Tiscali says it has restored email service for many customers who lost out after spammers managed to commandeer the company's mail servers.
Spammers last week managed to overcome security protections on the Italian ISP's computers to send large amounts of junk mail, resulting in many destination service providers barring mail from Tiscali users.
Although the ISP was able to respond to a spike in customer complaints it received last week, it said on Wednesday it could take another seven to 10 days before the many destination servers operated by other ISPs dropped the barriers they had introduced to block mail from Tiscali customers.
A service update from support staff last night suggested the problem was now almost cured, however.
"Tests throughout today, and feedback from customers, indicate a significant improvement in our outbound email service," the update read. "We believe the service is now largely back to normal.
"Test mails sent to all major email providers have gone through successfully with the exception of AOL. This is under investigation and we will update [on Friday] on progress."
The episode has been an embarrassment for Tiscali, which previously acquired World Online, LibertySurf and the UK's LineOne ISPs. The company now offers telephony and even broadband IPTV services, but was forced to recommend free, web-based email alternatives to disgruntled customers this week.
Technicians installed new hardware and tweaked settings and the firm's SMTP server is now running at 80% capacity.
Reader comments (20)
6:19PM on 1st June 2007
Even today I am still without outgoing email with Tiscali.
I am frustrated that so much spin has been put on this by the provider - clearly there are still a significant number of customers like myself who are not able to use the email service.
I acknowledge that the Spamers have cracked the ISP and the security measures have been found wanting. Close the door after the horse has bolted, comes to mind.
What good will gesture will Tiscali make to its loyal customers, and how can they regain the commercial ground on the competitors?
O Hindmarsh
9:14PM on 1st June 2007
I too like many have been a loyal customer to Tiscali. But, what good is this when you ring and hold on for what seems for ever to be cut off or receive an inadequate explanation from their help support staff. Half of these staff are clearly not trained properly, some you can't understand and there is no offer under the Goods and Services Act to offer something to customers to keep with Tiscali.
With Spamers cracking their ISP this is not new and Tiscali being a large ISP should have had something in place for this.
Advertisting costs and marketing are all very well but if the service fails it instills no confidence in their company to a user if all you get is a blank wall.
Get your act together Tiscali, compensate customers or they will drift away, many must have asked for the Migration Code and contact other ISP's
Customers have lost confidence, lost money and received a very very poor service, this is no way to run a business is it? Answers of a Postcard ( that is probably quicker than sending an email)!!
javfec
3:40PM on 23rd June 2007
I/we have (for several months) been getting SPAM mails via Tiscali... We know the mails stem from from Tiscali because the e-mail address above is only used to send emails to one person only, and that person is a client of Tiscali .. We have all asked you several times before to TIGHTEN up your Tiscali security, but you never reply... It said on TV and Radio that Tiscali had 80%sorted the Spam problems out.. but Tiscali have NOT sorted the Spam problems .. we still get them, several EVERY DAY.. all of them bearing the mail address 'only used' to send mail to a Tiscali client/member....
This Spam is becoming so frequent, 3 or 4 every day, sometimes more... Tiscali is still being used by Spammers, much to the annoyance of other ISP users... We do not want Spam via Tiscali, please stop it ASAP ..
Our/my mail address shown above is only used to send mail to a 'tiscali.co.uk' client - my mail address is not ever used to anyone else - so we KNOW the Spam mails come to our PC computer via all the Spammers on Tiscali... It has gone on for too long and all those on other ISP's sincerely hope you will now do a clean-up of Tiscali and put a stop to all the SPAM still sent via Tiscali to other people.. there are LOTS of people who are annoyed daily by Tiscali Spam.... THANKS.
..
4:03PM on 23rd June 2007
We agree with the Brooke family re Spam ~
The stupid Spam mails are still arriving at my PC - they always come through Tiscali -because we have a special mail address only used for friends on Tiscali - all the Spam comes in on that special mail address, so it
is clearly coming from TISCALI ~ Tiscali have issued a statement to say they had greatly cleared the Spam problems - Ha Ha, what a laugh, the Spam problems still exist, so they continue to annoy other ISP and Internet users, they are not gone Tiscali, so please do another check on your system ~ the silly Spammers are still using Tiscali and 'we' on other ISP's are totally fed up of Tiscali Spam mail. Grrrrr ~ Get your system sorted now please Tiscalli staff.
