Internet Recovery - can only recover to Mountain Lion?

I'm trying to re-install OS X onto my MacBook Pro, but I'm currently in somewhat of a catch-22 situation.
I've used Internet Recovery to bring up a recovery-console type thing which has an option to install OS-X - great, the trouble is that it wants to install OS X 10.8 - Mountain Lion, and, since I haven't bought that version, I don't have a licence so it correctly realises this, and stops me trying to install it.
Now, the catch 22 appears. I can't purchase Mountain Lion, since the only way to do this appears to be from the App store, and I don't have a working Mac. I don't have a working Mac since I can't install Mountain Lion!
So, is there a way to use Intenet Recovery to install Lion (which I *do* have a licence for), or to purchase Mountain Lion without using the app-store?
[For the purposes of this discussion, assume that I don't have access to another OS X computer, or my original install DVDs (they're about 150 km away!). I also rather install Lion for the moment if possible, rather than paying for the upgrade.]

NeoAnjou wrote:
Thank you, but I'm not a fool - when you choose the install option you get an image of a mountain lion, it says 'Installing 10.8 Montain Lion', and when I have entered my apple-account details it says 'the account was not used to purchase Montain Lion' ... so that seems pretty conclusive to me!
I'm not entirely sure what version of the MacBook I have since I bought it reconditioned, but it pre-dates Lion, and I upgraded to that version after release. It's probably an early 2011 model.
You bought it Reconditioned from where? From Apple or from some other Mac sales farm?
If it Pre-Dates Lion then it should of come with 2 Reinstall DVDs, one for the OS (Snow Leopard) and one for the included iLife Applications. Did it come with those DVDs?
What version of OS X was installed on it when you got it? Was it Snow Leopard?
Why are you trying to use Internet Recovery? Actually Internet Recovery is for Mac's that originally came with one of the 2 Download Only version of OS X, Lion and Mt Lion, even though some older models, early 2011 and some 2010 models, can access it.
You can always use the Built in Recovery HD partition, that is if you still have one on your internal drive, to Reinstall the current version of the download only version of OS X. In your case that would be Lion.
If your Mac Pre-Dates Lion and you don't have the original reinstall DVDs then you need to contact Apple and get them. As if and when you ever want to sell or give that Mac away you MUST reinstall that version of OS X on that Mac. You can not sell or give it away with one of the download only version of OS X as those would be tied to YOUR Apple ID.
I have a Mac that came with Lion Pre-Installed and have upgraded to Mt Lion. I am going to do a check on my system to see what version of OS X is installed using Internet Recovery. For my system it should be Lion even though I have upgraded to ML.
For you and your system to reinstall Lion you would need to use the built in Recovery HD partition or use a USB thumb drive that you created with Lion or that you used the Lion Recovery Disk Asssistant program to copy the Lion Recovery HD partition to.
Or first reinstall Snow Leopard, the original OS that came on your Mac, and then use the Mac App Store to upgrade to Lion again.
Message was edited by: Shootist007 Spelling

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keg55 wrote:
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Apple Certified Mushkin 4GB 1066MHz RAM (2GBX2)
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Internet Recovery - can only recover to Mountain Lion?

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