bluewin mail feature

[Tobias Oetiker]

Hoi Zaeme,

occasionally we get mail bounces from bluewin that look like this:

Jul 6 13:17:31 xxxx postfix/smtp[30166]: xxxx: to=<***@bluewin.ch>, relay=mxbw.bluewin.ch[195.186.99.50]:25, delay=2, delays=0.02/0/0.05/2, dsn=5.0.0, status=bounced (host mxbw.bluewin.ch[195.186.99.50] said: 551 551 <***@bluewin.ch> Account administratively disabled. Please try later (in reply to RCPT TO command))

the bounces seem to be consistanly linked with the same accounts
anmd trying later does not help ... the message remains the same
and no mail gets through ...

is this a bluewin feature ? anything the user can configure ?
anti spam feature ?

cheers
tobi

[Stefan Rothenbuehler]

Post by Tobias Oetiker
Hoi Zaeme,
the bounces seem to be consistanly linked with the same accounts
anmd trying later does not help ... the message remains the same
and no mail gets through ...
is this a bluewin feature ? anything the user can configure ?
anti spam feature ?
cheers
tobi

Hi Tobias

Those mails are rejected as the recipients account has been
administratively blocked. This can have various reasons which I'm not
gonna list here.

Kind regards

Rothi

[Fabian Wenk]

Hello Stefan

Post by Stefan Rothenbuehler
Those mails are rejected as the recipients account has been
administratively blocked. This can have various reasons which I'm not
gonna list here.

I do see a discrepancy here. The mail account is temporary
"closed", as you say and also the text "Please try later" does
indicate. But the error 551 is a permanent error and the sending
server will purge this e-mail from the queue and notify the
original sender of the non-delivery.

It would probably be a good idea to respond only with a 4xx
error, which is temporary. So the sending server could queue the
e-mail and try again later, without any interaction from the end
user. Usually the sending mail server does notify the original
sender, after delivery of the e-mail has failed for several
hours. It then will try up to 5 days to deliver this e-mail,
before the e-mail will be purged from the queue and the original
sender being notified.

But sure, this depends on how long such accounts are
administratively blocked. If it is only for a few days, then a
4xx error would be much friendlier, also to the affected Bluewin
customer. If one of this customer is also subscribed to several
mailing lists, then there is a very high chance, that he will be
automatically unsubscribed from them as well.

Just my 2 cents.


bye
Fabian

[Stefan Rothenbuehler]

Post by Fabian Wenk
Hello Stefan

Post by Stefan Rothenbuehler

Post by Tobias Oetiker
relay=mxbw.bluewin.ch[195.186.99.50]:25, delay=2,
delays=0.02/0/0.05/2, dsn=5.0.0, status=bounced (host
administratively disabled. Please try later (in reply to RCPT TO
command))

Those mails are rejected as the recipients account has been
administratively blocked. This can have various reasons which I'm not
gonna list here.

I do see a discrepancy here. The mail account is temporary "closed",
as you say and also the text "Please try later" does indicate. But the
error 551 is a permanent error and the sending server will purge this
e-mail from the queue and notify the original sender of the non-delivery.
It would probably be a good idea to respond only with a 4xx error,
which is temporary. So the sending server could queue the e-mail and
try again later, without any interaction from the end user. Usually
the sending mail server does notify the original sender, after
delivery of the e-mail has failed for several hours. It then will try
up to 5 days to deliver this e-mail, before the e-mail will be purged
from the queue and the original sender being notified.
But sure, this depends on how long such accounts are administratively
blocked. If it is only for a few days, then a 4xx error would be much
friendlier, also to the affected Bluewin customer. If one of this
customer is also subscribed to several mailing lists, then there is a
very high chance, that he will be automatically unsubscribed from them
as well.
Just my 2 cents.
bye
Fabian

Hi Fabian

We send a 551 on purpose. This is mainly to protect our customers (let
the sender know that some action has been taken). I'm not gonna explain
the details here on the list but if you're interested to know the
reasons of this behavior you can contact me off list.

Regards, Rothi

[Claudio Kuenzler]

Post by Fabian Wenk
Hello Stefan

Post by Stefan Rothenbuehler

relay=mxbw.bluewin.ch[195.186.**99.50]:25, delay=2,
delays=0.02/0/0.05/2, dsn=5.0.0, status=bounced (host mxbw.bluewin.ch[195.186.99.50]
try later (in reply to RCPT TO command))

Those mails are rejected as the recipients account has been

Post by Stefan Rothenbuehler
administratively blocked. This can have various reasons which I'm not
gonna list here.

I do see a discrepancy here. The mail account is temporary "closed", as
you say and also the text "Please try later" does indicate. But the error
551 is a permanent error and the sending server will purge this e-mail from
the queue and notify the original sender of the non-delivery.
It would probably be a good idea to respond only with a 4xx error, which
is temporary. So the sending server could queue the e-mail and try again
later, without any interaction from the end user. Usually the sending mail
server does notify the original sender, after delivery of the e-mail has
failed for several hours. It then will try up to 5 days to deliver this
e-mail, before the e-mail will be purged from the queue and the original
sender being notified.

+1 for that.

I've had similar issues last week with e-mail forwardings to a bluewin
address. My customer then thought the problem comes from my server when he
received the non delivery mail (due to the 5xx error).
After informing him, that the error message came from Swisscom/Bluewin he
himself didn't know why Swisscom would (temporary?) block his account.
To suggest to my client that he has to temporary remove his e-mail
forwarding doesn't seem to be a smart solution to me...

Post by Fabian Wenk
But sure, this depends on how long such accounts are administratively
blocked. If it is only for a few days, then a 4xx error would be much
friendlier, also to the affected Bluewin customer. If one of this customer
is also subscribed to several mailing lists, then there is a very high
chance, that he will be automatically unsubscribed from them as well.

What is the reason anyway? Technical issues? Billing issues with the
affected customer? "Account administratively disabled" could mean literally
anything.