year warranty and Thinkpad protection. When i quote availiability of IWS for this model, Russia is not on the list, but there are IBM authorized service centres over there. And what about Thinkpad protection while I’m there?
September 12th, 2008 8:08 am
Hello,
I am considering buying the new ThinkPad X200 for which I would need Warranty Support in both the US and the Netherlands. But when I lookup its product number 7454 here:
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/supp.....OOK-IWS#sw
It tells me that “This Machine Type is NOT eligible for International Warranty Support.”. Please inform me what warranty support is available for this laptop.
I noticed that the Netherlands based Lenovo service provider called “BlueLink” is selling the X200 on its website:
http://www.bluelink.nl/new/pro.....endocument
Does this mean the laptop is eligible for Warranty Support in at least both the US and the Netherlands?
kind regards,
Bas
September 12th, 2008 7:50 pm
Bas,
I’ve asked a member of our IWS team to review these sites and ensure the X200 is updated, and to follow up with you. Please allow several days.
There appears to be a slight delay getting coverage fully populated for our new models, the T400 and T500 included.
Roman,
Will look into coverage in Russia. Protection offerings and onsite service typically are only valid in the home country, while standard warranty coverage can be found in the countries listed on the IWS site for that model.
Best regards,
Mark
September 14th, 2008 10:28 pm
I live in the U.S. but spend much time overseas (in Singapore mostly).
I want to buy a couple of X200’s (for my wife and myself). When I looked up warranty information, to my great surprise I found out that no international warranty is offered on this model. When I asked the online help the person confirmed this. I am concerned about buying the laptop because I need to rely on it working and if it breaks down while I am on the road I need to be able to have it fixed quickly.
It seems unreasonable to me that a laptop that is clear designed for travel would not offer this (I am willing to pay a bit extra, but that doesn’t seem to be the issue; the option is just not offered). I thought of perhaps buying the laptop in Singapore, but it if not offered there yet (and it would probably be much more expensive there, as most Lenovo products are).
I like Thinkpads but unless this can be addressed, I will be forced to go with another manufacturer.
Advice will be much appreciated.
September 16th, 2008 4:17 pm
Still no update on X200 information in IWS website. “Please allow several days.”, as said by Mark.
September 17th, 2008 10:53 am
Hello Mark,
I want to buy a Lenovo laptop in the US and bring it with me to Israel. I’ve spent many, MANY hours on the phone with Lenovo in the US and Israel, and cannot get an answer as to which T500 “types” (4 digit number after the model) will have International Warrantee support in Israel. The only clear documentation I got is an Excel spreadsheet listing all the models and type numbers that currently can get warrantee service in Israel — but they are all older models and are no longer available in the US, not from Lenovo and not at Best Buy, Amazon, etc. So I’m really stuck. I want to buy Lenovo very much, but I cannot, for fear that the T500 type I finally settle on will not be supported in Israel AND because the model types that ARE supported in Israel are no longer available in the US. Can you please advise, as the travel date is coming up. Most grateful, David
September 19th, 2008 11:47 am
Steven, Hesh
The X200 model type 7454 now has updated IWS information found here -> http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/supp.....yle=lenovo
David,
Will look into this…
Mark
September 20th, 2008 11:31 am
Thanks Mark,
I looked at the update IWS information for the x200 (7454), but was surprised not to find any European countries listed. Is it possible to give an estimate over when Europe, in particular The Netherlands, will be covered by the IWS?
kind regards,
Bas Terwijn
September 21st, 2008 3:32 am
Hello Mark,
Would it be possible to see if T500 type 2082 has coverage in Finland? It’s sold here but I would like to know if it has full coverage.
Thank you
September 21st, 2008 12:16 pm
All,
I am yet another person living in Israel. I am also an avid Thinkpad fan ever since I became the happy owner of my T42 about 3.5 years ago.
The IWS issue is as important to me as it is to any of you, and I spent some time investigating it in the past couple of months. I believe I can provide a few insights on the Israeli service policies for the Israeli customers here.
First of all, as Mark already pointed out – the Lenovo IWS lookup site is a bit slow to be updated with the newer models. Furthermore, it is not always fully correlated with the internal databases used by the IBM/Lenovo service center here in Israel.
