Is this a genuine email from Eir? Says my eircom.net account is dormant - it isn't!!

sadie9

I got this email today. But I use my eircom.net account every day through MS Outlook, not webmail. Is this a genuine email from postmaster1@eircom.net? It has a Zipped file attached to it? Should I log onto my webmail will that fix it?

"You may have received an email about your eircom.net email account if it has not been accessed for over two years.
This suggests that you are no longer using this eircom.net email account.
Under our terms and conditions we have the right to delete email accounts that have not been used for 2 years and we have contacted you to let you know that your account will be deleted unless you login and use your account within 60 days of receiving our first email.
We will send two final reminder emails 60 days and 30 days from when your account will be deleted. To keep your account you need to take action before the deadline.
On your e-mail we have attached a document that contains our new terms and conditions

If you would like to continue using your email, please read and accept them"

Melendez

This post has been deleted.

sadie9

Thanks. There is the same information as in the Emails on the eir.ie page if you click on the Webmail link. I had to change my password but then... I tried to log into Webmail and then got this: 'For security reasons, access to eircom net webmail is not available from your present location. Subscription customers may however access their mail using a POP mail client using their email username and password and pop mail server setting 'mail1.eircom.net'."
So I am taking from this that I can continue to use my Eircom.net address through the Outlook client but not directly by logging into Webmail...hopefully someone from Eir can confirm? 

Melendez

This post has been deleted.

Fogmatic

I also got one this morning, and came here to ask whether it's genuine (without finding out the hard way!). Do genuine links to Eir's Terms & Conditions automatically download a Zip file? Anyone from Eir? I'm not about to open a mysterious Zip file to find out.

I was trying to find out what Eir meant by 'account', re being 'inactive'. Which could matter a lot to me, as I have an old Eircom email address (It's the one all my contacts have known since 2000. When a dialup connection was still just about possible through our phone line (It got worse)).
(End of rant - sorry!).

hazchem

[font=Verdana, sans-serif]This is a Trojan virus Windows Defender saved me so DELETE IT IMMEDIATELY[/font]

sadie9

Yes I just got another different one! Saying 'Click here'.

bridster007

I've had 2 today.
Surely Eir should be able to prevent these emails getting through their own email service ???

Fogmatic

Thanks hazchem!
(Don't have to wait for Eir to say Yes or No now).

tricky D

It's  not coming through their services. The clue is in the received line in the header of your email

Received: from cpmhk.cpg.com ([61.92.143.140])
    by Cloudmark Gateway with SMTP
    id x8ked8DFn4ca5x8xQd89EM; Wed, 27 Sep 2017 10:48:51 +0100

Everything else like the From email field can easily be spoofed.

bridster007

Of course, but it is coming into my eircom account so surely their spam check should be detecting it, or at least after the first few have come in and they have been alerted they should be able to configure their settings to prevent them.

But no, they still come in.

 

eir: Kyle

Hi there everone. 

Thank you for getting in touch with us here.

We have posted an official statement regarding this here

Hope this helps

-Kyle

Fogmatic

Can Three please give me some clarification, to resolve this topic in my case?

The reason the spoof email held my attention in the first place, was that what it was spoofing was ambiguous to me. Assuming I haven’t “accessed my account” for 2 years, I “may” have received an email.  As, equally, I may not have received one, I need to know what “accessing my account” means exactly, so as to take action if necessary.

Kyle’s link to Three’s official statement didn't clarify this.  (Nor did the 2 links within it, to the t&cs of eir broadband and fixed-line contracts, both impossible from my area anyway).

(‘And what’s more….’!  On the official statement page, a popup asked me if the page had given me the help I needed.  But having spent 10 minutes explaining in which way it hadn’t (and then having to edit it when I suddenly ran up against whatever the maximum character count is), the Submit button just brought up an error message).

So anyway, what does “accessing my account” mean exactly in this context?  Accessing the webmail?  Also performing some action while in it?  Simply sending and/or receiving an email(s) to/from the eircom.net address?  Or is it something that requires being in a direct contract with eir?  I’m none the wiser after all this, so can a Mod just tell me?

Thanks.

Fogmatic

Sorry - didn't mean to use that shouty font!  (It was some composing/posting glitch).

eir: Adam

Fogmatic wrote: »

Sorry - didn't mean to use that shouty font!  (It was some composing/posting glitch).

