12 days of Christmas, nothing's actually free?

[Floris]

Just like the other years when they give you the 12 days of christmas free gifts app, it turns out the items are either not available in your country, couldn't complete request, or simply not free. It's kind of annoying, and theres' nobody to really talk to at Apple. So I felt compelled to drop a post here to either a) find out this app is just actually a bit of a useless advertisement scam, or b) I am not smart enough to use it properly.

This app is for Europe, you get a free app a day, and push notifications alert you. The per day gift is great, it shows you 'this is what you get, and for you, it's free on <itunes|bookstore|etc>. You then click on the button, it loads iTunes or whatever, and shows as a free item.

My personal experience like last year is simple: first one free, the rest isn't available, nor free.

And it is no difference this year.

Yay, at least it's a famous person, I guess. *clicks link*

Dutch for : Your request couldn't be completed.
Which is what happens for example if you follow a link on Macrumors.com frontpage to the apple store, but the item isn't available in your country due to say licensing or whatever.

Thanks Apple, .. for this 'free gift'.

Or like today:

Okay, I am willing to give a book a try, I have bad eyes, but I am interested in good content, let's read on the iPhone
*clicks*

And my option is to pay for it, about $15, nothing free about that.

So, am I just out of luck each day? Something wrong on their end?
Am I too stupid and should I do something else to have these free gifts to actually work and be free?

I am from the Netherlands, using the Dutch store for my ID, the NL is in EU, so this should apply to me.

This kinda stupidity of 'we are awesome, by giving you free stuff, just click here HAHA IT IS NOT FREE' attitude feels like Windows, I don't wanna feel like windows.

Looking for your input.

Yes yes, I know, gifted horse, don't look it in the mouth blah blah, it's gotta be a gift first, right?

 

[RodThePlod]

Looking for your input.

Yes yes, I know, gifted horse, don't look it in the mouth blah blah, it's gotta be a gift first, right?

Last year (and the year before) I downloaded a number of the free gifts.

The first few from this year haven't appealed to me, although after reading your post I have just tested this with today's free book "The Redbreast". When I click through to the store, instead of the price I get a button that says "Get book". After clicking this, the book downloads just fine to my iPad.

I am in the UK and logging on to the UK store, though, so I can't really talk for the Dutch Store. But it's definitely just worked for me.

Be interesting to see other's experiences.

RTP.

 

[bushido]

works for me as well. just downloaded todays free ebook

 

[Floris]

It's a conspiracyyyyyy <hands in air>

 

[forum user]

@Floris

The "12 days" app reads what has been set under Settings - General - International - Region Format. If you set the Region Format to Dutch - Nederlands you should see something form John Boyne - De jongen in de gestreepte pyama.

- Olaf

 

[Floris]

Nicely spotted. I don't know why it's set to a different region though.
I indeed am getting a different book now.

I guess the mystery is solved. MacRumors community to the rescue.