Service Tag showing Incorrect Device

Question

Hello,

We received 13 devices from an Amazon reseller that didn't have a service tag sticker on the device. I went to the BIOS and obtained the service tag associated with each device. When entering the service tags into the Dell Support webpage, I am given a completely different computer for each one. One example showed me a PC that was over ten years old. These are all new OptiPlex 7090s but are showing completely different devices such as an old desktop or laptop.

If I try to open a ticket, I am required to enter the Service Tag for basic support or pro support (we have both). However, the service tag is showing a different system and no entitlement or warranty. So the support agents, even the supervisors have been really confused or hesitant to even open / start troubleshooting. We are removing the PCs that have been deployed and will try to return the unused ones. However, there are five that we might be stuck with.

Is there a way to rectify this so the service tag shows the correct device? I tried reaching out twice to DELL support late last year with no avail I received a manager's email from one of the support agents but never got a reply from him. We have a contract with Dell and we are getting to the point of frustration. If you could please assist in any way, I would greatly appreciate it.

I linked one of the Service Tags associated with one of the new OptiPlex 7090s and as you can see it shows a Inspiron 15 laptop that expired 10 years ago.

Thank you.

ejn63 · Accepted Answer

The service tag is installed onto the mainboard when a system ships from Dell. It can be changed later if someone has the software tools for doing that job, or it can be removed. And if someone swaps the system board for whatever reason -- failure of the board being the most common, the service tag can change unless the person doing the job reprograms the board with the original service tag.

Replacement boards are generally shipped with no service tag (they can also arrive without a Windows license key).

Bottom line: only your seller or whoever worked on a system can tell you what happened, or why.

ejn63 · Answer

These are 2021-model systems -- only your seller can tell you why the service tags don't resolve. Anything -- including parts-swapping, service tag changes, etc. could have happened in the three or so years since these were truly new.

ITEngineer69 · Answer

@ejn63​ Thanks for your reply. Why would a Service Tag be missing or incorrect from a computer? I'm not sure of the process of entitlement for PCs but, I am at a loss on how and why this happened. Does every DELL computer have a service tag regardless of the reseller or warranty on the device? I'll have to ask my Ops Manager to contact the reseller since he was the one to place the Amazon order. We have a contract with DELL and one of the authorized resellers, I don't think we're going back to Amazon; honestly not sure why we even purchased from them anyway. I'm going to open one of them up today out of curiosity.

ITEngineer69 · Answer

@ejn63​ I appreciate your response. This is something I could not for the life of me get Dell Support (Basic & Pro), even their supervisors to tell me. Thank you.

ZeKraggash · Answer

I have a Dell Latitude 2in1 laptop, Service Tag identifies as 5289, but Bios identifies as 7390 system was working until it didn't and I discovered ID mismatch

Scorpwanna · Answer

I've recently found out that Dell recycles their Service Tags as well as removes their association with a previous PC that still has that Service Tag. They also seem to randomly remove Product Configuration information too. I have a Dell Dimension 2400 from back in 2005 that I had registered on Dell back then, the Service Tag is still searchable on the Support site, but the Product Configuration is blank now. Whereas I have a Dell Dimension 4100 that was given to me and never registered on Dell at all, and it is searchable on the Support site, and still shows the Product Configuration as it shipped.

Throughout my computer repair over the decades, I've had many Dell PCs that have the Service Tag stamped onto the case, and in the Bios. All of which are original to those PCs, but the website will show something different randomly it seems.

Optiplex Desktops

Service Tag showing Incorrect Device

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