AOL option to disable Spam Filter removed

[Marilyn & Bob]

A heads up for those peoples (like me) foolish enough to be using a
@verizon.net (or @aol.com) email address, be aware that AOL has
discontinued the option to turn off the spam filter, AS I got an 80%
false positive rate going back to the verizon server days, I have always
turned off the spam filter and let my email client (Thunderbird) handle
the spam. A few days ago I noticed that I was not receiving a daily
newsletter. So today I checked the AOL spam box. Always empty in the
past, today it had over 250 messages dating back to 11/25. After
finding a number for AOL, I reached someone who said that unless I paid
$4.99 a month for help service, there was nothing he could do. He did
say, however that their servers would automatically whitelist every
message I marked as NOT SPAM, so eventually, if their system works like
he said, all the messages should get through to the inbox.
--
Peace,
bobj

[Retroman]

On Fri, 30 Nov 2018 23:11:32 -0500, Marilyn & Bob

Post by Marilyn & Bob
A heads up for those peoples (like me) foolish enough to be using a
@verizon.net (or @aol.com) email address, be aware that AOL has
discontinued the option to turn off the spam filter, AS I got an 80%
false positive rate going back to the verizon server days, I have always
turned off the spam filter and let my email client (Thunderbird) handle
the spam. A few days ago I noticed that I was not receiving a daily
newsletter. So today I checked the AOL spam box. Always empty in the
past, today it had over 250 messages dating back to 11/25. After
finding a number for AOL, I reached someone who said that unless I paid
$4.99 a month for help service, there was nothing he could do. He did
say, however that their servers would automatically whitelist every
message I marked as NOT SPAM, so eventually, if their system works like
he said, all the messages should get through to the inbox.

Hello Bob,

I have encountered the same annoyance.

I wonder about the reassurance you got from the AOL person.
Whenever I select a message in the Spam folder and click the Not
Spam button, I get a popup error message that says:

"There was a problem reporting the message(s) as spam. Please
try again later. "

Although the marked messages disappear from the Spam folder they
do not go into the Inbox [as AOL Help says they should]. The
messages reappear in the Spam folder the next time that AOL mail
is reloaded. And "trying again later" never works. It's been at
least six weeks since I began trying again.

Of course, it's still possible that AOL mail will whitelist the
marked items eventually, despite the error messages. Perhaps
someone else here can confirm that this does indeed happen.

I have also noticed more interruptions of mail service since
Verizon acquired AOL and switched us over. I have a feeling that
Verizon would like its mail customers to simply give up and go
away.

Cheers,
Doug M in NJ

[Marilyn & Bob]

Post by Retroman
On Fri, 30 Nov 2018 23:11:32 -0500, Marilyn & Bob

Post by Marilyn & Bob
A heads up for those peoples (like me) foolish enough to be using a
@verizon.net (or @aol.com) email address, be aware that AOL has
discontinued the option to turn off the spam filter, AS I got an 80%
false positive rate going back to the verizon server days, I have always
turned off the spam filter and let my email client (Thunderbird) handle
the spam. A few days ago I noticed that I was not receiving a daily
newsletter. So today I checked the AOL spam box. Always empty in the
past, today it had over 250 messages dating back to 11/25. After
finding a number for AOL, I reached someone who said that unless I paid
$4.99 a month for help service, there was nothing he could do. He did
say, however that their servers would automatically whitelist every
message I marked as NOT SPAM, so eventually, if their system works like
he said, all the messages should get through to the inbox.

