Hosting question

[foto]

My hosting company cancelled me because someone was sending spam emails thru my website or domain and crashing their server. Can anyone please tell me how this was my fault, since I did not use their POP3 mail service, I use either Yahoo or Hotmail. They did not give me any info other than the above and cancelled me with no warning.
How do I (if this is my fault) prevent this from happening when I select a new web hosting company??

[1PlanHost]

I certainly understand how this can be very frustrating. Your host should have evidence of the spam emails saved and they should be able to provide you with that evidence. If you or anyone connected with your web site did not send the spam messages then your site should not have been cancelled.

However, be aware that regardless of the source of spam (if you used their email server or not), spamvertising a web site is never acceptable. It makes no difference if you use the hosts email servers or a hotmail account when you send spam advertising a web site. This is called spamvertising and it can get your site cancelled in a heartbeat.

Any responsible web host will suspend or cancel web sites for spaming. If the host does not do so when an abuse report is received, then their entire email server may be blacklisted on spamcop and other anti-spam blacklisting sites. Once blacklisted, it is very difficult to get off that list and this causes severe problems from legitimate email being received by many ISP's who subscribe to those blacklist.

Best Wishes For a .Net Success!

[Real1]

Can anyone please tell me how this was my fault, since I did not use their POP3 mail service

Your host should know by the header if you did not use the pop server as the headers would have shown this. If your domain was spoofed, they should have helped you get it under control and contacted the ISP on your behalf.

[1PlanHost]

Again, your host should have evidence of the spam emails saved and they should be able to provide you with that evidence. If you or anyone connected with your web site did not send the spam messages then your site should not have been cancelled.

However, be aware that regardless of the source of spam (if you used their email server or not), spamvertising a web site is never acceptable. It makes no difference if you use the hosts email servers or a hotmail account when you send spam advertising a web site. This is called spamvertising and it can get your site cancelled in a heartbeat.

Many people are under the false assumption that they can send out spam messages from a Yahoo or Hotmail account to promote their sites thinking that it does not matter since they are not using the hosts email server. Again, this is a very false assumption.

It is also a false assumption to assume that one can send unsolicited commercial emails out and simply put a message at the bottom stating that the spam message is in compliance with whatever law and have an opt out mechanism in place.

Spam is a very serious problem and reputable professional hosting companies do all they can to combat it daily in order to protect the mail server from being blacklisted.

Say NO to SPAM!

[pxtek]

At their TOS (Terms Of Services), did they write anything about sending spam mails using their hosting service? If they did then.. yes it's your fault. If they didn't your the winner...

[1PlanHost]

Any reputable and responsible host would have anti-spam clauses in their Terms of Service or Acceptable Use Policies. If they don't stay way clear of them since it is either a sign of a very inexperienced host or one that endorses spam. Either way you can bet their email servers will be blacklisted at spamcop, abusenet and other places.

Best Wishes for a .Net Success!

[bidaddy]

Purchase a new web host

There are a variety of hosting providers out there, each with its own configuration. You will need to evaluate which is right for you based on a number of factors, such as cost, required space, and server configuration, to name a few. When purchasing, consider registering your domain to a third party provider so that in case you do ever need to switch hosts again, your domain can come with you more easily and without any potential complications.