AOL says my company is a spam server

But we are not!

[weblamer2]

Hello,

Just today AOL decided the server we send our emails off of is a spam server. We are a business, and we send mails to about 3 AOL customers a day, however we never spam anyone.

ANy idea how i find out how we have been listed as a spam server, and how to get off the AOL spam list?

Thanks.

[PatrickDeese]

It could be that spammers are exploiting your site via formmail.cgi or an open relay - have you looked into that?

[weblamer2]

Ack, I have not thought about that.

Any idea how i can check?

(we are supposed to have a firewall that prevents this)

[txbakers]

check your SMTP logs on your mail server, you will see the number of requests coming from formmail.

I had to rewrite my copy to avoid relaying. My mailserver has protections against open relaying too, and I implemented them.

[bcolflesh]

Is it your server - or a shared server?

[weblamer2]

it is a shared server. We rent monlthy and whatnot.

I would think they would have protection against this sort of thing.

[txbakers]

I would contact the host then and ask for an explanation. If you're not running the mailserver (it sounds like it is their server) then they should patch it up for you.

[bcolflesh]

If one account on that server spams and raises the ire of some other provider - you're screwed, at least while the server admins hash it out w/one another.

[rcjordan]

Start by checking the domain in spamcop
spamcop.net/w3m?action=checkblock&ip=domain-to-be-checked-here.com

Then check for an open relay
www.ordb.org/lookup/

<added>
>you're screwed

Absolutely. False claims of spamming requires bullet-proofing your business email newsletters, reports, etc. (Why do you think I had those bookmarked? Been there, it ain't fun.)

[PatrickDeese]

hey RC -

is there a place to contact in AOL to advise them about a newsletter?

My first issue is due to be sent out the 10th and 75% of my subscribers (15/20 lol) are AOL users.

[bakedjake]

AOL has been blocking mail from servers on dynamic IPs (DSL, Cable, and dial-up) for some time now. We're starting to see them do it on static IPs at will now, too.

Get your provider to take it up with AOL. It's been a real PITA lately.

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