Hello Bob,
I have encountered the same annoyance.
I wonder about the reassurance you got from the AOL person.
Whenever I select a message in the Spam folder and click the Not
"There was a problem reporting the message(s) as spam. Please
try again later. "
Although the marked messages disappear from the Spam folder they
do not go into the Inbox [as AOL Help says they should]. The
messages reappear in the Spam folder the next time that AOL mail
is reloaded. And "trying again later" never works. It's been at
least six weeks since I began trying again.
Of course, it's still possible that AOL mail will whitelist the
marked items eventually, despite the error messages. Perhaps
someone else here can confirm that this does indeed happen.
I have also noticed more interruptions of mail service since
Verizon acquired AOL and switched us over. I have a feeling that
Verizon would like its mail customers to simply give up and go
away.
Cheers,
Doug M in NJ

At first I got the same message; especially when I was trying to clear
about 250 messages at a time. I got 12 messages in my spam folder
today, every one a false positive. I had no error messages when I
marked them NOT SPAM and they did go to my Inbox. On the other hand at
about the same time as the Spam Filer change, I had trouble downloading
my messages to Thunderbird. I would get an error message that
Thunderbird would not connect to the server. Sometimes it would connect
after a few hours. Other times I could get it to work if I went to the
AOL webmail site and take some action (like open a message). Then when
I went back to Thunderbird, the message would download. Note that I
have two verizon email accounts and the download problem does not occur
on the other account.
--
Peace,
bobj

[catalpa]

Post by Marilyn & Bob
A heads up for those peoples (like me) foolish enough to be using a
@verizon.net (or @aol.com) email address, be aware that AOL has
discontinued the option to turn off the spam filter, AS I got an 80% false
positive rate going back to the verizon server days, I have always turned
off the spam filter and let my email client (Thunderbird) handle the spam.
A few days ago I noticed that I was not receiving a daily newsletter. So
today I checked the AOL spam box. Always empty in the past, today it had
over 250 messages dating back to 11/25. After finding a number for AOL, I
reached someone who said that unless I paid $4.99 a month for help service,
there was nothing he could do. He did say, however that their servers
would automatically whitelist every message I marked as NOT SPAM, so
eventually, if their system works like he said, all the messages should get
through to the inbox.
--
Peace,
bobj

Do all AOL crap emails go to the SPAM folder?

My by far number 1 spammer is AOL.

[Bill Ghrist]

Post by Marilyn & Bob
A heads up for those peoples (like me) foolish enough to be using a
@verizon.net (or @aol.com) email address, be aware that AOL has
discontinued the option to turn off the spam filter,  AS I got an 80%
false positive rate going back to the verizon server days, I have always
turned off the spam filter and let my email client (Thunderbird) handle
the spam.  A few days ago I noticed that I was not receiving a daily
newsletter.  So today I checked the AOL spam box. Always empty in the
past, today it had over 250 messages dating back to 11/25.  After
finding a number for AOL, I reached someone who said that unless I paid
$4.99 a month for help service, there was nothing he could do.  He did
say, however that their servers would automatically whitelist every
message I marked as NOT SPAM, so eventually, if their system works like
he said, all the messages should get through to the inbox.
--
Peace,
bobj

Yeah, I got really upset when I found out they changed this. I had
several rounds of emails with them to try to resolve it, but they either
didn't seem to know what I was talking about or were deliberately acting
dumb on me. I finally gave up. I don't get many false positives on
their spam filter, but even one is too many, because it means I have to
get on their wretched web mail frequently just to see whether they
dumped anything important into the spam folder.

I would dump AOL in a minute if it wouldn't be such a PITA to change my
primary email address after 12 years.

BTW it doesn't seem to me that the "automatic whitelisting" of messages
I mark as not spam is really working.

WDG

[Marilyn & Bob]

Post by Marilyn & Bob
A heads up for those peoples (like me) foolish enough to be using a
@verizon.net (or @aol.com) email address, be aware that AOL has
discontinued the option to turn off the spam filter,  AS I got an 80%
false positive rate going back to the verizon server days, I have
always turned off the spam filter and let my email client
(Thunderbird) handle the spam.  A few days ago I noticed that I was
not receiving a daily newsletter.  So today I checked the AOL spam
box. Always empty in the past, today it had over 250 messages dating
back to 11/25.  After finding a number for AOL, I reached someone who
said that unless I paid $4.99 a month for help service, there was
nothing he could do.  He did say, however that their servers would
automatically whitelist every message I marked as NOT SPAM, so
eventually, if their system works like he said, all the messages
should get through to the inbox.
--
Peace,
bobj

