Here is a selection of the correspondence between BT Internet customer John Ding and members of BT Internet Support (with contributions from a few other customers) that took place in the newsgroups btinternet.support and btinternet.whinge following a BT Internet "mail server upgrade" that took place just before the Whitsun bank holiday at the end of May 2000.

The Kafkaesque nature of Mr Ding's predicament and his ever-increasing frustration are painfully reminiscent of the saga of S. Berman and the hotel soap - with one major difference: BT Internet were at the time overwhelmed with complaints about the quality of the service in general and about e-mail in particular; it was a while before Mr Ding received any replies from BT Internet Support...

Subject: Re: Perplexed
From: "Wembley" <wemb@wipeout.btinternet.com>
Date: Wed, 31 May 2000 00:14:48 +0100

"John Ding" wrote in message news:8h1hcj$f4c$1@plutonium.btinternet.com...

I get connected OK, can send mail but then get another requester box (with padlock & keys) asking for server password etc. This is a new one on me SO, kind folks, is this due to BTi or my cocked up system. Even phoned tech support but all that did was ring and ring - no answer after 5 mins so gave up after three attempts.

Try telneting into the mail server - run the command
telnet mail.btinternet.com 110
and then after it connects type
user YourUserName
hit enter, and then enter
pass YourPassword

I get mailbox locked error messages like the others here at the moment.

Wembley

Subject: Re: Perplexed
From: "Paul Smith" <ozric99@btinternet.com>
Date: Wed, 31 May 2000 00:20:57 +0100

"John Ding" wrote in message news:8h1hcj$f4c$1@plutonium.btinternet.com...
I've had probs with my PC today and like many of you other unlucky bunnies can send but can't receive e-mail. I know BTi are more-or-less comatose at this time but can not fathom whether the lack of *my* mail is due to BTi or my problematical PC.

Silly question really wasn't it :o)

I get connected OK, can send mail but then get another requester box (with padlock & keys) asking for server password etc. This is a new one on me SO, kind folks, is this due to BTi or my cocked up system. Even phoned tech support but all that did was ring and ring - no answer after 5 mins so gave up after three attempts.

Never Ever phone tech support... You end up paying 50p per minute to talk to some muppet who knows jack shit about any problems you may be having.
You'd be better off taking both your computer and modem apart and prodding randomly with a soldering iron.

--
----====>> Paul Smith <<====----

Wembley wrote in message <8h1i2g$f4m$1@neptunium.btinternet.com>...

"John Ding" wrote in message news:8h1hcj$f4c$1@plutonium.btinternet.com...

I get connected OK, can send mail but then get another requester box with padlock & keys) asking for server password etc. This is a new one on me SO, kind folks, is this due to BTi or my cocked up system. Even phoned tech support but all that did was ring and ring - no answer after 5 mins so gave up after three attempts.

Try telneting into the mail server - run the command
telnet mail.btinternet.com 110
and then after it connects type
user YourUserName
hit enter, and then enter
pass YourPassword

I get mailbox locked error messages like the others here at the moment.

Cheers Wembley, I fell asleep trying to sort it out - will give it a crack tomorrow or should I say, later today.

Regards,

John

Paul Smith wrote in message <8h2oiu$24r$1@uranium.btinternet.com>...

"John Ding" wrote in message news:8h1hcj$f4c$1@plutonium.btinternet.com...

I've had probs with my PC today and like many of you other unlucky bunnies can send but can't receive e-mail. I know BTi are more-or-less comatose at this time but can not fathom whether the lack of *my* mail is due to BTi or my problematical PC.

Silly question really wasn't it :o)

Hi Paul,

Well yes I know, but .......... but with my system doing weird and not so wonderful things anyway, and not being *that* worldly-wise with these computer things even after nearly two years, decided to solicit the comments of those who are more computer literate - and where better a place ?

I get connected OK, can send mail but then get another requester box with padlock & keys) asking for server password etc. This is a new one on me SO, kind folks, is this due to BTi or my cocked up system. Even phoned tech support but all that did was ring and ring - no answer after 5 mins so gave up after three attempts.

Never Ever phone tech support... You end up paying 50p per minute to talk to some muppet who knows jack shit about any problems you may be having.

