Spam Filter Issues
TwirlyGirly
Newbie

I've had two emails blocked by the spam filter in the past couple of days, and it's very frustrating. The first was an email I was sending to myself ONLY (I do this to keep records of important information, such as payment arrangements I may have made on an account, so I don't lose or forget the information). This email had no images or hyperlinks or such, and *I* was the only recipient. The email contained text only, and I couldn't figure out what was in the email that was preventing it from being sent, so I ultimately gave up.

The second was an email I wrote to a friend today. One recipient. It was a personal communication, but contained links to two different pages on a website the friend had requested. I went to the spamfaq page, whose URL appears in the spam filter error message. It stated I should send the email as an attachment to a third party address for review - but how in the world does one send an unsent email as an attachment? (Furthermore, I really don't want to send an email containing personal communication to an unknown third party). Also, the spamfaq page links to another page which apparently describes the Verizon email policy - but that's a dead link (I was going to try and figure out precisely what was stopping that first email - the one I had tried to send to myself - from going through).

I called Verizon support this time, and the person I spoke with seemed to know little about the spam filter and those who are responsible for it. He didn't know how to send an unsent email as an attachment wither, so he told me to just send them an email describing the situation, and they would reply to me. It wasn't until *after* we hung up that I read on the spamfaq page they do NOT respond when receiving issue reports on the spam filter.

I guess my question is twofold. First, I never had these problems before - so why, all of a sudden, am I having problems NOW? If I can no longer send information to myself to keep records, or can't send links in emails to a friend or two, I need to look for another internet provider because the frustration isn't worth sticking with Verizon.

Second, is there anyone at Verizon I can call and speak to who work with the spam filter people? I can send emails to the spamdetector.update email address describing the problems every time, but if they don;t respond, and the issues aren';t resolved, who do I speak with to get this straightened out?

Thanks for any help!

TG

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Re: Spam Filter Issues
robtoby
Enthusiast - Level 2

Hi!

I had this same problem about a month or so ago, and then it magically cleared up.

I just started experiencing it again a couple of days ago.

It's CLEARLY a Verizon issue, but their technical support leaves a LOT to be desired.

I've been a DSL customer for 10 years now, and usually have to either troubleshoot issues myself or wait for them to go away.

I certainly hope someone from Verizon reads these forums, but I wouldn't bet the farm on that.

Let's see what happens.

Rob

Re: Spam Filter Issues
Hubrisnxs
Legend

there is no over the phone support for spam filter issues. 

you have spamdetector.update@verizon.net  (an automated system, you send email it uses computer algorithm to determine if it will update, and then updates automatically, or doesn't update depending on the algorithm)

and you have the chat support option

as well as the twitter verizon support guys who are reasonably good. 

Re: Spam Filter Issues
Hubrisnxs
Legend

also try duplicating the problem in Verizon Webmail.  There are times when outlook or a similiar program will be reported as spam (due to a setting ususally) and then when those settings are not there, i.e. when you use webmail, it goes through fine.   If that is the case, then it's a setting in outlook, usually related to a signature file.

Also try www.isnotspam.com and they will tell you what might be causing the spam flag and you can adjust your settings accordingly.

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Re: Spam Filter Issues
TwirlyGirly
Newbie

Yes, well the spamdetector.update email address is the one the Verizon rep told me to write to and describe my problem in the email (since I had no way to send the actual email to the spamdetector.update address) - good to know that isn't going to do a thing, because no REAL person is going to read my email describing the problem. Thanks, Verizon. I guess that also means there is no one at Verizon who can tell me exactly how one sends an unsent email (unsent, because the spam filter blocked it) *as an attachment* to the spamdetector.update email address.

So, some of my outgoing personal emails will be blocked from sending due to the spam filter. The instructions in the spamfaq are bogus, because one cannot send an unsent email to the spamdetector.update email addressvas an attachment as per the instructions in the spamfaq, nor can you send it as a regular email to them because the spam filter blocks it from being sent TO THEM. The people at Verizon have no contact, apparently, with the spam filter people, don't know anything about it, can't report or correct customer issues involving the spam filter. Nor does the customer having the issue have any way to report it to the spam filter people. No wonder it says in the spamfaq "false positives are rare," because they've effectively made it IMPOSSIBLE for the customers to report the "false positives" to them. 

Ergo, the customer must just learn to "live with" the fact they're paying for a service every month, that may or may not work, and if/when it doesn't - too bad.

