BleepingComputer.com: Aquiring system disks from Dell

I get computers donated by schools and churchs. I make repairs then, I give them to families that cannot afford a computer. I have no problems from IBM, and Compaq. Dell wants to know the this informantion that I can not give.

1. The name of the original owner of the system, or the person who purchased it, or the name of the store where the system was purchased.
2. The name of the company who originally purchased the system, or the company who purchased it for you.
3. Original Bill To Address, the original Ship To Address, or the address of the store where you purchased the system.
With IBM and Compaq, All I do is pay for the shipping and i don't have any problems.

I might start rejecting Dell's
I had to go through transfer of ownership to get the disks sent to me, and it was a long process to get the previous owner name.
I'm still having problems getting the transfer of ownership changed. I think I'll just scrap the dell's!

This post has been edited by Steve1953: 30 September 2009 - 03:14 PM

You may want to consider loading the Dell's with a distro of Linux rather than Windows if Dell's gonna be a jerk about it. Ubuntu is very novice friendly and free (Dell even ships some of their computers with it rather than Windows.)

Their request is not unfair
Why should they hand out OS's to every Tom, Dick and Harry
Why should you be different than anybody else

IDK, Mark. It seems to me that asking all that info goes way over the line of making sure that neither Tom, Dick, nor Harry are getting disks. As I see it they would be justified only in asking for the Service Tag Number (provided by Dell to uniquely ID computers.) That would adequately prove that the person had access to the hardware. If a particular Service Tag got abused, they could blacklist it. Simple. But they seem to be going out of their way to be jerks about the matter.

This post has been edited by Amazing Andrew: 30 September 2009 - 09:56 PM
Reason for edit: Spleling

They are simply trying to confirm you are the legitimate owner of the system. Dell provides an OS disk free of charge as long as you are in the US and are the registered owner of the system. If not, then you're out of luck. Been that way for as long as I have been following the Dell Users Forum.

After about two hours on the phone a dozen emails, they agreed to send the disks.