You'd be better off taking both your computer and modem apart and prodding randomly with a soldering iron.

Believe me, with the intermittent PC probs over the last three or so days, it has come close to being modified with a 3lb masonary hammer on several occasions and normally the thought of 50p per minute would not be entertained. However, as I am on three months free of subs following the stink had with Billing, in desperation decided to use some of the recouped £29.97 but, as noted, that saving has been retained as nobody chose to nswer Support's phone.

Thanks for response,

Cheers

John ;-))

BT Internet Support wrote in message <3936A2DE.245FE0EF@btinternet.com>...

clive wrote:

anyone else not able to get email tonight?

Hi Clive,

According to the logs, there were no mail outages at that time. Was everything else slow as well? I believe that there was a problem at that time where some connections did not have access to SMTP, news and FTP. You should still have been able to retrieve your email.

Disconnecting and reconnecting would have solved that particular problem. Let me know if you are still having difficulties with email.
--
Regards,
Iain
BT Internet Support
******************

Iain,

As I am getting no response on Support NG I'm trying here.

I too still cannot download my e-mail because of that damned padlock and cannot get at them via Web Mail either. PLEASE advise ASAP.

John Ding

At 12.19 2nd June, Graham, BT Internet Support wrote in message <8h85jp$coc$1@plutonium.btinternet.com>...

Hello Rogue.

----------

In article <9ssqisgq08qv1ju22q8ogdqe7sbq1smhr0@4ax.com>, Rogue
<Rogue_Leader@Yavin5.com> wrote:

This has got worse since I advised billing that I was not renewing my account. Sort it out!

The problems with the mail server have now been resolved.

Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience caused.

Regards,

Graham.
BT Internet Support.
**********

Graham,

If as you say "The problems with the mail server have now been resolved", then why does the Status Line message say there ARE problems ? Either way, *I* am still unable to download e-mail because of that dratted padlock and even if I can log on to Web Mail (so far only twice in 72 hours), the process of checking the mail there is so long winded that I have only been able to access a couple of the last seen 178 items before I'm kicked off.

Your comments please.

John Ding

Iain,BT Internet Support wrote in message <393962D1.248E9EB0@btinternet.com>...

Kevin Daily wrote:

THEY HAVE TAKEN THE NOTE DOWN TELLING US ITS ALL FIXED NOW ......LUCK
F....

Hi Kevin,
Is this in regards to email? The mail problem is still ongoing. You should be able to access your email without problems now however we are still working on a permanent solution to this problem.

--
Regards,
Iain
BT Internet Support

Iain,

If Kevin *should* be able to access his mail without problems, then why am I still padlocked out of mine ??

John Ding

John Ding wrote in message news:8hdeah$qut$1@plutonium.btinternet.com...

Support,

As I am unable to receive mail in the normal way nor read them via Web Mail, I have sent you my phone number to support@btinternet.com and would appreciate a phone call from you this evening after 21.00 - hopefully with a solution on how I can access or read the 358 mails that are awaiting me.
Thank you.

--
John Ding

Don't you think your supposed to phone them? Thats the whole idea of the 50p/m line - they make money ££

Olly.

Subject: Re: FIXED ????
From: BT Internet Support <support@btinternet.com>
Date: Sun, 04 Jun 2000 16:41:40 +0100

John Ding wrote:

Iain,

If Kevin *should* be able to access his mail without problems, then why am I still padlocked out of mine ??

Hi John, Email me at iain@btinternet.com with the mailbox that you are having problems with and I will get the admin team to fix it manually for you.
It should have been fixed along with the others and I can only apologise for the problems that you are still experiencing.

-- Regards, Iain BT Internet Support

In article <8hciq3$6mf$1@plutonium.btinternet.com>, "John Ding" wrote:

Support,

As in common with many others, I have not been able to download my e-mail since the 30th May so have attempted to access them by means of Web Mail.

This facility too has been usually unobtainable, but a few minutes back I did manage to get on board and find I have 330+ mails awaiting me.

