Apple Support Says You Can't Activate an iPad without iTunes?

Question

So got a new iPad, activated it over wifi, and have been having problems ever since setting up my log in accounts for various services.
So I called Apple support to learn how to unify my various Apple IDs so that I can just use one going forward. They offered to help, but when their recommendations failed to solve my problem, they suggested I plug the iPad into iTunes, which I cannot do. They told me that it was impossible to activate an iPad without plugging it into iTunes, and insisted I must have done this. When I assured the Apple support member that I did not, they simply told me to take it to a Genius bar, that they couldn't help me any more. Well, the nearest genius bar is 2 hours away.
So my first question is, just who is Apple hiring for technical support these days, and are they not training them any more?
My second question is, is there anyway to leap-frog past this front line poorly trained employees and get to someone who can actually help instead of going to an Apple store?
The problem is this - my iTunes account ID is tied to an old e-mail I no longer have. So I called to change my Apple ID for all services. It now works for iTunes, and iCoud, but not Newstand, or Messenger. Apple says they don't know how to solve the problem without connecting to iTunes, yet this doesn't seem like a local iPad problem, rather an account server problem.
So not really sure where to turn after getting such ridiculously out of touch information from Apple support.

Answer 1

Woodwyn wrote:
<...>
So I called Apple support to learn how to unify my various Apple IDs so that I can just use one going forward. They offered to help, but when their recommendations failed to solve my problem, they suggested I plug the iPad into iTunes, which I cannot do. They told me that it was impossible to activate an iPad without plugging it into iTunes, and insisted I must have done this. When I assured the Apple support member that I did not, they simply told me to take it to a Genius bar, that they couldn't help me any more. Well, the nearest genius bar is 2 hours away.
So my first question is, just who is Apple hiring for technical support these days, and are they not training them any more?
Prior to iOS 5 that was the case, one must have iTunes to activate an iPad or iPhone.  iOS5 changed all of that.  Either the tech was not aware of the change or was reading from an old script. Either way it is a training problem.
Woodwyn wrote:
<...>
My second question is, is there anyway to leap-frog past this front line poorly trained employees and get to someone who can actually help instead of going to an Apple store?
The problem is this - my iTunes account ID is tied to an old e-mail I no longer have. So I called to change my Apple ID for all services. It now works for iTunes, and iCoud, but not Newstand, or Messenger. Apple says they don't know how to solve the problem without connecting to iTunes, yet this doesn't seem like a local iPad problem, rather an account server problem.
So not really sure where to turn after getting such ridiculously out of touch information from Apple support.
I'm assuming you used an old email address for your Apple ID.  If that is the case, and you still have the password for your Apple ID, you can log into Apple's Apple ID support and change the email associated with the ID.  Note, you will still always have to use the old email as your login name, but all email will go to the new address.  You can also create an entirely new Apple ID using your new email and use that if you wish.