Common Email Problems

On this page we'll cover how to solve some of the more common problems that get raised to our support team. If your problem isn't covered here then you should take a look at our Email Troubleshooting Guide. If that doesn't help, contact our Support Team and we'll help you fix it.

1. Problems Sending Email

When I try to send mail I get timeout errors

Timeouts are usually caused by one of the following:

  • There's a problem with your Anti Virus or Firewall
    As a test, turn them off and try sending email again. If you're able to send email like this then you've found the cause of the problem. We'd advise speaking to the vendor of your software, although in most cases removing and re-installing the program should solve the problem.

I see the error message: Relay not permitted

You'll see this if you try to use our outgoing (SMTP) server while you're connected to different network.

To fix the problem you'll need to use SMTP authentication.

Mail I send to certain addresses is bounced back to me

If there are no service problems, the bounce message should explain what's happened. If this doesn't help, use the Contact Form and we'll do our best to assist you.

  • The address you're sending from
  • The address you're trying to send to
  • A copy of the bounce message
  • How long the problem has been occurring

I see the error message: 503 valid RCPT command must precede DATA

The most common cause of this error is incorrect settings. You should check over your settings and pay particular attention to the email address you've entered.

 

I'm being asked for a password when I send email

You have SMTP Authentication turned on. If you need to use this, make sure you use your account username and password.

I've corrected my settings but I still get the same error message

This problem can affect Outlook Express and Windows Mail users. If it's happening to you, go to your outbox and clear everything out. Make sure you take a copy of any emails you need to send before you delete them!

After you've cleared your outbox, you should be able to send email as normal.

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2. Problems Receiving Email

I'm not receiving emails from certain people

There are a few things that cause this sort of problem.

  • Make sure that the sender is using the correct email address
    Ask them to confirm it to you (it seems obvious but it's easy to overlook)
  • Check our service status
     If there are any service issues then we'll post them here and keep you informed about when we expect them to be fixed.

Do people get a bounce or rejection message when they try to email you? If they do, what does the message say? This will tell you what the problem is. If you can't solve the problem yourself from this, use the Contact Form and we'll do our best to assist you.

Please include the following information when raising your ticket:

  • The sender's email address
  • The address they are trying to send to
  • A copy of the bounce message (if possible) or a copy of what it says
  • How long the problem has been occurring

I'm not receiving replies to my messages

Check your settings and make sure that you've entered your email address and reply address properly.

I'm not receiving any emails

There are a few things that can cause this.

  • Check your settings
    Make sure that your settings are correct and that you're setup to collect email from the right mailbox. This is especially important if you're trying to collect from a new address.

     

I'm receiving emails but they're delayed

If there are no service issues, we'll need to see header information from the delayed email, see our guide on if you're not sure how to do this.

When you have the header information, use the Contact Form and we'll investigate for you.

Please try to include the following information:

  • The sender's email address
  • The address they are trying to send to
  • Header information from the delayed email
  • How long the problem has been occurring

I get timeouts or connection errors when I try to check my mail

This will most likely be due to one of the following:

  • There's a problem with your Anti Virus or Firewall - If you use them, try turning one or both off. If the errors stop then you've found the problem.
    • If your Anti Virus was the cause then turning it back on should solve the problem, remove and re-install the software if it doesn't.
    • If your Firewall was the cause, remove any rules relating to email and try again. If this doesn't help then you'll need to remove and re-install it.

My password is rejected when I try to check my email

Check all of your settings, make sure that you're using the correct username for the mailbox you are trying to collect from.

 

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3. Contact Us

If the steps above have not solved your problem and you've had a look at the Email Troubleshooting Guide, the next step is to Contact Us.