Emails received as spam - Spark Customer only

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495 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2077519 22-Aug-2018 15:35

Guys I'm just repeating what I was told by their support. I agree - I'm writing to my affected customers and also suggesting that they encourage their clients to drop xtra email in favour of gmail or Office 360

I help authors publish their books - DIYPublishing.co.nz

Darwall

67 posts

Master Geek

#2080656 29-Aug-2018 09:51

Hi Guys,

I am having the same issues as you guys. This is a new problem started occurring this week for me when sending invoices.

I send via a SMTP server from invoicing program and that is when I get a bounce back about potential spam content. (I have trusted SPF rules on the domain)

If I send the invoice to my address and forward it with the same subject and content via outlook exchange it seems to be delivered fine.

This tells me that SMX are not liking non SSL or non-trusted sending server mail sending, where as sending via MS exchange account hosted with MS it goes with out fail.

Maybe SMX or Spark could loosen their grip on this rule?

Cheers

MichaelNZ

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Integrity Tech Solutions

#2080678 29-Aug-2018 10:22

vulcannz:

There is no point, as it sounds like you are being rejected before spam analysis begins.

Antispam systems go like this:

1 check known bad IP reputation database > block/reject

2 check MX and SPF records (maybe DKIM) are not bad > block/reject

3 receive email

4 scan for malware > block/clean

5 scan for phishing > classify and tag/file/or drop

6 scan for spam > classify and tag/file/or drop

I work for an ISP and a lot of my time is spent on email issues. FWIW, our system works like this:

1. Receive email

2. Scan for viruses and quarantine (Customer does not receive email but does receive a notification)

3. Check DKIM and add header with result

4. Spam scans / RBL's / Content analysis (Also referred to as fingerprinting) etc and classify+tag (Inbox or Junk)

5. Deliver to appropriate folder

Disadvantage of this scenario is all email is received by the system.

Advantage is customers get to set their own custom anti-spam settings if they don't like the default.

------

There could be 101 reasons email is being binned or rejected. Here are some common ones:

1. Mass forwarding from your email box to an external address (Gmail for example)

2. None or incorrect SPF / DKIM

3. RBL's

4. Content

5. Misconfigured email servers

6. Email server owner hasn't brided the owner of the content filtering system.

7. Sending server doesn't have enough volume or reputation. Based on a quick read through this thread I suspect this could be a likely issue.

WFH Linux Systems and Networks Engineer in the Internet industry | Specialising in Mikrotik | APNIC member | Open to job offers

bonkas

314 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2080695 29-Aug-2018 11:03

MichaelNZ:

There could be 101 reasons email is being binned or rejected. Here are some common ones:

1. Mass forwarding from your email box to an external address (Gmail for example)

2. None or incorrect SPF / DKIM

3. RBL's

4. Content

5. Misconfigured email servers

6. Email server owner hasn't brided the owner of the content filtering system.

7. Sending server doesn't have enough volume or reputation. Based on a quick read through this thread I suspect this could be a likely issue.

In my case we have tried sending through Gmail, Xtra and my own domain email hosted by myself - all with the same result.

I have also found sending email to self and forwarding on sometimes allows the mail to go through with the mail client configured exactly the same as the invoicing software, The invoicing package has the ability to hook into outlook to send the mail, have tried this - same result.

What is really bugging me is another client uses the same software, same ISP, same email address provider (Xtra), same mail server settings, same message content and in some cases the same recipients - These emails are going through without issue.

hio77 do you have any updates? I have tried chasing up my original cases with Xtra via email and phone but all I get is a scheduled callback telling me to get each recipient to add th4e sender to the whitelist - Not good enough.

MichaelNZ

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Integrity Tech Solutions

#2080696 29-Aug-2018 11:06

bonkas:

In my case we have tried sending through Gmail, Xtra and my own domain email hosted by myself - all with the same result.

1. What is your sender (from) address in these cases?

2. Do your emails have links in them?

3. Please confirm - are your emails being rejected or spam binned?

It sounds like an SPF, DKIM or content issue. But I am leaning towards SPF/DKIM if others are successfully sending emails with the same content, but we need to clarify if it is actually the same content.

Or could be a sending domain reputation issue.

WFH Linux Systems and Networks Engineer in the Internet industry | Specialising in Mikrotik | APNIC member | Open to job offers

bonkas

314 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2080730 29-Aug-2018 11:43

The sender domain has been @xtra.co.nz (When sending through smtp.xtra.co.nz), @gmail.com (When sending through smtp.gmail.com) and @customdomain.com (when sending through my own mail).

No links in the emails

The emails are being bounced back with a "Message rejected due to possible spam content" message.