Example: As recently as one month ago I purchased a used T60 with model 2623. The laptop was bought in the USA, and when I looked it up on the IWS site, Israel did not appear on the list of supported countries. However the person claimed that he has serviced it in the past with no problems. A call to the service center with a direct question confirmed – 2623 _does_ get serviced in Israel, even though the IWS site said “no”. Incidentally, the IWS has apparently been updated, since Israel is listed now.
Checking a few other models, I came to the following conclusion: every model that appears in the Tabook (or Ltwbook, for older models) gets serviced in Israel, even if the IWS site says otherwise. Whereas other models which do not appear in the Tabook and are only available as CTOs from Lenovo’s site do not get IWS coverage in Israel (or Europe, for that matter).
Since the IWS page is not always up-to-date, the only reliable way to find out is to call the service center and ask. However, even they may not have reliable information regarding new models, which is unfortunate.
And this leads me to the final question, which is the most difficult one, and has been asked by multiple users in this thread. I believe that Thomas (in reply #5) summed it up the best.
What possible reason exists for these IWS restrictions?
It cannot be due to parts availability, plain and simple, because the parts _are_ available, and all appear in the standard configurations that _are_ serviced. Furthermore, in all my experiences with the IBM service center here in Israel, when they decided they would fix a laptop, they never had any problems ordering the needed parts abroad (in fact often this was given as a reason for delaying the fix by a few days).
I can understand that certains models can just come without IWS, plain and simple. You expect to pay less for such models too. But if the product is already deemed “IWS eligible”, why should the countries where it can be service be restricted in such a seemingly artifical manner?
I really hope we can get an answer to this question. And I really hope that this policy is changed, because as it is – it is very unfortunate.
Here in Israel we have a number of laptop manufacturers (I believe names are not necessary, since they are familiar to all), who offer IWS on any of their business models, without any visible restrictions: if it was bought with international warranty, it will be serviced.
It would be a shame if Lenovo, which I believe everyone here regards very highly, does not offer equally good terms on the Thinkpad line, the king of laptops.
Dima.
September 23rd, 2008 1:21 am
Hello Mark,
I would like to buy a new w500 to instead my t42p.
I checked the IWS for w500 only availible for ANTIGUA!
Is it correct?
Thank you
September 23rd, 2008 1:25 am
I’m going to buy a x200 from my friend. It comes with a 1 year warranty. Would it be possible for me to buy an additional 3 year warranty on it? Thanks
September 23rd, 2008 5:11 am
Hi Mark!
Since you seem to be the only capable staff from lenove who is able to answer all these questions:
Do the 4062 27u models of the new w500 have warranty in england germany and france? in the website it even doenst show you the states but antigua….what is going on here?
kind regards,
markus
September 23rd, 2008 10:58 am
Alvin, Markus,
The 4058 MT version of the W500 presently shows broad IWS support. I’m investigating the 4062 with the team – “Antigua” seems odd to me – likely some event occurred and the data did not get properly loaded. I hope this will be updated within a few days.
Andrian,
Upgraded warranties can be purchased – Onsite or term extensions (like 3 years) can be purchased while the system is still under the original warranty period, and since entitlement is by model and serial number, you do no have to be othe original purchaser to upgrade. ThinkPad protection must be purchased during the first 30 days. Note that onsite upgrades may only be applicable in the home country (like the US) while term (3 year) extensions apply anywhere the system can be serviced based on the declared list of supported countries on the IWS website – see above in my blog post for details on this.
Dr_St,
I wish I had a quick answer for you. Thanks for weighing in – the more we hear from many customers, the more we can understand the opportunities.
September 23rd, 2008 12:43 pm
Hey there!
It seems as if the 4062 versions are sold at least in germany in online shops (only 2.53 ghz config). So does this automatically mean that the warranty is valid in that country eventhough it is not stated as iws eligible on the lenovo website.
Do the last 3 digits of the product id (4062-27u) tell sth. about the warranty as well? or is the warranty the same for all 4062 systems no matter what for?
kind regards, markus
September 23rd, 2008 2:33 pm
Lenovo laptops as far as I am concerned are some of the best machines you can buy, not the cheapest in general, but worth every dime. Lenovo worldwide technical support while not being perfect is one of the best you can find in this business. I hope that Lenevo will continue to improve in that area for us the users bur also for themselves. Being in the high end positioning, having an amazing worldwide outstanding support would benefit their brand perception immensely and even more for business which are a sizable part of their clients.
