Imessage and Facetime activation woes after ID change.

Question

Hi all,
I had to change my Apple ID due to an email change. I then started the process of changing my Apple ID on my iPad 3 and my iPhone 3Gs.
iCloud is working fine and so is the app store (I can install new apps and update old apps). The problem comes with iMessage and Facetime. Whilst I have managed to input the new ID and password (using the 'put in the wrong password until it asks for the ID again' method) it will not verify or activate.
Once I have entered the new username and password on the Enter Apple ID page, I hit 'Sign In'; this then takes me to a page saying 'People will message you using your email address. What email address would you like to use?' Sometimes it then goes back to the Sign In page without any action from me and other times I get to hit 'Next' (the address is already filled in with my email which is the same as my Apple ID). It then goes through the verification process which fails, saying 'Unable to verify addres. An email with verification link has been sent to the above email address'.
The email address is verified if I check my Apple ID online and no email ever appears in my email; I have checked the Spam etc.
I have tried doing a 'Reset All' and also a 'Reset Network Settings' (although I have no network problems).
This problem occurs in the same way on both my iPhone and my iPad which makes me think it is an account problem and not a device problem. Do I need to go through the registration process with both devices using the new Apple ID or could there be another problem?
I have searched the forums but can't find exactly this problem being solved elsewhere.
Many thanks.

Answer 1

Hi Karl.
Thanks for the tips, but when I wrote earlier:
"Tried all that, but unfortunately nothing worked.
Both iMessage and FaceTime used to work properly always, and the problem started after updating to iOS8.
I followed all the steps you suggested, including the annoying reset, but things are just the same."
I was referring to a similar suggestion made by ManSinha  where he said:
"Log out of iCloud
Reset the phone
Then Log back into iCloud
Then reactivate iMessage and FaceTime"
Also followed the steps suggested in the Apple support papers you mentioned, but things are still the same.
I think I'll have to wait for my next trip to USA or Europe where I can visit an Apple store and work out things there.
As a matter of fact, I'm about to receive my new iPhone 6 in these days (brought by a friend of mine from USA), and hopefully I'll be having my services back, but I'm still worried by this iPhone 5s issue because I'm passing it to my son.