This is the text of an email we sent to all members with btinternet or btopenworld email addresses that didn't receive our two recent all-member emails because they were rejected by BT as 'looking like spam'.
We've made some changes designed to overcome the problem, but we'd like everyone with BT to follow the email's suggestion; that will help improve our email delivery to them and to other members in the same position.
Unfortunately, after several years without problems, BT has suddenly started to reject our emails as 'looking like spam'. It has no explanation to give us. There is no appeal. We follow all its recommendations for bulk email but it seems it is happy to block legitimate emails in order to prevent genuine spam - even though I understand it's not good at detecting real spam either!
Worse, BT does not tell the sender an email has been rejected. So, neither you or the person that sent you the email is aware of a problem. The email just disappears - it doesn't even go into your spam folder. The only way I know there is a problem is by checking our email server's logs - and not many people are authorised, or able, to do that.
As a result, you have probably missed one or both of the following emails:
- Click here to see the December 'Update' email
- Click here to see the notification that the Winter newsletter is now available on the web site
I am exploring ways to get around the problem. As part of that process I have set up a new email address: AndyHIU3A@btinternet.com. The fact that you are reading this message means I have been successful to some extent.
To help with future emails, can I ask you to start telling BT you trust our emails. Click here to find out how to do that. The opening sections of the page introduce the problem, but you can skip straight down to the 'Step-by-step instructions' section and click 'Trust Hayling U3A emails received by BT/Yahoo' to find out what to do.
I'm sorry we're having this difficulty (we are by no means the only organisation suffering) and thanks for helping us resolve it.
Andy Henderson
Hayling Island U3A web site editor