Chris
Editor
http://www.bestlaptopsreviews.com
September 24th, 2008 4:58 am
Hi Mark,
you forgot to reply about 2082 which is sold in Finland but I cannot see any IWS?
Thanks,
Mati
September 25th, 2008 10:25 am
All,
The 4061 and 4062 lists are being updated.
I’ll inquire as to the 2082, but would advise that the IWS team is reviewing all the published covereage at this time.
Thanks!
September 28th, 2008 1:10 pm
Just checked the IWS data base,Both T500 n W500 are covered in my Country(India).
@Mark, A small query as you mentioned that Thinkpad protection has to bought in 30 days on purchase,what if i buy thinkpad protection in US,will it be applicable in India.Will my thinpad be covered under accidental damage clause in India too?
Does Lenovo provides onsite service in India or it’a carry in?Or i can buy thinkpad protection in India too..
Cheers!
September 29th, 2008 1:57 pm
Raptorhertz,
The warranty term (length) including upgrades in length travel with you to other countries. However, the manner of service delivery, defaults to the base terms for the country you are seeking service in. Protection services are generally applicable only in the country they were purchased in. I would advise you to check the service offerings via the Lenovo India website for specifics on the applicability and availability of upgraded services.
September 30th, 2008 12:16 pm
Thanks For the reply Mark,Just checked today with Lenovo India and they clarified that thinkpad protection shall be honoured here in India too if IWS in applicable in INDIA and I checked it W500 is covered in India.
One small doubt MARk,
Has lenovo resolved the Keyboard problem(Left Side issue) in W500,Flex won’t be an issue as i shall be using thinkpad for first time and won’t be able to conduct a BEFORE and AFTER of keyboards.
October 1st, 2008 10:28 pm
Hi Mark
Are any of the T400 CTO models IWS covered in any european country?
Why all this stupid policy? I think that for big companies, the world is global only to get cheap manpower, not to service their customers, nor to their prices… just check prices… the same laptops have differences of more than 500 USD if you buy it in the US or Europe… I can understand some difference due to taxes or customs fees, or regulatory laws (in europe there are more “greener” and environmental safe regulations)… but a + 50% difference is way too much…
November 3rd, 2008 8:50 am
I don’t know if someone is still reading this old blog, but I would like to raise again specifically the question of T500 model 2082 (the one with the Radeon 3650).
Turns out that it is also sold in Israel (not surprising, because the Israeli market and the European market are usually the same), but according to the IWS site and IBM Israel, it does not receive any service in Israel.
This model (for instance, 208253G) is clearly a European model (by the G on the end), sold by official resellers here, and yet if I were to buy one today, I’d be denied warranty service in my own country. It is simply absurd.
Moreover, the only model of T500 with the Radeon, that apparently has coverage in Israel, is the 2055, and yet not a single reseller in Israel seems to carry any of these. They are all 2082.
If it is just a matter of updating the databases, it is surprising that it takes that long (Mark mentioned he would inquire more than a month ago). I am sure that some people already bought these models, and are completely unaware that they might face major difficulties with service.
And looking at the big picture, this is getting so complicated and counter-productive, that I don’t see any reasonable action for myself but to join the voices of the others here, asking that the IWS policies be revised and made truly global. Preferably in a way that would positively affect users of current Thinkpads, not just future models.
November 7th, 2008 3:57 am
I bought this model (2082). To add some negative input: it was listed with IWS covering europe when I was ordering it (end of Sep). Now Europe is gone and only LA/NA available.
Since this was one of major factors which made me to buy this model I simply feel cheated. Very, very dissapointing and unexpected from such company as Lenovo.
November 19th, 2008 6:05 pm
Dear Mark,
I am sat in Istanbul, with a lovely T61p 7662-CTO, which is obviously not warrantable as the problem is accidental, and problematic not only for being here but particularly as the problem is a cracked screen.
