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iPad expats in Cyprus left appless
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THEY were the must-have gadgets this year, but one month on some iPad and iPhone owners are still unable to install apps because Apple won’t accept their credit cards.
One hapless iPad owner and Nicosia resident Louise Fowler said: “I can’t get into either the UK or Cyprus iTunes stores. I understand it is because I have a UK card but a Cyprus billing address.”
Apple confirmed that customers can only register for the Cyprus iTunes store with a Cyprus issued credit card, yet for English speakers like Fowler, the UK store would be their obvious first choice.
With a Cyprus billing address, however, both the UK and Cypriot stores appear off limits until she changes address or gets a new card.
A source within the firm told the Sunday Mail that the reason for the restriction is due to content being owned by different licence holders in different territories, implying that to pay for an app in the UK when you live in Cyprus would mean the Cypriot licence holder not receiving the funds.
It is not clear why it’s an issue, because if a UK Citizen with a UK credit card wants to buy a UK store app, then the local licence holder should not be affected.
The logic rings hollow when you consider that expats who registered in their home country before coming abroad face no restrictions at all, and for customers like Fowler, the frustration is compounded by the fact that most of the apps are free yet require a valid credit cart to complete the purchase.
Without even these free apps, Fowler’s iPad is all but useless to her: “I can’t even buy (iTunes) top-up cards... basically I can’t do anything” She said.
Cypriot customers are not alone – a quick search in the Apple support forums shows other expats around the world are desperate to install a range of apps, from business tools like Skype and to games like Angry Birds, yet are unable.
So what are the options for expats? One option is to change the billing address of your credit card back to a UK address, or find a friend or relative in the UK who is willing to set up an iTunes account, to which you can link your device.
A third option is to “jailbreak” your device, which although not encouraged by Apple (or the Sunday Mail) has allowed many thousands of Apple product owners to access an unofficial app store, that does not consider your location and needs no credit card information.
