Missing emails?

I doubt it, but anyway

[bmcompany]

We have a client that claims never to have recevied some of our emails (namly, the most important one that explains the whole proceedure of the service).

He also claims not to have recevied our "Welcome new customer", pack in the post or our repeated telephone calls.

We have a database which sends our emails automaticaly at certain stages in the process. This email gets copied to us, so we can keep a record.

We did receive our copy of this email so we are assuming that it went out.

It's quite clear in this case that this client has changed his mind half way through a contract (which we dont allow them to do as all the work is carried out at the beginning).

Can you prove that an email has gone out? How strong is this proof? Do ISPs still have to keep a log of emails?

What is your experience with dealing with this type of situation?

[PCInk]

"Welcome new customer" pack in the post? Signiture? If not, send it again (plain packing) with a proof of delivery signiture.

Print the email off (no matter how long) and include this with the pack.

[topr8]

seriously although you don't want to hear this.

situations of this type are not so much about right and wrong ...

but about how much it will cost you to get the money you claim is owed to you.

sometimes even when you win you still loose if you get my drift.

[balinor]

Receipt of an e-mail is difficult to prove. I have found that some clients have NOT received my e-mail in the past due to their SPAM filters, Outlook blocking 'unsafe attachments' and all sorts of other issues with Network Security. If you want proof, nothing beats good old-fashioned return receipt on Postal Service mail or signature required on UPS/FedEx.

[Blue_Wizard]

If you are sending out emails to client ALWAYS make sure they are in plain text format.

Most major ISP services and email services have filters to block HTML formated emails as spammers hackers and such use that format to embed crap to create mischief.

[Mardi_Gras]

>Most major ISP services and email services have filters to block HTML formated emails

I don't know of any major ISP that blocks HTML e-mail

>sometimes even when you win you still loose if you get my drift.

Great advice.

[bmcompany]

topr8,

Its ok, they've paid for the year already :-)

So it boils back down to the recorded delivery then? Thought as much.

Much Ta

[anallawalla]

No major ISP blocks HTML emails, else it will soon become a very small ISP. You can never prove that someone received your email - all you know is that you did not get a bounce.

Sure, you can turn on the so-called Read Receipt feature, but it does not mean that the intended person read your email. If a client is playing silly buggers with you then there is nothing to gain by saying that you had told them such and such. It is a sign that the relationship has broken down in everything but formally.

In an ongoing relationship with a forgetful client who is very busy, I just reply to all on my previous message and delete my address. This is accompanied by a polite note saying that I need a reply on a specific point.

Ash

[BlueSky]

Some client-side software have a feature where you can request a read receipt for your sent messages. When the recipient opens your email, a receipt is automatically sent right back to you. The only problem is if the recipient's client software doesn't have this feature or he has changed settings not to send a receipt back.

[flashfan]

You may put some trackable info in the email (html format only); If the client opens the email, your db could be updated. That's a hard proof, I think.