I'm flabbergasted by #3. Where in the world is there no small claims court exactly like you describe? I'm genuinely curious.
My impression (possibly wrong) is that in Germany, there is just "court" and trying to enforce a $500 judgement will be difficult because every lawyer will tell you to just eat the cost rather than taking the case, and the case would cost thousands to litigate (to be reimbursed by the company if you eventually won, 5 years later).
If you want a small claims court to certify that Apple owes you $500 because they didn’t honor your gift card, that probably exists everywhere that Apple does business. If you want a court to certify that Apple must reinstate your account because they incorrectly classified your use as fraudulent, small claims court lacks that authority, at least in the US.