Looks like the cleaner(*?!) in our hotel sat on it, or dropped it. Black ink splash across the screen, with a lovely swoosh shape. Now I am having trouble finding the part number, and a service location where I can pay for the work, in Turkey or in Lebanon, where I will be from Saturday. So far I can find one guy in Turkey who says he will get one in 4-6 weeks, but thinks I can put the 15″ screen in a 14″ case. In Lebanon I can find no agents listed in your website.
Your website says the screen is not a customer replaceable item. As I am an engineer I cannot see why not, I would expect with a little care I can dismantle and replace most items with just a little guidance. Certainly on my macbook I can find excellent guides for step by step replacement. Maybe there is a good technical reason, maybe you can inform me.
November 20th, 2008 11:52 am
well I am surprised, we found a Lenovo support centre, http://www.pc.ibm.com/tr/warranty/index.html, where the team obtained a new screen and changed it while we waited (all up about an hour) and charged us just a bit over USD300. Cannot get that kind of service in the US, Europe or Australasia, certainly not with the hospitality and pleasant conference room we had while we waited. All in all I am restored and happy with buying Lenovo again.
December 8th, 2008 9:32 am
Hi Mark,
You seem the only person able to give answer on lenovo IWS. I want to buy a x200 (in particular the 74542QU) from an USA shop. I’m living in Italy and I prefer to buy it in USA, because: in Italy is not arrived yet the exact model I’m looking for, is cheaper, I prefer the American keybord. In the USA lenovo site the international warranty service is not provided for this model in my country (actually no country in Europe is listed http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/supp.....le=lenovo) but you can find the very same x200 as model# 745887G and part # NR387IT (http://www5.pc.ibm.com/it/prod.....eb_express). For this model 7458 the WSI cover most of the European country, USA and other (http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/supp.....yle=lenovo).
Since this two notebook, i.e. the 74542QU and the model# 745887G with part # NR387IT are the same computer, besides their name, I would like to understand if the WSI will be usable in Italy for the 74542QU.
Thank you in advance.
December 21st, 2008 11:43 pm
Hi Mark,
My friend is planning to buy a W700, he told me W700(2757) have no information about IWS. I checked it today, even W500(4058) that I bought last month, have nothing. Could you please check it for me?
Thank you.
December 29th, 2008 3:34 pm
I want to buy a high-end Thinkpad T400 with LED backlight, 128 GB SSD and Blu-ray recorder. As far as I know the only way to order it is through the lenovo.com website, because this configuration is only available for customized models which are not sold in any other country than the US. Unfortunately I am based in Germany and the customizable T400 from the lenovo.com website (2764CTO) doesn’t come with international warranty (Germany doesn’t appear in the list of eligible countries). Does anybody know if there is a way to extend the warranty to true IWS or to buy a customized T400 somewhere which already comes with IWS or is the only option for me to buy a notebook from one of the competitors which provide real international warranty for all models including the high-end ones? That would be a pity after working with Thinkpads for more than 10 years but currently I do not see any other option. Any hint how to get this issue solved would be highly appreciated.
January 7th, 2009 11:47 pm
Does anyone know that if the 7450 type x200t is eligible for IWS? The website says “This Machine Type is NOT eligible for International Warranty Support.”, the same as 34th reply.
I phoned lenovo but they said the model is new so the information is not up-to-date. So they do not know if it is eligible for IWS.
Should I think it will be supported in IWS? Because the same model is selling all over the world.
January 8th, 2009 12:55 pm
Alvin,
The 4058 is up to date, but I agree that the 2757 needs to be updated – will check with our IWS team on that.
Kay,
The 2764 shows as updated and I don’t see Germany on the list. We don’t have an extended country coverage that is purchasable at this time, but I will inquire as to why the 2764 can’t be covered.
Zig,
The 7450 needs to be update – will follow up with the team on that one as well.
Thanks!
January 27th, 2009 1:48 pm
I am based in Israel, but travel, and was therefore particular to buy a new ThinkPad in the US with IWS and a 3 year warranty.
MY T61p 6460-RF7 S/N L3N1096 was purchased in September 2008, and came with a 3 year warranty.
When I checked the warranty today on the Lenovo webiste, it had mysteriously being reduced to 1 year and so now expires in September 2009!
How can this be? Please advise what to do asap.
Philip Drachman
March 23rd, 2009 4:43 am
Hello
That’s Evgeniy from Israel
I would like to ask if somebody found the way to buy Lenovo laptops from US, e.g. from lenovo web site – so that it will have “Lenovo International Warranty Service (IWS)” in Israel.
