Help! My $1,866 Lenovo Yoga is an expensive paperweight

Tracey Croisier bought a high-end Lenovo laptop expecting a powerhouse, but the battery died faster than a cheap phone. After five repair attempts and some truly bizarre advice from tech support, she’s stuck with a “portable” computer that only works when it’s plugged into a wall. Is it time for the company to give her money back?

Question

I paid $1,866 for a new Lenovo Yoga 9 a little over a year ago. I’m a writer and keynote speaker, so I need a device that works when I’m on the move. Less than a year after I bought it, the battery started crashing. It would go from 100 percent to 30 percent in just two hours. 

Lenovo sent an in-home repair technician who replaced the battery and the motherboard, but the problem didn’t go away. Every time I call tech support, they run diagnostics, tell me they fixed it, and then the battery crashes again a few weeks later. I have six different repair ticket numbers. 

Lately, the laptop is getting very hot to the touch. My own diagnostics showed a peak temperature of 134 degrees. When I told a Lenovo representative that the battery dies while I am driving 10 miles to my writing class, he actually suggested that I should consider turning the laptop off while I’m in the car. 

I didn’t pay nearly $2,000 for a desktop computer. Lenovo specs claim a 15-hour battery life, and reviews say it should last even longer. I’ve done everything they asked, including mailing it back for more “diagnostics.” I want a full refund so I can buy a computer that doesn’t burn my hands or die in the middle of a presentation. Can you help me get my money back? — Tracey Croisier, Bellevue, Wash. 

Answer

Lenovo should have replaced your laptop or refunded your money long ago. When you spend $1,866 on a laptop, you’re paying for portability and a reasonable amount of battery life.  If a computer can’t survive a 30-minute car ride without losing most of its juice, it’s defective. 

Most manufacturers offer a one-year limited warranty that covers defects in materials and workmanship. When a company tries to fix the same hardware issue four or five times without success, it’s considered a lemon. At that point, the repair cycle needs to end and a replacement or refund should begin. 

I liked the way you kept a paper trail. You had a clear chronology of every repair attempt and every promise made by tech support. That’s exactly what you need when a case short-circuits, like yours.  If you ever find yourself in a similar spot, you can also escalate your complaint to the executives at Lenovo. I list the names and email addresses for the company on my advocacy site, Elliott.org.

The suggestion to turn off your laptop during a 10-mile drive to save battery life is one for the Hall of Fame of bad tech support advice. It’s right up there with “have you tried using it as a paperweight?”

Most troubling was the sudden temperature increase when you turned on the laptop. If you ever experience something like that again, shut down the computer until a qualified technician can take a look. This could have ended badly for you, and I’m glad it didn’t.

So how did it end? I contacted Lenovo on your behalf. I shared your history of failed repairs and the concerning temperature readings. 

You received an email from a corporate representative offering you a choice between another repair or a full refund. You took the refund. It’s a shame I had to get involved for Lenovo to do the right thing, but at least you can now buy a laptop that really is portable.

Christopher Elliott

Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that empowers consumers to solve their problems and helps those who can't. He's the author of numerous books on consumer advocacy and writes three nationally syndicated columns. He also publishes the Elliott Report, a news site for consumers, and Elliott Confidential, a critically acclaimed newsletter about customer service. If you have a consumer problem you can't solve, contact him directly through his advocacy website. You can also follow him on X, Facebook, and LinkedIn, or sign up for his daily newsletter.