Can The Consumerist Help Solve Lenovo Bait & Switch Scam?

Gawker has launched The Consumerist, (omigawd! what an ugly site!) a blog that promises to help shoppers bite back against "shoddy products, inhumane customer support, and half-assed service."

I know a thing or two about consumer complaints, since I ran Rent-a-Kvetch in the 80s, a company dedicated to artful, legitimate complaining. I helped thousands of consumers fight back against rip-offs and bad service.

So, to see if the Consumerist actually has any teeth, I have challenged them to help me fight a bait and switch tactic by Lenovo, from whom I just bought a $2500 Lenovo Thinkpad X40 2386 laptop.

I bought the Thinkpaid Laptop X40 2386 from the Lenovo site, paying $300 more than it would have cost on Buy.com because I wanted to configure it. And Buy.com had a totally fucked up policy.

Anyhow, when I ordered the X40 2386 computer, there was a promotion on the Lenovo site that offered an extra battery, a cheap printer and some other stuff. I told the salesperson I wanted the battery. He came back and said they were out of them and did I want a printer. No, I didn't want a damn cheapo printer. I wanted a battery.

If the batteries were out of stock they could have sent it when they got some more batteries. Since the battery was on the Lenovo laptop site, it seems to me they have to make it available. I waited three weeks to get the Lenovo Thinkpad X40 2386, I could have waited to get the extra battery. It's not like laptop batteries are rare. But no, the bait & swtich was cheapo printer or go to hell.

I hope The Consumerist will cream Lenovo because this bait & switch practice really stinks. The salesman tells me he can't do anything about it because that promotion is over. Sure it's over now! But it was live when I ordered the Lenovo Thinkpad X40 2386 . What does he care? The sale is over. He thinks he doesn't have to deal with the likes of me again. Har! I am having fun wreaking search engine havoc with Lenovo Thinkpad X40 2386, but I'd rather have the damn battery.

He emails: "As for the promotion I do apologize but we are not able to offer it to you since the order was placed after the promotion expired, alternate promotions were offered as was free shipping."

That is a lie. The promotion was on the site the day I placed my order. How the hell else would I even know about it? Doh.

Go Consumerist! Show us your stuff!

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