When I checking purchase option on site they not providing the type of computer so I can’t find if it will be serviceable in Israel
Evgeniy Shniderman
March 23rd, 2009 11:26 am
Evgeniy,
The best advice I can offer is to check the IWS website and put in the model of the system in question. Israel would need to be shown in the list of applicable countries in order to be covered. As far as I am aware, there is no way to purchase upgraded coverage to add additional countries at this time.
Best regards,
Mark
April 3rd, 2009 10:42 am
Hi,
I have an x61 purchased in the US. The 8-cell battery died very quickly in 10 months or so. I am currently living in the Netherlands and warranty service has been refused to me because the Netherlands are not listed for this model. This is a real problem, this battery was obviously faulty, my laptop is still under warranty and I can’t do anything about it.
What are my options?
More information:
http://forums.lenovo.com/lnv/b.....ad.id=7864
June 9th, 2009 11:43 am
Hello i m aman i want to get lenovo leptop internation warreny should be required
can u give me.
June 18th, 2009 8:29 am
Hi,
Lenovos International Warranty Service doesn’t work.
I bought a great Lenovo Thinkpad X61. And one reason was because I have international guaranty. More then one year ago I moved from Euope to Brazil. Now the fan of my notebook is making troubles. My Guaranty finish 2010 but this lazy Brazilians don’t care about. I called over 10 times the hotline already. Was sometimes more than one hour on the phone. Each time they sad they will call me back. Nothing! My fan is making louder and louder noise each day and Lenovo here they don’t move there ass.
I don’t know what to do. I’m rearly angry about this not organized and disordered company here in São Paulo!
June 19th, 2009 9:18 am
Pascal,
Sorry to hear that you are having trouble in obtaining warranty coverage. Have you checked to ensure your model type is covered in Brazil?
You can put the 4 digit model type found on the bottom of your system – like 7664 or 6365, etc, into the IWS lookup page to see a list of covered countries. Alas, not every system is covered in every country, so it’s important to check eligibility. If your model type is covered in Brazil and you are still not able to get this resolved, then please let us know.
Here is the link to the IWS lookup page. -> http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/supp.....OOK-IWS#sw
Best regards,
Mark
July 10th, 2009 2:21 am
Hi Mark,
My friend is planning to buy a W700, he told me W700(2757) have no information about IWS. Could you please check it for me?
July 14th, 2009 3:07 pm
Bruce,
I checked the site and you are right! There are no countries listed right now for the W700 / W700ds models under 2757 type.
I’ve raised the issue with the IWS team and hope to get this sorted out in the next couple of days. Thanks for bringing this to our attention!
Best regards,
Mark
July 15th, 2009 1:45 pm
Bruce,
Update – the information for the 2757 has been updated to list supported countries. Thanks again!
Mark
July 16th, 2009 9:35 pm
Hi Mark,
Thank you Mark, But why Taiwan not in the IWS list?
Best regards,
Bruce
July 28th, 2009 5:13 am
Hi Mark,
I was wondering if the IWS information for the T400s (2801CTO) is up to date on the Lenovo website. Is there really no IWS available for that model or has the database still not been updated accordingly?
Best regards,
Kay
July 28th, 2009 9:27 am
Kay, the only availble T400s with IWS is the type 2815, which is sold by resellers. All the t400s sold by lenovo are type 2801 it seems and that is not eligible for IWS. Seems like IWS is now a much lower priority, perhaps according to Lenovo users are significantly less mobile now.
July 28th, 2009 3:36 pm
Kay,
We can recheck the information – sometimes there is an unintentional lag in getting all types & countries reflected.
Mark
July 29th, 2009 10:20 am
Hi Mark,
another IWS problem: I am considering buying the X200 (7454) however it seems that there is no IWS coverage for the whole of Europe, Middle East, North Africa. That is quite a big chunk of the globe and a no-go for me as i have most assignments in this region. Is there a way to solve this problem?
all the best,
Claudius
August 5th, 2009 12:06 am
Hi Mark,
Im gonna buy a customized Enhanced ThinkPad W500 with discrete graphics laptop.
http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILib.....421A9BB0B7
So i checked (4058) IWS for Turkey, Turkey supporting warranty for W500. I’ll use the system in Turkey too, and my mind is confused about warranty services, you told that “For example, if you buy 3 year onsite in the US and take the system to a country that uses a depot, or business partner network for service, then that is how you will receive service. The onsite will not apply outside the US.” in Lenovo forum. Standart warranty is for only 1 year. I want more. If i order depot warranty with the system for 3 years, can i use that in Turkey for 3 years? Depot warranty containing IWS ?