5:52PM on 6th July 2007
I can not open my mail or send mail
5:59PM on 6th July 2007
I can not read or send mail
9:58PM on 20th July 2007
I frequently cannot send or receive emails. This is not the service that I am paying for. Tiscali should offer refunds on monthly subscriptions
4:36PM on 17th December 2007
i cannot open my email and have only been with tiscali for two months and i am not happy with the service at all
1:35PM on 20th January 2008
I tried to set up a new e-mail account because i am getting so much spam that i no longer want my old e-mail address (as above) however i was unable to
1 close my old e-mail account
2 activate my new e-mail account
How can this problem be sorted? I spent already too long sorting this out and do not want to spend more time doing so.
N hardt
11:02AM on 26th January 2008
...what utter crap. BUSINESS service to use email and FTP? Where do they get off saying that?
It makes me wonder if they put trained monkeys or untrained morons on the phones at some of these places.
http://www.tiscalikshit.co.uk
4:06PM on 1st February 2008
Why are the new lower rates for broadband and also broadband with phone not available to existing customers of tiscali???
7:58AM on 10th June 2008
I am unable to get into my e-mails and the tiscali home page will not download fully. Whichever link I use for e-mails does not respond.
5:21PM on 10th June 2008
Tiscali is not satisfying me as well, huge downtimes on their broadband - sometimes 4 hours+ of downtime! They simply can't be serious about this. I usually dont use the ISP email service, however this is really bad if they allow spammers to do what they want. This is what antispam software is there for. And now they are turning it into good - that tiscali restored 80%... they should not allow the situation like this to happen!
3:15PM on 22nd August 2008
I am sorry now to have joined Tiscali. I am unable to send or receive e-mails.
I should have stayed with AOL which I left because of too many Pop-ups and interruptions when sending e-mails.
I am most disappointed and will change again UNLESS you restore your service within 24 hours. I MUST be able to use e-mail srvice.
John H. Lawrence
Friday , 22nd August 2008, 15:12 hrs.
7:44AM on 24th September 2008
MY E-MAIL FROM TISCALI.CO.UK AS STOP SENDING MY E-MAILS OUT.
IS THE TISCALI.CO.UK NO LONGER FREE E-MAIL ADDRESS.
Mr BRIAN WOGDEN THANK YOU
DNEXYZ
2:14PM on 22nd February 2010
I have a free email address with tiscali. Over the past 4 days it has been torture trying to access or send emails and it seems as though my computer is up the creek. However, the problem now seems to be mostly the email. Any further news?
11:29AM on 14th September 2010
For some time now I have been totally frustrated at not being able to open the whole of my tiscali mail . Also I have been bombarded with spam mail after reporting it as such
3:48PM on 15th October 2010
I am unable to collect my email and I am fed up with Talk Talk popping up with offers.
7:40AM on 22nd October 2010
Tiscali. after reading the many complaints about your company I can quite understand the anger of your members, especially so when today my bank account has been debited for the month of October even though I cant use my e-mail facility. Your company is not fit for purpose and excuses are no longer acceptable.
12:43PM on 3rd July 2011
Sadly I am not one of the eighty percent. Its now more than a week since I lost the ability to receive or send emails. Certainly excessive span is a nusence, but my inability to send or receive is disasterous. Until now I have had no means of complaining to whoever is resposible. I'm an accedited NHS therapist and use email to communicate with my magager and clients. Currently I am forced to use the phone. That mostly mans leaving verble messages, additional phone calss, generally screwing up my working days.
Can Talk Talk give a clear indication as to when this shambles will be over. The worst part is the lack of information. Using another provider is no answer. Like most users I have at least 100 emails stored that I need to refer to daily.
In desperation, give us all a certainty of date for a retern to a working service. (20% of us out in the cold is a lot of collective grief)
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