We use Google Apps to host my company's mail. On our website, we send some e-mails on behalf of our users. In those e-mails we include lines like this:
Return-Path: <bouncebacks@mycompany.com>
Sender: <sender@mycompany.com>
Sending the messages works great (passes SPF tests), but in the case that the message is sent TO an invalid e-mail address, we expect to get a bounce back message sent to "bouncebacks@mycompany.com". That message never arrives. (If we send an e-mail manually from within the gmail interface to the same bad e-mail, the message does arrive).
We used to receive the bounce back messages as expected, but it seems like they are always quietly blocked now (not in spam or anything). Is there a new policy that blocks bounce backs when the "From" does not match the "Return-Path" or something?
We would really like to get these bounce-backs to verify the delivery of the messages. Is there any way to prevent them from being blocked?!
Thank you!
Best Answer
They're probably using BATV or some similar mechanism. It's a mechanism that filters out bouncebacks from messages not sent through that service. It exists so you don't receive bouncebacks when a spammer uses one of your emails as From and/or Return-Path.
The solution for that case is making the server use gmail to send, or use a Return-Path that doesn't go to gmail.
Best of luck,
João Miguel Neves