# Solved: emails bouncing back from hotmail



## FrustratedJill (Jan 1, 1970)

I use a MacBook, iPad and iPhone, and have an AOL email address. Suddenly, emails from friends who have hotmail email addresses are bouncing back. I have talked to AOL, Apple, and my internet provider (AT and T) who all say the problem is with Hotmail. When I try to reach tech support, I get the runaround from people in India who want to charge me $50 to unblock hotmail addresses. I am beyond frustrated. Can anyone help? Thanks!


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

What is the reason (exact message) given for the bounce back. It is AOL bouncing the messages back--Apple and AT&T would have nothing to do with it--and I do not understand why they say it is Hotmail's fault.


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## FrustratedJill (Jan 1, 1970)

The message tells me that hotmail is viewing my messages as spam.


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

I don't understand. In your initial posts you said "emails from friends who have hotmail email addresses are bouncing back" and now you are saying "hotmail is viewing my messages as spam", which implies to me that your messages are bouncing back. If it's the latter that would explain why people are saying the issue is with Hotmail.


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

Your IP address for post # 3 is on some blacklists.

If Hotmail is using one of those lists that would explain the "spam" message.


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## FrustratedJill (Jan 1, 1970)

Hi TerryNet. Thank you for trying to help! When I send emails to people with "hotmail" addresses, they bounce back with an error message. The message says: 

Diagnostic-Code: smtp; 550 SC-001 (BAY0-MC4-F23) Unfortunately, messages from
64.12.102.137 weren't sent. Please contact your Internet service provider
since part of their network is on our block list.

I have contacted my ISP, which is AT and T, along with Apple (since my computer is a Mac) and AOL, since my email address is through AOL. All of those people agree that the issue is with hotmail. And yet, when I TRY to contact the people at hotmail for help, I get nowhere. I cannot understand their Indian accents, and they tell me I should give them my credit card number before they will help. I'm really leery of doing that! That is why I am trying to figure this out on my own. My next step just may be to throw this laptop out the window!!!


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## FrustratedJill (Jan 1, 1970)

I forgot to add that I DID run my ISP number through two different "blacklist" sites, and neither of them showed any problem. All of the little circles came out green.


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

64.12.102.137 is on three lists here. And on two here. That is the address about which Hotmail is complaining. If Hotmail is using any of those lists we now know why Hotmail rejects the messages.

According to this site that IP address is "owned" by America Online, which makes sense since you would be using an AOL server to send mail.

What has probably happened is that one or more AOL customers have sent sufficient spam to get at least one AOL smtp server on those blacklists. I guess that AOL and Hotmail can point fingers of blame at each other all day long. Personally, I'd say it's AOL's responsibility to get themselves off the blacklists. And I would advise you to be "yelling" at them. You are AOL's customer, not Hotmail's. Your friends though may want to complain to Hotmail that they are not getting some mail because of that IP being blacklisted.

Let's see what options you have for working around this problem. How are you accessing AOL mail (web mail, or what email client)? Do you have any other email accounts (e.g., with AT&T)?


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## FrustratedJill (Jan 1, 1970)

What you are saying makes sense, and I can't begin to thank you enough for trying to help! I will call AOL again, and be more forceful. I used to be a paying member at AOL, but quit a few years ago when I got my MacBook laptop. They allow people to hang onto their AOL web address for free. That is why I still have an email address that uses "@aol.com." I've had the same email address for nearly 20 years, and just hate to change it. I access the mail through Apple's mail program, or by going online to aol.com/mail. Either way, the hotmails bounce back. (as well as when I use my iphone or ipad.) I will call AOL and let you know what happens. Fingers crossed! Again, THANK YOU SO MUCH!


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

You're welcome, but let's keep looking for a workaround, since free email services often don't move very fast on customer support.

I don't know anything about Apple's mail program, but surely there is a setting for outgoing (SMTP) mail server. You now have that set to smtp.aol.com I assume. If you have another account (e.g., with AT&T or you could get a free account with Hotmail or somebody) you could use their SMTP server. Attached, just for example, I show my settings using the Thunderbird mail program. I use my Mediacom (ISP) server to send mail, and could quickly switch to Hotmail's if there were a problem. I send mail using that server for three accounts--Mediacom, aim.com and gmail.com.

In summary, you can set the Apple mail program to use another SMTP server, but still use your AOL account exactly as you use it now.


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## FrustratedJill (Jan 1, 1970)

I hope I'm not jinxing myself, but I THINK that AOL has fixed the problem! I had to agree to pay them, but so far, the test messages I've sent to hotmail addresses have been received! WAHOO! Thank you so very, very much!

Much Less Frustrated Jill


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

That's good news, except for the ransom money they demanded! You're welcome. 

You can mark this solved using the








button at the upper left of the page.


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