My MacBook Pro won't let me buy things from iTunes...and the Apple support guy is stumped

[Lydia Leftcoast]

Fortunately, I can buy content on my iPad and iPhone and transfer them, but I'd like to be able to buy things directly on the computer.

Here's what happens. I have exactly the same payment information on the iTunes Store sites for iPad, iPhone, and MacPro.

If I want to buy a TV show for my iPad or a song for my iPhone, no problem. They download immediately after I give my Apple ID and password.

However, if I try to buy something directly on my computer, iTunes Store asks for my payment information. I go to that page and see that unlike the other machines, my credit card security code is missing. (It is not missing from the acct. information for my other devices.) I input it and click DONE.

A message comes up: "iTunes Store is unable to complete your request at this time. Please try again later."

Well, I've been waiting for "later" since April. :banghead:

Updating iTunes doesn't do a thing.

It's not a serious problem, since I still can download stuff on my other devices, but :banghead:

Apple Support is stumped. Maybe there's someone here who is smarter than Apple Support?

[onehandle]

1. What 'Apple Support' are you using?

Are you talking about someone at the Genius Bar at an Apple Store or someone else? If you are under warranty, I would go to the Apple Store and wait patiently for a resolution.

Under Account Information when you are logged into the iTunes store, how many computers are authorized to purchase on iTunes? If you have maxed out the five, that might generate a error. You will have to deauthorize all and go back and reauthorize each machine. Whenever you get a new machine or do a clean install of the Mac OS, you have to deauthorize that copy of iTunes first.

Other than that, I would quit iTunes.
Move 'com.apple.iTunes.plist' out of your user/library/preferences folder to your desktop.
Restart iTunes and sign back into the iTunes store and see if that fixes it.

[cbayer]

2. I had a similar problem with paypal and it turned out to be a browser issue.

I can't get paypal to recognize when I am using OMNI, but it works like a charm when I use Firefox.

Have you tried it using a different browser?

[onehandle]

3. She's talking about the iTunes application.

Which technically is a glorified version of Safari, but is the only way to buy from the iTunes store on a computer.

People have been begging Apple to make a browser based store for years, but to no avail.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

4. I don't seem to have "com.apple.iTunes.plist"

although I have it for a bunch of other things, like iPod and iWork.

I'll try deauthorizing and reauthorizing and see if that works. :shrug:

[Lydia Leftcoast]

5. Update:

Authorizing and reauthorizing didn't work.

But I found that I now had a "plist" for iTunes.

I removed it.

Signed back into iTunes.

Same problem recurred when I tried to download a song already purchased on my iPhone, as one is supposed to be able to do. It asked for my payment information (even though the song was already paid for), and then said it couldn't process it. :banghead:

By the way, the Apple Support I talked to was the one you where you send an e-mail and ask for a phone consultation. I was on the phone with the guy for half an hour.

[Tumbulu]

6. I was on the phone for 2 hours with almost the same problem

mine had a different message, though. I kept saying that I had to change some permissions in my file folder.

I have applecare and the normal rep had me do all sorts of things- that took a very long time. Finally I got the supervisor and he had me remove some odd files in some different area of the computer. I wish I could remember what the name of these files were.

But at last I can buy things from iTunes.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

7. OK, this is weird...

I just updated my router from a 2004 Airport Extreme to a 2011 Airport Extreme, and I can now download stuff to my computer. :wtf: