Spam filters

[LMTC]

I realize the topic sounds off-Yanmar, but this impacts anyone who emails us (and possibly anyone emailing other dealers), and readers of this forum are more likely to email us than readers of other forums here.

We respond to virtually every email we get that asks a legitimate question. Our response may be minimal ("sorry, don't know the answer to that") but we don't ignore email. I think this is true of most dealers who advertise online and who spend any time on forums. Many of the ISPs have spam filters that sometimes stop delivery of our email. Some individuals have their spam settings very high. Once we have sent an email there is nothing I know of that we can do to ensure that the addressee gets it. It is a mistake to assume that just because you don't GET an answer one was not sent. Repeat emails do not resolve this; they just repeat the process. If it is important to you and you don't get an email back within 48 hours or so (for us.....others may have longer time frames), call. This spam filter thing will likely continue to be an issue, and I simply don't have any better suggestions.

One other thing I became aware of recently is that some folks are apparently only allowing email through from pre-approved sources. I sent a fairly well thought out reply to a request earlier this week, only to get an automated email response telling me that if I want the recipient to consider accepting my email I must go the url provided and fill out a request form. I'm sorry, but I cannot justify the time for that. I seriously suggest that anyone using such protections add the email address of the dealer before sending a request. This has happened to me twice in the past week, and I hope it doesn't become a trend. Email is a wonderful tool for marketing and for shopping.

I know my perspective on this is limited. If others have experience with this, and especially if anyone has any positive suggestions for better ways to deal with this, please jump in. Thanks.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

I have my email set up so that it automatically dumps to trash anything with the word WAYNE in it

Actually, I'm using the standard "Mail" program from Apple and it does a great job of filtering junk mail with its standard settings and give a lot of options of what to do with the mail identifed as junk. There are also dozens of ways to customize it. So I don't use any aftermarket filter because I find the standard program so good.

 

[normde2001]

AOL has a feature that, when enabled, adds sent email addresses to the address book, thereby bypassing the spam filters, and eliminating that problem.

 

[brdavis]

Best way to deal with spam is the have two email addresses. Nerver, ever give anyone other than very close friends and family your "personal email address". Create another address under Yahoo which gives 1 GB of storage and spam filters for free and the email address is free. You don't have to go through the crap of using filters and the like. Don't get me started with AOL. With all do respect anyone paying for AOL is paying too much for too little.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[roxynoodle]

Good advice. Hotmail also gives you free email accounts. Some service providers will give you up to 10 accounts also. No one wants 200 spam emails in their personal account. I use my personal account for family and friends and any business that I think is unlikely to sell my name. I have seperate accounts for most internet shopping and one for my college students to contact me with. However, if you do email a business with a question you should check your spam before assuming no one contacted you.

 

[LMTC]

Apparently it's not just a question of checking your spam. We routinely get auto-responses indicating our email was REJECTED by the server because it was considered spam. I take this to mean it never gets delivered at all. The primary motivation behind this thread was those who set there filters so tight as to allow ONLY designated addresses to come through.....if one does that, one ought to add to the list any business to whom they write for a quote or information. The other motivation was simply to provide a "Heads Up" to all that no answer received does not necessarily mean no answer sent.

 

[normde2001]

Best way to deal with spam is the have two email addresses. Nerver, ever give anyone other than very close friends and family your "personal email address". Create another address under Yahoo which gives 1 GB of storage and spam filters for free and the email address is free. You don't have to go through the crap of using filters and the like. Don't get me started with AOL. With all do respect anyone paying for AOL is paying too much for too little.

Just my 2 cents.

It works for me, 1 email address, no spam, $19.95 a month.

 

[California]

Two separate issues here, spam filters and pre-approval.

Many of the ISPs have spam filters that sometimes stop delivery of our email. Some individuals have their spam settings very high.

Look at what your mail program sends. For example if your message has a background photo and flowery borders it may be flagged as spam on two criteria: huge and unreasonable size, or, when the message is opened, it calls back to your website to separately download the background photo. For me either of these will send it to the Trash folder. Worst example here was co-workers of my wife (at a State agency) who used a mail program that put a full page copy of the State Seal as background on everything they sent. Every email was over 500k. Who wants to archive that?

Reviewing what you send is within your power. I'm sure others here can list other filter criteria you might consider.

One other thing I became aware of recently is that some folks are apparently only allowing email through from pre-approved sources.

That's stupidity you can't control. My Ebay 'about me' page included something like "phone if you are concerned that you didn't see an email within 24 hours." I added that after an idiot sent me a half dozen anxious letters over a Friday evening and Saturday morning saying he knew he had been cheated because he hadn't received any of my several replies to his emails. Saturday evening I refunded his money at Paypal because he was threatening to post negative feedback if he didn't hear from me within 24 hours of the auction close. That refund confirmation from Paypal was the only message that made it through to him.

I don't know how you communicate with someone like that. Your 'Heads Up' might help a little.

 

[LMTC]

Reviewing what you send is within your power. I'm sure others here can list other filter criteria you might consider.

Unless specifically called for (i.e., customer requests graphic to identify a part) our emails contain no graphics. There is a link to our website in our signature, and the rest is pure text. I have reviewed our side of it many times to try to ensure we don't look like spam. As I said, my point is more a "head's up."

 

[roxynoodle]

I'm going to venture a guess that the problem is their computer is rejecting anyone not in their address book. I have had no problems with your emails, Wayne, but my service provider or anti-virus will delete most or all of the content of emails that come from my parents or a friend (both of whom have viruses). Your emails do not contain graphics nor do they set off any of the many screenings emails coming to me go through.