Attempting to read any mail only returns an error message e.g. :

[ Can't read item file (/data/isp/bti/webmail/dmailweb/n_u8/y9/roadie_Pmail5_Ibtinternet_Icom/0/m_315.dat) (No such file or directory) ]

Clicking "back" reverts me to the listing page which tells me I have no mails - so where have the 300+ originally shown vanished to ? Why are they not accessible ?Logging on again just repeats the performance. Please advise ASAP.

--
John Ding

Hi John,

I have accessed your mailbox via telnet and there are 370 messages waiting on the server for you. Also logged in via Web Mail and all appeared ok. Can you re-try downloading your mail via your mail client and let us know if any error's occur.

--
Regards,

Liam

BT Internet Support

John Ding wrote:

As I am unable to receive mail in the normal way nor read them via Web Mail, I have sent you my phone number to support@btinternet.com and would appreciate a phone call from you this evening after 21.00 - hopefully with a solution on how I can access or read the 358 mails that are awaiting me.
Thank you.

You've got two hopes mate, and one of them is the popular American comedian, Mr Robert Hope.

--
Microsoft: This company has performed an illegal operation and will be shut down.

In article <8hdeah$qut$1@plutonium.btinternet.com>, "John Ding" wrote:

Support,

As I am unable to receive mail in the normal way nor read them via Web Mail, I have sent you my phone number to support@btinternet.com and would appreciate a phone call from you this evening after 21.00 - hopefully with a solution on how I can access or read the 358 mails that are awaiting me.
Thank you.

--
John Ding

Hi John,

I replied to your earlier post regarding this problem. In which I stated I was able to access your mailbox via telnet & Web Mail and couldn't see anything obvious that was causing your download problems. Can you tell me what error you receive while trying to download your mail via an Email client.

--
Regards,

Liam

BT Internet Support

Bt Internet support wrote in message ...

In article <8hdeah$qut$1@plutonium.btinternet.com>, "John Ding" wrote:

Support,

As I am unable to receive mail in the normal way nor read them via Web Mail, I have sent you my phone number to support@btinternet.com and would appreciate a phone call from you this evening after 21.00 - hopefully with solution on how I can access or read the 358 mails that are awaiting me.
Thank you.

--
John Ding

Hi John,

I replied to your earlier post regarding this problem.
In which I stated I was able to access your mailbox via telnet & Web Mail and couldn't see anything obvious that was causing your download problems.

Can you tell me what error you receive while trying to download your mail via an Email client.

--
Regards,

Liam

BT Internet Support
***************

Hi Liam,
Thank you for your response. Unfortunately I appear not to have received your earlier reply.

After connection and clicking "send/ receive", mail is uploaded OK but I am then presented with a dialogue box entitled "Logon - mail.btinternet.com" with the instruction "please enter your name and password for the following server", To the left of this instruction is a padlock and keys icon. Below that is space for my user name which is automatically inserted and below that, space for my password to be typed in. Until this recent mail server problem I had never before seen this dialogue box and so have never needed or ever had a password to access my mail other than the one I use for connecting. I have tried using this, but to no avail. Should it be of more help I am posting a snapshot of it on Chatter.Pictures.

In trying to access my mail via Web Mail, initially for about 72 hours the site would not open fully. I was then either timed out, the connection dropped or my password was not accepted. For the last 30 hours approximately I have been able to access the Web Mail site and at the last count, had 358 mails awaiting me. However, although I did manage to read a couple of them on one occasion, I am usually presented with the following e.g. :

"Can't read item file (/data/isp/bti/webmail/dmailweb/n_u8/y9/roadie_Pmail5_Ibtinternet_Icom/0/m _315.dat) (No such file or directory)"

And that is it ........ I can see the mails piling up but can't get at them.

Again thanks for your response and I hope you can throw some light on the problem.

Regards,

John Ding

John Ding wrote in message <8heoiu$380$1@plutonium.btinternet.com>...

Bt Internet support wrote in message ...

In article <8hdeah$qut$1@plutonium.btinternet.com>, "John Ding" wrote:

Support,

As I am unable to receive mail in the normal way nor read them via Web Mail, I have sent you my phone number to support@btinternet.com and would appreciate a phone call from you this evening after 21.00 - hopefully with a solution on how I can access or read the 358 mails that are awaiting me.

