Problem #1: device access lost - now Problem #2: email address disappeared!

[mantaray]

Hello,
Long time Pipex account holder here, transferred several times and now with Talk Talk.

Me and my wife each have "name.name@dsl.pipex.com" email addresses. I took notice of the SSL update warnings, but my wife didn't - and so she lost device access a few weeks ago. I have now corrected the settings on her iPhone and laptop, and raised a support request asking for device access to be reinstated.

Meanwhile, she was getting by with webmail access to her Pipex emails, but about 10 days ago all emails sent to her Pipex email address started to be bounced with Error 550 "no one with that name known here!". Clearly the account isn't completely dead because the Inbox can still be viewed in the Webmail app.

I am getting absolutely nowhere with my support ticket... desperately looking for help. I tried following the instruction about adding the email address to 'My Profile' - but I cannot register an account here because my Talk Talk account number is considered to be too long.
Any help appreciated, thanks.
Steve

[Gondola]

Good to know that the TalkTalk Data Protection team and or the team at your ISP TalkTalk Business (TTB) got the Pipex mailbox barring issue sorted.

Although the Pipex mail domains are on the TalkTalk Mail platform for which TalkTalk Consumer are responsible and they should have fixed the mailbox barring for you.

We do appreciate your time in letting us know. Thank you.

[mantaray]

An update.
After a month without being able to use her Pipex email address, my wife's account has now been fully restored. The Error 550 bouncing problem has been fixed, and she can send/receive emails on her iPhone and laptop. It took a formal complaint and escalation at TTB to make the difference and I used Gondola's wording of "needs the master mailbox unbarred and the alias address reinstated to the MX server lookup database" to maybe point the TTB Domain team in the right direction.

So... don't give up hope; these things can be fixed with a lot of persistence.

My BIG THANKS to Gondola from this community, and to Ady from the Talk Talk consumer team for all their help in getting this over the line.

mantaray 

[Gondola]

The apparent mailbox barring will be affecting the authentication of the password because the mailbox will not be found even though it does exist on the mail platform. The settings on the iPhone and Outlook are perfectly good.

I feel I've done all I can as a Community volunteer to support you. If you feel you've been let down then start a complaint. Not that I expect you to be able to get real help to reverse the symptoms of mailbox barring except via Ady.

[mantaray]

As of this morning:

* Error 550 email bounces continue
* the new super secure password is being rejected by the Talk Talk SMTP server when setup is attempted from both the Mail/iPhone and Outlook/PC (security settings are believed to be compliant (see below) and device access has been restored for POP/IMAP)

Perhaps the remaining barring/lookup issue is affecting both?

Just double checking the outgoing mail settings...
iPhone:

Host Name = smtp.talktalk.net
Username = <email address>
Password = <15char and compliant>

Use SSL = on (green)
Authentication = Password
Server Port = 587

PC:
Host Name = smtp.talktalk.net
Server Port = 587

Encryption method = STARTTLS

Server timeouts = 1 minute
Require logon using SPA = off

My outgoing (SMTP) server requires authentication = on 

 - Log on using user name and password

   - Username = <email address>
   - Password = <15char and compliant>

[Gondola]

I'm still following... the iPhone not sending is usually either a password issue or a software glitch that's resolved by removing the email account from the iPhone and setting up afresh.

As for the wife's email addresses MASTER MAILBOX 'm****8@dsl.pipex.com' and ALIAS ADDRESS 'a****.*****e@dsl.pipex.com' that come back as Undeliverable well that is still a TalkTalk mailbox barring issue that needs the master mailbox unbarred and the alias address reinstated to the MX server lookup database.

[mantaray]

An update for Gondola and any others following this marathon.
* have been working behind the scenes (via private mail) with Ady
* have reset the password again - even longer this time

* iPhone access now restored to the Inbox (haven't checked PC yet, but expect it's okay)

* but... iPhone will not verify against the SMTP server; refuses to send email from the iPhone

* and the biggest problem - the Error 550 rejections of all messages sent my wife's email address continue

...keep calm and carry on...
mantaray

[Gondola]

Mostly the cases that Ady has been working is TalkTalk switching off IMAP4 / POP3 connections to the mailbox as an action of last resort to force users to replace outdated email software or insecure encryption settings. You corrected the insecure settings so that's the first hurdle jumped. Ady confirmed that connection protocols are available.

In this case, I identified with you that the continued use of a weak password has caused the mailbox to be barred. This is a different security issue and has been seen for just three pipex mail users this year so far as I'm aware. Normally a barred mailbox would get auto-unbarred within 24 hours of upgrading a weak password. You upgraded the password on 20th March. So that's the next big hurdle jumped.

An issue of you not being able to pass the security verification questions to meet GDPR rules is not something that Ady is able to jump. Ady does not have access to your TalkTalk Business customer data only to the data held by TalkTalk Consumer in relation to the registration of the original pipex master email address and linked alias. If Ady cannot get over the GDPR hurdle to then get the mailbox unbarred to finish this steeplechase then you may have to contact the TalkTalk Data Protection team that have access to all of TalkTalk.

