Server vms169123.mailsrvcs.net has the wrong time

[MisterBill]

Verizon mail server vms169123 has the wrong time, it's ~28 minutes earlier than it should be. How do I report this to get it fixed? Here are headers to prove it (unless it is possible for mail to arrive before it was sent). Other Verizon mail servers are not having this problem problem. Geeky explanation below for anyone who cares.

Received: from web79.fatwallet.com ([unknown] [69.160.146.194])
 by vms169123.mailsrvcs.net
 (Sun Java(tm) System Messaging Server 7u2-7.02 32bit (built Apr 16 2009))
 with ESMTP id <0LHA00A9ZAL3WE74@vms169123.mailsrvcs.net> for
 xxx@verizon.net; Sun, 27 Feb 2011 10:17:27 -0600 (CST)
Received: by web79.fatwallet.com (Postfix, from userid 33) id E83BFBC671E; Sun,
 27 Feb 2011 10:45:01 -0600 (CST)

How I noticed this: I use Mailwasher and show the Received time rather than the Sent time so I catch mail when it arrives even if the mail headers are wrong or it took a while to arrive. I noticed a new piece of mail I was expecting showed up with a time around 30 minutes earlier than the current time, so I checked the headers and told Mailwasher to show both times, and found the problem.

[Hubrisnxs]

you probably have to duplicate the problem using http://webmail.verizon.com   and then when you duplicate it, you will see a feedback button at the bottom of the site.  use the feedback button to report it.   

[MisterBill]

Since I assume that webmail uses the time in the Date RFC822 header rather than the Received header, I don't see how I am going to be able to duplicate it there. There must be some way to report a server problem. Also, wouldn't the Feedback button be to comment on the Webmail site??

[Hubrisnxs]

its one of the few ways to get in touch with someone that has access to the mail servers.  if you call into over the phone support - they don't have access to the servers.     The people that work on the website are more closely linked to report those issues to the right parties.   you can try to open a chat session if you want to report it directly to verizon, but YMMV in whom you get over chat support, and similiarly over the phone with tech support @ 1-800-VERIZON

You can also try reporting it at the Verizon/Twitter tech support page 

[MisterBill]

Thanks.. I tweeted to the support person. Hopefully I will have better luck than the time I tried to use them to get a billing issue resolved.

And yes, it's still a problem -- just got another piece of mail with the wrong time.

[MisterBill]

So, I contacted Verizon support on Twitter. They gave me a link to send them details. Then they asked me to check the time on my machine. I knew this was trouble since this is clearly not a local machine issue as the time is in the mail headers so I decided to use an approach which has worked well -- tell the support person that I know more than they do and that they should just send it to the next level of support. . I told them I used to develop email apps (which is true), that this was not a local machine problem, and that they needed to send it to the people who supported the server.  They agreed and sent it to the server people. Then I got email from some other group saying that they were not able to reproduce it, and asked what email client I was using.

Sigh.

[Hubrisnxs]

:::shakes my head:::

if it's not dire, I'd just let it go,   There aren't many good ways to pass by front line support and go straight to the person that you need in this case.    If it's dire, and you're willing to put in the hours, then give them a call at 800 VERIZON.  I Don't think you're going to have an easy fix for this.

[MisterBill · Accepted solution]

Good news, the problem is resolved. I responded to the guy who told me they could not reproduce the problem with a detailed header list and instructions on how to read it and see the problem. Once they could no longer deny that the problem existed, they finally did something, because he responded that they had found the problem and fixed it, which I was able to verify.

I don't understand how they don't have their servers sync up with time servers periodically to make sure that stuff like this doesn't happen.

[Justin46]

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@MisterBill wrote:

I don't understand how they don't have their servers sync up with time servers periodically to make sure that stuff like this doesn't happen.

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Good point! Even my dinky little Windows 7 PC I am using right now syncs regularly with a time server. Good job on keeping their feet to the fire!

__________________________________
Justin
Verizon FiOS TV, Internet, and phone
QIP6416-P1, IMG 1.8, Build 02.54
Keller, TX 76248

[Hubrisnxs]

That is great news. I almost lost hope after your first encounter with them.