MobileMe will transition to iCloud; Apple offers refunds

Now that Apple has announced its new iCloud service, which will be available at no charge, MobileMe users who have been spending $ 99 a year for similar services will be entitled to a refund.

Anyone having an active MobileMe account as of today will have their service extended at no charge through June 30, 2012. If you let your account expire recently (as I did), you’re out of luck, since if you try to log into the old MobileMe website at me.com, you are told that your account has expired and that it cannot be renewed.

Apple says that the new iCloud service:

will be available this fall and free for iOS 5 and OS X Lion users. When you sign up for iCloud, you’ll be able to keep your me.com or mac.com email address and move your MobileMe mail, contacts, calendars, and bookmarks to the new service.

It is no longer possible to create new MobileMe 60-day trial accounts, use codes from unused MobileMe boxes, upgrade from an individual account to a Family Pack, or purchase additional storage. You can, however, create accounts if you have an existing Family Pack membership.

If you have a MobileMe activation code that is unused or was used for 45 days or less, you can get a full refund. If your activation code has been used for 46 days or more, you will get a pro-rated refund based on the date of your request.

Unopened boxes can be returned to Apple Stores or to authorized dealers if they were purchased within the last 14 days; otherwise, you’ll need to go through the refund procedure, which can take 4-6 weeks. If you wish to cancel your current MobileMe service and get a refund, you may do so by going to the Cancellation Request Form.

There is no mention of getting credit for the new iTunes Match service, so if you aren’t using MobileMe, you should probably cancel as soon as possible to get the maximum refund, and wait a few months to sign up for Apple’s new services.

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