Thank you.

--
John Ding

Hi John,

I replied to your earlier post regarding this problem.

In which I stated I was able to access your mailbox via telnet & Web Mail and couldn't see anything obvious that was causing your download problems.

Can you tell me what error you receive while trying to download your mail via an Email client.

--
Regards,

Liam

BT Internet Support
***************

Hi Liam,

Thank you for your response. Unfortunately I appear not to have received your earlier reply.

After connection and clicking "send/ receive", mail is uploaded OK but I am then presented with a dialogue box entitled "Logon - mail.btinternet.com" with the instruction "please enter your name and password for the following server", To the left of this instruction is a padlock and keys icon. Below that is space for my user name which is automatically inserted and below that, space for my password to be typed in. Until this recent mail server problem I had never before seen this dialogue box and so have never needed or ever had a password to access my mail other than the one I use for connecting. I have tried using this, but to no avail. Should it be of more help I am posting a snapshot of it on Chatter.Pictures.

In trying to access my mail via Web Mail, initially for about 72 hours the site would not open fully. I was then either timed out, the connection dropped or my password was not accepted. For the last 30 hours approximately I have been able to access the Web Mail site and at the last count, had 358 mails awaiting me. However, although I did manage to read a couple of them on one occasion, I am usually presented with the following e.g. :

"Can't read item file
(/data/isp/bti/webmail/dmailweb/n_u8/y9/roadie_Pmail5_Ibtinternet_Icom/0/m315.dat) (No such file or directory)"

And that is it ........ I can see the mails piling up but can't get at them.

Again thanks for your response and I hope you can throw some light on the problem.

Regards,

John Ding

Bt Internet support wrote in message ...

Hi John,

I have accessed your mailbox via telnet and there are 370 messages waiting on the server for you.

Also logged in via Web Mail and all appeared ok.

Can you re-try downloading your mail via your mail client and let us know if any error's occur.

--
Regards,

Liam

BT Internet Support

OK Liam, as only you can access my mailbox and it's contents would you kindly do so again, do a print out of each mail and post them to me.

Contact Billing for address details.

Thank you

John Ding ========

"John Ding" wrote in message news:8hjcai$qoq$1@neptunium.btinternet.com...

Support,

Still unable to access my e-mail (since 30th May) because of that damned padlock. Web Mail is also unaccessible.

I wouldn't bother both incoming and outgoing mail is so broken theres no point accessing your mail anyway.

I suggest you switch ISP, its the only way to make things work.

Steve (Waiting for the the FU to come through)

Subject: Re: STILL NO MAIL [since 30th May]
From: "John Ding"
Date: Tue, 6 Jun 2000 19:00:59 +0100

Steve Peake wrote in message <8hjd14$4hp$1@uranium.btinternet.com>...
"John Ding" wrote in message
news:8hjcai$qoq$1@neptunium.btinternet.com...

Support,

Still unable to access my e-mail (since 30th May) because of that damned padlock. Web Mail is also unaccessible.

I wouldn't bother both incoming and outgoing mail is so broken theres no point accessing your mail anyway.

I suggest you switch ISP, its the only way to make things work.

Steve (Waiting for the the FU to come through)

Thanks for your response Steve - more that can be expected from Support it seems.

Cheers,

John

"John Ding" wrote in message news:8hje5o$61i$1@neptunium.btinternet.com...

Steve Peake wrote in message <8hjd14$4hp$1@uranium.btinternet.com>...

"John Ding" wrote in message news:8hjcai$qoq$1@neptunium.btinternet.com...

Support,

Still unable to access my e-mail (since 30th May) because of that damned padlock. Web Mail is also unaccessible.

I wouldn't bother both incoming and outgoing mail is so broken theres no point accessing your mail anyway.

I suggest you switch ISP, its the only way to make things work.

Steve (Waiting for the the FU to come through)

Thanks for your response Steve - more that can be expected from Support it seems.

Cheers,

John

pissed off wrote in message <8hjgk6$kkd$1@uranium.btinternet.com>...

