Q: GarageBand not free?

Where are you downloading from at the AppStore?

Have you tried this:

1. Open the App Store.
2. Tap "Apps Made by Apple" under "Quick Links".
3. Tap Download All, or you can download apps one at a time.

Free Apple apps for your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch with iOS 8

What is the first entry in the Quick Links called in Spanish?

Contact the App Store support.

i suspect, there is a confusion at the App Store. GarageBand used to be free. But now the price has changed. Previously, we got Garageband for free and had to pay for the 4.99$ for the in-app purchase. Now we have to pay for the app, but the in-app purchase is free. You seem to have been caught in the middle of the transition.

Or the serial number of your iPad may be of an older device, so the software reads a wrong purchase date.

Good Luck.

Please post back with any results. There may be more forum members with the same problem.

See e.g.  can not get Garage Band on my iPhone 5c for free

Same issue.  GarageBand came with my iMac 5 or more years, and I used occasionally.  I don't think I ever downloaded it individually from the app store.  After re-install of O/S on my machine it is not available and I had to pay $4.99 to install.  I guess I was never promised the app would be free "forever", so just a sneaky way for Apple to get us to buy it.  A little surprising, since I am usually impressed with their thoughtful support.

Sneaky ********!

After biting the bullet and deciding to shell out for Garageband, it turned out it was registered on my account and I was allowed to download it for free. I too received this with a Mac purchase, but had lost it in an OS upgrade. It was then listed as not free in AppStore, but in the end turned out to be free.

after sign in with my apple account on mac, it turned free from 6.99 !! try to log in on your account in system preference.