How can I carry out Windows 8 Clean installation without buying more software? Dell phone centre not helpful.

Hi

I have just bought an Inspiron 17R SE. It has windows 8 installed but no installation disc is supplied in the box.

For a number of reasons I will need to be able to carry out a clean installation.

These include:

1) I would like to install windows 7 for now (I have a licence and disc) and then reinstall Win 8 later on.

2) I would like to install an SSD at some point and that will need a clean install.

I have bought a laptop with a Win 8 licence so I should be able to use it, even if I reinstall, or replace a hard drive.

I asked Dell before I bought the laptop if I would be able to do this and they said yes I would.

So I bought it.

Now I contacted Dell premium support to ask how I would do this as surely I would need an installation DVD and the recovery disc would not be suitable.

I was told that I would need to buy a new copy of Win 8 as I hadn't ordered recovery media when I bought the laptop, I was told the option was there during the purchase process to purchase installation media. It most certainly wasn't . I have a screen shot to prove it.

In fact the screen has the words "(included in price)" on it, and no options to choose from. This was why I checked with Dell before buying.

I asked who I could complain to and was told I'd be transferred to customer service and if the call failed I'd get a callback. The line went dead and no call back. So checked the website for phone number, found it along with opening hours of 9 - 6 pm. Phoned at 5.05pm to hear a recorded message saying they close at 5pm.

So now I have a laptop that I can't ever clean install unless I purchase more software. That's not right and not what I bought.

I hope someone knows how to do this as the laptop will be useless to me without an answer, and I refuse to keep buying more Operating systems when I've already paid for a licence.

Luckily I'm still within my first seven days so can send the laptop back if there's no solution. Seems ridiculous to send it back just because of no reinstallation media but it's useless without.

So if any one has any ideas of how we're meant to clean install rather than use recovery discs, bearing in mind the Win 8 key is flashed on the motherboard and there was never any option to buy media, please let me know. I can't be the only one like this.