Email - denial of service

[-D]

　

Virgin Media provided my telecoms and email for over ten years up until the last week of September this year when my emails stopped and I have received no further emails since.

Instead of emails, a notice says: "The host [...] could not be found.." (etc).

The same locked out of email denial of service had occurred once before in 2017 but after telephoning Virgin Media then it was then corrected within two days with no further problems until now.

In addition to which, trying to access Virgin Media either online from the link in my Virgin e-bill or by websearchng the site the screen either freezes or says my email address or password is incorrect and does not allow me to access my emails or any other information. This had briefly functioned again on this machine (and my brother's own computer) before it then stopped working again and again click-box links no longer functioned.

Hours phoning Virgin 150 has not solved the problem.

Websearchng this issue finds it exactly described in a Guardian Money article and follow up from readers 21 August 2023; and MoneySavngExpert; and The Oxford Mail online.

And more than a decade ago (and more) in others' queries to Microsoft.

Microsoft replied back then:

"I understand that you are not able to receive emails on your account. checked the domain and determined the MX records is invalid. To get this resolved, please contact your domain admin to correct the MX records."

　

Virgin Media provided my telecoms and email for over ten years up until the last week of September this year when my emails stopped and I have received no further emails since.

Instead of emails, a notice says: "The host POP3 could not be found.." (etc).

The same locked out of email denial of service had occurred once before in 2017 but after telephoning Virgin Media then it was then corrected within two days with no further problems until now.

In addition to which, trying to access Virgin Media either online from the link in my Virgin e-bill or by websearchng the site the screen either freezes or says my email address or password is incorrect and does not allow me to access my emails or any other information. This had briefly functioned again on this machine (and my brother's own computer) before it then stopped working again and again click-box links no longer functioned.

Hours phoning Virgin 150 has not solved the problem.

Websearchng this issue finds it exactly described in a Guardian Money article and follow up from readers 21 August 2023; and MoneySavngExpert; and The Oxford Mail online.

And more than a decade ago (and more) in others' queries to Microsoft.

Microsoft replied back then:

"I understand that you are not able to receive emails on your account. checked the domain and determined the MX records is invalid. To get this resolved, please contact your domain admin to correct the MX records."

　

Virgin Media provided my telecoms and email for over ten years up until the last week of September this year when my emails stopped and I have received no further emails since.

Instead of emails, a notice says: "The host POP3 could not be found.." (etc).

The same locked out of email denial of service had occurred once before in 2017 but after telephoning Virgin Media then it was then corrected within two days with no further problems until now.

In addition to which, trying to access Virgin Media either online from the link in my Virgin e-bill or by websearchng the site the screen either freezes or says my email address or password is incorrect and does not allow me to access my emails or any other information. This had briefly functioned again on this machine (and my brother's own computer) before it then stopped working again and again click-box links no longer functioned.

Hours phoning Virgin 150 has not solved the problem.

Websearchng this issue finds it exactly described in a Guardian Money article and follow up from readers 21 August 2023; and MoneySavngExpert; and The Oxford Mail online.

And more than a decade ago (and more) in others' queries to Microsoft.

Microsoft replied back then:

"I understand that you are not able to receive emails on your account. I checked the domain and determined the MX records is invalid. To get this resolved, please contact your domain admin to correct the MX records."

[Megan_L]

Hi -D, 

Thanks for using the Community Forums to get this issue with your email looked into, I am sorry if this has been causing some frustration over the past few months 😥 I would be more than happy to look into this for you!

Can I firstly ask if you're able to login to your Online Account without any problems? If you do have issues doing this, please take a screenshot of what you see on your side. 

If you are able to login to your Online Account, are you also then able to login via MyVM? 

Thanks,

Megan_L

[-D]

To Megan L,

Very many thanks for your reply.

All the time my emails appeared in my inbox as usual, I never needed to access the Virgin website, so do not know if I could have accessed my emails that way before September when my emails stopped.

When attempting to access my emails via the website since September - either by clicking on the last Virgin e-bill (Sept) red link box [“View this bill“], or by a web search link to the VM site - the password or other links on the site either did not function at all, or it then states that my “email or password is incorrect”.

A screenshot  included in this cut-and-paste has not appeared in the box with this text.

-D 

[David_Bn · Accepted solution]

Thanks for coming back to us @-D

I'd be happy to take a closer look into this for you, to see the status of the E-Mail inbox and see if temporary access can be allowed.

When customers cancel the services with Virgin Media, the E-Mail account is available to them for up to 90 days beyond the disconnection.

