Ordering from the UK iTunes store when you live abroad

Question

Ordering from the UK iTunes store when you live abroad

Can anyone help - as Apple can't!
I live in Spain but I'm English - and I want to access the UK iTunes store as I want to buy English Apps, music, films and TV programmes - NOT Spanish ones! My Spanish isn't good enough to understand everything in the Spanish site but also the same things are not available.....
However whenever I log in it always goes to the Spanish store. This is SO frustrating - is there a way round this?
Apple UK suggested trying to open an English account - but it defaults back to Spanish one halfway through.... They also suggested buying vouchers - but when you go to redeem them you have to connect your device, so then it automatically defaults back again!!!
Anyone got a solution?
I can't be the only ex-Pat living in a non-English speaking country!!!!

iMac & iPad, iOS 4

Posted on Jul 6, 2010 9:41 AM

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Answer 1

varjak paw

Level 10

170,200 points

Jul 6, 2010 9:58 AM in response to Lesley in Spain

I live in Spain but I'm English - and I want to access the UK iTunes store as I want to buy English Apps, music, films and TV programmes -

Sorry, but you can't. The content owners do not allow cross-border sales, so if you want to use the UK iTunes Store you would have to have a UK-issued credit card with a UK billing address, or a UK-sold iTunes prepaid card or gift certificate and a UK mailing address. And the terms of use of the UK iTunes Store prohibit it being used from outside of the UK.

There's nothing anyone here offer in the way of a solution. Again, sorry.

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Answer 2

Jul 6, 2010 10:11 AM in response to Lesley in Spain

I think you can only buy form the Store for the country your living in. I have heard of people using the USA store when they are in a different country. But, they open the USA account while in the USA. They also had a USA credit card and billing address that matched.

I believe the problem is each country is set up differently. Not all products are sold in every country because of copyright, taxes, laws and deals made with the developers or artists to only sell in certain countries. It would be like if you were trying to buy a movie (DVD) from the US Amazon.com and the movie hasn't be released or because of copyright laws in Spain. Amazon.com won't send you the movie (DVD).

On the other hand maybe somebody else has an answer that will fix your problem.

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Answer 3

Martin_UK

Level 2

150 points

Jul 6, 2010 10:25 AM in response to Lesley in Spain

As others say, you can't do this. Not to be unkind but moving to another country means not being to access services and products you'd buy back home, the iTunes store is no different.

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Answer 4

Mr.C UK

Level 2

410 points

Jul 6, 2010 1:07 PM in response to Lesley in Spain

There seems to be a lot of incorrect information being given here. If you have a UK credit/debit card and a UK address it should be possible. When you open iTunes go down to the bottom of the main page and there should be an option to change your location to the UK by clicking on the Spanish flag icon. Once you have done this try and purchase something and you should be given the option of setting up a new account. You may also need to use s different email address as well. Once you have set up the account you should be able to purchase content from the UK store.

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Answer 5

varjak paw

Level 10

170,200 points

Jul 6, 2010 1:19 PM in response to Mr.C UK

Mr.C UK wrote:
There seems to be a lot of incorrect information being given here. If you have a UK credit/debit card and a UK address it should be possible.

What part of this statement from the iTunes Store Terms and Conditions (boldface mine):

"U.K. SALES ONLY

Purchases and rentals (as applicable) from the iTunes Store are available to you only in the UK. If you are not in the UK you may not use or attempt to use the service".

do you feel has been incorrectly represented in this thread?

Message was edited by: Dave Sawyer

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Answer 6

Mr.C UK

Level 2

410 points

Jul 6, 2010 1:33 PM in response to varjak paw

That's not the point. Firstly a UK citizen with a UK credit/debit card and address should be able to purchase content from the UK store when living or visiting abroad. This applies to any one wanting to purchase from the store of their country of origin when abroad. Secondly what I said should and does work.

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Answer 7

Jul 14, 2010 10:17 AM in response to Mr.C UK

OK guys, it might not be the point, but as UK citizens what can we do and who do we need to talk to to overcome this. I personally don't want to download apps in Spanish when my native tongue is English??

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Answer 8

Greygor

Level 1

0 points

Sep 3, 2010 4:40 AM in response to PaulBaxter

As a UK Citizen working abroad I have become use to certain items not being available. To me this is not an issue.

What I do want to be able to do is view the items with an *English interface*.

