This is really frustrating the **** out of me. Ok, I tried earlier to send an email to myaccount@icloud.com, assuming it would simply be an alias for @me.com and go to that mailbox.
I went to icloud.com, and realized I'd been using my @me.com address since I migrated from MobileMe to iCloud like when iOS 5 came out. So I figured let's try logging in with the @icloud.com addresss. I did so, using the same password as the @me.com account, and it was successful. Though, when I clicked my name at the top right corner to see the email address, it still is showing the @me.com address even though I logged in with the @icloud.com domain.
Still having not gotten the email, I tried sending from another domain. Still did not receive email sent to the identical account name @icloud.com (though sending to the @me.com one works fine). I tried to change it in my devices, but it is greyed out and refuses to let me change it from @me.com. I tried to create a new icloud.com address from the interface, but it says try using a different or the suggested address. Great. I go to myappleid.apple.com and I can login with the @icloud.com email domain, but it still shows the primary address as @me.com one! Agh!! Again, it won't let me create a new apple id using the @icloud.com extension.
So obviously it exists, and I can login to services using it, but not receive mail sent to it, and it's basically just an alias as far as it seems from icloud.com and at the appleid page, since logging into either with @icloud.com works, but it maps it to @me.com once I'm logged in and there's no mention of @icloud.com.
I know this is getting very monotonous and confusing probably switching back and for with the domains but... I didn't create the two... or three. Depending on how you want to count it.
I noticed that when I followed the KB article and I went into icloud.com's mail (logged in using @icloud.com) and I went into mail, the instruction that they said to change the "default send as... email" did not even exist. Cleared cache, etc... different browser... still no option. Compose new email... no dropdown or anything. ***.
Partial hack solution:
Next, I check my iCloud control panel (Windows) and notice it's logged in using the @me.com, so I log it out and login to that using the @icloud.com domain. AHA! It actually reflects myaccount@icloud.com in the status. Fantastic. First time it's done that. I clear my cache, head back to icloud.com, login with @icloud.com, check my preferences by clicking my name in the top right... still showing the damned @me.com address. I go into mail, expecting nothing has changed, but NOW THE OPTION IS THERE in preferences to choose between the two for sending out emails. It also shows both in the alias pane. I compose new and I now can drop down to select the outgoing domain. Perfect, sort of.
Except half of the stuff is still mapping to @me.com, refusing to reflect I logged in using @icloud.com... tried to change it on my phone or add a new iCloud account... refuses to change from @me.com. The only thing I have NOT tried to do yet is completely hit DELETE ACCOUNT in there and re-add with @icloud.com. Though the KB article says this will simply cause the device to stop syncing, the KB articles have lied to me plenty of times before now, so I can't fully trust them.
BTW, I'm not an idiot, I am a Technician/Programmer/Admin by trade; I work on computers and servers/networks all day and night (and weekends most of the time) so I know how to follow a simple KB article instructions, and I've tried all of the unique ones that I can find.
Ultimately, my major issue outstanding is that I cannot receive email sent to myaccount@icloud.com at all. From any domain. BUT, I CAN send outgoing mail to those very same domains successfully. So it's just incoming mail to @icloud.com domain alias/version whatever you want to call it is for some reason failing. Also, possibly the ability to change this in my device's settings for iCloud/iCloud email may not allow me to change (as said, only scenario I haven't tried is totally deleting the account from the device) -- though I HAVE cut off email syncing and attempted to alter it in both places (there's two, one on the first screen, then in a second screen once you tap a selection box at the bottom.
I mean, is this what I'm supposed to expect it to be? The iCloud brand is so strong now that I'm sure that many people are going to accidentally by default or absent mindedly send email to myaccount@icloud.com and at this point I won't ever receive it. Yet, by all other views, it is perfectly valid (sending outgoing mail via @icloud.com, using it to login to services that require an apple ID, etc). Also still, even when logging in to these sites with @icloud.com (save the control panel applet or tray icon) once I'm logged in everything changes back to reflect that the ID that is active and being used is the @me.com one, regardless of what domain I actually login with.
What I'm frustrated with here is
1) the lack of any clear instructions as to how to actually create this @icloud.com domain account to begin with (the KB article said it would be automatic, I found that was at least partially incorrect since the webmail program did not ever add/merge this second @iCloud.com account/alias until I logged out of and back into the control panel/tray icon... no other scenario worked to add this to the webmail, and recall I did clear my cache and cookies, etc before each attempt)
2) the total inconsistent experience across the board when using the @iCloud.com domain account/ID. Some rare ones actually will show it as @iCloud.com once I log in, while most simply allow the login, then seem to revert/reflect that I'm logged in as/active as/using the @me.com account by all visual cues.
