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December 7, 2006

itunes_store

Finding that ever elusive iTunes support phone number

Posted Dec. 7, ’06, 9:19 AM PT by Dan Moren
Category | iTunes » iTunes Store

SwitchboardSome it seems like “customer service” has become an oxymoron. The other night, I caught a 60 Minutes segment with Netflix CEO Reed Hastings. When asked by the interviewer to find a customer service telephone number on Netflix’s website, Hastings was unable to do so, even after several minutes of looking (at the end of the segment, they claimed that Netflix had added a customer service phone number, but I still couldn’t find it).

While it’s pretty easy to contact Apple, Slate’s Timothy Noah was searching for a phone number that would let him talk to a customer support rep for the iTunes Store. Most other avenues Noah tried let him to an online customer service form, but he was determined to talk to a real person. After a year of looking, he seems to have found it:

1.) Telephone the following number: 800-275-2273. This is the Apple Care Service and Support Line.
2.) When you hear the recorded greeting, enter 70. The recording will very likely reject that entry at first. If so, try again.
3.) When you’re prompted to say the product that you need tech support for, say “iTunes.”
4.) When you’re prompted to say what type of computer you’re using, say “a Windows machine” or “Macintosh.”
5.) When you’re prompted to say whether you’re calling on behalf of a school, answer “yes” or “no.”
6.) This will get you a live person. Please note: You will need to state the serial number of your iPod before you can proceed.
Of course, if one should not have an iPod, I would imagine that they might be, erm, out of luck. Now, I’ve had success dealing with other branches of Apple Support via web-forms, but that’s just me—I understand people’s desire to talk to a real person. Not me. Real people scare me. Hence, blogging.


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