Help Me "Correct" Road Runner Please**

To make a long story short you can skip all this and just scroll down to the smiley face to help me with a big favor..

Road Runner (my cable internet service provider) currently has a worthless 'spam blocker' system in place to "protect" people who use Road Runner for their internet connection. This blocker is running on their servers. Lately this 'spam-blocker' has been blocking more and more people that I know personally. Friends with email addresses like whoever@mac.com or whoever@optonline.com. Blocked. Everyone in the whole corporate office at comedy central. Blocked! Lots of people who are obviously NOT spammers are now unable to send me email at home. Last straw was TODAY when my dad told me his emails are all of a sudden bouncing back undeliverable too.

It's happening more and more and it's making me crazy!!! Friends are contacting me and telling me my email address is bouncing emails!

The bounced message they receive looks like this:

This report relates to a message you sent with the following header fields: > >   Return-path: <xxxx@optonline.net> >   Received: from tcp-daemon.mta11.srv.hcvlny.cv.net by mta11.srv.hcvlny.cv.net >    (iPlanet Messaging Server 5.2 HotFix 1.16 (built May 14 2003)) >    id <0HQN00I54W0RT5@mta11.srv.hcvlny.cv.net> >    (original mail from xxxx@optonline.net); Mon, >    29 Dec 2003 09:53:15 -0500 (EST) >   Received: from sassy1 (ool-44c64f2a.dyn.optonline.net [68.198.79.42]) >    by mta11.srv.hcvlny.cv.net >    (iPlanet Messaging Server 5.2 HotFix 1.16 (built May 14 2003)) >    with SMTP id <0HQN00H9CW0GDT@mta11.srv.hcvlny.cv.net> forxxx @nyc.rr.com; >    Mon, 29 Dec 2003 09:53:15 -0500 (EST) >   Date: Mon, 29 Dec 2003 09:52:56 -0500 >   From: ALAN  <xxxx@optonline.net> >   Subject: >   To: 1Todd <t@nyc.rr.com> >   Reply-to: ALAN <xxxx@optonline.net> >   Message-id: <000501c3ce1b$72725440$2a4fc644@sassy1> >   MIME-version: 1.0 >   X-MIMEOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2727.1300 >   X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2720.3000 >   Content-type: multipart/mixed; boundary="Boundary_(ID_/1laZrZJFCY5jizx81n8cw)" >   X-Priority: 3 >   X-MSMail-priority: Normal > > Your message cannot be delivered to the following recipients: > >   Recipient address: xxxx@nyc.rr.com >   Reason: Server rejected MAIL FROM address. >   Diagnostic code: smtp;550 5.7.1 Mail Refused - 167.206.5 - See http://security.rr.com/mail_blocks.htm#security - 20031226 >   Remote system: dns;nycmx01.mgw.rr.com (TCP|167.206.5.86|42471|24.29.99.40|25) (nycmx01.mgw.rr.com ESMTP Welcome to Road Runner.  NO UCE *** FOR AUTHORIZED USE ONLY! ***)

Great, huh? At the very least they should give a more friendly bounce!

I've called customer service 5 times and can't correct this problem. Customer Service at Road Runner told me that the people being blocked need to contact their ISP to be removed from this spamblock list. I was like, 'Huh? This is their problem?' They said, 'It's their ISPs problem.' I asked them, 'You're telling me that my dad needs to call optimum online to request his removal from a spamblock list at Road Runner so he can send me an email?' 

Yes.

I asked, "Can you just shut off the spamblocker for me completely?"

No.

Terrible.

They also direct me to this ugly ridiculous mess of a webpage. http://security.rr.com/mail_blocks.htm for additional service. And I've gone thru it all. Sent the error message. Whatever. Nothing changes.

I'm always nice with customer service people at first and have approached this problem 10 different ways. No help from anyone over there. More people get blocked. I call again. Nothing. No help. After numerous arguments with them explaining to me how they're doing ME a favor with the blocking of these addresses. And how the bounced message message clearly explains what people need to do (see above). And how there's nothing they can do and the people who are being blocked are the ones with the problem. And them acting like I'm being a dick about this.

I've decided to be a dick about this. and fight back. I don't ask y'all for anything like never.

But if you can help me out this one time. ;-) Please send an email to:

***Hi! Yesterday Road Runner was bombarded with hundreds of emails about this and I thank y'all greatly for helping me out here. I haven't heard anything from Road Runner yet. Not sure if I will. I know that some of you received 'message undelivered' messages but don't worry they went thru. When you sent the email it went to like 4 different places and only one of them produced the bounce message.

Anyway, at this point they don't seem to care. But I've decided to give them thru the new year to get in touch and then if I don't hear from them I'll just drop them and switch services. I understand tech problems more than anyone but for them to not take responsibilities for the problems they cause is ridiculous. I'll letcha know if I hear from them... or who I switch to.

I also contacted the local news 'Fox 5 Problem Solvers' :-) We'll see. But thank you for helping me with this. I think they got the message with the emails so that's that. 

I really totally appreciate your helping me. And other frustrated Road Runner customers do too..

Like this person LINK (not the whole article but same story I'm sure. thanks to Jim S. for sending it to me.)

customercare@va.rr.com

with "FIX YOUR STUPID SPAMBLOCKER!! Contact YOUR CUSTOMER at: oddtodd7@hotmail.com to discuss the problem with it and to make these emails stop." in the subject header (it's plugged in already at the above link). I'd really appreciate it. 

Please include this "Fix the stupid spamblocker! www.oddtodd.com/message196.html" in the body of the email too if it's not a hassle for you- and feel free to embellish. ;-)

I realize this is above and beyond the call in terms of having you actively participate in one of my problems. But I'm really pissed. And in the right. THANK YOU THANK YOU for helping.

I'm SURE I'm not alone and this will be helping alot of other road runner customers too. So look at it is a good deed for the day? :-) I figure after a few hundred emails Road Runner might understand it's their problem...

thanks!

ok bye!

tOdd

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PS I still get a ton of viagra and mortgage spam.