Unison email

Dave_Dublin · 05-11-2013 7:50pm #1

I hope this is the correct section to ask this:

I've had a UNISON email address since 1997 and it's stayed with me through several different ISPs over the years.

Yesterday (Nov 4, 2013) it stopped working and now I've no email except my [EMAIL="...@sky.com"]...@sky.com[/EMAIL] address.

At this stage the [EMAIL="...@unison.ie"]...@unison.ie[/EMAIL] address is so deeply ingrained with every company and person I deal with that's it'll be near impossible to change it to the Sky address.

I'm simply getting "server is not responding" when checking for new mail.

Is there anyone else still using unison and, if so, have you had problems since yesterday???

I've looked (and asked) on the Independent.ie website only for it to go unanswered.

** Independent own (owned) unison I believe.

Thank you,

David

jzvn54 · 05-11-2013 10:01pm

Dave, I am exactly the same as you. I have had a unison.ie email account for years. Over that time I have had intermittent problems on rare occasions, however, it always came back. Looked like the server might be down or they were carrying out maintenance.
However, gone since yesterday and no emails coming in.
If I send an email to my unison address from another email box I get an "Undeliverable Message" error.
I found a Unison Technical Support number that I had found previously. You could give them a try. The number is 1550-131 132.
I am going to try them tomorrow.

dakar27 · 05-11-2013 10:16pm

Folks,

Here is another unison.ie account holder with exactly the same problem,
No incoming messages.

I will also call them tomorrow Wednesday. Can we all agree to come back with feedback.

Contact Unison.ie
To email Unison.ie click Here
General Unison.ie Enquiries
Phone: 353 (0)1 7055 897
(9am - 5pm Monday to Friday excluding bank holidays)
Fax: 353 (0)1 7055 892

Unison.ie Technical Support
Phone: 1550 131 132 - 78c per minute.
(8:30am - 6pm Monday to Friday)
Technical Sales:
Phone: 1850 60 3000
(9am - 5pm Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays)
Postal Address
Unison.ie
Independent House
27-32 Talbot Street
Dublin 1

The connection to the server has failed. Account: 'pop3.unison.ie', Server: 'pop3.unison.ie', Protocol: POP3, Port: 110, Secure(SSL): No, Socket Error: 10060, Error Number: 0x800CCC0E

riverdance · 06-11-2013 10:55am

Like Dave_Dublin I too have used Unison for years and to change to another Service Provider would be most difficult. I have not received any incoming mail from the unison server since the evening of the 3rd November. I was able to trawl through Google and get the contact information posted above by Dakar27, however trying technical support got: 'this service is not available in your area' and technical sales got: 'this number is not in service'. The main Unison.ie number answered but said 'they didn't know how to contact the technical support'! they suggested I try the main Independent number which I did and they couldn't help! Finally I tried the number suggested by jzvn54 and it too was 'not in service'.
I would be grateful if any solution to this problem could be posted here, thanks in advance!

yoyo · 06-11-2013 12:05pm

From a quick Google it seems that the Irish Independent now own Unison. Have you guys tried contacting them here? It could be a temporary glitch, although I wouldn't trust these old legacy email accounts either. There is a cost in running them and many companies may decide at any stage to pull the plug

Nick

riverdance · 06-11-2013 12:32pm

Unison.ie has had a relationship with The Independent of some sorts for at least ten years, over the years whenever a problem arose it was always very difficult to contact them. I have tried the contact you gave which is The Independent and nobody there is interested. You are right they may have pulled the plug but that would be irresponsible without warning, I'll try e-mailing the Independent and see if they can assist. In the meantime if anyone has any suggestions? I have already tried alternative Unison incoming pop server addresses to no avail, their server is still sending out mail originated from Unison addresses to other ISP addresses.
Here's hoping!

cgaravan · 06-11-2013 12:41pm

Hi All,

I have exactly the same problem.

Unison.ie was part of Internet Ireland which was sold to Digiweb.ie about six years ago.

I spoke to Digiweb support (1890 940 405 - option 3) and initially they lied and said that they hadn't hosted the email in 5 years and that it was hosted by Independent News & Media. I contacted them and they said that it has been hosted by Digiweb ever since the sale of Internet Ireland.

I phoned Digiweb support again and got through to the supervisor <snip> and he told me:

- six years ago they emailed everyone to say that unison.ie email addresses were no longer supported and everyone needed to get a new email address (I have no recollection of receiving such a message, but he said he would send it through to me)
- the server hosting the unison.ie email address failed and will not be repaired.

He repeated that they have not provided support for six years like a mantra.

I outlined that the server failure has caused a major problem for me and other users, and that they should switch it back on, give everyone 30 days to migrate to another email address and then stop hosting. He refused.

I've told him that I will take a case in the Small Claims Court, that this will cost them money in legal fees and time away from work, and that it would be cheaper, and better for their company's image, if they just fix the server and give everyone 30 days. He refused.

He also told me that I am only the second person who has contact him (I suspect he meant managed to get through to him) and that he has no idea how much unison.ie traffic there had been on the server.