We should at least be able to switch the language of the store we are viewing. To me this is the bigger issue.

As to another point raised, I've had no problem with anything bought via the iTunes Spain site not being in English. The Apps advertisements may well be in Spanish but the App is normally in English.

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Answer 9

Sep 27, 2010 12:44 PM in response to varjak paw

Yet "Brittany", Apple's representative, is offering to convert a gift certificate into currency for a store in a country in which I do not live and have no billing address.

The entire e-mail exchange can be found here:
http://www.breneman.net/apple_itunes.html

My problem is of course a different one, I have moved permanently, and just want my apps to continue updating, but the point is there are ways around the limitations since even Apple is suggesting this as a solution.

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Answer 10

achmen

Level 1

0 points

Oct 1, 2010 2:41 PM in response to Greygor

I agree, we just want to change the language, so simple what's taking so long?

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Answer 11

destello

Level 1

8 points

Oct 8, 2010 9:43 AM in response to achmen

I am in the same situation. I am sure that it used to work some time back (maybe when I used Paypal?), but more and more I am being blocked from buying from, or listening to, sites because I live in Spain.
I asked this question of Mac some time back and was told to change the country button at the bottom of the page - but as you discovered, that doesn't help when you try to buy.
When the UK joins the European Union things will probably change - Oh, we did - well that really helped.
I have been toying with finding some sort of VPN access to overcome all this stuff - anyone tried that?

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Answer 12

Gilly65

Level 1

0 points

Oct 23, 2012 6:24 AM in response to varjak paw

Hi there i am in the same situation as others living and working in Spain with a uk purchased Ipad.I set it up in the uk and in Spain can only access spanish itunes.I do have a british registered credit and debt card but my billing address is Spain.Would it work or how would i work it if my son in the uk purchased itunes gift cards for me OR if i bought from his credit/debit card.I emailed Apple''Brittany'' and was told gift cards would work but i havnt put it to the test yet-surely someone telling me that contraves the terms and conditions!!Have just joined this site so still got plenty of investigating to do!All help gratefully received and i will be sending Apple a complaint -they may look on this favourably in the future.They must be loosing loads of revenue through this !!

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Answer 13

Dec 8, 2012 9:04 AM in response to Lesley in Spain

Hi,

I, too, am a Brit who lives in Spain with a UK credit card registered to my Spanish address. I do not speak Spanish.

I am looking to buy an Apple TV so that I can purchase or rent films to watch on my TV, but now I am wondering if there is any point in buying one.

Having read all the above I can't see that it will be much use to me. Am I right in that assumption? Should I forget it?

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Answer 14

Dec 22, 2012 10:09 AM in response to Lesley in Spain

I guess it all fits perfectly into the arogant Apple way of doing business.

What I suggest is to complain...a LOT! Here's a feedback link: http://www.apple.com/feedback/

I'm in a similar situation, living in Germany as an ex-pat and I can only buy German books/magazines/movies (wiht horroble dubbed over voices!)/apps from the newsstand, absolutely annoying...and that in the year 2012 where you supposedly are able to buy something from the other side of the earth with a few mousclicks.

I was seriously contemplating to buy an iPad because I travel a lot for work and I like to read magazines and books without hauling them around, but I guess I'll stick to my good old Kindle, or perhaps I get an iPad but then with a Kindle or Amazon App on it.

At least Amazon makes it totally easy to buy English books living in Germany. They don't care what language I like to read in, they just sell it and bill it to my German account: now that's customer service!

What's so difficult about that? Why can't Apple do the same? 😕

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Answer 15

Jan 21, 2013 6:43 AM in response to Barry Crowley

Barry Crowley wrote:

Hi,

I, too, am a Brit who lives in Spain with a UK credit card registered to my Spanish address. I do not speak Spanish.

I am looking to buy an Apple TV so that I can purchase or rent films to watch on my TV, but now I am wondering if there is any point in buying one.

Having read all the above I can't see that it will be much use to me. Am I right in that assumption? Should I forget it?

Hi, Barry.

Hope I'm not too late to help.

You can buy an AppleTV and use your UK account with no problem.

You have have to select the UK store in the General Settings (it doesn't automatically switch when you login like on a computer or iPad/iPhone).

My cousin from the US is staying with me in London and he bought an AppleTV before Christmas in an Apple Retail Store.

He can access his US account and I can also access my UK one.

AppleTV's are great.

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