Question: I am having problems sending e-mail to AOL users. My e-mail is getting returned with the following subject:

"Returned mail: see transcript for details" or
"Warning: could not send message for past 4 hours"

Answer: EXPLANATION: The IP address you are sending from has been blocked due to AOL Member complaints and/or high volumes of e-mail.

SOLUTION:

Complaints: When an AOL member clicks "this is spam" for a piece of e-mail sent from one of your IPs, this is considered a "complaint". If you are having difficulty with the number of complaints you are receiving, a feedback loop would benefit you. Once you have requested a feedback loop you will be notified when a member clicks "this is spam". See feedback loop for additional information. The feedback loop (FBL) will forward any mail reported as spam originating from the associated IP addresses back to the listed e-mail address.

Feedback Loop Information

When an AOL member clicks "this is spam" for a piece of e-mail sent from one of your IPs, this is considered a "complaint". If you are having difficulty with the number of complaints you are receiving a feedback loop would benefit you. Once you have requested a feedback loop you will be notified when a member clicks "this is spam". The e-mail sent to you from SCOMP@aol.net will contain the complete e-mail and header information. Due to the AOL member privacy policy they cannot include the e-mail address that it was originally sent to. You can sign up at the Feedback Loop Request Form.

Below are some suggestions on how the feedback loop can help you:

Making the most of the feedback loop

Customize your e-mail: We suggest using custom e-mail headers or a custom remove link in the e-mail to help you determine what part of your member base may have subscribed in error.

What to do with the information

Mailing lists:
We suggest removing members from your list who have marked the mail as spam. If they continue to receive the e-mail and mark it as spam it will continue to generate complaints.

Network Security:
Detecting and stopping sources of spam on your network is crucial. These sources can stem from viruses or problems with network security.

When you must have this information:
If you have submitted a request for the whitelist, using the feedback loop is a requirement for approval. This will assure us that you are aware of complaints against your e-mail and that you are taking steps to correct them.

Feedback Loop Check: See what your feedback loop is currently set to.

Feedback Loop Renew: If you received a Feedback Loop expiration e-mail, you can renew here.

Mail Volumes:
America Online has made provisions for those who need to send large amounts of e-mail to our members. The bulk sender list allows for the possibility of large amounts of e-mail sent to AOL. Apply for the bulk sender list online.

We recommend to go to the AOL website at http://postmaster.info.aol.com/errors/421dynt1.html and follow their instruction to setup feedback loop which should fix your problem.