Your Dolphin E-mail Caught In Spam Tuna Net?

Let me ask a couple of questions:

  • If (potential) customers sends an e-mail to your company, do they want to receive an answer?

  • If you, in return, e-mail your customer, do you expect that your e-mail is delivered to the customer?

Well, in my case, I answered "YES" on both questions. After all, the customer asks for an answer, so it's normal to expect that when you send an e-mail in return, that the customer receives it.

Unfortunately, this is no longer the case.

It is highly important that you get this point, so let me rephrase that:

If you send an e-mail to a customer that the customer wants and expects, it may be that (s)he never receives it!

I've investigated this issue, and the cause of this is the filtering of e-mail by the ISP of the customer, to prevent unwanted SPAM (unsollicited e-mail) to make its way into their mailbox. But not only genuine SPAM is filtered out. Even e-mail that the customer wants (and often expects) to receive, may be caught up in this filter. It's happening so often, there's even a term for it: "false positives".

Sometimes this stays unnoticed, because the customer doesn't get a mail telling her that it was filtered out. Or you don't get a reply from the ISP/filter that your mail didn't pass.

Your "dolphin" e-mail can essentially be caught in SPAM filter "tuna nets".

This can impact businesses on many levels:

  • Potential customers do not convert into real customers, because they never "heard from you".

  • Unhappy customers as they "never get an answer on their support requests".

  • Unhappy Customers that don't get the info / product they paid for (download instructions for digital products are often delivered by e-mail)

When this happens, the customer usually points the finger to the business...

...YOUR business was not responsive;


...YOUR business didn't resolve the customer's issues;


...YOUR business did not deliver!

But, of course, you are not to blame. You responded! You resolved! you delivered! It's the customer's ISP that didn't deliver. An e-mail your customer wanted, and expected.

Mistakes do happen. But sometimes, ISP's and mail service businesses have no interest in righting what went wrong. And since they are not blamed, they get away with doing nothing. But in the mean time, your and my business is hurt by this.

So, it is time to point customers in the right direction. If more and more customers know where to complain if they do not get the e-mail they wanted, chances are that the ISP and/or mail service are forced into action.

There's a lot an ISP or mail service can do. Customers should have the possibility to "whitelist" you. A "whitelist" is a list of e-mail addresses or domains from which the customer allows mail to continue, even when the filter thinks it's "junk". One option that's not an option is to ask customers to switch off the filter. SPAM is just too big a problem for this.

Another company that have taken the heat for filtered mail is SiteSell. They're blamed for not delivering as promissed, because their e-mail was filtered out. And they hit a wall of unresponsiveness when they tried to right this. Or was it that their requests were filtered out? ;-)

As they understood how this is hurting their business, and many other businesses around the globe, they decided to take action, and point customers in the right direction when wanted e-mail doesn't make it into their mailboxes. So they created the "Deliver my mail!" initiative, which I fully support.

I invite you to join them and me. Read more about "Deliver my Mail!" on: http://deliver-my-mail.sitesell.com/sls.html

Let's take a stand, and educate customers on what to do if they do not receive e-mail they really wanted to get. Let customers demand:

"DELIVER MY MAIL!"

About The Author

Erwin Steneker is a senior support consultant with over 13 years of experience in both sales and IT support. Check out his website at http://deliver-my-mail.sitesell.com/sls.html

to o hare transportation Riverwoods .. Lockport Chicago limo O’Hare
In The News:

