Itunes store language

OK current situation.... I have called technical support in the NL to discuss the problem. They recognise that the functionality does not work as described in the Apple support pages (see http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2242). They have raised a case number for me but have advised that the iTunes store people need to be notified. Apparently Apple cannot do this themselves, so I have passed on their information to the iTunes store people. Lets see what (if anything) happens!

Same problem, no chance to get it corrected myself.
I've called Apple support as well, let's see what the iTunes store people do...

I would like to add my voice to this as well. I was shocked to find out that iTunes Store has just changed itself into Dutch. Although I live in the Netherlands, all my other settings are in English and I find this all rather clunky. Changing the store location to the UK may change the language to English but as soon as you try to buy something you are immediately back to the Dutch store and the Dutch language. Hopefully will see a fix for this without too much delay.

I'm also a UK Ex-Pat, and even though I am fluent in Dutch, the mix-matched interface in a combination of Dutch/English is an absolute atrocity for such a large multi-national as Apple...I'm disgusted.

Even a TomTom has a different setting for region and language! (actually, even Microsoft have introduced it in Vista and 7).

I will be calling the support number and writing numerous emails and written letters in order to get this resolved.

Thanks for this post...it stopped me wasting time thinking that I did something wrong 🙂

Something is screwy at the moment, admittedly. When the iTMS first came out it was U.S.-only and naturally all in English. Maybe a year later, they expanded to the UK, Germany and France. Both Germany and France got localized versions. Another set of months later they expanded to a much larger group of countries and my impression at that time was this massive expansion was partly facilitated by offering the iTMS in all these countries in English only. For the target crowd, this was probably fine.

The linked Apple note dating from July 2008 supports this in showing that it is (or was then) English-only in most countries. They had only added Spanish, Italian and Japanese to the mix. As you have experienced they have obviously expanded their localisation since then (the Netherlands are listed as English-only in that 2008 article) making the article definitely outdated.

Only the Windows version has the option to set the language inside iTunes itself, on the Mac side this should in theory work via the general OS language setting. What seems to work in Switzerland is to switch to, eg, the US-store and back to the Swiss one, and the store is in English but only until I restart iTunes. Definitely a bug.

Related to this, however, are all the local Apple websites, including the local online stores. In most countries the website is only available in one language (or occasionally in two local languages). This is however in line with other 'local' companies. Amazon for example only offers a German website in Germany.

The iTMS is basically the same everywhere in the world, the actual songs offered differ somewhat from country to country but there is no real localisation apart from the language necessary, the shipping is the same everywhere, the payment options as well (you need an Apple ID). Thus, offering it in multiple languages, once translations are available, should be a no-brainer.

For our generation it probably does not really matter, but for our parents, the notion to do business in ones own country in another language than the national one seems rather absurd. Yet, this is what Apple (and other online businesses) have doing for years.

I have received the following information from Apple...

+Hello, I have reset your password for your account xxxxxxxxxxxxxx which is now xxxxxxxx. After investigating this matter it appears that the issue is related to the fact that the iTunes Dutch store does not offer dual language support anymore. Therefore, to use the Dutch store the language will be in Dutch and this cannot be changed or forced to English. Sorry for any inconvenience that may cause.+

I have suggested that they at least publicise the fact that this has changed and remove all of the nice postings about how to 'easily' get the iTunes store in a different language.

Any recommendations for an alternative service?

John,

I also filed a complaint on June 27th, when this problem began, and have gotten the same unhelpful email you got at first. I replied that I found it unhelpful, that many people complained on the fora, and requested they forward the problem to technical support. They recognized it was a problem, and promised they would. Today I got the following email from second tier customer support. As I read it, the store has gone completely native, and this has been a marketing decision, customer support is as surprised as we are. They are now requesting that the decision to go completely native is reversed. The more we complain, the more likely we are to get our English language back.

Suzy



+This is XXXXXXX from the iTunes Store Customer Support team and your request has been escalated to me today. I understand that you're unable to view the Netherlands iTunes Store in English.+

+I did some investigating for a possible resolution regarding this issue. Unfortunately, I've found that this was an intended change by Apple. The Netherlands iTunes Store has been changed to be available in the Dutch language only. The support article that was provided to you previously is being updated to reflect this change as well.+

+I do realize that you're unable to use the iTunes Store because of this change and I know you are not the only one who uses the Netherlands iTunes Store in English. So I have submitted a request to the appropriate team to inquire about reversing this decision here:+

+ http://www.apple.com/feedback/itunesapp.html+

+I'm submitting as many requests as possible. I do appreciate the fact that the English option is popular and still necessary for the Netherlands iTunes Store. The more the demand is known, the more the Marketing and Engineering team will understand that this language option+

+Your efforts to share your feedback are very much appreciated. I'm sorry to learn that this was an intended change that has effected you, and many more, in this way. I hope to provide you a voice, in order change this language option in the future.+

Sincerely,

XXXXXXXXXXX
+iTunes Store Customer Support Tier 2+

I have also just filled in the feedback template. Don't know about any other's experience, but that was quite a clunky form to fill in with a lot of freezing etc but it's done now. Give me back my English!

