Sending out emails on a circulation list - Re Error 553

[A_Library]

Hi, 

We (my wife and I) run the volunteer's rota for our local Community Library using a BTInternet email account and have done so for 5 years without any problems. Last night any email with or without an attachment was  rejected from being sent to the 34 volunteers with the message: "Sorry your email could not be delivered due to content policy reasons. Please check your message content for URLs, content and subject matter that could be construed as Malware, Spam or Phishing before retrying. (6-1-1-1) ID (****************) [Err code: 553]". 

Last night I tried several time logging in and out, rebooting the PC and tried again this morning, but get the same message each time. The account we use for this is a sub-account to our main personal account.

I presume this has happened due to the newly revised email system - is there some way around this happening?

Finally I would add that what we do for the library is entirely voluntary and is for the benefit of our local community.

Thanks.

[RobbieMac · Accepted solution]

Hi @A_Library

Welcome to the BT Community and thank you for your post!

I am sorry for the error message you're seeing when sending emails to the volunteers.  I understand that this error message has only appeared recently.  Have a look at this link for guidance on how to get this sorted out: BT Email - best practices for postmasters and senders of email

You'll find a contact email address towards the bottom of the page once you've went through all the guidance.

Thanks,

Robbie

[licquorice]

@A_Library 

Rather than rely on the flaky BT email system, I recommend you create and use a Gmail address to send to your list. Far more reliable.

If you search through the forum you will se that this spurious 553 error problem has been going on for months if not years without explanation or resolution.

[A_Library]

Hi,

Thanks for getting back to me on this issue.

I tried emailing the Postmaster, but I think my message was misread as the reply was about dealing with spam and phishing, which is not the problem. Anyway in the meantime I have contacted the BT Help Desk (dealing with emails) and I spoke to someone who understood the problem and he has passed the issue onto the technical department. He said will come back to me in due course when he gets a response, which will be sometime next week.

Cheers

Andrew

[licquorice]

I wouldn't hold your breath.

[Frogmodem]

I had exactly the same issue a few weeks ago with a distribution list for our street (90+ members).  It wouldn't go away for ages but I changed the password and for some reason that did work.

[A_Library]

Thanks very much for the tip, I changed the password as suggested, and re-booted the PC, but sadly it didn't work (I tied sending the circulation email a couple of times, but I got the same refusal). I'll try again in the morning.
Cheers
Andrew

[A_Library]

Hi,
Just to say that I tried it again this morning, but no it didn't work. However, I then re-entered the circulation list but importantly not as BCC* which we normally do and hey-ho the email was immediately posted with its pdf attachment! So now I know the problem - it's whatever changes BTInternet have recently made to their security software is not compatible with a BCC list.
Cheers
Andrew
* We have assumed that as everyone knows each other, they would not mind seeing the others email addresses.

[gg30340]

Is your own email address included in the BCC when you send it. If so try removing your email address and resend to see if it works.

[rbz5416]

---

@A_Librarywrote:
 We have assumed that as everyone knows each other, they would not mind seeing the others email addresses.

---

Without wanting to be overly dramatic, that's a dangerous assumption & could land you in bother with the Information Commissioner for not following GDPR if someone complains.

As I've recommended to a few others distributing emails, have a look at Mailchimp. Or at least as @licquorice suggested, set up a Gmail account so you can keep using BCC.