Obscure DSN message

[#1]

I have just received the following DSN:

This is an automatically generated Delivery Status Notification.      

Delivery to the following recipients failed permanently:

   * xxxx@btinternet.com

Reason: A message that you sent to the following recipient could not be delivered due to a permanent error. ** The remote server ?? responded with: ** xxxx@btinternet.com ??:?? This message was created automatically by mail delivery software on the server .

There is a link "[text/rfc822-headers (929 bytes)] " but clicking this brings up no record of any transaction with the server which rejected the message, so I can't determine the reason for rejection.

Where can I find the full DSN?

[#2]

I'm no expert on email -  you need one of the SU's for more in depth analysis, but that, although it looks fairly genuine, could well be dangerous link - hope you haven't tried it? Ooops, you have!

First question - have sent anyone at that address a message they say they haven't got?

Second question - is that exactly the message? - if so, some information - the rejection code is missing

Thirdly the 'link' you posted is not the normal text string for a delivery failure, they are usually much long and all alpha-numeric gobbledegook..

[#3]

Can you post the email headers?

[#4]

Not on a public forum.

I know the bounce is genuine because it arrived within a minute of me sending a message to that address and quoted the message I sent at the end. I also know it's not the correct format for a DSN, which is why I'm querying it here!

I have since discovered the following in the source:

Subject: Mail delivery failed: returning message to sender

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

--------------I305M09060309060P_995915618076560
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8;
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit

      This is an automatically generated Delivery Status Notification.      

Delivery to the following recipients failed permanently:

   * xxxx@btinternet.com

Reason: A message that you sent to the following recipient could not be delivered due to a permanent error. ** The remote server ?? responded with: ** jgane@btinternet.com ??:?? This message was created automatically by mail delivery software on the server .


--------------I305M09060309060P_995915618076560
Content-Type: message/delivery-status; charset=UTF-8;
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit

Reporting-MTA: dns; avasout02 [212.159.14.17]
Received-From-MTA: dns; yyyy [nn.nn.nn.nn]
Arrival-Date: Sat, 29 Jun 2019 12:27:30 +0100


Final-recipient: rfc822; xxxx@btinternet.com
Diagnostic-Code: smtp; 550 RCPT TO:<xxxx@btinternet.com> User unknown

Last-attempt-Date: Sat, 29 Jun 2019 12:27:36 +0100



--------------I305M09060309060P_995915618076560

So that discloses the reason, but it still doesn't look like a complete trail.

[#5]

Hi @kjpetrie,

Has this occurred on a Plusnet mailbox, or is it a 3rd party email that you're using? Do other emails reach the recipient or do they all return this same message?

[#6]

The mail was sent through my SMTP account with PlusNet and the bounce came back from PN. It would appear the bounce occurred because the recipient's address no longer exists, but the DSN containing only selected information in a multipart format rather than the usual list of complete headers and reason in a single part is what threw me. I had to view the source before I found out about all the parts and there is still insufficient information to follow the trail, so necessary for assessing the accuracy of the report. However, the timing does suggest a real bounce.