More trouble for Apple as MobileMe users locked out of e-mail
In what is proving to be one of Apple's more problematic product launches since the G4 Cube, the company is now admitting some MobileMe users are unable to access their e-mail accounts.
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One reader who called into Apple support was told by a representative that the company was aware of the problem, and that a fix was at least two to three days away.
On the MobileMe support site, a message has been posted that states "1% of MobileMe members cannot access MobileMe Mail. We apologize for any inconvenience." It lists all other services as fully operational.
Angry customers have been posting on Apple's support board, reporting a variety of issues not limited to mail malfunction.
"I've tried accessing MobileMe via Safari and Firefox and while all other internet operations seem to be running fine this transition from .Mac is making my head hurt," user 'j.mcg' posted.
Others questioned the need for the switch, saying .Mac worked well enough. Some were even threatening to cancel their accounts over the various problems. BetaNews tests of MobileMe Monday afternoon showed that all applications seemed to be working properly. However, we did note some slowness.
Outages aren't the only issue the company is facing. Apple sent an e-mail out this week to some European customers who found they had been charged for MobileMe, despite only opening a trial account (.Mac did not require a credit card for the 30-day trial). The problem primarily affected those who signed up using a debit card, and Apple apologized for placing a hold on their funds, which could be unavailable for between a week and a month, it said.
Apple already reached out to its customers due to the problems it had been experiencing with the switch from .Mac to MobileMe. Most customers will be eligible for a 30-day extension of their memberships, the company said last week. Those whose credit or debit cards were pre-authorized with a hold of over $1 will receive another free 30 days.
The company reports its quarterly earnings tonight, where it will likely discuss the ongoing MobileMe transition problems.