I too have been having problems in receiving and sending emails. There are a few ones I am waiting on that are important to me and I find the lack of information from BT unacceptable. Purely by chance did I come across the BTInternet newsgroups and have found a lot of other people in the same situation. The level of service is far below what I expected when I signed up for 12 months, I should have just tried it month by month to see how well it worked but I am stuck with it until March 2001.

Does anyone that reads these messages have any hope or experience of compensation from BT

I am on a three month "freebie" (until July) following my complaint to Billing about the abysmal reliability/service back in March; others too have been granted the same/similar. But you have to be persistant, keep our cool, gather your facts and with BTi shooting themselves in the foot so often, this isn't difficult to do.

Mind you, it is probably because I am on this "freebie" that Support are ignoring my posts at this time.

John Ding
--

Subject: Re: Email access
From: "John Ding"
Date: Tue, 6 Jun 2000 20:36:13 +0100

pissed off wrote in message <8hjhqf$nbq$1@neptunium.btinternet.com>...
I keep getting a request for my user name and password when trying to send and receive email through BT. Is this because of the same problem I have been reading about in these posts.

Would appear to be - tho' Support (and I use the term lightly) failed to clarify the situation when I first asked for help on the 30th May, the last time I was able to download any e-mail. Unlike many others it would seem, I can at least upload.

In that time I have had one response (from Liam) and having supplied the info requested, have heard nothing since.

It won't help with uploading of course, but have you tried reading your mails via BT Web Mail ? Usually, I can't get on the site because of time outs, server resets etc but when I can - and see the 400+ mails awaiting me - I still can't get at them as i get a "no file" error.

Support's Liam said he could access them, but failed to mention how *I* could.

This has now been going on for two days.

I believe some customers were affected back around the 28th May.

Ho Hum

John Ding
--

Subject: Re: 2 Hours 50 minutes
From: "John Ding"
Date: Tue, 6 Jun 2000 21:40:38 +0100

jamesd wrote in message <8hjmvo$jbs$1@uranium.btinternet.com>...

i've been online for 2 hours and 50 minutes... what are the bets on 3 hours....

James

I haven't been able to download my e-mails for seven days ... what are the bets on 10 ?

John Ding ;-))

Subject: Re: STILL NO MAIL [since 30th May]
From: Glenn Roberts
Date: Tue, 06 Jun 2000 22:07:41 +0100

John Ding wrote:

Mind you, it is probably because I am on this "freebie" that Support are ignoring my posts at this time.

No, they're ignoring most of the rest of them too, as a cursory glance at the selective nature of this evening's replies will attest.

What a disgrace. >:-(

--
Microsoft: This company has performed an illegal operation and will be shut down.

In article <8hk01s$28j$1@neptunium.btinternet.com>, "John Ding" wrote:

Support,

WHY IS THERE STILL A PADLOCK ON MY MAIL AFTER SEVEN DAYS ?
WHY IS WEB MAIL UNUSABLE ?
WHY ARE YOU DESTROYING THE ALMOST TWO YEARS LOYALTY I HAVE GIVEN YOU ?

Hi John,

I have been able to access your mailbox via Telnet & Mailflush and you have over 500 messages waiting, no large emails etc. So you should be able to download them now but if your still having problems please let me know.

--
Regards,

Liam

BT Internet Support

Subject: Re: WHY ?
From: Bt Internet support <Support@btinternet.com>
Date: Wed, 07 Jun 2000 11:20:49 +0100

In article <8hjpkj$1a8$1@neptunium.btinternet.com>, "John Ding" wrote:

SUPPORT !!

I HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR HELP FOR SEVEN DAYS - WHY ARE YOU IGNORING ME ??

Hi John,

I am sorry to hear you feel you are being ignored but I have answered your latest post and stated in this that I have been able to access your mailbox here ok.

If you could re-try downloading your mail again as it should be ok but if you run into the same problem please let me know.

--
Regards,

Liam

BT Internet Support

Subject: Re: WHY - WHY - WHY !!!
From: "John Ding"
Date: Wed, 7 Jun 2000 14:59:40 +0100

Bt Internet support wrote in message ...
In article <8hk01s$28j$1@neptunium.btinternet.com>,

Hi John,

I have been able to access your mailbox via Telnet & Mailflush and you have over 500 messages waiting, no large emails etc. So you should be able to download them now but if your still having problems please let me know.

