Apple deleted my complete iTunes library

alfardalfard
Posted:
in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV

After moving from Holland to Sweden, I found that Apple works with distinct App-stores per country. To be able to purchase a specific app, Apple advised me to switch to the Swedish store and in order to switch stores, I needed to stop my Dutch subscriptions.

After doing so, my apple library was suddenly empty. All my uploaded music (iTunes Match), and all my purchased music and films (iTunes) had disappeared. Apple-support explained that by moving the account to another country, the library is automatically emptied, without any possibility to repair, not even by moving back to the original country. I just lost hunderds of uploaded CDs and hundreds of euros in purchases, by one push of a button. Can Apple just do this?

First, I do not see any valid reason why Apple would need to delete anything. I don't know better than that there is trafic fo people and goods within the EU.

Second, even if there would be a technical or legal necessity, I believe I should have been informed before. I did not get any warning, I just followed instructions from Apple's system. The removal of my properties from the library came completely unanounced and unexpectable, without my consent. 

Apple-support simply states that is had been my personal responsibility to have a backup.

Please share this experience to hopefully prevent others from making the same mistake.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 5
    avon b7avon b7 Posts: 7,955member
    This will not help you but it was easy to find:

    https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-5432

    It is poor design not to give adequate warning before files, or access to files, will be lost. Sometimes wording is also a problem. It seems that there is no way to reverse things in your case but I've never used iTunes Match so I may be wrong (and so might Apple support).
  • Reply 2 of 5
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    It is your responsibility to make backups. This is true.
  • Reply 3 of 5
    alfardalfard Posts: 3member
    avon b7 said:
    It seems that there is no way to reverse things in your case but I've never used iTunes Match so I may be wrong (and so might Apple support).
    A new response from Apple suggest that it might work to re-download the purchased media if I swop back to the original store. I will try that, but I can not swop back before the AppleMusic subscription runs out, end of this month.

    If I then start to use spottify instead it should be simple to switch up and back between countries. 
  • Reply 4 of 5
    avon b7avon b7 Posts: 7,955member
     It's often a good idea to get a second opinion from Apple support when the problem is not a common one. Good luck for the end of the month!
  • Reply 5 of 5
    alfardalfard Posts: 3member
    Turns out now that moving the account back to the original country's iTunes store is not an option. It can only be done if you have a payment method from the same country. I do not have that, because I do not live in the initial country anymore. Access to my purchased music and movies is just taken away, for no reason, without a warning and there is no way back.
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