Why SORBS Sucks

Alright... I've had enough.

I typically try not to slag services which I think are a great service to the industry, but I quite frankly have had enough of this now that its time I rant.

If you are using SORBS, I would like you to reconsider your options in the face of the fact that they DON'T manage their blacklist with any sort of integrity.

I speak of experience. It has now been over a month, with over 5 emails from me, and 3 from my ISP with NO response from SORBS. It has come to a point I can't even tell if they read emails, since I simply get NO response through their web mail form.

Here is the scoop. I purchased 2 static IPs from Shaw Business Internet, a local Cable company providing both residential and business Internet services. When I first got the IPs a couple of months ago I found that a lot of the people I communicate with could no longer get mail from me. Not a problem I thought, since this was a mass block of IPs that SORBS thought was dynamic.

I spoke to Shaw Tech support and they got right on it. Realizing that a new block they switched me to was considered dynamic, they submited the changes to SORBS as per their requirements. Nothing. Then they emailed. Nothing. And again. Nothing. Of course, I was ranting at the ISP throughout all this, and all they could say was that they couldn't escalate it any further until I got a response from SORBS saying they wouldn't do anything with the ISP.

After hearing enough he-said/she-said crap I fired off my own emails. First I tried the "DUHL Additions, Deletions and Enquiries" support options. Then the "SORBS User Support" channel. No go. Finally I emailed "Matthew Sullivan" who is supposed to manage all this. I know it says NOT to email him with support issues, but over the weekend I had enough and didn't know where else to go. Of course, I got no response... which isn't surprising.

So I am standing here, unable to email many of my clients and colleagues, including people I am working with at Microsoft. So... for those 'softies that are wondering why I haven't replied to your emails... thats why. Your mail server is bouncing me because you use SORBS. I couldn't even email secure@microsoft.com to report something over the weekend, and had to get Susan to do it for me.

I think this is ridiculious. There are supposed to be safeguards to protect legit IPs like mine. Yet in the face of real world experience, its far from that.

Please reconsider using SORBS. If they are STILL blocking me after amonth of trying... who else are they blocking incorrectly? You might be losing real business.