As John Maton said, this "philosophy" isn't restricted to the Netherlands. The German store uses German. And the Spanish store Spanish, the Italian Italian. If I was Greek or Egyptian, I would complain, though, for their stores are only in English (I just tried out a few of the 'My Stores' down the bottom of the page).

I had hoped I might be able to buy in a different language store. E.g. I selected United Kingdom and chose a song. But it then forced me to the German store and forgot all about the song I was interested in, so that I had to start again in German.

That seems to be a management decision, which I suppose is sensible for local people in each country (presumably the Greeks and Egyptians and others will get their own -language- stores in the course of time). Presumably it would be somewhat more complicated (i.e. expensive) to offer multiple languages for the stores. Strange and sad, though, for Apple was always at the forefront of software internationalisation.

Message was edited by: Eric Sprigg

I would not be so unhappy if I could select sections of text and drop them into a translation web service (such as translate.google.com) as I would do when purchasing from a Belgian or German web site (this is where I think the Americans loose it - we live in Europe and can purchase from many different countries without cross boarder issues). Many of these web services even have a page translation function that allows you to navigate through a foreign web page in your native language (OK admittedly sometimes with some needed assumptions as it can never be perfect), but you cannot do that within iTunes, not even select text and copy it. But a further couple of points...

Many web sites in the NL are in English as well as Dutch. RaboBank, ABN AMRO (bank), Fortis Bank, NS (national train service), 9292 (national travel service). Even international services (such as google) will allow you to use a local language or English. One of the frustrating things is that for some applications (where the text shown in iTunes is only Dutch), you can go to the web site of the authors and get a write-up in English. Even Dutch specific iTunes application (such as Trein - find out train time tables etc in the NL) is available in English (on your iPhone, iPod Touch, just the write up in the store is totally in Dutch!!!!!! But then again, if you go to the UK site and look up this application, you only get it in Dutch too. So Apple is providing a half cocked solutions to their customers.

Also the iTunes store function on my iPhone is now in Dutch. So I can purchase a Dutch specific application and have it communicate to me in English, but I cant get an English application to talk to me in English.

I also think that they could provide this information in English for a lot of things without any issue at all. For example, the remote application (Apples own application) has all of the information displayed in Dutch, but clearly, the application is available in other web sites and in local language, so if you go to the UK site, you will get the description in English, so they have the text, its just a case of presenting the English version. In fact, taking this logic further, you could probably get it in German or most other languages where they have converted the text. Also the text for heading etc is just the same for all sites so there should not be an issue showing whatever language you like (so heading such as VERTEL EEN VRIEND in the English site is TELL A FRIEND). I doubt that they have re-designed the iTunes store for every location from scratch, but use language pointers to select the text from a table of different headings. It cannot be that hard to make it a little bit more language selective!!!!!!!

I also find it ironic that they haply give information in English where they have not got round to translating it. For example, Thriller (you probably have heard of it) has a totally English description to it (on the Dutch store).

I can understand that they need to have different stores due to the restrictions on content for music and video (and as for the Dutch store - no films, no TV), but I cannot see that for applications. We (the customers) should be able to select whatever application store we use regardless of location. I may be very interested in baseball scores or the US equity markets, so why not allow me to brows the US store and have a happy purchase experience.

I also dislike that I am now presented with music selections assuming that I am Dutch. Do they localise in the US? Do you get Dixie music as the music of choice if you live in New Orleans?

This just feels like a policy that has been put together by someone that things Paris is in Texas or Europe is in North Carolina.

I logged my concern at the link suggested earlier. No response yet. However to add insult to injury, Team17 have just released Worms for the iPhone. You guessed it, it has localised versions for a couple of countries, The Netherlands being one of them. Dutch menus and text in my Worms game, I don't think so. I'm refusing to purchase it as a result. Localised App Store is ruining my experience...

Interesting that in the comments, it has TALEN Engels but clearly the screen shot shows the opening screen in Dutch.

It does not help that the hyperlink to the Team 17 website does not work.

I just received a feedback survey form from Apple regarding all my concerns of the loss of English Language and only Dutch being available on the iTunes Store for NL...
Interestingly it appears Apple Support feedback people do not share the marketing drive to localize all the sites. Because even though they know I am in The Netherlands the form is in ENGLISH!