Why aren't customers getting the E-mails we send? |
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(From Newsletter #49, Feb 27, 2023)
Q: When we send an E-mail to ourselves or do the Test, we get it. But when we send an E-mail to a customer, it shows that it was sent but they don't receive it. How can we fix that?
A: Unfortunately this is an all-too-common occurrence these days with hyper-active spam filtering, but it could also be that their service provider is blocking them because they see something suspicious about the E-mail (e.g. your provider's IP address is on a black-list, or other issues as mentioned below). You may want to contact your SMTP provider (web host) to see if they have any suggestions.
There's nothing specific about Campground Master that would cause this, any more than there would be with another E-mail program -- however it could be due to the SMTP settings you're using (see below). There isn't anything we can do to diagnose this kind of issue, since the E-mails are going out successfully. It's up to the recipient's E-mail service to decide whether it's spam or not, and all you can do is try to minimize the red flags.
Some suggestions:
One common thing that makes E-mails look suspicious is if you have a domain/E-mail mismatch or you're not using a secure port with SSL or TLS. Make sure you're not using port 25, which is not secure and your SMTP server may reject outgoing E-mails sent through that port. (Contact your provider for a secure port). Also make sure that either "Use SSL" or "Use TLS" is selected, depending on which port you use (again, contact your provider if you're not sure).
Make sure your "reply to" address matches the domain you're sending it through (the host name/address in SMTP setup). For instance if you're using a GMail SMTP server, you Reply-to must be your GMail address. If using an SMTP server for your internet provider (e.g. Comcast), then you must have a reply-to with the E-mail from your provider, e.g. something@comcast.net. If using a Reply-to address with your own domain name, you must use the SMTP server specified by the web host that is hosting that domain name.
Also make sure that if the option is selected "Use the appropriate Park's E-mail", then you need to check the E-mail address in Maintenance / Park Setup / Parks to make sure it's what you want (we recommend NEVER selecting that option unless you have multiple Parks set up needing to use different business E-mail addresses).
If you're using your own domain name and the corresponding SMTP server for the domain, contact your web/domain host about setting up SPF and DKIM records. This helps verify your E-mail as legitimate. You can search Google for more information.
It could also be that there is something suspicious-looking in the E-mail text, such as a link to non-secure web site or wording that sounds like a solicitation -- but that should only affect a few recipient servers, and usually results in a bounce response from the server rather than just disappearing.
Sending batch E-mails (or sending a lot of similar E-mails in a short period) can also cause E-mail providers to start blocking you as suspicious activity.
That's all we can suggest at this point. There isn't any sure-fire way to prevent this (or if there is, we would like to know about it too!)
See here for more details about settings:
https://campgroundmaster.com/help/smtpsendmailsetup.html