See what Ady says next week.

[mantaray]

I've now provided all the required information to Talk Talk (Ady).
But the Error 550 problem has not yet been resolved.

I can see from this community forum that you are getting swamped by many Pipex email problems; wanted to bring this back up the stack so it doesn't get overlooked.
Thanks.

[mantaray]

I've sent Ady a private mail about the 'alternative questions' route.

[Gondola]

Ady's primary questions are essentially for TalkTalk Consumer customers hence asking for two characters from the Telephone Enquiry Password.

Alternative questions would relate to the data registered by TalkTalk when the pipex master address was first issued to your wife or to you if you were the named account holder at the time. TalkTalk will usually have the customer account holder full name, the postal address, the landline telephone number.   I hope that is helpful.

We're not going to abandon you or anyone that uses TalkTalk Mail and wishes to continue using TalkTalk Mail. 

But it is fair to advise you that only TalkTalk Consumer customers taking home broadband or the MailPlus subscription can add the email addresses to a Consumer customer MyAccount to safeguard those addresses from being deleted. Regrettably TalkTalk Business customers would need to register for a MailPlus subscription. So, I'm just making sure you have the full details to know where you stand.

[mantaray]

I may have a TTB account - but I am not a business, I am a home/residential user. The only reason for going with TTB was that I was promised better Support, and the only reason for staying with Talk Talk was to retain the Pipex email addresses that we have used widely and would be an absolute pain to change. There was no mention about possible problems with existing email addresses, or a need to subscribe to 'Talk Talk Mail Plus' at extra cost. Right now, it seems like I made some poor choices going with TTB.
Anyhow, I did try Talk Talk business support, but got absolutely nowhere. The support I have received here has been fantastic by comparison.

So please don't abandon me! We really need to get this 550 problem sorted. I'm hoping Ady will suggest an alternative ID verification process.

[Gondola]

Ady can ask different questions for verification.

I assume that as you've referenced a TalkTalk Business (TTB) login that your broadband service is provided by TTB and not TalkTalk Consumer? 

Just to make you aware that TalkTalk Mail is provided by TalkTalk Consumer.It's the Consumer MyAccount that has the Telephone Password option.

Also, any TalkTalk Mail user that does not have a TalkTalk Consumer home broadband service would need to subscribe to TalkTalk MailPlus to retain full long-term use of the TalkTalk Mail addresses. I'm not here to suggest what you should consider but just to give the details so you can make an informed decision (guide to TalkTalk Mail Plus given below). 

The TalkTalk Mail Support Hub is your go to resource for information, guides and Community support for TalkTalk Consumer home broadband and MailPlus subscribers.

Select here:
 TalkTalk Mail Support

TalkTalk Mail help
 Using TalkTalk Mail

 Email settings and device setup guides for TalkTalk Mail

 About TalkTalk Mail Plus

[mantaray]

Presume that would be visible once I had logged in - but I cannot login at the link you gave because my email and/or password is not recognised. Catch 22. I can login here: https://supportcentre.talktalkbusiness.co.uk/SCLogin, but no options to setup a Telephone enquiry password there.

Is there a different verification method - so I can find out what Ady has discovered ?

Thanks,
mantaray

[Gondola]

My Account Details usually has a box to select for the Telephone Enquiry Password.

[mantaray]

Okay, we've run into a problem.
I do not have a Telephone enquiry password.
In order to set one up I need to log into a link that says 'My Account', but I cannot login there because my email and/or password is not recognised. On that page I tried the 'send a link by email' option (but my account email address is not recognised), and I tried the register option (but it says my account number is too long)...

I can login to a different Talk Talk 'My Account' page with those credentials, the one where I can see my bills etc; but there is nothing on those pages about setting up a Telephone enquiry password.

Bit of an impasse - can we try a different verification method to satisfy Ady's requirement?

[Gondola]

Hi mantaray 

The Telephone enquiry password is the only password that you'll ever be asked for two characters from. Never the full password nor any other password nor characters from any other password.

[mantaray]

Hi Ady,
Security verification questions answered (but I wasn't sure which password you were after - so that may need to be revisited).
Thanks,
mantaray

[Ady-TalkTalk]

Hi mantaray, without security verification I can't tell you more than I already have. I've sent you a personal message.

Ady

[Gondola]

---

mantaray wrote:...Just checked Verifalia and both of my wife's email addresses 'm****8@dsl.pipex.com' and 'a****.*****e@dsl.pipex.com' come back as Undeliverable.

---

Which is why I've asked Ady to look again at the barring of the mailbox.

[mantaray]

Just checked Verifalia and both of my wife's email addresses 'm****8@dsl.pipex.com' and 'a****.*****e@dsl.pipex.com' come back as Undeliverable.

My email addresses 'm****7@dsl.pipex.com' and 's****.*****e@dsl.pipex.com' come back as Deliverable. 

The setup for the the 'Deliverable' and the 'Undeliverable' will be mostly the same, so it would be worth looking for subtle differences in the setup between those two.