Ok, first of all I don't send ANY email to members of my forum.  The only email that I is sent is the one where the new member has to click a link to complete registration.  Surely this is not spam!  Do you expect me to use no verification?  That's rediculous.

Also, I run an eCard service on part of the site where people can send online greetings.  The recipient is then notified via an email from my site.  This is also not SPAM.  I have set up restrictions to prevent users from mass sending eCards to use the system for spamming purposes.  Why should I have to get rid of my service?  I am outraged that I spent the time and money to switch web hosts and now this is happening.  If my email is suspended, I expect a refund and you nice folks can move my site to the new server (including the database) and edit all the php files accordingly.  If you are laughing just remember that Lunarpages offers the Invision Forums as software with the account.  You are going to ban my email for using the software that you provide and in the way in which it is intended to be used?!?  

~ LAwebTek[/quote]

I understand that and I am sorry if I came across so angry but I have been through so very much trying to find a good host for this site.  I thought I had found the perfect hosting solution here, but I never had this problem elsewhere.  My question is, what am I supposed to do?  It seems to me there is no way to avoid getting my account banned unless I move my site yet again.  

ok, well then I am very sorry for what I said originally.  I thought that the email was saying that if one more such complaint was received, then my account would be affected.  I will make the suggestion to AOL users and even add something to the site rules about using an alternate email.  I never mass mail or even offer newsletters; it drives me crazy when I get that stuff from people too.

Thanks,
LA

I don't think he was spamming, or providing a spamming service.  There is no way you could call the verification email to verify that one wants to join a group or webservice, or webboard, an unsolicited email.  The person asked for that email by utilizing his website and putting in their email address, by joining up to use his services.

Why doesn't Lunarpages complain to AOL about the rediculousness of the accusation.  Regardless of whether it was a mistake or not to use the AOL service to create problems for another person or website, or hosting service by deeming their mail as spam should be against AOL's TOS.  I would hope that Lunarpages in the warning email gives all of the information regarding the complaint, who made it, and what options the person has to file a grievance with the ISP of the person who made the false allegation/complaint.

I can see big problems for people if someone decided that they just want to be an arse and file spam complaints against people using this reporting service through AOL.  The falsely accused websites will be suspended, their email suspended which could have huge monetary not to mention man hour costs.

There is certainly a problem with this type of spam reporting.  But also the information given to customers by such ISPs.  Now it has often been accepted that Spam mail will usually come with an unsubscribe message, and that this is sometimes used to confirm an address.  So people are told not to use them.  However, some ISPs are telling customers not to use unsubscribe links at all.  Of course this hurts the genuine services.

The other problem is rather than saying if you sign up for a service, and decide you don't want to use it, and don't want to use the unsubscribe service, just filter the mails to junk they don't.  They word the advice so that it more or less reads 'if you get fed up with a legit service that you subscribed to, report it as spam and we will take care of it...' This poses a HUGE problem.

However, it should be noted that we do investigate spam claims carefully.  If we can show that this is not deliberate spamming, we do not set out to suspend an account.  However, in instances where a service is being hijacked, we may ask that the service be disabled or removed.

Spam is an ongoing battle, and everyone is really trying to find solutions to it... Some companies just give out what I consider is mis-guided advice.

Then the person reporting the spam should have sent the complaint to the senders ISP, not the card generator's ISP.  Ecard providers are not providing a "spamming service" as you so put it.

The sender of the Ecard should have been the one reported as spamming.  And it just goes to prove how someone could cause problems for someone that is not at fault.  Hopefully the original poster got information regarding who made the complaint so they can cross file an abuse report against them.

I am sorry if it seems I am being over the top with this, but this sort of thing really burns me up.  People that act without knowledge cause all sorts of destruction and if they aren't informed of it or taken to task because of it, then that means it will continue.

Each time an AOL spam complaint is made a cross grievance should be made against that AOL user .  Then perhaps AOL will take action on their part to either suspend that user, delete their account or inform the user that they are abusing others.