--
Regards,

Liam

BT Internet Support
************

Liam,

The situation for me has not changed. I am still not able to download any mail. I am presented with a Logon requester box (with padlock icon) that wants a password I know nothing about.

Web Mail only produces error messages and I have included a selection of these in GIF format to the Chatter.Pictures NG so that you can see all that I have been able to see for the last seven days.

On a couple of occasion back on the 4th June I did actually get to seeing a listing of the mails then in, but trying to access them only gave:

"Can't read item file (/data/isp/bti/webmail/dmailweb/n_u8/y9/roadie_Pmail5_Ibtinternet_Icom/0/m _315.dat) (No such file or directory)"

John Ding

Subject: Re: WHY - WHY - WHY !!!
From: Dave Roberts <mare.infinitus@btinternet.com>
Date: Wed, 07 Jun 2000 22:09:34 +0100

In message <hlkfo$h1k$1@plutonium.btinternet.com> "John Ding" wrote:

The situation for me has not changed. I am still not able to download any mail. I am presented with a Logon requester box (with padlock icon) that wants a password I know nothing about.

Have you got something along the lines of 'use secure access to mail server' enabled in your mail settings?

Otherwise, if you want to see for yourself whether it is BTi or your software that is playing up, load up your telnet program and telnet to mail.btinternet.com port 110

user roadie
pass yourpassword

and then you should be logged in. Use 'list' to get a list of mail, 'retr messagenumber' to read a message, 'dele messagenumber' to delete it. Webmail is probably barfing at the 500 messages in there.

--
Dave Roberts

mare.infinitus@btinternet.com

Subject: Re: WHY - WHY - WHY !!! [FAO Dave Roberts]
From: "John Ding"
Date: Thu, 8 Jun 2000 00:01:00 +0100

Dave Roberts wrote in message <7a171acb49.mare.infinitus@btinternet.com>...

In message <8hlkfo$h1k$1@plutonium.btinternet.com>
"John Ding" wrote:

The situation for me has not changed. I am still not able to download any mail. I am presented with a Logon requester box (with padlock icon) that wants a password I know nothing about.

Have you got something along the lines of 'use secure access to mail server' enabled in your mail settings?

Dave,

Thanks for you response but to the above question, no, as far as I can see, nothing of that nature has been enabled. However, will check through everything again to make sure.

Otherwise, if you want to see for yourself whether it is BTi or your software that is playing up, load up your telnet program and telnet to mail.btinternet.com port 110

When this problem first raised its ugly head it was at the time many others were complaining of the same or similar problems, but even so I wasn't sure *my* prob was 100% down to BTi. Hence my original posting here for clarification from Support. Unfortunately it was about three days before they responded to my request for help during which time, altho' I still couldn't access my mailbox, I was able to view its contents and even managed to cut 'n' paste a couple of the mails via Web Mail. Since then even that means of access has been denied even tho' Liam seems to have no trouble of taking a peek.

In a great display of ignorance, I have to ask, just what/where is my telnet program ?

Again, many thanks for your help,

Regards,

John Ding

Subject: Re: FAO Liam -- URGENT !!
From: "BT Internet Support" <Support@btinternet.com>
Date: Thu, 08 Jun 2000 11:48:36 +0100

----------
In article <8hnro8$7dd$1@uranium.btinternet.com>, "John Ding" wrote:

Hi Liam,

As requested, I again posted details of my locked mailbox here to Support NG (and GIFs to Chatter.Pictures) @ 14.59 yesterday, 7th June.

At this time the problem of my locked mailbox still remains. I am also still unable to access Web Mail - though with in excess of 500 mails awaiting me this is no longer of much use as I need to download and be able to sort/action them as and when I get the time.

What by the way is the capacity of my mailbox, meaning, at the rate at which I am receiving mail (which only you know), how much more capacity is left before it is full and presumably bounces mail back to the sender.

Please advise ASAP

John Ding

Hello John,

Liam is not available today, I have however run some tests and ensured that your issue was being dealt with. I can telnet into your mailbox and display the amount of messages waiting for you. The webmail application by default will only display 101 messages as a maximum at any one given time. I would suggest that you download your mail via a mail client as this should download without any problems. John, let me know how you get on.