No problem.

Accessing your account means logging into your eir email account. If the email that you have received about this contains any links or is asking you for any personal information it is not from us and I would highly recommend deleting it.

- Adam

Johnboy1951

I don't understand .......

if I have not accessed my account for two years, and eir send an email to that account warning of the impending deletion, how do eir expect me to be aware of the situation?

If I did log in to my account, eir would not send the email.

So, eir will delete accounts without the user being aware of what is happening.

Is this not the same as deleting these accounts without any notification to anyone.

Why send such emails?

Fogmatic

Thanks Adam, but I don't feel I'm getting any warmer.  What do you mean exactly by 'your eir email account'?  Do you mean logging into eir webmail?  Having an eir service requiring payment direct to eir, to login to the web interface of?  Just logging into our own email account in a computer/device?  Something else?

Meanwhile, what's the date of this email that people may or may not have received?  It would be handy to know how much time I have left to find out what I need to do.  (Or even if it's something I can do - if it isn't, finding and changing some important contact details going back years is going to take a lot of time that I don't have).

Fogmatic

Johnboy1951 has identified a Schrodinger's Cat situation.  (Note to eir’s Advanced Physics experts - it’s only meant to be a *thought* experiment).

However, maybe this dilemma answers my question; is checking my email all I have to do to avoid losing my eircom.net address?  Three?  Anyone?

eir: Adam

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

I don't understand .......

if I have not accessed my account for two years, and eir send an email to that account warning of the impending deletion, how do eir expect me to be aware of the situation?

If I did log in to my account, eir would not send the email.

So, eir will delete accounts without the user being aware of what is happening.

Is this not the same as deleting these accounts without any notification to anyone.

Why send such emails?

This is only in place for people that haven't logged into their accounts in two years so we would be under the assumption that they are no longer using the account. Under our terms and conditions, we have the right to delete email accounts that have not been used for two years.

- Adam

eir: Adam

Fogmatic wrote: »

Thanks Adam, but I don't feel I'm getting any warmer.  What do you mean exactly by 'your eir email account'?  Do you mean logging into eir webmail?  Having an eir service requiring payment direct to eir, to login to the web interface of?  Just logging into our own email account in a computer/device?  Something else?

Meanwhile, what's the date of this email that people may or may not have received?  It would be handy to know how much time I have left to find out what I need to do.  (Or even if it's something I can do - if it isn't, finding and changing some important contact details going back years is going to take a lot of time that I don't have).

Your eir email account means your webmail account that is active with us. I do mean logging into your eir webmail account, this doesn't mean that you have to have any services with us that require payment. There is no specific date that these emails would have been received. They will be sent out to each email address individually if they are in danger of having their account closed.

- Adam

Johnboy1951

eir: Adam wrote: »

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

I don't understand .......

if I have not accessed my account for two years, and eir send an email to that account warning of the impending deletion, how do eir expect me to be aware of the situation?

If I did log in to my account, eir would not send the email.

So, eir will delete accounts without the user being aware of what is happening.

Is this not the same as deleting these accounts without any notification to anyone.

Why send such emails?

This is only in place for people that haven't logged into their accounts in two years so we would be under the assumption that they are no longer using the account. Under our terms and conditions, we have the right to delete email accounts that have not been used for two years.

- Adam

You replied without addressing the point I made ......  that sending emails to accounts that are dead (not been logged into in two years) is pointless.
Why send the email?
Why not just delete the account as you are entitled to?


What is worrying is that people are receiving emails to accounts that are in use .......  this is a very serious matter and something eir needs to attend to immediately.

Is the email then only to allow eir time to correct their errors in attempting to delete accounts that are still in use?

Fogmatic

(Still having a font problem!)
Thanks Adam - my own question at least has now been answered.  I’m in a privileged position though (I don’t think many people with the same question would read this thread, go to page 2 of it, and stumble on the answer to my off-topic query)!

I looked at the eir website, and saw some links within it re dormant email accounts.  But when people even have occasion to go to the main website, I wonder how many realise the link might be relevant to them even if they still use their eircom address every day?  (I don’t think I would have done).

