Sorry for "Apple Force" that you resort to breaking your iPod instead of checking more thoroughly - that is REALLY not Apple's fault and you are the one that will be "hurt" by not "buying stuff" from Apple again.
I have been using iTunes since it first appeared. One other time I had this problem. Turns out it was my expiration date that had changed - I updated that information and all was well. This time, my husband nor I could get a perfectly good card to verify on the Security Code.
I read through some of these threads, found a phone number someone posted, got a GREAT customer support person who did not have the answer, but sent me an e-mail with instructions to go here:
http://www.apple.com/support/itunes/contact
This is Apple Support Express Lane, specifically iTunes. He directed me to select iTunes Store > select Account Management > Click Continue > Select My Topic is not Listed > State simple description (like: Invalid Security Code problem) > Give details of what all you have attempted to clear the problem, what device(s) you used, etc.
My husband & I resolved the problem ourselves, but for those of you still freaking out (we sure were!!), this is the set of instructions sent to me in response to that Express Lane case:
In order to attempt resolving this error that you're receiving, first try to verify your address with the United States Postal Service website and follow the steps below to get your account to work again. Here is the USPS link to verify your address:
http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/ (obviously, this applies to only those with US addresses. If there is something similar for the country in which you reside, check there)
Once you find your address listed in the proper form in regards to punctuation and abbreviation, please follow the below steps to manage account information/edit credit card or billing information.
First, remove your existing credit card from your account if there is one currently listed:
1) Make sure you're using the latest version of iTunes. It can be downloaded free of charge from the Apple website at:
http://www.apple.com/itunes/download
Note: Installing the latest version of iTunes will not affect your library or any items in your account that you haven't downloaded.
2) To launch iTunes and be taken to your Apple Account Information page, click this link:
http://phobos.apple.com/accountSummary
(If you are not already signed in, you will need to enter your iTunes Store account name and password and then click the Account Info button to sign in.)
3) The Apple Account Information page will appear. On this page, click the Edit Payment Information button, which is the second button from the top.
4) On the Edit Payment Information page, select "None" from the list of credit card types. This will delete your billing information.
5) Be sure to click the Done button at the bottom of the page to save your changes.
Now, to edit your address to what's being verified on USPS (or whatever site applies to the country you live in), and re-add your credit card information:
1) Visit the My Apple ID website at:
http://appleid.apple.com
2) If the site is not displayed in your preferred language, click the Change Language link in the upper-right corner, type the name of your language in the field that appears, then click the Save button.
3) Click the "Manage your account" link.
4) Type your iTunes Store account name (which is your Apple ID) in the Apple ID field, type your password in the password field, then click the Sign In button.
5) Click "Addresses" in the column on the left. If you have multiple shipping addresses, remove any out-of-date or duplicate addresses by clicking Delete. Also, make sure the state or province field is filled out correctly for each address. The last thing to correct here, is to ensure that you have entered the full '9-digit' zip code for your address that you should be using (possibly only applies to the US - not sure?). To edit an address, click Edit. Edit all of your shipping addresses and make sure the appropriate state is selected in the State drop-down menus (State of Confusion is not a vaild choice though we all seem to have visited that state! 🙂).
6) Now click "Phone Numbers" on the left. The area codes should be in the area code fields and the phone numbers should be in the phone number fields. If an area code is missing, or if it is in a phone number field, your account information may not save properly.
7) Make any other necessary corrections, then click the Save Changes button.
8) Click Log out in the upper-right corner.
When you make your next purchase on the iTunes Store, you will be asked to review your billing information. At this point, you can change your information or simply click Done at the bottom of the screen to proceed. Once you click Done, you should be able to purchase on the iTunes Store without receiving the error that your address is invalid.
I added a bit to the information that was sent to me, attempting to make this set of directions more universal. I do hope this will help somebody - especially those whose frustration level rises to RAGE and causes them to hurt themselves by destroying their device(s) and/or stop purchasing these AWESOME devices that ONLY Apple makes!
Repectfully yours.....
Message was edited by: Marilyn Howard
