Outgoing plusnet server "relay.plus.net"has blocked me as a spam suspect

[#1]

 In the past 2 days or so any email I try to send via the outgoing server "relay.plus.net" and which contains either an email address (any one) or a web link (any one) is blocked and I get a 552 error. Tech support tell me this is because their server has identified me or one of my email contacts or one of my forwarded web links as spam and has blocked me - and the real issue is that Plusnet cannot do anything about it - so I cannot use plusnet email. Shocking that Plusnet cannot resolve this problem. I am not having to use another email service (paid for!)

[#2]

Is your email address a Plusnet account (or one of their old type)?

Was is working ok up until 2 days ago?

You post implies that if your email contains a link or email address within the text fails to send - does that mean a simple text only email works fine?

Is this to multiple addresses, or to a single one?

Is this business email?

Plusnet CAN do something about it, it's their system. It's plainly inaccurate of them to say this. Sounds like an excuse to palm you off.

Why not use something else, like Gmail - that stops you being to to an ISP mailbox. Why are you paying for a mail service, or is that associated with a personal domain?

Sorry for all the questions!

Moderator's note by Mike (Mav): Full quote of preceding post removed as per Forum rules.

[#3]

Yes, my outgoing email was working - via the outgoing server "relay.plus.net" was working fine 3 days ago. Now I can only send via that server when the body (text) of the email does not contain any email address or any web link. When the body/text of the email contains simply my email address (for test purposes) it gets rejected with a 552 error message (this apparently indicates spam). Then when the body of the email contains only one web link which I type in (eg www.google.co.uk) again it is rejected with a 552 error.

The result is that I now have had to purchase access to another outgoing smtp server - hence my plusnet email account is useless (I seldom send emails without an email address or web link in the email body) as it uses only the outgoing server "relay.plus.net"

The problem is not the email address in the "To" box but any email in the email body/text. It is not a business email but is my private email

[#4]

In your email client, is the SMTP server configured with authenticated access - that is “log on required”? That might influence behaviour.

[#5]

My newly purchased outgoing SMTP server has authenticated access but the now useless Plusnet "relay.plus.net" does not require this. Talking to Plusnet rep, I'm told that their server now rates/classifies any email I try send with an email address or web link in the text  as spam - hence repeated 552 errors. New outgoing server (not Plusnet) is fine.

[#6]

You didn't specifically say if the account you're sending from s a Plusnet email address. If it is, then your account has some form of flag set against it, otherwise it would apply to every single plusnet email user - which clearly isn't the case.

If it's a personal domain address, then you should be able to use Gmail's smtp server for free. It simply needs setting up and is fairly straghforward.

[#7]

I have 2 email addresses which use (or rather used to use) the Plusnet outgoing server "relay.plus.net" One is a Plusnet address and the other is from my previous email supplier (Namesco) - each has a different incoming mail server. The Namesco email service allowed me to retain my email address.

However neither email address allows me to send emails with an email address or web link in the text page - until I called Namesco and they let me purchase the use of their SMTP server for outgoing emails. This works fine but the Plusnet email will not send as I get repeated "error 552" fails.

I have a backup gmail account which also works fine but my beef is that I'm paying for Plusnet email which is now useless for outgoing emails containing an email address or web link in the text - this is highly restrictive for my needs.

[#8]

@Geomac

Hi,

Can you try again now?  It should work.

Looks like we've had a bit of a process failure here.  I'll see that someone looks at what went wrong.

[#9]

Hi Kelly - IT WORKED!!! Shame that I had to pay Namesco £21 for use of their outgoing server following a 35 minute telephone call with Andy (Plusnet) who advised me that this was an issue which could not be resolved by Plusnet and that I would be considered as spam for ever. He suggested gmail and agreed with my seemingly only other option to approach Namesco (with whom I have incoming server service (paid for in order to keep old email address) and ask if they could help with outgoing server service - they did and I paid them £21 for this.

I am not a happy camper!! But less unhappy than before you seem to have resolved my problem with Plusnet mail!!

[#10]

Kelly, why did Plusnet tech support say it wasn't a Plusnet fault when clearly it was?

What was done to fix the issue, and was it an account setting that needed altering?

[#11]

Hi Kelly - I await your response with great interest!!

George

[#12]

---

@Kelly wrote:

@Geomac

Hi,

Can you try again now?  It should work.

Looks like we've had a bit of a process failure here.  I'll see that someone looks at what went wrong.

---

I'm still waiting to hear what went wrong resulting in me being out of pocket based on wrong advice

[#13]

I guess that I will now have to call customer services - not just to complain about original advice error but also about the lack of communication on blogs by the likes of "community gaffer" - Kelly?

[#14]

Hi Geomac, 

I'm not ignoring you.   I don't work full time so I'm not always picking things up here.  I asked someone to pick up your issue and understand what's gone wrong on Tuesday.  I'll check to see where that is.

I'll be back in touch today.

All:  This appears to be someone not following an established process.  I.e. the agents should have flagged the issue into our Operational team to look at why the mail was rejecting.  That didn't happen though.  I'm trying to find out why.

[#15]

Thanks Kelly - your help is much appreciated. I hadn't appreciated that you were part time and apologies for the tone of my earlier post