I suppose this kind of account deletion, and difficulty of warning old contacts, is just one of the unavoidable side-effects of the Data Protection Law.  Perhaps simply telling the newspapers about the eircom address alert would be a good way for eir to spread the message, if they haven’t already?  (Easy, free, no tech stuff needed, word of mouth would do most of the rest).

Meanwhile, I don’t think eir’s alerts are as helpful as they could be.  Maybe it’s just the perennial problem of experts in the know writing instructions, forgetting what an outsider needs to know first (e.g. any unusual definitions).  For instance, I think 'accessed your account’ should read 'logged into webmail’, and the 'Dormant accounts’ link be renamed 'notice re eircom.net addresses’ or similar.

eir: Adam

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

eir: Adam wrote: »

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

I don't understand .......

if I have not accessed my account for two years, and eir send an email to that account warning of the impending deletion, how do eir expect me to be aware of the situation?

If I did log in to my account, eir would not send the email.

So, eir will delete accounts without the user being aware of what is happening.

Is this not the same as deleting these accounts without any notification to anyone.

Why send such emails?

This is only in place for people that haven't logged into their accounts in two years so we would be under the assumption that they are no longer using the account. Under our terms and conditions, we have the right to delete email accounts that have not been used for two years.

- Adam

You replied without addressing the point I made ......  that sending emails to accounts that are dead (not been logged into in two years) is pointless.
Why send the email?
Why not just delete the account as you are entitled to?


What is worrying is that people are receiving emails to accounts that are in use .......  this is a very serious matter and something eir needs to attend to immediately.

Is the email then only to allow eir time to correct their errors in attempting to delete accounts that are still in use?

We would be required to send the customers notification that we are closing these accounts. I understand that some people may not see these emails, however as the email address would be the only means of contact that we would have on file, we can only get in touch through email.

People who have received a legitimate email from us that shouldn't have would need to get in touch with us directly in order for us to look into it.

- Adam

eir: Adam

Fogmatic wrote: »

(Still having a font problem!)
Thanks Adam - my own question at least has now been answered.  I’m in a privileged position though (I don’t think many people with the same question would read this thread, go to page 2 of it, and stumble on the answer to my off-topic query)!

I looked at the eir website, and saw some links within it re dormant email accounts.  But when people even have occasion to go to the main website, I wonder how many realise the link might be relevant to them even if they still use their eircom address every day?  (I don’t think I would have done).

I suppose this kind of account deletion, and difficulty of warning old contacts, is just one of the unavoidable side-effects of the Data Protection Law.  Perhaps simply telling the newspapers about the eircom address alert would be a good way for eir to spread the message, if they haven’t already?  (Easy, free, no tech stuff needed, word of mouth would do most of the rest).

Meanwhile, I don’t think eir’s alerts are as helpful as they could be.  Maybe it’s just the perennial problem of experts in the know writing instructions, forgetting what an outsider needs to know first (e.g. any unusual definitions).  For instance, I think 'accessed your account’ should read 'logged into webmail’, and the 'Dormant accounts’ link be renamed 'notice re eircom.net addresses’ or similar.

That's correct, we do have to do this for data protection reasons. 

I will pass all of your feedback about this on to the relevant department and it will be looked into internally. Feel free to get back in touch with us with any future queries that you may have.

- Adam

Johnboy1951

eir: Adam wrote: »

Fogmatic wrote: »

Thanks Adam, but I don't feel I'm getting any warmer.  What do you mean exactly by 'your eir email account'?  Do you mean logging into eir webmail?  Having an eir service requiring payment direct to eir, to login to the web interface of?  Just logging into our own email account in a computer/device?  Something else?

Meanwhile, what's the date of this email that people may or may not have received?  It would be handy to know how much time I have left to find out what I need to do.  (Or even if it's something I can do - if it isn't, finding and changing some important contact details going back years is going to take a lot of time that I don't have).

Your eir email account means your webmail account that is active with us. I do mean logging into your eir webmail account, this doesn't mean that you have to have any services with us that require payment. There is no specific date that these emails would have been received. They will be sent out to each email address individually if they are in danger of having their account closed.

- Adam

Adam, can I get some further clarification on the above emboldened part please.

If I use a client application to download my emails from my account to my PC, I naturally do not log into the account by webmail, but the client app logs into the account to download the new emails using the POP mail server.

Is this sufficient to prevent the account from expiring or must the log in be via browser to the webmail page?