Dell charges customers £16 to install free browser Firefox

Mozilla, the makers of Firefox, say that they are investigating the situation

Computer maker Dell has been criticised after customers found that the company has been charging customers £16.25 ($27.18) to install the free web browser Firefox.

Mozilla, the makers of Firefox, told The Next Web that “There is no agreement between Dell and Mozilla which allows Dell or anyone else to charge for installing Firefox using that brand name.

"Our trademark policy makes clear that this is not permitted and we are investigating this specific report.”

Dell has responded by saying the charge is acceptable as it covers the act of installation rather than the product itself.

“In this particular situation, the customer would not be charged for the Mozilla Firefox software download, rather the fee would cover the time and labour involved for factory personnel to load a different image than is provided on the system’s standard configuration,” said Dell.

A screenshot from Dell's website, showing the optional installation.

The charge exists as an option for EU customers only, with no reports of the ‘service’ being offered in the US.

The Register, who first reported the story, note that as installing Firefox takes approximately 10 minutes, Dell is charging customers a rate of £100 an hour for their services.