Getting Error code VM501 when sending to multiple recipients

[spiderrog]

I have for the last couple of days needed to send an email general notice to some of my customers (around 10) but I am getting a message from the System administrator that my emails have been rejected with the comment "server error 453.4.1.1 too many recipients (VM501)"

I am sending from my Outlook Email, is this a known temporary issue and is it being fixed. The volumes are not great with only around 10  or so recipients but I am not sure if my message have got through or not.Or maybe I should get used to sending emails from the official VM one but that doesn't seem to offer a stand alone version that I can put a link on my toolbar in the same way as Outlook

Anybody able to help please

[coenoby]

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@spiderrog wrote:

my emails have been rejected with the comment "server error 453.4.1.1 too many recipients (VM501)"

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Just to clarify that VM501 error message.  It means that you have hit Virgin Media's limit on the number of recipients emailed in a hour. (So if you send 5 emails in an hour and they each of 10 recipients, that is 50 recipients). VM also have a limit on the number of recipients emailed in a 24 hour period

My understanding is that once you hit the hourly limit VM actually blocks you from sending any messages (even with just 1 recipient) for a period of time. I am not sure what that period is. However once that period is up you can start sending again

All email providers have limits on the number of emails that can be sent from personal email accounts. Obviously they all want to prevent their services being used by spammers. VM email is a free service intended for personal use. so their limits are not that high.

VM's limits when using email clients and apps such as Outlook are lower than if you use VM's own webmail service to send emails. Also, if you are emailing from overseas they are lower than emailing from the UK.

If VM's limits are too low for your needs, then I'm afraid that your only answer is to switch to using a more professionally based email service.

Coenoby

[spiderrog]

Thank you Coeoby, this is most useful and I think that's the conclusion I was coming to. Ran a few test emails this morning to gruops of 4 people and were still bouncing back so I am suspicious this is a VM issue as even at 8 o'clock this morning it was still misbehaving. Had my local IT guy out and we have now concluded that all emails sent to my ntlworld.com address should be redirected/forwarded to my Outlock.com address. I have changed the default address and so all emails now go out from Outlook.com address. Ran a test to the four recipients as I did earlier and voila all succesful and no bounce backs, yet anyway. My remaining question however, is that even though I am sending multiple emails out using my Outlook.com email address I presume these emails are still going through the VM servers, would there still be limits though, but so far so good and no bounce backs. I have to say in all my years being with NTL/Virgin Media I have never had this experience of emails being blocked due to the volume and, not so much nowadays, I used to send out notices etc to probably more than 40 recipients at a time and never experienced any bounce backs apart from the odd discontinued email address.

I would be intersted to learn what the official view is on this from a moderator of this site and will VM acknowledge there is an issue with this although I suspect the answer will be volume of traffic nowaday hence the reasons for the controls, but it would have been nice to have advised us. Apart from time costs it has cost me money to pay an IT person to advise on this situation but at least my mind is at rest now on this matter.

Thanks once again for your input

[coenoby]

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@spiderrog wrote:

I would be intersted to learn what the official view is on this from a moderator of this site and will VM acknowledge there is an issue with this although I suspect the answer will be volume of traffic nowaday hence the reasons for the controls,

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In fact VM have had sending limits in place for many years. You might be interested to read this post from 2017 along the same lines as yours  https://community.virginmedia.com/t5/Forum-Archive/453-Too-Many-Recipients-VM501 

You will see that back then I responded with the same answer that I did today. Also, the VM staff member who responded backed up what I had posted.

Sadly the links that Emma posted originally gave more official explanation of VM's policy but now redirect to a set of general instructions on how to use VM email. In truth VM are very tight lipped about giving specific details on their sending limits, probably because that information would help spammers get round the limitations.

One the current VM Forum team will contact you via this thread in the next day or so.

Also, to answer a couple of other points you raise:

1) "I am sending multiple emails out using my Outlook.com email address I presume these emails are still going through the VM servers,"

That depends on the email server settings in Outlook that you have set up for your Gmail account. If you are using the settings Gmail recommend then your emails will be going through the Gmail servers and will be subject to Gmail's sending limits. However, if for some reason you or IT guy decided to use VM's servers to send your Gmail emails then of course they will go via VM.

The Gmail settings in Outlook should be:

1. Incoming Server: imap.gmail.com.
2. Incoming Port: 993.
3. Incoming Encryption method: SSL/TLS.
4. Outgoing Server: smtp.gmail.com.
5. Outgoing Port: 465.
6. Outgoing Encryption method: SSL/TLS.

You also say:

2) "I used to send out notices etc to probably more than 40 recipients at a time and never experienced any bounce backs".

If I recall correctly, the maximum number of recipients for a single VM email sent via an email client was/is100 so, no, you should have no problem sending one message with 40 recipients.

However, the VM501 limit kicks in when the total number of recipients emailed in hour breaches the hourly limit VM have set and it then blocks any VM emails from being sent for a certain period of time.

Hopefully that clarifies things a bit more.

Coenoby

[Akua_A]

Hi @spiderrog,

Welcome back to our community forums and sorry to hear you have been experiencing the error code VM501 when sending emails.

We can understand the inconvenience caused and we want to best help. 

Just to confirm was the great advice given by @coenoby useful? Do you need any further help?

Thanks,

[用心棒]

How to send an email | Virgin Media Help article mentions send limits.

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@spiderrog wrote:

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My remaining question however, is that even though I am sending multiple emails out using my Outlook.com email address I presume these emails are still going through the VM servers, would there still be limits though, but so far so good and no bounce backs.
⋮

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The presumption is incorrect if the email service's recommended settings are being used:

• Virgin Media email accounts should send via smtp.virginmedia.com
• Microsoft Outlook.com should send via smtp-mail.outlook.com

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