[Ti] Most expensive iTunes download (OT)

[Massimo Marino]

On Friday, May 9, 2003, at 04:43  PM, PowerBook G4 Titanium List wrote:

>
> Date: Fri, 09 May 2003 09:40:47 -0500
> Subject: Re: [Ti] Most expensive iTunes download (OT)
> From: Bill Reburn <reburn at mts.net>
> Message-ID: <BAE1281F.7820%reburn at mts.net>
>
> On 5/9/03 9:12 AM, "Massimo Marino" <Massimo_Marino at lbl.gov> wrote:
>
>> On Friday, May 9, 2003, at 02:10  PM, PowerBook G4 Titanium List 
>> wrote:
>>> From: Colin Buttimer <c.buttimer at mdx.ac.uk>
>>>
>>>> [...]
>>>
>>> Being a UK resident I haven't had a chance to purchase anything - do
>>> you get
>>> a text file with such details? If not, that's a distinct loss and one
>>> not
>>> guaranteed to be rectified by research on AllMusic, etc.
>>>
>>> All the best,
>>>
>>> Colin
>>>
>>
>> :-) iTunes does not care whether you are UK, US, EU, Japan, whatever
>> resident we might think of. Only thing it cares is that the Credit 
>> Card
>> you are going to use is US resident (billing address). Cannot arrange
>> with a friend/relative in the US? maybe with a secured card? Very easy
>> to do. (if you have that kind of friend that is).
>>
>> It might be the wait is not going to be *that* long to have to resort
>> to these solutions.
>>
>> Cheers
>>
>> Massimo
>>
>
> I missed the original message, which I see you edited down - but I 
> don't see
> him mentioning much about the regional iTunes restrictions of the Music
> Store.. He's looking for something that has long been lost from the 
> sleeves
> and liners of records and CD's. Yet another piece falling by the way 
> side.
>
> But to your answer Massimo - I do have to say that this suggestion 
> that has
> been floating around is BS. No, I do not have someone in the US who 
> will let
> me use their credit card to download some music. No I do not have a 
> credit
> card with a US address linked to it - because I, like most of the 
> world do
> not live in the US.
>
> This IS a restriction of the iTunes Music Store.. Whether it be their
> billing scheme or whatever, this is a packaged purchase process that
> definitely has regional restrictions. When I launch iTunes I receive a
> message clearly stating that it is not available in my country - sure 
> it
> mentions that I can use a US based mailing address credit card to 
> circumvent
> the current limitations, but I would think less than half of 1% of the 
> world
> population has one of those or a friend in the US to let them use 
> theirs.
>
> That suggestion is just useless. And it is not 'very easy to do'.
>
>
>
> Bill Reburn
> Associate Member of the
> Society of Graphic Designers of Canada

I simply followed netiquette: do not top-post and just show the part of 
the message you are replying to directly. Colin said in his message 
"being a UK resident". I know UK residents who buy from MusicStore, I 
have French friends who buy from MusicStore, I buy from MusicStore.
What we do have in common? direct relationship in the US, not US 
residency.

The suggestion has been floating around for a reason and I did not say 
it is easy *per se* I said it is easy <quote>if you have that kind of 
friend<end-of-quote>. The reason is that if you have that kind of 
direct relationship in the US then you may buy from MusicStore even if 
you have never set up foot on US soil.

As you also say, MusicStore indeed warn that the service is not 
available in your country but also says that you can use a US card if 
you have access to it. There has been people who simply discovered they 
could have access to it and never though of it in that they believed 
THEY had to be either US citizen or US resident.

I do not know whether 1% is just too a low figure. US is basically a 
country of immigrants. Some country is bound to have much more than 1% 
of their population with direct relationships in the US.

PS
The suggestion might be useless to YOU, not useless *per se*.

PPS
Now off downloading music from MusicStore (From switzerland. My friend 
from France and my brother from Italy). Indeed: totally useless 
suggestion.

Cheers