Thx, best regards.
August 5th, 2009 9:18 am
Furkan,
Yes, the time of the warranty can be extended, and that should apply in Turkey as well, it’s just the type of service upgrade that would not apply. So yes, if you added a 3 year depot upgrade you should have 3 years of warranty coverage in Turkey if the 4058 type is shown as servicable in Turkey on the IWS site.
Mark
August 5th, 2009 9:39 am
I have a Lenovo 4446 laptop, purchased in the U.S. I am currently working in Argentina, which does not service this model. Checked the forums, but could not find any threads on this series of laptop.
By the time I return to the states, I will be beyond the 45-day “everything is covered” part of the warranty.
I tried calling in number listed for Argentina, but it does not answer- its a machine that simply hangs up on you.
The phone numbers listed for the U.S. are all toll-free, which cannot be called from outside the country (and because of the phone service type, cannot be called with Skype either).
Can you provide a service/support number in the U.S. that is NOT toll free?
Are there any support resources or forums for the 4000-series laptops?
Thanks…
August 5th, 2009 12:36 pm
David,
The 4446 type is a Lenovo 3000 / valueline G530. The G530 designation is probably going to be more of a recognition aid in finding support and help online.
The US number is:
United States English 1-877-4Lenovo
(1-877-453-6686) 24 hours a day
You can find some help in our peer to peer support forum at http://forums.lenovo.com navigate down to the 3000 / Value line series laptops.
August 5th, 2009 4:48 pm
Thanks for the clarification on the model, I will research more on my issue. However, do you have a phone number for the U.S: that is NOT toll free? (Not an 800, 877, 866, number)?
Thanks again.
August 11th, 2009 12:10 pm
Hi Mark,
It seems odd that the T500 with integrated graphics (2242) has IWS cover in Europe, but not the more expensive one with discrete graphics (2081). Could you please confirm whether or not this information is still correct? I regularly travel to Europe, so this is an important issue to me.
Thanks,
Stephan
August 12th, 2009 9:53 am
HI Stephan,
The 2081 has IWS covered in Europe. The IWS page was updated today with the correct coverage.
I”m sorry for any inconvenience caused and hopefully it wont be any issue for you now
Cheers,
Cleo
August 23rd, 2009 3:27 am
Too bad that the T500 2082, which has been sold all around Europe (actually EMEA) pretty much since it was launched, is still listed as not covered there.
September 22nd, 2009 7:38 pm
I have a X61s for just slightly longer than 2 years.
Two days ago I got a “Fan Error” and the machine turned off.
I tried the ESC and I think the message is not displayed, but I still get the beep sequence and the machine turns off.
What are my options?
Thanks, David
January 27th, 2010 2:57 am
I am looking to purchase a T410 for my semester abroad in Argentina… The first sales rep I spoke with assured me that it would be covered by the IWS. However, several additional phone calls regarding this matter (along w/ a few other questions) left me with varying answers regarding the T410 IWS eligibility. The last person gave me the Type # 2516 (since I have not yet purchased a laptop) to look up the eligibility on the warranty site here: http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/supp.....OOK-IWS#sw I am frustrated at the lack of clarity with lenovo’s website– I was led to believe the T410 would have coverage when in fact it does not. Is there a way to look up a list of specific models covered by IWS?
January 28th, 2010 3:32 pm
Haley,
There really should be, but presently there isn’t reverse logic to select a country and see all covered models. The IWS site works by inputting a 4 digit model, and it returns a list of covered countries. This IWS site (links above) is generally the official source.
February 4th, 2010 6:51 pm
Hi Mark, looks like you are the hero of Lenovo IWS! Thanks for the info you make available here, it’s hard to find elsewhere and seems to bemore reliable than what I hear from the dealer. Keep up the good work!
