Chatterbox

Calling iTunes, Part 3

Wherein we finally locate a customer-service telephone number.

A little more than a year ago, my sister Patsy urged me to find a telephone number for iTunes customer service. She turned to me because two years earlier I’d been able to locate for her, after a little sleuthing, a customer-service telephone number for Amazon.com. That feat continues to win me a steady stream of thanks from a grateful nation. With iTunes, though, I had to report (in this column and in a follow-up) that no such number existed. Not even the mighty Get Human Web site was able to locate one.

It is therefore with great pleasure that I can now report that telephone support for iTunes is available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Time. You need a little patience, but if you follow these steps, you will get a live person. Here’s what to do:

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.

You’re welcome. And Merry Christmas.