Yeah, I got really upset when I found out they changed this.  I had
several rounds of emails with them to try to resolve it, but they either
didn't seem to know what I was talking about or were deliberately acting
dumb on me.  I finally gave up.  I don't get many false positives on
their spam filter, but even one is too many, because it means I have to
get on their wretched web mail frequently just to see whether they
dumped anything important into the spam folder.
I would dump AOL in a minute if it wouldn't be such a PITA to change my
primary email address after 12 years.
BTW it doesn't seem to me that the "automatic whitelisting" of messages
I mark as not spam is really working.
WDG

They certainly admitted spam filter issue with me, but told me that
marking the item as NOT SPAM would whitelist the sender and the next
message from them would go through. This is not the case. So when I
called them again they said that they could probably fix my white
listing problem (i get about 40 false positives a day--compared to about
5 actual spams caught) if only I could talk to their tech support people
which I could do if I bought a Premium membership for only $4.99 a
month. I talked to two two customer service people and the both pushed
hard on the $4.99 membership which I would not purchase. So I have to go
to their website daily and mark all of the false positives NOT SPAM.

BUT HERE IS THE GOOD NEWS FOR YOU: I learned that your @verizon address
is now YOURS with your free AOL account, which is totally independent of
verizon, the ISP. So if you stop using verizon as your ISP, you can
continue receiving mail at your @verizon email address.

[Bill]

Post by Marilyn & Bob
They certainly admitted spam filter issue with me, but told me that
marking the item as NOT SPAM would whitelist the sender and the next
message from them would go through.  This is not the case.  So when I
called them again they said that they could probably fix my white
listing problem (i get about 40 false positives a day--compared to about
5 actual spams caught) if only I could talk to their tech support people
which I could do if I bought a Premium membership for only $4.99 a
month.  I talked to two two customer service people and the both pushed
hard on the $4.99 membership which I would not purchase. So I have to go
to their website daily and mark all of the false positives NOT SPAM.

That didn't work. I had a piece of mail from someone marked as spam
today (actual pesonal mail to me, not even canned email from a company)
and marked it as not spam, and when the person replied to me, it showed
up in the spam folder again.

Post by Marilyn & Bob
is now YOURS with your free AOL account, which is totally independent of
verizon, the ISP.  So if you stop using verizon as your ISP, you can

Right, this is correct. But it's like the old Woody Allen joke about
food at a Catskills resort from Annie Hall (short version, woman says:
The food is terrible here; friend responds: Yes, and such small
portions). AOL's email service sucks, but you get to take it with you if
you switch ISP's and use it forever!

https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/4151-there-s-an-old-joke---um-two-elderly-women-are

Bill

[Marilyn & Bob]

Post by Bill

Post by Marilyn & Bob
They certainly admitted spam filter issue with me, but told me that
marking the item as NOT SPAM would whitelist the sender and the next
message from them would go through.  This is not the case.  So when I
called them again they said that they could probably fix my white
listing problem (i get about 40 false positives a day--compared to
about 5 actual spams caught) if only I could talk to their tech
support people which I could do if I bought a Premium membership for
only $4.99 a month.  I talked to two two customer service people and
the both pushed hard on the $4.99 membership which I would not
purchase. So I have to go to their website daily and mark all of the
false positives NOT SPAM.

That didn't work. I had a piece of mail from someone marked as spam
today (actual pesonal mail to me, not even canned email from a company)
and marked it as not spam, and when the person replied to me, it showed
up in the spam folder again.

I think I said something similar in my first post. The promised
whitelisting does not occur at all. I get about 50 items a day in my
spam box with only about 7 or so being actual spam.

Post by Bill

Post by Marilyn & Bob
address is now YOURS with your free AOL account, which is totally
independent of verizon, the ISP.  So if you stop using verizon as your

Right, this is correct. But it's like the old Woody Allen joke about
The food is terrible here; friend responds: Yes, and such small
portions). AOL's email service sucks, but you get to take it with you if
you switch ISP's and use it forever!

But this allows you to gradually switch over your address after you
change ISPs.
--
Peace,
bobj

Post by Bill
https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/4151-there-s-an-old-joke---um-two-elderly-women-are
Bill