3) and the obvious, biggest problem, since I can deal with the horribly implemented, but otherwise "I can deal with inconsistency" since I know that they're merely alias accounts/forwarded for each other... essentially, one is just the same as the other, in as far as authentication and content within is concerned-- yet, no email sent to my identical account at the @iCloud.com domain goes through to either the device or the webmail interface, regardless of sending domain. This is a big one, when I start losing emails to /dev/null or wherever they're going... certainly not the correct mail spool/folder...
Anyone understand what the living **** is going on or the confounded order that will actually set these accounts straight hopefully, or is that just a bit much to ask of it all? I'm using Windows on desktop, and no I haven't upgraded to iOS 6, which is no longer beta anymore, so any beta or domain registration/record pointing issues should apply anymore. It's been out as GM and even public release for what, about a full month now, and I didn't even bother to mess with it because I had a feeling there would be some kinks in the system as always... so I gave my due patience and waited before trying this stuff...
Sorry to spout off so long and complain to the public in this forum, as I understand we're all trying to help each other as consumers/end-users since it has appeared to me for years that Apple employs its customers to maintain customer support... for each other. That's a great community strengthening effort, yet it only seems to build the community to grow with the torches and pitchforks in hand, chanting "FIX IT, FIX IT"-- we don't have access to the domain records, the accounts, the servers these things all run on, the code itself, the implementation plans, and by my experience, can't even rely on the KB articles to guide us through to a successful solution. If it were not for my own understanding and persistence in troubleshooting every available avenue of access, I wouldn't have gotten this far, even.
BOOO once again to Apple for your horrible support. The last incident caused me to have to recharge my brand new phone's battery 5-7 FULL CYCLE charges a day just to keep it working a full 16 hours or so! Finally, 6 months (literally) later, firmware update 5.1->5.1.1 instantly fixed the problem to where I was good on a single charge. Clearly the firmware was the cause of the issue. Good thing you block us out of the ability of downgrading... at least the honest and obedient ones! I'd have downgraded as soon as I saw the firmware issue begin, but I was naive back then... thinking it'll be fixed soon enough. No need to jailbreak and use SHSH blobs so that I can actually use my $700 near-brick. But still yet, I'll be paying to replace that battery when soon it starts to lose chargable capacity and reaches that 80% or 60% probably a year, two years prematurely because of your error! Bunk! The iPhone 4 was the last product I bought from you, and that's the way I think I'm staying. I knew for sure I wasn't going to get an iPhone 5 for god sakes, my 4 is just recently working without massive problems! That paired with your wretched customer support (that being the most important, your denail/ignoring of major issues until it reaches fever pitch, then you screw around fixing it for half a year despite millions of consumers having daily, real problems using your hardware). I'm done I think. It may look great, but eye candy doesn't float the boat. I need the **** to work first and foremost, and if it doesn't, I need a company that will at least acknowledge the problem exists. A year turnaround time for a freaking massive bugfix is unacceptable... truly. And don't tell us you don't have the resources to fix that gaping hole of a customer relations nightmare. Good riddance, enjoy that abandonist support ideology.
You need to thank your faithful, absurdly faithful customers for helping iron out all your wrinkles on a daily basis. Without them you'd get nothing resolved for anyone. So from me to everyone helping out here, thank you all for helping each other in this unfortunate consumer environment surrounding Apple.
UPDATE: I FINALLY STARTED GETTING THE BOUNCES BACK.
Delivery to the following recipient failed permanently:
MYNONWORKINGACCOUNT@icloud.com
Technical details of permanent failure:
The server tried to deliver your message, but it was rejected by the recipient domain. We recommend contacting the other email provider for further information about the cause of this error. The error that the other server returned was: 550 550 5.1.1 unknown or illegal alias: MYNONWORKINGACCOUNT@icloud.com (state 13).
Sweet. There's several of course to each of the domains, complaining unknown or illegal alias... well, not according to Apple's systems!
Then, I thought of something one step further, let me try to send FROM Apple servers... TO Apple servers... even across their own network (I presume):
Your message cannot be delivered to the following recipients:
Recipient address: MYNONWORKINGACCOUNT@icloud.com
Reason: unknown or illegal alias
What a total embarassment, particularly almost a month AFTER beta ends and it's unleashed upon the public.