continuing email problems

Forums › Spark New Zealand (including Skinny and BigPipe) › continuing email problems

GEOMAX

450 posts

Ultimate Geek
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#154309 23-Oct-2014 21:11

I have had continuing problems with messages to verify password and sign on etc. I see earlier posts have fizzled out but I still have problems as do my friends scattered around the country. After waiting for ages for on line chat was told they are not technical people so ring 0800 22 55 98. Tried this and after another long wait find they are closed.
I have been through the set up etc including the change to send etc. Works for a few days sometimes and then starts again rejecting my 4 xtra accounts.
Works flawlessly on gmail accounts.
My question is simple......Is there something I have missed or is it a yahoo problem?
My desktop is IE 8.1 with outlook 2013.

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100 posts

Master Geek

#1161016 23-Oct-2014 21:43

two things
1)spark is having email issues as we speak.
2) if you are using the outlook 2013 email client, look at extending the timeout.

Ironically the first google result I found was
http://help.spark.co.nz/app/answers/detail/a_id/5125/~/how-to-change-the-server-timeouts-in-outlook

mattwnz

20515 posts

Uber Geek
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#1161071 23-Oct-2014 22:53

Yes spark have ongoing email problems with their email provider yahoo. I posted a topic about it in the spark and it has pages of posts, although no replies to date from Spark. I would suggest posting the problem on that. I see on facebook there are lot of people who regually have the same problem and spark have acknowledged the ongoing problem on it.

1101

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#1161239 24-Oct-2014 10:54

There have been ongoing email problems since JANUARY , and even before that.

Its come to the state where Spark wont even comment on it anymore.
The answer is simple, if you want to use xtra.co.nz email, you will have to put up with all the ongoing issues.
Dont expect things to get better. If email pass fails wait 1/2 an hour & try again. Then wait a day & hope it fixes itself.
Sometimes, logging into webmail fixes the pass issue, till next time.

Spark really dont have any control over Yahoo Aus, thats where the xtra emails are hosted .

Are you using more than 1 device to access your emails ? eg phone & PC

GEOMAX

450 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 11

#1161289 24-Oct-2014 11:47

1101: There have been ongoing email problems since JANUARY , and even before that.

Its come to the state where Spark wont even comment on it anymore.
The answer is simple, if you want to use xtra.co.nz email, you will have to put up with all the ongoing issues.
Dont expect things to get better. If email pass fails wait 1/2 an hour & try again. Then wait a day & hope it fixes itself.
Sometimes, logging into webmail fixes the pass issue, till next time.

Spark really dont have any control over Yahoo Aus, thats where the xtra emails are hosted .

Are you using more than 1 device to access your emails ? eg phone & PC

thanks for the reply.
I have a win 8.1 PC with outlook 2013 since last year.
I have two Nokia phones using Nokia mail .
1 on 2degrees and 1 on Spark mobile.
I have recently received info from Nokia that Nokia mail is closing.
I will move the 2degrees one and remove the mail from the Spark mobile.
This month I have added a laptop with outlook 2010 and switched of the PC's outlook 2013.
If anything this made matters worse so have turned PC outlook back on.

I have had the email address since the Telecom Xtra project days so are reluctant to change.

scuwp

3927 posts

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#1161325 24-Oct-2014 12:40

GEOMAX:

I have had the email address since the Telecom Xtra project days so are reluctant to change.

It is hard taking that step, but honestly not being tied to a particular ISP for email can be liberating, and it opens up a whole market of possibilities to choose service providers.

Lazy is such an ugly word, I prefer to call it selective participation

GEOMAX

450 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 11

#1161360 24-Oct-2014 13:49

scuwp:
GEOMAX:

I have had the email address since the Telecom Xtra project days so are reluctant to change.

It is hard taking that step, but honestly not being tied to a particular ISP for email can be liberating, and it opens up a whole market of possibilities to choose service providers.

I have gmail set up already and with fibre available here in Cambridge by Christmas I will review my options then.

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GEOMAX

450 posts

Ultimate Geek
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#1161973 25-Oct-2014 12:56

yesterday after trying all the options on the popup and checking the on line account info for the xxx time I went to
Outlook 2013 account settings
File
account settings etc
change

and tested the account settings.
It failed every time.