MichaelNZ

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#2080735 29-Aug-2018 11:51

bonkas:

The sender domain has been @xtra.co.nz (When sending through smtp.xtra.co.nz), @gmail.com (When sending through smtp.gmail.com) and @customdomain.com (when sending through my own mail).

No links in the emails

The emails are being bounced back with a "Message rejected due to possible spam content" message.

To elaborate - is there any website addresses in the emails whether links or not?

Can you email me an example?

WFH Linux Systems and Networks Engineer in the Internet industry | Specialising in Mikrotik | APNIC member | Open to job offers

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bonkas

314 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2080737 29-Aug-2018 11:56

Sure I can forward some examples to you, the email messages are very simple which is part of the problem. As hio77 has said, not much info to go on in regards to fingerprinting these emails and allowing them through. What is frustraiting though is another client is using the same invoicing package and experiencing no issues. the content of the messages is unable to be changed so this other client is sending mail no problem with exactly the same content.

Happy to send some samples to you if you like, May be able to give another angle of attack or somewhere else to look at the problem, just PM me your email address.

nktokyo

2 posts

Wannabe Geek

#2081688 30-Aug-2018 22:11

I have been through this threat and we have had 3-4 calls through to Spark and made contact with people with poor to terrible english ability.

Their proposed solution was for one of our subscribers to call and request us be whitelisted. No change.

700 xtra emails affected... I'm not sure what to do from here. I'm perfectly happy to configure something to email all 700 and point out that emails they have opted into are being rejected and that gmail is free but that feels a bit vindictive at this point.

Is there a number that we can call to speak with an actual engineer? One of the suggestions was that we call Microsoft! Come on Spark...

MichaelNZ

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#2081710 30-Aug-2018 23:22

I suggest you look at this a different way-

You are the sender - so it's up to you to ensure you comply with all the best practices.

I don't work for Spark but I do work as an engineer with mail servers. I deploy and maintain systems which are designed to do what customers want and that is filter out spam and deliver legitimate email. But legitimate email can look spammy to a filtering solution if the sender hasn't dotted their I's and crossed their T's.

There is no mail server which I have deployed which arbitarily decides to pick on an individual sender for no reason. There is far too much mail volume for that. Looking at any of the MX logs in real time makes my head spin in pretty short order.

In summary, the responsibility is on you as the sender.

Some filtering solutions add headers which will give you strong indications as to what is happening. Have you looked at the recipient headers to see if you are in luck?

In the absence of this info - 1. It's possible Spark doesn't add it or 2. You are being binned on your overall sender or content "reputation" rather than tripping a specific rule or RBL.

WFH Linux Systems and Networks Engineer in the Internet industry | Specialising in Mikrotik | APNIC member | Open to job offers

freitasm

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Geekzone

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#2090066 13-Sep-2018 13:58

Someone talked... An article about Spark's Xtra email platform problems, referencing this discussion.

nktokyo

2 posts

Wannabe Geek

#2090101 13-Sep-2018 14:34

Good. Spark have been very hard to deal with about this. I think we've spoken with every call center operative that exists and everyone has a different response.

mobiusnz

457 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2090792 14-Sep-2018 16:40

I've got a client in Construction - They use Office 365 for email and the manager can't email his own staff when they are Xtra addresses.

He can send the same email to a group of Staff and the Gmail and Hotmail ones all get there fine - The Xtra ones all just bounce. He tried sending it to an individual Xtra address as I wondered if Spark/SMX were blocking emails sent to groups of Xtra addresses but it still bounced.

I've asked for a copy to see if I can see anything that might trigger it but based on the Subject I have seen it appears to be discussing access to a lane behind a construction site - Probably telling staff they have to keep it clear.

Anyone I run into with an Xtra address I tell them to get a Gmail and ditch the Xtra asap - I had high hopes when SMX took it over as generally when they block an email as spam they communicate well when they block the email and are very good to deal with but they obviously can't offer that same level of support when dealing with 72,000 customers on a wholesale deal.

PS - They do have an SPF record - Just the simple include for 365.

Matt Beechey Mobius Network Solutions

martyyn

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#2091979 17-Sep-2018 14:42

Lets hope we get some traction on this now.

I've had no end of problems with clients telling me their email is being rejected as spam over the last couple of weeks.

So many small town/local businesses use @xtra.co.nz it's doing my head in.

bonkas

314 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2100872 3-Oct-2018 16:08

I haven't had any traction on this either.

Each time I reply to an email sent directly to me it logs a callback at Sparks end, then the person calling me has no idea what is going on and I get forwarded around a few people just to be asked to provide copies of the emails to xxxxxx@xtra.co.nz - This I have already done 3 times now.

This has been ongoing for 4 months now and no result. Clients are pissed, I'm stuck as the man in the middle with no answers.

Where can we go from here?

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