Why NOT To Use AmazonSES

[Snog]

Or any other mail service for that matter.

Anyone serious about filtering spam is running RBL or SBL lists. And if some other site that uses AmazonSES or any other mail service is sending spam, it can cause this to come up when your site sends mail...

NOQUEUE: reject: RCPT from a58-62.smtp-out.us-west-2.amazonses.com[54.240.58.62]: 554 5.7.1 Service unavailable; Client host [54.240.58.62] blocked using dnsbl.sorbs.net; Currently Sending Spam See: http://www.sorbs.net/lookup.shtml?54.240.58.62;

That came from a well known site I do business with and I know for a fact they weren't sending spam. So it's being triggered by another site using that particular mail server on AmazonSES.

 

[PASS]

Some people who opted to received emails are lazy when they no longer do. Instead of changing their account settings or using the unsub link in the email, they just mark it as spam. After so many do that, you could end up on that list. I followup with members that do that and they say they just fat fingered it by mistake. Not always true though.

If you do not think that's the case, you can get a dedicated sending IP on AmazonSES.

 

[Snog]

True, you can get a dedicated IP for $24.95/month. And if I'm not mistaken, you have to be a high volume sender to qualify for a dedicated IP.

So far as I know, nobody can submit entries into SORBS simply by flagging it as spam. But, I could be wrong.

 

[Xon]

Getting off SORBS is basically impossible, if someone is using that as a blocklist good luck trying to send to them.

 

[Snog]

Getting off SORBS is basically impossible, if someone is using that as a blocklist good luck trying to send to them.

In most cases, SORBS delists automatically based on time.

It boils down to if someone is using an IP or IP Block to send spam, it will go on the list until such time the user can prove they are no longer using the IP or they are no longer sending spam. A few years ago I had an IP get listed on SORBS and it did take quite a while for it to be removed. But, admittedly I was sending what most people consider spam, so I can't complain and consider it a lesson learned.

I'm quite serious about blocking spam on my servers and SORBS catches a good 90% of it before my own internal filters take place. The occasional possible false positives get filtered out by a whitelist before SORBS is pinged, so I am confident it's accurate. The occasional false positive like I posted in the first post simply gets added to the whitelist. But not all people know how to do that or would take the time to do it.

 

[PASS]

So far as I know, nobody can submit entries into SORBS simply by flagging it as spam. But, I could be wrong.

I don't think so either. I meant the ISP or email provider probably does after so many complaints.

 

[eva2000]

Or any other mail service for that matter.

Anyone serious about filtering spam is running RBL or SBL lists. And if some other site that uses AmazonSES or any other mail service is sending spam, it can cause this to come up when your site sends mail...


That came from a well known site I do business with and I know for a fact they weren't sending spam. So it's being triggered by another site using that particular mail server on AmazonSES.

Yup but as you said, you can say the same for any email service or mail sending server.

If you monitor Amazon SES IP's via blacklist monitoring you will see Amazon SES IPs being added and removed from blacklists over and over as Amazon SES has teams dedicated to managing this. I've seen Amazon SES IPs being added and removed several times in the same day before too. Sure you could get caught in the list as you can if using non-Amazon SES service /email server. Difference is Amazon SES handle/deal with backlist management rather than you having to do it yourself. Ask yourself, who's more likely to successfully deal with blacklist databases - Amazon SES or you individually ?

 

[WSWD]

Dedicated IPs are not going to solve the issue, as almost no blacklist in existence blocks single IP addresses. They block the entire subnet. So dedicated IP or not, if your neighbor causes the IP block to get listed, you're SOL.

 

[PASS]

Dedicated IPs are not going to solve the issue, as almost no blacklist in existence blocks single IP addresses. They block the entire subnet. So dedicated IP or not, if your neighbor causes the IP block to get listed, you're SOL.

Good point.

 

[Snog]

Dedicated IPs are not going to solve the issue, as almost no blacklist in existence blocks single IP addresses. They block the entire subnet. So dedicated IP or not, if your neighbor causes the IP block to get listed, you're SOL.

Actually SORBS does start out blocking single IPs and the progresses to subnet blocks if needed.

 

[Mr Lucky]

Some people who opted to received emails are lazy when they no longer do. Instead of changing their account settings or using the unsub link in the email, they just mark it as spam.

That may be a good point, but I am finding with both Amazon and Mailgun, that an IP gets blocked and it will be due to someone else on that shared IP. Yes they fix it ssoner or later, but with Amazon I've noticed in the past it was always btinternet who whoe failing emails. Haven't many erecently it has been quite good. Mailgun also act when you report it, but are quite slow.