Check out the envelope in the top right hand corner for a private message from me.

Thanks,

David_Bn

[-D]

Thanks again,

I hadn’t changed any aspect of the contract / services but emails stopped appearing in my Outlook Express Inbox on 25th September for no apparent reason.

[-D]

A web search of ‘data protection and sort codes’ finds it on a Vodaphone community forum (which looks remarkably similar to this one) advising “Vodaphone shouldn’t be asking for bank account information”.

A ‘sunny avenue’ website says “Sharing your bank account and sort code is generally unsafe…” (etc).

Another states a sort code is not of use other than to deposit money into your account.

Which law regulation requires that customers can be required to disclose this and for what reason?

Any question of my identity be would be resolved by phoning the Virgin landline number which I am still .paying for.

It has no relevance whatever to anyone at Virgin Media in authority who knows anything explaining why they stopped uploading my emails at the end of September as they had for over ten years but still continue to withdraw money from my account as usual.

-D

[John_GS]

Hi @-D 

Thanks for coming back to us. I can confirm that the questions my colleague asked to verify Data Protection are perfectly 100% valid. 

If you do not wish to answer them, that would be your right. You'd then need to either, call the team on 150 / 0345 454 1111. Or Whatsapp message on +447305 327 112.

Best wishes.

[ravenstar68]

@-D 

Be aware that posters with Forum Team under their name are Virgin Media employees who's responsibility is to try to help users such as yourself.  They are required to make sure that they are identifying the account holder correctly.

VIP's like myself are Forum Members who have proved their worth in the past and have been given a special status.

What bothers me is the error message you were quoting.

Host not found means that your email client could not find the address of the mail server.

Mail clients should be using the following servers

pop3.virginmedia.com Port 995 SSL/TLS
imap.virginmedia.com Port 993 SSL/TLS
smtp.virginmedia.com Port 465 SSL/TLS

I've checked and all 3 servers are currently reachable.  I'm also mindful that you say you are using Outlook Express.  Can you confirm this.  OE hasn't been supported for some time now.

Finally I'm not sure what forum post you were looking at on the Microsoft Forum's but I can assure you that MX records have nothing to do with your problem.  They're used by mail servers to deliver mail.  They have nothing to do with mail clients such as Outlook or Thunderbird.

Knowing the precise error message you are seeing (with the leading part of any email addresses redacted) would be useful here. 

[-D]

@ David_Bn, Megan L, John_GS, ravenstar68,

Windows XP Outlook Express Inbox had been receiving all emails without any problem up until September 25th when they completely stopped for who knows what reason - (a serious question).

Re ravenstar68 (error message):

"There was a problem logging onto your mail server. Your Password was rejected. Account: 'pop.ntlworld.com', Server: [etc, ending in] ... Server Error 0x800CCC90, Error Number: 0X800CCC92

Websearching 'outlook express server error 0x800ccc90' finds "...It is also possible that your port has been blocked by your internet service provider (ISP). A possible reason for this error is that you are using an incorrect username and password."

Website examples of this go back to 2011 and 2013 if not further - search 'DagenhamDave' to Microsoft for same notification/problem.

I attempted Password solutions since September including in many long phone discussions with the Virgin 150 team without success.

Microsoft's website reference to MX records was and is just tech-code-talk to me. Another answer they gave in 2011 - answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/the-host-pop3-could-not- be-found- says: "Call your ISP or your mail server. Ask them to give you the following: E-mail address Your username Password Incoming server name Outgoing server name"

When my Inbox no longer received emails once before in 2017 I had simply phoned Virgin Media and they fixed it within two days.

@ John_GS.

Many thanks. I had answered every question many times over in all the hours of phone calls to Virgin 150 et al (which they seem not to have kept records of, but confirmed on Virgin's landline phone bill account which I am still paying for). And I am now interested to know exactly which law in this country means anyone can call out of the blue requiring us to supply details of our bank accounts as the only means of confirming identity.

I’ve had countless phone calls purporting to be from any and every organisation under the sun, and received equally phoney emails likewise - back when I still got any emails at all.

-D

[jpeg1]

The last time I unfortunately had cause to call VM (using 150 on the landline) I was able to identify myself by telling them the date and amount of the last direct debit payment. Have you tried that? 

Not that the bank account number and sort code are particularly secret, they have always been printed on every cheque. 

You really ought to get an up to date replacement for Outlook Express. It is no longer supported and is deprecated by Microsoft.