[samsolomon]

I've got to disagree with you. I'd say MailChimp has elevated the perception of email marketing.

MailChimp has pretty strict standards when it comes to sending emails. If you send emails to a list that has a 20 percent or more bounce or unsubscribe rate, they'll freeze your account.

Other providers let you upload a CSV with emails and blast out campaign after campaign to purchased lists without repercussions.

[ams6110]

I agree that MailChimp offers a legitimate service (sending subscriber newsletters and such) but also agree with GP that 90% of the email that I get via MailChimp I would call spam.

[dozzie]

You know what? It's funny, because I have just realized that I do have a spam detection rule about MailChimp. Until now I have thought it was kind of software one runs to send out their spam, kid of like Perl or Python module for SMTP. I have just learned that it is a service and it allows me, spam victim, to unsubscribe. No fsckin' way I'll ever do that.

[vram22]

> If you send emails to a list that has a 20 percent or more bounce or unsubscribe rate, they'll freeze your account.

Without giving you a chance to do anything to correct that? What if it is a genuine case of non- spam? e.g. 100% signed up, soon after, 20% decide this list is not for them. Sometimes that might happen.

[samsolomon]

When you unsubscribe from a Mailchimp email, they ask the recipient why they are unsubscribing. If the recipient marks "I never subscribed" or "this email is spam," the threshold is probably much lower than 20 percent. The software tries to decide if your emails were malicious.

If your account is locked, then you have to call MailChimp and explain that your intentions weren't malicious and that you won't send anything else to those emails from your account.

I had a small email list that I had not sent anything in about a year and had my account locked after sending a campaign. People just forgot they were on the list, because it had been so long. Their support team unlocked it and suggested that I send an email at least every 6 months.

[vram22]

At least there's the possibility to get it unlocked. Clear now, thanks.