Web Hosting Talk : Web Hosting Main Forums : Dedicated Server : Ubiquity Hosting - Email Issue - Ticket opened 16 days ago.

[VistaNet]

Hi Everyone,

I don't post here very often but I wanted to get the educated input from people who deal with hosting on a regular basis.

We run a small auto parts website that sells new and used parts. Pretty simple.

We have a MANAGED dedicated server with Ubiquity Hosting that we pay about $200 a month for.

On Jan 31st, we put in a ticket because we were having issues with emails not being delivered. We were getting errror messages back that said things along the lines of....

" Unfortunately,
messages from 173.234.56.106 weren't sent. Please contact your Internet service
provider since part of their network is on our block list. You can also refer
your provider to LINK TO LIVE DOT COM HERE."

AND

"SMTP error from remote mail server after MAIL FROM:<admin@OneStopOEM.com> SIZE=2553:
host mx1.hotmail.com [65.55.37.72]: 550 SC-001 (COL0-MC1-F17) Unfortunately, messages from 173.234.56.109 weren't sent. Please contact your Internet service provider since part of their network is on our block list. You can also refer your provider to LINK TO LIVE DOT COM HERE."


I'm no expert but it appears as if the IP address that we got when we migrated to them is banned all over the place. Specifically Hotmail/MSN/Live/etc.

Does this sound correct?

If I try to send an email to my own hotmail account, it INSTANTLY gets rejected.

We put the ticket in on Jan 31st and I updated it within minutes whenever they have questions, etc. The ticket is still open and the issue is not fixed yet.

Is this normal? How long should I wait before I freak out? Am I within my rights to ask for a reduced bill or credit for this month?

I don't want to be unreasonable but not having useable email for over 2 weeks is really causing issues with our business. Our sales reps have resorted to sending emails from their personal yahoo accounts because our in-house email can't be trusted.

I was under the impression that having a Managed Dedicated server was about as stable and "safe" as you could go, was I wrong?


Thank you in advance for any and all input!

[zomgmike]

What's your ticket ID?

[Patrick]

Not to defend Ubiquity but dealing with Hotmail and Yahoo can be one of the most aggravating experience you will ever go through. Getting email blocks removed can take time, a lot of lost hair (if you have any left once you get to that point) and an ample amount of Xanax to prevent you from going down to the campuses and picking people off from their Policy Enforcement Team.

As a short term solution, setup Google Apps and have Ubiquity help you move your email to Gmail by making the necessary DNS changes on the server. That will fix your email problem immediately and Gmail is pretty damn reliable to boot!

[zomgmike]

I just found your ticket based on the IP address in this thread.

From you (as of a few minutes ago): "I just got your email and it looks like [client's domain]'s emails are sending to hotmail just fine, but I think whatever change we made caused a problem."

It looks like there are some other technical things going on in the ticket so it's still open, but it looks like progress was made.

I'll keep an eye on the ticket.

[VistaNet]

Actually, they have fixed 1 of the website's emails but are telling us...

"We can re-submit delisting requests for the other IP addresses, but there's not much more we can do."

So basically they are giving me junk IP addresses and I am paying $200/month for a managed dedicated server that can't send email out. At least it sure seems this way.

Great deal.

Am I wrong to be frustrated in this? Or is it normal for half of a dedicated server's accounts to not be able to send emails for 2-3 weeks at a time?

Is going over 2 weeks enough time to give them to fix this issue, or is that asking too much?

Any input would be appreicated!

Thanks!

[HostGamma]

It is likely the issue come from your own use as the IP was not blacklisted when you first got the server. Do you send mailing lists/newsletters from the server? Do your sales rep send unsolicited mails to potential prospects? A few people clicking on the "Spam" button on Live or Gmail can get your IP blacklisted. Therefore you should investigate the issue at its root and not just expect Ubiquity to "fix" the issue.

[UKDirectHost]

2 weeks is a long time. I have got responses from hotmail within 48 hours, delisting IP's. Also, depending on what block list they have put you on, you can get yourself delisted as well. Follow the link provided in the rejection notice. Simple.

[Ryanhz]

Dealing with some of the major email provider's suck, anything that's not recognized they filter automatically to spam and will black list stuff even if there is not a valid reason for it. Someone who had the ip block previously most likely was running a similar service dealing with automated emails.

[[CTI] Todd]

Originally Posted by VistaNet

So basically they are giving me junk IP addresses and I am paying $200/month for a managed dedicated server that can't send email out.

First, you can send e-mail. The problem is some far end servers have chosen not to accept it.

If the far end chooses not to accept mail from your IP, and doesn't respond to de-listing requests, that's their deal.

If you aren't having any luck getting de-listed, perhaps you can try a new IP range.

This is not an uncommon scenario. Welcome to the wonderful world of e-mail. There are a number of things that need to be configured and diligently maintained to help ensure delivery -- its not a "set and forget" service.

[UKDirectHost]

Or as someone suggested above, transfer your emails over to Google Apps.

[VistaNet]

Well, an update....

Of the 3 accounts that we use on a regular basis, they replaced the IP address on one of them and it started to work instantly.

They say that they do not have any more clean IP's to give me, and that I have to live with this issue on the other two domains.

Is this normal? The ticket was opened LAST YEAR and we still don't have the ability to send email to hotmail because the IP's that they are giving us are blacklisted.

Is this acceptable behavior from a provider or am I getting duped?

[Patrick]

No, of course it isn't acceptable behavior that they don't have any clean IP's to give you. It's obviously not your fault that their IP addresses are blocked - they should work out some form of compensation here or an alternate solution if it cannot be resolved in a reasonable amount of time.

Speaking as a provider though, it's extremely difficult to work with Hotmail and Yahoo to get an IP range / network wide block removed. We're talking countless days of back and forth communication, dealing with some of the most incompetent outsourced drones you can imagine. I'm sure Ubiquity are trying to work with the companies on this, but it takes time - and it sure as hell doesn't take 24 hours like someone mentioned above.

As I already mentioned and I know this isn't an ideal solution, more of a band aid fix than anything else, but move your email to Gmail until they get this sorted out...

[Bernardoo]

I don't think that telling you that you have to live with the issue its a reasonable answer.

They should find a work around and/or deal with hotmal/yahoo to delist their IPs.

[VistaNet]

Thank you to everyone for your PM's and posts here.

The issue is still not resolved but they claim they are working on it. (Although the server that they use to email me my invoices is sure working correctly!)

Today marks the 21st day (three weeks) since I opened the ticket about this. I'm still not able to send email to Hotmail, AOL, MSN, and many other domains. Also, they claim that they do not have any other IP's to give me in order to clear this issue up. (They changed one of my domains to a "clean IP" and it worked like a champ, instantly.)

How long should I give this problem before attempting to do something?

Should I being paying full-price for my server in spite of these ongoing issues?

I've NEVER had a host have these types of problems before, so I'm not really sure what the best course of action is.

Thanks!

[[CTI] Todd]

Again, this is not a problem with Ubiquity, its a problem with Hotmail/AOL/MSN, etc . . . Ubiquity did not blacklist your IPs, thus Ubiquity cannot de-list them. Nor is there anything they can do to force the other end to de-list them.

Certainly they can work with the other end to get the IPs de-listed, but again, they have no control over whether or not they get de-listed. There is no law, rule or code saying that anyone has to accept e-mail from anyone.

If Hotmail/MSN/AOL/etc . . . are not responding to Ubiquity's request to de-list, and Ubiquity has no other IPs they can give you, then I don't see much option other than moving to someone who can (or outsource your e-mail to avoid this problem and the future problems you will certainly have to deal with).