When is email considered spam?

[LawsHosting]

This is really getting on my nerves now..... So, the IP I use for Exim is blacklisted by some rbl's, and now Hotmail..... Yes, some of my clients run mailing-lists, "legitimately", but Hotmail still blocks the IP (we are even on the Junk Email Reporting Program!).....

5.1.0 - Unknown address error 550-"SC-001 (xxxxxxxxxx) Unfortunately, messages from xxxxxxxx weren't sent. Please contact your Internet service provider since part of their network is on our block list

So, what are we really meant to do? Stop them from running mailing lists? Stop them from using our systems to send email? etc etc.

I so do not like running email services for clients, things like this happen, then you spend all day trying to rectify it!

Granted, I bet I'm not the only one in this situation, what do you do to prevent this?..... Just annoys me... Spam is evil, yes, but, now days it seems too easy to get blocked.

 

[BBM]

I agree it can be a hassle if you need to fix these things.

Maybe just charge extra for users with mailinglists?
Or direct them to using a 3rd party mailingservice like MailChimp for instance.

 

[toml]

That message normally means that someone on your IP block was caught spamming. I found the same thing for my server. My server wasn't on any one elses RBL but Microsoft decided to block the whole IP block 255.255.255.0 and my server was just part of that block. The log should have also included a url, going to that url you should also see a link to their Policies and Practices which in turn should link you to their "Smart Network Data Services". Make sure to register for that so you can see what data Microsoft has for your IP addresses. I found they had no data at all for all my IP addresses yet they were blocked. I then filled out their canned form to try and get the IP addresses removed from their block list, explaining that my customers nor I am a bulk mail sender but we have been block, are not on any RBLs, etc. It took them two days, but they lifted the ban. They have to be the most difficult to deal with when it comes to removing these types of blocks. Good luck.