Email messages stuck in outbox

[kevinjohn]

I have had this problem of messages being stuck in my outlook outbox intermittently since 2008. It happens 2 or 3 times a year for absolutely no reason at all. I do not change the settings or password or anything to do with my BT email account. Eventually, I log on and they start being sent. Unfortunately this time it is now 2 weeks since my outgoing email messages have resolutely decided to stay in the outbox. My 3 other (work) emails set up on Outlook work perfectly of course - its just my BT email that is not working. 

I live and work abroad. Other BT users have experienced this same problem when trying to send messages when abroad. I have tackled BT many times on this but they have been useless - they say as long as emails via the BT server are working it is not their fault. Nonsense. On one occasion, after many hours of exchanges with BT, I was told it was a Microsoft problem! No way.

A few years back I spoke to an IT expert who said it WAS a BT problem. There is an algorithm at BT HQ that kicks in when it thinks you are a spammer sending spam mail from your BT account via another internet system - like when you are staying in a hotel or a business location overseas. Unfortunately, no-one on the BT technical support side seems to be aware of this and/or is able to help to resolve the issue.

I have of course checked all the settings on my incoming and outgoing emails (literally hundreds of times) according to the  guidance offered.

I don't know if BT ever read these posts but it would be good to get them to sort resolve this annoying problem once and for all. And for me, to pull the flag on my email account so that I am not being designated as a sender of spam. I have had this BT email for over 20 years.

I would use the BT email dashboard if it wasn't so user unfriendly and full of advertising. 

Grrrrr!    

[licquorice]

As you live and work abroad, are you actually paying for your email account as I presume you don't have a BT broadband account.

[gg30340]

I doubt that BT will give you any assistance regarding your problem because it is in relation to using an email client and because of the following.

If you are not paying for your BT email account via BT Broadband or BT Premium Email your account could at some point in the very near future be deleted without warning.

BT are in the process of deleting email accounts that are no longer in one of the above categories because they are in the process of migrating all BT email accounts onto the new BTMail system.

See link

https://community.bt.com/t5/Email/We-re-updating-BT-Email/td-p/2005956

If how ever you are lucky enough not to have the email account deleted it will be "downgraded" to the "Basic" email which does not have an option to use an email client such as Outlook.  

See link

https://www.bt.com/help/email/bt-email-products

As well as the above, unless BT have sanctioned your use of the BT email system, you would appear to in breach of the Terms and Conditions of the email service due to you living abroad.

"7. Special conditions that apply to the service

1. By using the service, you agree that:
   1. it will be used mainly in the UK;
   2. you permanently or normally live in the UK and you will tell us straight away, and stop using the service, if that changes;
   3. we can monitor accounts for excessive use and may limit the volume and size of emails; and
   4. we may end your email address and any associated email services without further notice if we suspect misuse".https://www.bt.com/products/static/terms/feb2017btmail.html

[kevinjohn]

Thanks for this.

Yes, I pay for my account. I have a BT account in the UK and pay for BT Broadband as my home residence is in the UK. 

[kevinjohn]

Thanks for all this information. Very informative. Will check. As I said in the previous reply, I am paying for the upgraded BT Broadband for my UK residence, so I assumed this would cover when I am abroad. Thanks again - will see if I can resolve the issue today.

[gg30340]

Which country are you using your email from and which Internet Service Provider are you using?

Does the problem happen if you are using a 3/4g signal instead of your ISP. If your device is not 3/4g enabled can you tether it to your mobile phone in order to test?

I know you have said you have checked your settings  "(literally hundreds of times) according to the  guidance offered"  but you never mention what the settings are.

Can you confirm that you are using these settings and not the Yahoo settings or any other settings.

https://www.bt.com/help/email/manage-email-account/manual-settings/what-are-the-settings-for-outgoin...

Also see this information regarding settings if you are on the BTYahoo email system.

https://www.bt.com/help/email/updating-your-bt-email-settings

[Psych13]

I'm having the exact same issue! I pay for BT Premium email and over the last week + any email sent from my "main" account (on my iPhone BT Mail App) gets stuck in my Outbox. The only way I can send email successfully on my phone (using the BT Mail App) is to send from a secondary account. 

I reported this problem to BT Premium Mail last week-they escalated it to Tier 2, and though I have specifically asked for any call backs from Tier to take place in the mornings (I am unavailable in the afternoon)-they keep phoning me late afternoon, when I am on work calls and cannot take their call. And so I have been unable to send emails from my primary email account on my phone for over a week now. 

I am convinced the problem is this: I have (had) two account numbers with BT-one for my landline, and the other for Premium Mail. It was my landline number account number that was linked to my BT ID. However, I moved over to Virgin for my landline (a few years ago)-everything was still working fine with my email because I still had a landline account number with BT since I was paying for Residential Tech Support (£10/month). However, Residential tech support was stopped recently (they stopped this service)  and I am convinced that account # was deleted, removed, whatever, and it was *that* account # that was associated with my BT ID. This is *my* theory anyhow. I can't think of why else I am unable to send emails from my main/primary account in the App. Just to add: when my secondary email account is set as the main account (and the primary one gets shifted down to under "Additional email accounts" in the App settings-it is the secondary account that cannot send emails. And so any account under "main" cannot send emails. I believe (from tests I've carried out) that I am not receiving any emails that I send myself on my phone/BT Mail App) but am awaiting a call back to troubleshoot *all* of these issues. Something is terribly wrong-that's all I can say.  

Update: I just read other messages on this thread and it occurred to me that I am using a VPN (I am abroad)-I turned my VPN off (on my phone) and voila! I am able to send emails from my accounts. I then tested this out and turned the VPN back on again but chose UK as my VPN country and it still worked-I can send emails. What I do not understand is this: I have been using a VPN on my phone for *weeks* and haven't had an issue. This is a recent issue.

It is clear that BT Mail does not like certain VPN's. Could someone from BT please clarify this for us?   

[Psych13]

Just to add to my above message: I *am* still having problems managing/accessing my account when I log into my BT ID on the web: I can login to my BT ID however when I click on Manage email....I get an error message-see below. I believe this may be because the only account listed is my GB........ one (the one associated with my Premium email). I no longer see the account number that was connected to my landline/BT Tech Support.  The below is a mystery to me as this, too, has only been an issue over the last 2 weeks or so.