One of the consequences of capital controls has been the inability of Greek Apple users to use their credit cards to pay for monthly storage space. Nor are they able to buy apps or any other services from Apple. Recognising the difficulty, Apple has now written to Greek subscribers to tell them that their storage plans have been extended by 30 days at no additional cost.
Dear iCloud customer, To prevent interruption in your iCloud service during the current fiscal crisis, and to make sure you have access to your content, we’ve extended your iCloud storage plan for an extra 30 days at no additional cost. We won’t attempt to charge you for your plan until 30 days after your original renewal date. If we are unable to renew your plan, you may need to reduce the amount of iCloud storage you use.
The iCloud Team
Everything now depends on the discussions in Brussels this weekend. If the Greek government’s proposals are rejected this could lead to Greece leaving the euro zone. In that event, capital controls could become a permanent feature and make it almost impossible for Greek customers to deal directly with Apple. Greece is one of the few countries in Europe which has no local presence other than through agents. There are no Apple Stores in Greece, strange as it sounds.
Even if there is an agreement this weekend, capital controls could last for some months and it is to be hoped that Apple will come up with a solution, perhaps by allowing a local agent to gather the subscriptions.