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Re: Spam Filter Issues
TwirlyGirly
Newbie

I don't use Outlook. I use Mozilla Thunderbird. Interestingly, my work email address is a Gmail account, but both accounts (Verizon and Gmail) are set up through Thunderbird. I was able to send both of the emails I wanted to send through my Verizon account the spam filter blocked through my work Gmail account, so I KNOW it's not Thunderbird that's the problem. It's absolutely the Verizon spam filter that's blocking it.

Oh, and by the way....I went to the itsnotspam website you recommended, and tried to follow the instructions - which are to send the email to them so they can analyze it and tell me why it's being blocked. Unfortunately, the Verizon spam filter blocked me from sending it to them. Big surprise.

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Re: Spam Filter Issues
dnm1
Enthusiast - Level 1

My wife got the "571 you're sending spam" error tonight.  We were able to send it to spamdetector.update@verizon.net.  I find it interesting to note that we are forced to trust the "third party anti-spam experts" with the contents of the email.  In my wife's case, it was a PDF invoice from a vendor that was flagged. It's kind of annoying that VZ would willingly deliver the message to her verizon.net account, and then refuse to let her forward it.

This "solution" leaves a lot to be desired.

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Re: Spam Filter Issues
munkeephun
Enthusiast - Level 2

I have been having the same problems for months now and have called customer support, used live chat etc.  The problem gets fixed for a couple of days then they come back. They keep saying that there isn't a problem but I keep getting errors.

An unknown error has occurred. Subject 'Re: Chemo', Account: 'Anita', Server: 'outgoing.verizon.net', Protocol: SMTP, Server Response: '550 5.7.1 The message you attempted to send was determined to be spam. Please visit http://www.verizon.net/spamfaq for more information.', Port: 587, Secure(SSL): No, Server Error: 550, Error Number: 0x800CCC69

This is so frustrating that I am ready to cancel my FIOS tv/internet/phone and go back to Comcast. These emails are important because they involve my mom's chemotherapy. Exactly what part of this email is spam? 

Hi to all,

Scott is on schedule for this Tuesday, March 8th.  I need to be there for 10 am appointment so we should leave around 9:15 am.  Don’t forget to allow extra time to walk the dog.  This will be a long day, at least 3 hours.

Rest of Schedule:

March 15th:  No chemo

March 22:  10:30 appointment.  Leave at 9:45  Long one:  3 hours.  Don will take this one.

March 29th:  10:30 appointment.  Leave a 9:45.  Short one:  1 hour.  Of course by the time blood is drawn, doctor is seen etc., it is longer than 1 hour.

Thanks to all,

Mom

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Re: Spam Filter Issues
LimeyDi1
Enthusiast - Level 2

I was very sorry to read that comment about "thinking of switching back to Comcast" - I hated Comcast so much that i was pretty easily persuaded to try Verizon for TV and Internet and lo, i too am having bland, harmless personal email messages blocked as spam. (I am sorry about your Mother and the chemo. I do hope she comes through OK, and thank you for sharing that personal message to prove that very point - a bland, hamless, PERSONAL message, is tarred with the same brush as some creep wanting me to send me $5,000,000 or some other creep wanting to sell me very intimate medication, whether or not appropriate to my gender). Of course I have emailed Verizon, but as i said, i am new and not enough time has passed, maybe they will send me a realy response instead of one of their canned non-responsive replies of which 50% is meaningless courteies and the rest pre-programmed "answers". I asked if my TV and internet bill could be combined with my wireless bill, and got an 'answer" saying my wireless and landline phone bills could be combined (I don't have a landline phone). They blocked as spam not only simple messages exchanged with one of my daughters but also, and this is more sinister, an email i sent to an agency for whom i do woek, with a small work file attached - if I don't send the file, i don't get paid. Want to bet that the fine print says they are not liable if their defective systems cost me money? If anyone can point me directly to where i can review my spam filters I'f appreciate it - Verizon's website gives a link which leads to the "support" page with no obvious link to the topic ... verrrrrry frustrating.

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Re: Spam Filter Issues
reeve1
Newbie

They've taken all the tools away for us to fight SPAM ourselves by doing things like blocking our ability to send a block on port 52 to let the sender think you're not a valid email box, or by not allowing us to forward Spoof emails that Verizon just delivered to me so that I can enlist the team of experts from the companies who are being spoofed and they can help me stop this! Then, after they completely taken everything away and left us helpless, they put nothing in its place!

The sadest part is, Verizon seems uninterested in monitoring or reponding to this thread...

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