Most of the times, you can remove your IP from any blacklist by visiting their site and submitting a removal form, after having filled in all the suggested details. Such information may include proof that you have ceased any actions that got your IP blacklisted in the first place, or may not require anything but your mere interaction, to demonstrate that you are not a robot or a script.

If the entity that blacklisted you does not have such a removal form on their site, you will need to send an e-mail to the abuse account or, when this one is also missing, to the postmaster/root. You can also try searching their site for contact information or any details related to blacklisting. It is fairly important to note that while being blacklisted is very frustrating, you should use a cordial tone in your e-mails. Always remember to be respectful and patient. Being removed from a blacklist can take some time and there is nothing you can do to speed up this process other than being as patient as possible.

I know I am not blacklisted or anything, but it's good to be aware of some of the tactics out there.

I am sure that there's some software out there to monitor if your site is being blacklisted.

There seems to be some confusion about real-time block lists and what they actually do.

They don't block web sites. They block domain names. And they only relate to email, not web traffic.

The #1 cause of FALSE blocking reports is people who use email services or ISPs who display a link or button in all emails saying "Report this as spam" (and typically advise their users NOT to click on unsubscribe links in email messages because spammers take this as confirmation that the email address is valid).

Because they don't know how to remove themselves from lists to which they've subscribed, many users simply click on the "Report this as spam" button or link. (They usually forget they subscribed, or they don't like something written in a message, or the list owner just keeps on sending too many messages — an abuse of the relationship.)

I've had a couple of domain names blocked by one of the biggest block lists (SURBL) and it took close to a YEAR to get them removed. In one case it was an inherited listing for a domain name I registered, which the original registrant abandoned after it was blocked. The other was listed by someone who subscribed to one of my list (always verified opt-in — I'm a foundation member of Australia's Coalition Against Unsolicited Bulk Email, caube.org.au) and thoughtlessly clicked the "Report this as spam" button because they were new online and didn't know what else to do.

It's frustrating that so many of the largest email service providers do this, because it causes enormous damage to legitimate list owners.

My company now runs an ongoing campaign against using these services, and we know we've cost them thousands of customers. But the arrogant back-room geeks who create and implement these moronic policies and practices don't care about the costs and damage they inflict on legitimate businesses. So we're now also running campaigns against ISPs who subscribe to some of the block lists, advising their customers of the risk they run of having legitimate email messages that THEY'VE REQUESTED blocked by their ISP because they subscribe to those block lists.

We do this by pointing out the kind of costs and damages they could be hit with if they lodge a false spam report. (Get ready to sell your house and other assets!)

The Bottom Line: If you click "Report this as spam" on a message from a list to which YOU SUBSCRIBED, and the list owner suffers loss of business, loss of profits, costs involved in removing their list, etc, it's no different to inviting someone into your home, then reporting them to police for trespassing. You have NO chance of winning any court case that results from your terminally-stupid action.

Be ready to face legal action by the list owner to recover their costs and losses, plus legal costs, plus damages!

And the longer it takes to have their domain unblocked, the greater the costs and losses will be.

John Counsel

Great information REALnetworkmarketing! Great insight.

Thanks...I mean it!

Glad it helped.

One afterthought: I totally agree with Rags2riches' original post. But there's a lot more to the topic, and every email marketer is at risk, all the time.

The secret: stay cool, calm and determined. The devil is in the details, and you need to treat the admins and ops at RTBL, SURBL, etc with respect and understand that they're overworked and under-resourced. Comply with their requirements, and follow the old Japanese maxim in such situations: fix the problem, not the blame.

John

Great advice...