I got the service tag from Dell system detect in the support section of the website. Also, the Dell support person verified the service tag when they remotely logged into the system.

There's a label inside the battery compartment that SHOULD match the one in the system setup (unless the tag was changed -- or the mainboard was -- by the seller).

When you receive the system back, I suspect you're going to find that the service tag on the mainboard and the one on the label for the system do not match.  At that point, contact the seller to find out what the story behind the system is.  If the tags don't match, return the system to the seller for a refund.

To get to the battery you have to unscrew the back plate. The only service tag number I know of was the one provided by the system detect scan. Wouldn't they at least run a system detect on the laptop just to verify what the tag was saying? To me It's looking more and more like Dell lost my laptop, and are in the process of sending me back an inferior model. Only time will tell since I can't get anyone in technical support to verify any information on this other system including the user account name.

UPDATE - I e-mailed my technical support contact for an update and received the following:

"I want to take this opportunity to thank you for choosing Dell.

The following information relates to your recent interaction with Dell Technical Support. Service Request Number <ADMIN NOTE: service request number removed per privacy policy>

Thank you for replying to our email. We have updated the details. System will be shipped to you in 1-2 business days with our repair."

I'm thinking that they at least fixed the wrong laptop and will send it back to me. I e-mailed to ask what was repaired. I received the following reply:

"Hello Tom,

We apologize for the miscommunication. Laptop will be shipped back to you with out repair."

My only option now is to wait for the delivery. Is there anyone at Dell (stateside) that can help me out? If it means anything I've been a residential and business customer for over 10 years.   Thanks in advance.

 I never identified the service tag from the label. I do not recall seeing such a label on the laptop. I ran the Dell System Detect and it gave me the tag number. Would that not reveal the service tag associated with the motherboard? 

In any case, I will post an update once I receive the unit back.

Something is not right here -- the technician who diagnosed the system would not have been the one who could have transferred a warranty -- that would have had to be done by customer support, not technical support.

I still think your recourse is going to be with the seller of the system - not with Dell.

Symantics. Someone who works for Dell assisted me with it. Based on the person I purchased it from, they would not have taken out an I5 and replaced it with an I7 processor. The box it came in has a barcode and lists the processor as an I7 Let's see what arrives in the mail.

A mainboard change would have changed the processor - which is hard soldered, unless this is a very high-end Alienware or Precision system.

Same difference. Possible but highly unlikely.

The service tag you did post doesn't match your statement about the warranty -- it shows a system that was registered in February 2016 and a depot warranty that expires in February 2017.

One way or the other, since Dell isn't honoring the warranty - your best bet is to return it to the seller for a refund.

I disagree with you but that's beside the point. As I said earlier, lets see what I get back in the mail. 

You'll need to call customer support - the forums are here for technical help.  Or, post in the customer care board.

I found out something very interesting today. When entering a service tag number on the Dell website, under system configuration, you are given 2 options. One is “Original Configuration” and the other is “Current Configuration. In order for the website to display and store your current configuration, you must allow the Dell website to scan the laptop.

When entering [Admin note, service tag removed] TD, I am allowed to view both the “original” and “current” laptop configurations. The reason why is that when I first received the laptop, I scanned it to verify the configuration and also ran some diagnostic tests. When I enter tag [Admin note, service tag removed] TD, which is the tag on the laptop that Dell is claiming to have received from me, I am only able to view the “Original Configuration”. The reason for that is obvious. I never scanned the laptop with the incorrect tag on the Dell website because I never had possession of that laptop.

Dell is at fault in some capacity and here’s why. The correct laptop was scanned on the Dell website and displayed the service tag accordingly. This is the same information that was available to tech support when they remotely accessed the device. This same scan is also used to determine the system configuration. Perhaps the service tag number is incorrect on or near the battery compartment and the technicians never bothered to perform a hardware scan to verify the number. The other possibility is that they are confusing my laptop with someone else’s. 

Can someone from Dell look into this for me? I hate the idea of waiting a week for the laptop to be delivered.