I assume the messages are just being deleted without appearing in your Spam folder (otherwise there wouldn’t be a problem reading the messages).
This strongly implies that Soutwest’s mail server has appeared on one or more blacklists to which Comcast subscribes.
If this is the case, then there really is nothing you can do. The blacklist operators, if they are reasonable (which may not be a reasonable assumption), then they should have contacted Southwest to let them know what the problem is and how they can rectify it.
But, depending on the blacklist, this may be easier said than done. Some lists are (in)famous for demanding not just cessation of spamming but public apologies, charitable donations and other forms of corporate grovelling. And any reasonable corporation is going just say “forget that”.
If that’s the case, and Comcast doesn’t want to switch to a different anti-spam provider, you will be left with no option but to use a different mail provder for at least Southwest, if not for everything else.
On the plus side, there are lots and lots of free e-mail providers. But it is a pain in the neck to have to deal with yet another mail provider.
The easiest way is to use your favorite mail app (maybe Apple Mail) to connect to both your old and new accounts via IMAP. Then you can move all the messages from Comcast’s folders to folders on the new account.
And if you want local backups, move the messages to folders in the “On My Mac” account (or whatever name your mail client uses for local storage).
The only mail app I have is Comcast. I can’t use Apple mail because it won’t send any email. I don’t know how to do either of the things you suggested. I do have a Comcast app on my MacBook/iPad and iPhone. Is that what you mean by “move the messages to folders in the “On My Mac” account (or whatever name your mail client uses for local storage).”?
I use a number of “hide my email” type forwarding services, including DuckDuckGo, iCloud email aliases, Yahoo, and a couple run by universities. In my experience, emails forwarded through these services are treated as spam not infrequently. So while “hide my email” is a good step to take for privacy and security, it is not a guaranteed solution for ensuring legitimate messages always make it to your inbox. Replying to forwarded emails can also be more complex, depending on how the forwarding service is set up.
It depends on why the email is being moved to spam. If it’s being done by one of your devices, then it might happen again even with “hide my email” (since your local rule would be flagging those emails as spam). If comcast themselves is doing it, that’s a different scenario and “hide my email” might work.
But “hide my email” adds another layer of complexity to the situation. It’s just a randomly generated email that sits between the sender and your regular account (it’s forwarded to your regular email account so that the sender doesn’t know that account).
Do you not have another email account? You could create a throw-away gmail or other free account to test the southwest situation just as easily. (Set up new email account, change your southwest to the new email, and see if you receive their emails.)
That sounds like a fixable problem. You should be able to configure Apple’s Mail app to use Comcast’s servers. If Apple’s account-setup script doesn’t work automatically, you (or a tech-savvy friend) should be able to manually configure it according to Comcast’s instructions.
If you use a mail application (not the provider’s web interface) via IMAP, then the app will typically present each mail provider as a separate set of folders (each with its own Inbox, Trash, Spam, etc.).
If this is on a Mac, you can then drag/drop messages from a folder belonging to one provider to a folder belonging to another provider. This will move the message from one provider’s server to the other provider’s server.
If this is on your phone, the mechanism for moving messages will be a bit different, but the result is the same. When you move a message from a folder belonging to one provider to a folder belonging to a different provider, the message will be moved between the servers.
In addition to mail-provider folders, mail clients will also provide a set of “local” folders. The name varies (Apple calls it “On my Mac” or “On my iPhone”. Thunderbird calls it “Local Folders”), but the behavior is the same. Messages you move to these folders are stored on your device and are not on anybody’s server.
One caveat – some commercial sending systems react to user spam reports by completely blocking mail to that account. So if somehow an address is reported as ever having indicated “I consider email from Southwest to be spam”, then it may very well be impossible to enable sending by Southwest to that address again.
As mentioned in other Tidbits discussions, I can recommend Mail Steward for a local backup of emails. You can use it to backup numerous email accounts as well as on-my-Mac mailboxes. It creates and adds to a searchable SQL database so is pretty future-proof.
This is especially useful if you cancel an email account but want to archive its old emails.
And one more thing about non-ISP email. I’ve spent a lot of time over the last couple of years helping family members with estate stuff. A non-ISP email account will ensure access to a deceased person’s email is maintained as long as needed. In contrast, if a executor, trustee, or property manager ends utility service at a residence that is no longer being used, email service tied to phone or cable service will end too.
As far as I know, you can keep you Comast email address even if you switch to another provider, as long as your account is being used. Not sure how long being inactive would eventually cause them to close it.
Also, I’ve read that Comcast is going to be dropping their email service and porting users accounts over to Yahoo. Email sent to Comcast.net addresses will appear on Yahoo’s platform once set up.
