Dealing with ISPs when you are blocked
- laura
- April 10, 2008
- Best practices
Here is some advice on dealing with ISPs over a blocking issue.
- Do know what IP is blocked if it is an IP based block.
- Do know what domain is blocked if it is domain based block.
- Do know what the rejection message is and have it handy.
- Do be polite. Most of the ISPs get hundreds of contacts a day, many of which are decidedly impolite. If you are the polite one you’re much more likely to float to the top than if you are one of the thousand screamers.
- Do not make threats. There is nothing you can threaten that they have not been threatened with before.
- Do not lecture them about the law. It is unlikely you understand the legal issues better than they, and their lawyers, do
- Do respect everyone’s time. Arguing is not productive. Asking for information and clarification is productive.
- Do remeber that they’re extremely busy. The ISP does not need to hear about your business model – brevity is a virtue.
- Do not mention CAN SPAM. That’s like saying “I do the bare minimum the law requires and expect you to accept my mail anyway.”
- Do not ask them to remove the block. Ask them what you did to get blocked and how to avoid being blocked in the future.
- Do remember this is probably the same person you will need to deal with in the future and that this is not a one time conversation. Leave them remembering you, if not fondly, at least productively.
The above all go for talking to the major blacklists, too.
Edited to add: 12. Do use the proper channels to contact them.