I over wrote the password and it worked perfectly.

I have changed passwords etc many times previously.

Since then I have had no problems what so ever.

Anybody no why?

raytaylor

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Trusted

#1163242 27-Oct-2014 23:59

I am 99% sure that if i wanted to cause you email problems in outlook, all i need to do is try and brute force your password via pop3 to yahoos servers.
They then lock you out and you need to go to the webmail.xtra.co.nz site and login to unlock it again.

That process is unacceptable to me - we have motels and business clients who are constantly getting locked out of their email. Anyone anywhere can cause you to be locked out of your email and nothing you can do.

To fix this issue, I have resolved to call their 0800 number, and wait in the queue for a little while, talk to the helpdesk operator, say hello, make some small talk, while causing some cost to spark for the cost of the call and then end the call saying I already fixed the issue.

The only reason they are still using yahoo is a financial one, and the only way they can be convinced otherwise is to simply have the helpdesk cost too burdensome on the financial bottom line.

In the end, I just say friends dont let friends use @xtra email

Ray Taylor

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GEOMAX

450 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 11

#1164297 29-Oct-2014 13:28

after a reprieve for the long weekend it is back again.
I saw a comment from Spark suggesting 3rd party software (eg) Outlook xxxx etc was mainly effected.
Does anybody know anything that works?
Does anybody have no problems?
What does it take to get the Spark team to comment?

qraider

374 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 10

#1164375 29-Oct-2014 15:01

raytaylor: I am 99% sure that if i wanted to cause you email problems in outlook, all i need to do is try and brute force your password via pop3 to yahoos servers.
They then lock you out and you need to go to the webmail.xtra.co.nz site and login to unlock it again.

That process is unacceptable to me - we have motels and business clients who are constantly getting locked out of their email. Anyone anywhere can cause you to be locked out of your email and nothing you can do.

To fix this issue, I have resolved to call their 0800 number, and wait in the queue for a little while, talk to the helpdesk operator, say hello, make some small talk, while causing some cost to spark for the cost of the call and then end the call saying I already fixed the issue.

The only reason they are still using yahoo is a financial one, and the only way they can be convinced otherwise is to simply have the helpdesk cost too burdensome on the financial bottom line.

In the end, I just say friends dont let friends use @xtra email

Businesses shouldn't be using Xtra email anyway, for a couple of reasons:
- It's a free residential email address
- It's against Yahoo's T&C's

Business should use their own domain names & their own Email Service Provider (one that provides both incoming & outgoing servers)

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GEOMAX

450 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 11

#1164429 29-Oct-2014 15:38

I am not a business.
Please stick to the point I am making.
I just want it to work.

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GEOMAX

450 posts

Ultimate Geek
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#1164438 29-Oct-2014 15:50

from Spark site.

Email Service Status

Wednesday 29th October, 2014 - updated @ 3:30 pm

Email issue

Some customers may be experiencing an issue with Yahoo! Xtra mail. Our technicians are currently investigating. Please refresh this page for the latest updates. We apologise for any inconvenience.

I want to hear from anybody with no problems so I can maybe work out a work around.

GEOMAX

450 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 11

#1164599 29-Oct-2014 19:55

Email Service Status

Wednesday 29th October, 2014 - updated @ 5:20 pm

Email Issue

Some yahoo xtra mail customers may have experienced issues with their emails this morning. Our technicians have resolved this problem. Thank you for your patience, and we apologise for the inconvenience.

did not last long. faulty again at 7 15pm

richms

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#1164600 29-Oct-2014 20:00

The people having no problems are generally the ones that exclusivly use the webmail, as that is immune to this BS account locking problem.

If you want reliable email, move it to an email provider, not an ISP that has contracted email services to someone else and has no visibility to the problem.

Richard rich.ms

GEOMAX

450 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 11

#1164609 29-Oct-2014 20:33

richms: The people having no problems are generally the ones that exclusivly use the webmail, as that is immune to this BS account locking problem.

If you want reliable email, move it to an email provider, not an ISP that has contracted email services to someone else and has no visibility to the problem.

I am confident that a statement from Spark will be made shortly setting out their future email direction and rectifying the problems. As I said earlier fibre will be available here before Christmas and I will decide then. Start counting the days...

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