I too have been having problems receiving email from Comcast. I can send email with no trouble, but I often don’t receive email in a timely manner. I also get a message about my password being incorrect every time I try to get email from the Apple Mail app. The settings are all correct, I have reset it many times and entered the same password and even changed the passwords, but the problem persists. On my Mac, the “Connection Doctor” shows Apple Mail successfully connecting to Comcast servers via IMAP and SMTP. The odd this is when the “Password Incorrect” message appears, I can just press “Cancel” instead of entering my password, and the mail gets downloaded. I don’t know if it is an Apple Mail problem, or something to do with Comcast and some upcoming changes for the transition to Yahoo.
Just want to add that Yahoo is owned by a private equity firm and doesn’t really have much resemblance to the Silicon Valley company many of us remember. Why does this matter to Comcast email users? Because private equity owners have a very short term focus and concentrate on extracting money, not building ongoing businesses. So it is very likely Yahoo Mail users will be facing a lot of changes both soon and in the future. Many will be negative for users’ privacy.
If I was advising somebody looking for a free email account not tied to an ISP or to private equity, I probably would recommend Apple (iCloud), Microsoft (Outlook), or Google (Gmail).
An intermittent ‘me too’ on this point. I’m using Apple Mail app for… dare I say decades? and it was rock solid for a most of it. Last year without any change in OS or settings, there was a sudden drop in responses from individuals, businesses, all kinds of recipients and after couple of weeks I contacted them by phone or other addresses and found they hadn’t rec’d my mails even though the sending sound was there and the email hopped over to the Sent Mailbox. No indication of failure other than lack of response.
And then it was working and then it wasn’t: unreliable. The solution for me was to get a new independent email account and send anything really important over that, and to follow up sooner on email sent from Apple accounts for what I sent from there.
So @janesprando I can second the motion of others here to get an email savvy friend (are there still any Mac User Groups? in your area?) to help either get Apple Mail and Comcast working or get a new email service and help with the transfer.
OP wrote: “I have talked to Comcast. They said it is not their problem. Southwest needs to UNspam my email and then I would get their email. Adam knows this, too. I wish I could find where spammed email goes”
Comcast doesn’t operate their own email servers any more. They’ve handed their email services over to yahoo (as other ISP’s have done as well).
Does the email address you’re using that’s giving you problems end in “comcast.net” ?
What I’d try is:
Wait until another Southwest email ends up in the spam folder. Don’t do anything with it yet. We don’t want to “touch” it yet.
Open a browser and enter this:
Enter your xxx@comcast.net email address, and password when requested.
This should take you to yahoo’s web-based email page (for Comcast).
Are you able to get there?
(if not, you may have not taken steps to “port your mail over” from comcast to yahoo)
Assuming that you DO get there, now click on the spam folder (on the left).
Do you now see the email?
If so, click the checkbox to the left of the email header. Now, up above a little, there ought to be a “not spam” button that you can click. Try it.
Does that remove the email from spam and put it into the inbox?
There have been NO emails from Southwest (the ones about flights) since that first time. I get emails about Southwest cruises and points, but those have different email addresses.
Jane, I realize what I have to say is probably not really helpful for you. But I see people who have recommended getting off Comcast/Yahoo and starting on a reliable Internet service provider with good tech support. It’s also what I think you should do.
If I were your friend, and lived close to you, this is what I would do. I’d start an email account with such an ISP. I use Fastmail because it’s good and it has excellent and responsive tech support. Then I’d get your Apple Mail working. There’s no reason why Apple Mail should not be sending mail. How have you verified that? Have you sent an email to yourself? To a trusted friend who will immediately check their email? Whatever the problem is, Apple Mail works, and it should work for you. I have a friend whose father has had consistent and frustrating issues with Comcast. He gets really bad tech support from them – obviously incorrect advice. Once they told him he had to change his AppleID password, just ridiculous advice. From what I have seen, Comcast is sure to cause you ongoing headaches.
And then I would start the process of porting all of your email to the new ISP. It would probably be a laborious and complicated process, something you’d want some to do for you, maybe, but it’s entirely possible.
Absolutely the best thing to do. I have lots of clients with Comcast email addresses and problems like yours. Get a Gmail address, and set your Comcast email to auto-forward, then start telling your contacts to use Gmail (maybe in a bulk mail, or just put your new address in a signature).
I don’t like Google but their email service is #1 in the Galaxy for a good reason.
@sherman, I know Apple mail doesn’t send my email because people haven’t received it. I will try again and send an email to me and another friend today and let you know if either of us gets it. When I got a new MacBook Air 2 years ago, an Apple tech tried to fix it, but it still didn’t work.
Switching to a new email address will be daunting. My Comcast email is the user name on so many sites. This is a stupid question, but I am going to ask it; Could I still keep my Comcast email as my user name, but have a different email address?