tracking e-mail 2007

[Thombone]

I'm trying to use the tracking feature to ensure my mail is actually being
delivered. I've tagged messages using the "request a delivery receipt" radio
button. I sent one to a number of contacts using the bcc option. I sent
another to my daughter who has her own id on my comcast account. In the
online help for OL 2007 It says "On the Message tab, in the Show group,
click Tracking." When I go to my sent file and open up either of these notes
there is no "show" tab.

 

[Roady [MVP]]

Which is quite normal.

Most external email servers do not send back delivery receipt because of
Junk E-mail concerns. If they are already returning a receipt, then they are
usually just a text based message which breaks the actual tracking feature.

In most cases it only really works within a corporate environment but since
delivery is instant then, there is no real need for it. Usually when you
send an email and it cannot be delivered you will already receive a
notification by your ISP.

 

[Thombone]

So, if I don't get a note from an ISP indicating an e-mail was undeliverable,
can I be 100% certain that the e-mail WAS delivered?
Not that it's particularly important anymore given the information you have
provided but...
Since posting the original note I did receive one receipt. I went to the
original note in my sent file and opened it up. I still do not see a "show"
tab but I was able to add the "tracking" icon to the tool bar.
Unfortunately, when my cursor passes over it, it tells me it will show me the
tracking page but when I click on it, nothing happens.

thanks roady

 

[Roady [MVP]]

You cannot be 100% certain but usually it is more reliable than the delivery
receipt method.

Most mail servers are configured to send out NDR messages and delay messages
when a message has not been delivered after 4 hours (usually when the domain
was not reachable). You then receive an update after 8 hours and then about
every 24 hours after the original submitting time if it still has been
delayed and a final NDR when it wasn't delivered at all and the mail server
is giving up trying (usually after 72 hours/3 days).

Some servers directly give up after the first attempt (usually when the
domain was reachable but no mailbox for the recipient was found) and you'll
get the final NDR within minutes.

As this is all configurable on the mail server, your mileage may vary ;-)

 

[Roady [MVP]]

Oh, and to answer your other question;
When you receive a read receipt which hold a normal message icon, then the
tracking has been broken by the mail server or by your virus scanner.
When it holds a special read receipt icon then you must mark it as read and
delete it from your Inbox. Then the message tracking occurs and the sent
item will get a special icon as well and a tracking tab.