Sensitive topic...

[Jack Gordon]

I am NOT a spammer. However, I have a need to do something that is difficult because spammers have abused the system, and I am looking for some advice/solutions to help me do this.

I have a list of over 4000 email addresses for professionals in my industry. However, the list is old and my industry is pretty fluid. I am presuming that around half of the addresses are no longer valid.

I need a way to run these addresses through some sort of verification process to weed out the bad ones. I have tried using some of the desktop solutions out there that run a verification through port 25, but the very act of doing that caused my ISP to block my access to port 25.

What I have not seen is some sort of server-based system that would not require my ISP's involvement. Does such a thing exist? If not, what other solutions are there to this problem?

 

[draggar]

Other than sending out a mass email, I don't think that would be possible, easy, or cheap.

If they sent you their email addresses, I think you should be OK sending out a mass-email confirming that the addresses are correct, that they still might be interested in what they gave you their addresses for, and an option to opt-out if they'd like.

 

[Jack Gordon]

I am not too worried about being called a spammer. I am more concerned about the flood of bounces I am sure to get when I send that mail. I am looking for a way to prevent that and all the headaches it is sure to cause as I try to clean up the list.

 

[draggar]

If you use Outlook, set up a rule to send all the bounce-backs to a folder, that might take a while but it wouldn't flood your inbox, the question is how would that rule be set up?

If the subject line has rejected or undeliverable, send it to the bounce back folder?

 

[south]

Group mail has an option to check to see if email addresses are vaild. Infacta.com

 

[Theo]

Sign up with a third party such as icontact.com that will allow you to 1) mail out a newsletter-style content 2) track the openings and bounces (they get removed) and most important 3) have an opt-out link for people that don't want to be contacted again.

 

[DomainMagnate]

4000 is very little in global terms, I wouldn't be worried about being called a spammer, or the bounces.

However be sure to make the first email look interesting and include something useful, so they won't unsubscribe right away - since the list is old they probably dont remember signing up

 

[A D]

This tool works well, I have use it before.

http://lencom.com/verifier.html

-=DCG=-