3:24 pm admin

There are 3 separate components to SpamCop:

1. Reporting Service (End users proactively report you)
2. Mail Service (Providers can subscribe to this service to handle filtering)
3. Block List (These are the blocks you may see in your account that we take action on on your behalf)

Today, we're going to focus on the reporting service aspect.

First off, these are real people, real email addresses and are not TRAPS that have been set out by the ISPs intentionally to find spammers.

If someone on your list is subscribed to the reporting service, they can report your emails. This is not the same as clicking the junk mail link in theemail software. This is a proactive step that users take to tell the email administrators that you are sending unwanted mail.

Keep in mind that spam, by definition, is unsolicited bulk email. If you collect email addresses for marketing, you should explicitly state so in your privacy policy. If someone is then found to have opted in for your list, and your privacy policy states that they will receive marketing from you, then you have a good defense against complaints.

On the other hand, if you're acquiring lists elsewhere, you'll have no record of optin date, time, and IP. In addition, they have not agreed to receive email from you.

Preventing SpamCop Complaints

The best way to prevent these complaints is similar to preventing any type of complaint:
1. Follow best practices
2. Update your privacy policy (and make sure the link is visible and works on your website)
3. Always keep time & date stamps for optins (double optin is best if possible)
4. Send emails that your subscribers WANT to receive, and expect from you.

What to do if you DO get a Complaint

1. Respond quickly with as much detail as possible about your sending practices. Most providers will not give you the actual email addresses that have complained. (In many cases, they simply may not know)
NOTE: If you receive a spam complaint and are hosting your application with us, the contact is added to your suppression file.
2. If the message contains an unsubscribe link, make sure you unsubscribe them at the very least.
3. Review your lead collection practices

 

For over a decade Heather Seitz used email marketing to build successful companies and had to solve the biggest barrier to consistent profitability: deliverability. Today she is the Co-Founder and CEO of Email Delivered.

For more information on how the Spam Cop Reporting Service and your email deliverability visit http://www.emaildelivered.com/spam-cop-reporting-service/. Remember to sign up for the FREE Email Delivered Pulse newsletter for articles, tips, and recommended resources for email marketers.

June 17, 2015