Kurt the CyberGuy walks through steps he recommends immediately taking after getting new electronics — like phones or TVs — as gifts this holiday season.
When speaking becomes physically challenging, you can preserve your unique voice using Apple's Personal Voice and Live Speech technology.
Google Maps is deleting location history soon. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson shows you how to back it up before it's gone.
iOS 18.2 lets AirTag owners securely share item locations with trusted individuals. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson examines the powerful new feature.
The FBI is warning timeshare owners of a telemarketing scam tied to a Mexican drug cartel. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson provides steps to stay safe.
Protecting your home network includes securing your router, just like your phone or laptop. Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson reveals six ways to protect your Wi-Fi router from hackers.
Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson: ConnectOnCall breach leaks sensitive data of 910,000+ patients.
Rising elder scams: How to recognize them and protect yourself and your loved ones. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson helps you outsmart the scammers.
There are common habits and oversights that could leave your financial information vulnerable to cybercriminals, according to Kurt the CyberGuy.
Counting calories just got easier with The Drop, the world's first automated nutrition tracker using advanced computer vision and artificial intelligence.
A virtual private network can help ensure your information remains security and your privacy remains intact. Kurt the CyberGuy explains.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
Artificial intelligence-based cameras are giving air defense operators unprecedented capabilities in monitoring and protecting airspace.
Apple's iOS 18.1 Inactivity Reboot automatically reboots your iPhone if it hasn't been used or unlocked for more than three days, providing better data protection.
An inventor designed rooftop solar panels for a Tesla that draws solar energy while the car is parked, adding travel mileage without plugging in.
There are currently no laws governing what artificial intelligence can and cannot do with the information it gathers; here are 10 things to avoid telling AI chatbots to keep yourself safe.
A credit union with over 240,000 members recently revealed it was targeted by cybercriminals, resulting in a data breach that was part of a two-month attack by hackers.
Scammers have become skilled at creating convincing fake websites that can easily fool unsuspecting users. The CyberGuy offers tips to protect yourself.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
CAPTCHAs, which are used by websites to confirm whether users are people or bots, are harmless, but hackers are using them to infect PCs with malware.
Hackers recently leaked personal information of about 500,000 Americans and stole patient medical records that included lab results and insurance details.
The holiday season sees a rise in mobile shopping scams. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson helps you learn how to stay safe.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says a VPN enhances online banking security by encrypting data and protecting privacy.
Beware of these six sneaky holiday scams. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson gives you tips to avoid falling victim.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson reveals how to securely back up and factory reset your Android to protect your privacy and data.

The Anti Spam Challenge ? Minimizing False Positives

Email is the quintessential business communication tool, so when it... Read More

Invasion of the Email Snatchers

They're sneaky. And stealthy. They're quiet and mostly unobtrusive, but... Read More

Six Tips to Get Rid of Spam Email

1. Ignore Spam EmailDo not open an unsolicited email. Spammers... Read More

Why Your ISP Takes Bribes From Spammers

The lifeblood of the spammer is email. They need to... Read More

BUSTED: Anti Spam Forces Bankrupt Super-Spammer Scott Richter

Microsoft scores one for the good guysScott Richter, the self-proclaimed... Read More

Pst... Pass It On... I Found Out Its a Hoax

When you receive an email telling you about a virus,... Read More

Is There A National Do Not Spam List?

You may have already received a do not spam list... Read More

Spam eMails Are Not Just Annoying - They Are A Main Distributor Of Viruses

Why is someone from India, Africa, or elsewhere writing you... Read More

SPAM: A Nutrious Food or a Waste of Time?

Unless the filters on your computer are really good, you're... Read More

Wiki Reek-y Havoc

The Vandals are coming! And this time they're after your... Read More

Anti Trackback and Comment Spam Methods

What is spam ? ... Read More

Spam with Typos: Why Do They All Have Spelling Errors?

A friend asked me: I don't get it. Why do... Read More

Protecting Yourself With A Porn Filter

The harmful affects of pornography use and addiction are well... Read More

The Great Spam Scam: Five Strategies To Stop Brand and Revenue Robbery

Marketers usually think of anti-spam tactics as 'how to prevent'... Read More

Lockspam Free 3.0 Released!

6 August, 2004: Polesoft Inc., home of Professional anti spam... Read More

Demand for Spam? It exists

Do you like spam? No, I'm not kidding. Everybody knows... Read More

Email Chain Letters - Harmless Fun or Not?

I'm sure I'm not the only person on the planet... Read More

Which Spam Filter Is Best For You?

With the number of spam filtering solutions increasing each week... Read More

How You Can Avoid The New Dangers Of Spam

Until recently, spam has been an annoyance, a definite load... Read More

Spam Filters Explained

What do they do? How do they work? Which one... Read More

20 Words That Kill - At Least When It Comes to Spam Filters

Spam, spam, spam. It's terrible not only for those of... Read More

Spammer Stole My Email Address?

Do you get bounced, or rejected emails sent by someone... Read More

Internet Theft and Fraud

My friends in the web hosting business have recently informed... Read More

Do You Know Whats in Your Trash?

A hearty welcome to all the spam fighting filters and... Read More

What Exactly is Spam?

Spam, as defined in the context of computers, the Internet... Read More

Cadillac Escalade rental Beaverville ..