Recently I've discovered that a large percentage of my e-mail's are going missing - incoming and outgoing. I use Gmail but friends are experiencing the same with Yahoo. Anyone else experiencing difficulties....or maybe you are but don't know it

It's not just you. An increasing number of ISPs and companies are using the scatter-gun approach to spam-filtering and simply blocking all mail from the free email providers, particularly Gmail, Hotmail and Yahoo.

Even 'real' email providers are not immune. I have four email accounts all of which use different outgoing servers in different countries. Several clients report not receiving mails sent from our SMTP server located in Thailand, setting a trace shows these mails simply vanishing into the ether at an Indian server en-route to their destination, mails sent from other servers get through.

Perhaps all these mails are being received on the same planet as the odd-socks go to on vacation

Recently I've discovered that a large percentage of my e-mail's are going missing - incoming and outgoing. I use Gmail but friends are experiencing the same with Yahoo. Anyone else experiencing difficulties....or maybe you are but don't know it

I have had the problem with my mail since Yahoo bought out the company, I can sen a mail from my hotmail to the Yahoo and it never arrives, has been going on for about 3 years, I have made about 20 complaints to the company but no resolution. I wouldn't mind but I pay for the address!!

Hotmail Fails To Deliver Up To 81% Of All Attachment Emails

It has long been suspected that there is a silent policy that makes Hotmail automatically delete the majority of attachments to save on bandwidth and internal disk space.

http://hubpages.com/hub/Hotmail_Fails_To_D...tachment_Emails

TL

The problem lays with your IP. AOL in the UK for example block pretty much all mail from Thai IP's if the recipient has not emailed you in the past.

The problem lays with your IP. AOL in the UK for example block pretty much all mail from Thai IP's if the recipient has not emailed you in the past.

That is a very bad policy by AOL then.

Waerth

Hotmail Fails To Deliver Up To 81% Of All Attachment Emails

It has long been suspected that there is a silent policy that makes Hotmail automatically delete the majority of attachments to save on bandwidth and internal disk space.

http://hubpages.com/hub/Hotmail_Fails_To_D...tachment_Emails

TL

Precisely why I ended the use of Hotmail three years ago for all attachments. Also, Hotmail started sending my emails to unintended recipients on my contacts list (which caused me some considerable problems!).

The problem lays with your IP. AOL in the UK for example block pretty much all mail from Thai IP's if the recipient has not emailed you in the past.

That is a very bad policy by AOL then.

Waerth

There all at it, it's only AOL that I've noticed who pretty much have a blanket block tho.

Thanks to those who have replied to this thread.

So, to sum it up, sending an e-mail isn't as reliable as we all think - And if it's a an important business communication, the consequences could be disastrous.

confirming that you have recieved important emails is more than just politeness

I have always had problems sending to AOL addresses.

Interesting topic.

I sent last Thursday via MS Outlook 3 separtae important emails betwn 1730- 2030 GMT to client in Europe. (sent from home on TTT Maxnet).

Found out yesterday client did not get any of the emails. (I BCC one of the emails to my separate personal hotmail account, which I do frequently to see is emails arriving in my hotmail at least).

I figured, for important emails, I do not send out through MS Outlook, but I login to Webserver webmail of my .ie ireland email provider, as I think on thaivisa here actually, someone told me doing this webmail direct into my email provider, as opposed to MS Outlook way, I am side stepping alot of potential ISP probelms, as webmail is sent direct from my email providers server which is in Ireland & destination emails 80% Ireland & 20% to UK, so this seems to be a method ensure delivery?

Maybe consider using a paid service, as part of a domain?

Also check the T's and C's on these free email services, they probably say something about levels of service, and like SMSes, no real guarantee of delivery.

I just sent a few emails amongst my various paid and free accounts (Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail); all were delivered/received.

Maybe consider using a paid service, as part of a domain?

Also check the T's and C's on these free email services, they probably say something about levels of service, and like SMSes, no real guarantee of delivery.

I just sent a few emails amongst my various paid and free accounts (Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail); all were delivered/received.

Free or Paid, any e-mail service should deliver its customers mail. I can't believe the likes of Google, Yahoo or Hotmail making a statement that their free service might not deliver

^ Oddly the ToS' are very clear about this, be they subscriber or free services, in that Microsoft talks about no liability for 'failed transactions', Yahoo about "mis-delivery" and all use the software as is get out from liability. I recall that Eudora did offer, in the early days ,a guarantee for its premium products but I suspect that's gone too since thye were bought by Lycos {Just checked their ToS and it also uses the word mis-delivery'}. If you're using Outlook or Thunderbrd one can request return receipts, {but not in Gmail I believe} but it's up to the receiver to confirm, and some who just see an unexpected dialogue appear will not, or think it's a virus and delete the message. Another option is to subscribe to a service which provides delivery confirmations, {some run privately so receiver doesn't know that you know that he knows that he knows .. [sorry] } though there are issues there too.

Regards

^ Oddly the ToS' are very clear about this, be they subscriber or free services, in that Microsoft talks about no liability for 'failed transactions', Yahoo about "mis-delivery" and all use the software as is get out from liability. I recall that Eudora did offer, in the early days ,a guarantee for its premium products but I suspect that's gone too since thye were bought by Lycos {Just checked their ToS and it also uses the word mis-delivery'}. If you're using Outlook or Thunderbrd one can request return receipts, {but not in Gmail I believe} but it's up to the receiver to confirm, and some who just see an unexpected dialogue appear will not, or think it's a virus and delete the message. Another option is to subscribe to a service which provides delivery confirmations, {some run privately so receiver doesn't know that you know that he knows that he knows .. [sorry] } though there are issues there too.

Regards

I use Thunderbird with Gmail all the time and I have 'return receipts' turned on, but like you say, a lot of people don't click 'send' in the dialogue box, so no confirmation is sent back.

Over the past few years I'm now wondering if I've lost contact with old friends because of this issue... You know how it goes, you send a few letters that go unanswered, then don't bother again.