--
Regards

William BT Internet Support

Subject: Re: FAO WILLIAM -- URGENT !!
From: "John Ding"
Date: Thu, 8 Jun 2000 13:35:33 +0100

BT Internet Support wrote in message <8hntkv$pe2$1@plutonium.btinternet.com>...

Hello John,

Liam is not available today, I have however run some tests and ensured that your issue was being dealt with. I can telnet into your mailbox and the amount of messages waiting for you. The webmail application by default will only display 101 messages as a maximum at any one given time. I would suggest that you download your mail via a mail client as this should download without any problems. John, let me know how you get on.

--
Regards

William
BT Internet Support
******************

Hi William,

Thanks for your response. In a display of ignorance, when you suggest "download your mail via a mail client" do I take it you mean that I sign up with the likes of Yahoo etc - or what ?

You can take it as read that I am not overburdened with knowledge in all this computrickery caper and although I have checked - following a response from fellow subscriber Dave Roberts - and have not found *I* have enabled anything here that would need a password to be able to access my mail, would you kindly advise me of the places I *should* look (OE V4)just in case I may have missed something.

The lock, by the way - see my GIF on Chatter.Pictures - is still in place at this time.

TIA

John Ding

<snip>

******************

Hi William,

Thanks for your response. In a display of ignorance, when you suggest "download your mail via a mail client" do I take it you mean that I sign up with the likes of Yahoo etc - or what ?

You can take it as read that I am not overburdened with knowledge in all this computrickery caper and although I have checked - following a response from fellow subscriber Dave Roberts - and have not found *I* have enabled anything here that would need a password to be able to access my mail, would you kindly advise me of the places I *should* look (OE V4)just in case I may have missed something.

The lock, by the way - see my GIF on Chatter.Pictures - is still in place at this time.

TIA

John Ding

Hello John,

My apologies for not explaining this more clearly, by "Mail Client" I have had a look on Chatter.pictures, are you still getting the prompt to re-enter your password?

--
Regards

William BT Internet Support

BT Internet Support wrote in message <8ho5oo$np6$1@plutonium.btinternet.com>...

Hello John,

My apologies for not explaining this more clearly, by "Mail Client" I have had a look on Chatter.pictures, are you still getting the prompt to re-enter your password?

--
Regards

William
BT Internet Support
******************

Hi William,

Everything is the same now as it has been since 30th May. All I see when I try to get mail is that Logon requester box as shown in the first GIF.

John Ding

----------
In article <8hogce$j83$1@uranium.btinternet.com>, "John Ding" wrote:

>snip<

Hi William,

Everything is the same now as it has been since 30th May. All I see when I try to get mail is that Logon requester box as shown in the first GIF.

John Ding

Hello John,

I have just tried to contact you regarding this issue and received no answer, I have managed to Telnet into your mail box and display the messages. When you are prompted to re-enter your password do you attempt to re-enter?

If you can let me know when you are available I will call or arrange for one of my colleagues to call you.

--
Regards

William BT Internet Support

BT Internet Support wrote in message <8hoirm$rl2$1@uranium.btinternet.com>...

Hello John,

I have just tried to contact you regarding this issue and received no answer

Hi Again William.,

Aaaaah - that was you who showed on 1471 !! Sods Laws init, been in all day and at 17.40 popped up the village shop for some milk.

I have managed to Telnet into your mail box and display the messages. When you are prompted to re-enter your password do you attempt to re-enter?

Yep ....... but then after failing to authorise, the requester box returns as before and I'm back where I started.

If you can let me know when you are available I will call or arrange for one of my colleagues to call you.

Thank you............. I shall be available for the rest of this evening and until about 02.30. As I get a few phone calls most evenings may I suggest you/your colleague calls between 22.00 - 02.30.

Again my thanks.

Regards,

John Ding

----------
In article <8holpp$akn$1@neptunium.btinternet.com>, "John Ding" wrote:

>snip<

Hi Again William.,

Aaaaah - that was you who showed on 1471 !! Sods Laws init, been in all day and at 17.40 popped up the village shop for some milk.