March 8th, 2010 1:44 pm
Extremely frustrated with Lenovo. Doing research for a friend in Canada who is moving to Mexico shortly needed confirmation that if he buys a G550 p/n 2958A4U (not the G550 with the T4300 cpu) that warranty work can be provided for in Mexco. Getting nothing but run around whether the model with the T6600 is indeed covered by the IWS or whether it is only the G550 with the T4300 cpu that is serviceable in Mexico.
March 9th, 2010 4:49 pm
Frustrated,
I’ve emailed you and hope you can share some more details about web pages you consulted and who you spoke with.
Looking at the G550 IWS support page at the following link, Mexico appears to be listed…
http://consumersupport.lenovo......yID=600154
I’ll follow up with you further via email once I confirm with service, and really do hope to hear more from you so we can continue to improve.
Thanks for the feedback – sorry we have frustrated you. Certainly not the intent, I assure you!
Best regards,
Mark
March 10th, 2010 7:56 am
Hi,
Am from India – I intend to ask my friend who’s currently in the US to get a Thinkpad SL410-2842F from bestbuy. Have checked the IWS page and India is showing up in the list of countries. Had a query – would i need to get a “warranty upgrade” for it to be eligible for IWS or does the standard warranty include IWS?
Regards,
Yunus
March 10th, 2010 11:44 am
Yunus,
International support is not an upgrade – it is just a capability to service the system in those countries. If you upgrade the warranty, the length of the upgrade can apply, but not the manner of service delivery. For example, if you buy a system with a 1 year warranty and depot service in the US, and find that it has IWS coverage in other countries, and you purchase a 3 year onsite upgrade, then if you have trouble in the US, you can get onsite service in the US, however when you travel to other IWS covered countries, the 3 year term still applies, but the onsite does not – service would be provided by depot or partner in those countries.
Hope that helps!
Mark
March 11th, 2010 2:02 am
Thanks for the clarification Mark.
Regards,
Yunus
March 26th, 2010 6:57 am
I bought a Thinkpad model 76641JU in the U.S.A and it said International warranty for three years. Now I am in India and the local Lenovo warranty service centre informs that this model is not covered for warranty in India!! They have sent me a link,
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/supp.....yle=lenovo
and this does not contain India as one of the countries wherein the model is not covered. So, the question of International Warrant and it is true International nature needs to be redifined!!
April 9th, 2010 11:47 am
As far as I understand there is no need to buy a particular International Warranty Service for Lenovo ThinkPad. All I need is the chosen model to be supported by a service provider in the counties I need according to this page:
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/supp.....OOK-IWS#sw
Am I correct? Is this true if I purchase a CTO model? Concretely:
I customize and buy a ThinkPad T410 from the US Lenovo site. It has part number 2516CTO. I go to the page mentioned above and see that the laptops of type 2516 have available service in the countries I want. Then I am free to go or call those service providers without purchasing particular IWS. Actually there isn’t such possibility in the Lenovo configurator on the site and I cannot purchase IWS. So I think it is included by default for the model and if one has a year warranty it will be a year warranty for all those countries in that particular list or if one has 3 years warranty it will be the same for all the countries in the list. Frankly, I do not care whether “on-site” will or won’t be supported in a particular country. All I care is the possibility to save expenses when the laptop is warranty service eligible.
April 12th, 2010 1:34 pm
D. Kalchev,
IWS coverage is not a seperate thing to purchase – it is included within the base warranty scope for the countries listed on the IWS site. So, if you put in 2516, coverage is available in the countries listed. If you upgrade to 3 years with an extended warranty, you can have 3 years in those countries as well.
April 12th, 2010 2:12 pm
Thank you Mr. Hopkins. One more question:
I’ve often met with the warranty requirement to bring the laptop in its box with all its original contents, as it would have been when bought. This requirement would be illogical for a ThinkPad since no-one travels with the entire box. Is there any case when one would need to carry the computer with all the stuff included in the set for the warranty to be respected?
April 15th, 2010 1:38 pm
D. Kalchev,
I’ve never seen that requirement in our case for service. In many cases when utilizing depot repair options, Lenovo service will send the customer a new padded box to ensure safe travel to and from the service center. When utilizing service through a partner via carry in, no packaging is required.
Mark