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I'm frustrated with Apple when it comes to services. Don't misunderstand me: I love their hardware. I love OS X. It's the best computing experience since my C64

I'm frustrated with Apple when it comes to services. Don't misunderstand me: I love their hardware. I love OS X. It's the best computing experience since my C64 days. But when it comes to services I tend to avoid them as much as I can. Latest example: Apple music. I was a little annoyed by Spotify's continuously disappearing music tracks so I was eager to try out iTunes Music. But the problems started when I tried to get into the trial: You need a valid* credit card. Now valid is a pretty interesting definition because I'm from Germany, currently living in Germany but my banking is done via a Dutch bank (back from when I lived there). So my credit card is dutch. And I live in Germany. But it's the EU so it shouldn't be a problem, right? Right. And no one has ever raised an eyebrow when I used a credit card that has been issued by a Dutch bank with my German address (not even the online poker websites I frequent from time to time). Not even once I had any problems with that. I'm paying my taxes in Germany via my Dutch bank account. The German tax office accepts it (they even issue transfers to that account). So if the German tax office (which still hasn't completely switched to electronic tax filing) can deal with that case then everyone on this planet should be able to. Well, expect for Apple. I just can not use that credit card with anything iTunes related. I get always an "invalid country error". Now I'm in Germany, I'm from Germany, my iTunes account is a German iTunes account. But the fact that my credit card has been issued by a bank in a country that's just 20km from my current residence makes it invalid for Apple. A country that is part of the EU. It's like I wouldn't be able to use a credit card from California when I were living in Washington. So I have to buy those pre-paid iTunes cards to top up my account. And so I had to add three months of pre-paid money to my iTunes account just to start the 3 months free trial. Everything OK? Nope! I was too bold and I opted for a "family account". Now the most funny thing: Even though I am in the free trial period for the "family account" and I have enough money in my iTunes account to pay for the service I can't use the family sharing feature because for that I would need a valid credit card. iTunes just aborts with an "add a valid credit card" error when I try to configure family sharing. It's like Kafka has risen from his grave and started a music streaming service. /rant

wineisfine 11y ago
That's strange I'm Dutch, living in Germany and don't have these issues with my Dutch Visa card. You do know you can change your country/App Store country? I can even hop between country store and use different visas per store.
- kybernetyk 11y ago
  Is your iTunes account maybe registered to your old Dutch address? Because the iTunes error I get (and the people on the Apple support line) tells me that I need a credit card for the country my iTunes acc is registered in. >You do know you can change your country/App Store country? Not that easily. (I'm not talking about clicking the flag in the iTunes store front but changing the personal data associated with the account). For that I need to contact Apple support. And then there's the issue that there are enough stories where people who frequently used their iTunes account from foreign countries got their account suspended. (Add a fake address in the Netherlands I would have to use and this is a risk I don't want to take). /edit: That's the message I get: http://i.imgur.com/IWfI8np.png http://i.imgur.com/IWfI8np.png
  - wineisfine 11y ago
    Right yes, but you dont need to contact Apple support, you can just change countries, after being logged in on Apple.com. I changed my account frequently because sometimes I had to pay things with my Dutch visa and other times with the German one. Been doing this for years. Also, it makes no sense for Apple to ban an account that a) does nothing illegal b) they allow these country changes c) are legit Visa card transactions that they make their profit on. So all you're issues, are basically void, because it is possible, without contacting support. And after switching countries, a few minutes later it's activated. Give it a go.

wineisfine 11y ago

That's strange I'm Dutch, living in Germany and don't have these issues with my Dutch Visa card. You do know you can change your country/App Store country? I can even hop between country store and use different visas per store.

kybernetyk 11y ago
Is your iTunes account maybe registered to your old Dutch address? Because the iTunes error I get (and the people on the Apple support line) tells me that I need a credit card for the country my iTunes acc is registered in. >You do know you can change your country/App Store country? Not that easily. (I'm not talking about clicking the flag in the iTunes store front but changing the personal data associated with the account). For that I need to contact Apple support. And then there's the issue that there are enough stories where people who frequently used their iTunes account from foreign countries got their account suspended. (Add a fake address in the Netherlands I would have to use and this is a risk I don't want to take). /edit: That's the message I get: http://i.imgur.com/IWfI8np.png http://i.imgur.com/IWfI8np.png
- wineisfine 11y ago
  Right yes, but you dont need to contact Apple support, you can just change countries, after being logged in on Apple.com. I changed my account frequently because sometimes I had to pay things with my Dutch visa and other times with the German one. Been doing this for years. Also, it makes no sense for Apple to ban an account that a) does nothing illegal b) they allow these country changes c) are legit Visa card transactions that they make their profit on. So all you're issues, are basically void, because it is possible, without contacting support. And after switching countries, a few minutes later it's activated. Give it a go.