I have managed to Telnet into your mail box and display the messages. When you are prompted to re-enter your password do you attempt to re-enter?

Yep ....... but then after failing to authorise, the requester box returns as before and I'm back where I started.

If you can let me know when you are available I will call or arrange for one of my colleagues to call you.

Thank you............. I shall be available for the rest of this evening and until about 02.30. As I get a few phone calls most evenings may I suggest you/your colleague calls between 22.00 - 02.30.

Again my thanks.

Regards,

John Ding

Hello John,

I have passed this issue onto my colleague who will contact you at 10.00pm.

--
Regards

William BT Internet Support

BT Internet Support wrote in message <8hon1k$g7l$1@uranium.btinternet.com>...

Hello John,

I have passed this issue onto my colleague who will contact you at 10.00pm.

--
Regards

William
BT Internet Support
******************

Thanks William, I shall make sure the line is clear for their call.

John Ding

Subject: Re: FAO WILLIAM -- URGENT !!
From: Glenn Roberts
Date: Thu, 08 Jun 2000 22:09:19 +0100

John Ding wrote:

Aaaaah - that was you who showed on 1471 !! Sods Laws init, been in all day and at 17.40 popped up the village shop for some milk.

What the bl**dy hell is this group now? 'The Archers'?!

--
Microsoft: This company has performed an illegal operation and will be shut down.

On Thu, 08 Jun 2000 22:09:19 +0100, Glenn Roberts wrote:

John Ding wrote:

Aaaaah - that was you who showed on 1471 !! Sods Laws init, been in all day and at 17.40 popped up the village shop for some milk.

What the bl**dy hell is this group now? 'The Archers'?!

Shhhhh - don't interrupt, Glenn. I'm finding the saga of John Ding's locked mailbox about as ludicrous and excruciating as the famous episode of S. Berman and the bars of hotel soap (see http://www.bargain-mall.com/soap.htm or, Google tells me, any of about 1,000 other sites).

I'm thinking of asking John's permission to make a web page of it (I don't think I'll ask BTi).

--
Regards
Peter Boulding

Subject: Re: FAO WILLIAM -- URGENT !!
From: Niall
Date: Thu, 08 Jun 2000 23:40:36 +0100

On Thu, 8 Jun 2000 18:41:12 +0100, "John Ding" wrote:

Aaaaah - that was you who showed on 1471 !! Sods Laws init, been in all day and at 17.40 popped up the village shop for some milk.

They have a special device on their phones to allow them to do this :-)

--
Niall

The pièce de résistance

In which Support finally reply to the first of John's 30-odd pleas for help...

Subject: Re: Perplexed
From: BT Internet Support <support@btinternet.com>
Date: Sun, 11 Jun 2000 21:03:21 +0100

John Ding wrote:

I've had probs with my PC today and like many of you other unlucky bunnies can send but can't receive e-mail. I know BTi are more-or-less comatose at

Hi John, Are you still experiencing problems with your mail? I believe that you have been in touch with my colleagues regarding this.
--
Regards,
Iain
BT Internet Support

A Happy Ending

John did eventually reply to my e-mail...

Hi Peter,

Thanks for your mail. My apologies for not getting back to you sooner having been away for much of the time since last weekend.

I eventually got my mailbox unlocked last weekend - 10/11th June - when 961 mails were dumped on me from a great height !!

Just what the prob was, I am none too sure. BTi Support *did* phone me as promised and it was discovered an old Inbox profile had resurrected itself. This was deleted and all seemed OK - but it didn't last long. After downloading about 50 mails the connection was dropped and the lock reappeared when I went for another download.

As much out of curiosity as anything, I deleted/reinstated all the entries in my Inbox Assistant, since when everything has been working fine. So whether my lock prob *was* that which plagued many other subscribers or, whether it was down to a quirk with my system, I honestly do not know.

My main niggle with BTi Support was, as you gathered, their lack of response but can but say that once they phoned me and I expressed my displeasure with their service, they couldn't have been more helpful and phoned a couple of times just to check that all was still OK.

Click here for more on the BT e-mail saga.