I suggest that if enough people contact this guy and tell him that they will take the matter further legally, they may relent and host the email for a short period to allow people to transfer things as a matter of goodwill.

C

riverdance · 06-11-2013 12:53pm

Thanks
That's sad news, I will also contact <snip> at Digiweb, however the information you have found really points to the end of unison.ie and I will start to extricate all of my email links with a large number of suppliers and organisations - what a bummer! I'll post any news back to this thread! Thanks again cgarvan.

yoyo · 06-11-2013 1:21pm

Just to add some advice in this thread. Users who use Eircom, Indigo, Iol etc. email addresses for business purposes should really purchase their own domain and self-host the email. There will be a transitional period advertising your new address but after a few emails/replies people will have your new address on file.
Yes there is a cost with doing this, but there is also the peace of mind that you own the domain, and are not relying on a third party to provide and continue the service. The same thing happened recently with @Ireland.com addresses which affected a number of users on here. I hope you all get this resolved soon but I would definitely recommend switching. The likes of Gmail.com, Outlook.com are free providers that would also be more trustworthy and less likely to be shut down.

Nick

Corkbah · 06-11-2013 1:25pm

same thing is on the cards for @dublin.ie … its closing in Jan/Feb ….. they issued an email in the last few weeks basically informing people to migrate to other email accounts as it was going to be dropped.

cgaravan · 06-11-2013 1:30pm

Hi Corkbah,

At least you got some notice. My unison.ie email simply stopped working on Monday afternoon, and the only notice I got was apparently an email six years ago saying that it would no longer be supported (I'm not a technical guy, so even if I got that email I would probably have assumed it meant that technical support was no longer through the same people, but that the email would keep working, as it did). It's a shoddy way to treat people ...

returnNull · 06-11-2013 2:13pm

cgaravan wrote: »

Hi All,

I have exactly the same problem.

Unison.ie was part of Internet Ireland which was sold to Digiweb.ie about six years ago.

I spoke to Digiweb support (1890 940 405 - option 3) and initially they lied and said that they hadn't hosted the email in 5 years and that it was hosted by Independent News & Media. I contacted them and they said that it has been hosted by Digiweb ever since the sale of Internet Ireland.

I phoned Digiweb support again and got through to the supervisor <snip> and he told me:

- six years ago they emailed everyone to say that unison.ie email addresses were no longer supported and everyone needed to get a new email address (I have no recollection of receiving such a message, but he said he would send it through to me)
- the server hosting the unison.ie email address failed and will not be repaired.

He repeated that they have not provided support for six years like a mantra.

I outlined that the server failure has caused a major problem for me and other users, and that they should switch it back on, give everyone 30 days to migrate to another email address and then stop hosting. He refused.

I've told him that I will take a case in the Small Claims Court, that this will cost them money in legal fees and time away from work, and that it would be cheaper, and better for their company's image, if they just fix the server and give everyone 30 days. He refused.

He also told me that I am only the second person who has contact him (I suspect he meant managed to get through to him) and that he has no idea how much unison.ie traffic there had been on the server.

I suggest that if enough people contact this guy and tell him that they will take the matter further legally, they may relent and host the email for a short period to allow people to transfer things as a matter of goodwill.

C

They dont support unison email.Pointless bringing them to the smalls claim court over email they dont support(and probably dont host anymore seeing as independent media seem to be responsible).You also have be out of pocket to bring a business to the SCC(it costs you 25€ iiirc to lodge the claim).Not having access to a free email account doesnt cut it.All free email providers also cover themselves in the T&C that they arent responsible for any financial loss if/when the service is down.

cgaravan · 06-11-2013 2:57pm

Hi returnNull,

I'm not a technical person, so I don't know the difference between hosting and supporting email.

I know that Independent Media sold Internet Ireland to Digiweb, and that for the last six years it has been Digiweb's server that has hosted/supported unison.ie email, so it is definitely them that are responsible for this and not Independent. I had a problem with my unison email a few years and phoned Digiweb and they sorted it - and they did not tell me that they don't support unison.ie and that I should move my email elsewhere. <snip> of Digiweb told me today that it was their server that had failed and caused the email to stop working - but then he kept saying that they don't support it, whatever that means.

As for bringing a claim to the small claims court, you may be right but I am going to look into it even if it costs me €25. Free or not, they should not have shut down a service they were providing without any notice to the people affected. All they had to do was send an email to all unsion.ie addresses to tell them this was going to happen and giving them time to move. This is what ireland.com did, and dublin.ie are apparently doing, and Digiweb could still do this now if they choose to. It appears they simply don't care, and have refused to. I think that if they had to incur the costs and time involved in meeting a court case, companies might reconsider treating people like this in future ...

returnNull · 06-11-2013 3:23pm

cgaravan wrote: »

I know that Independent Media sold Internet Ireland to Digiweb, and that for the last six years it has been Digiweb's server that has hosted/supported unison.ie email, so it is definitely them that are responsible for this and not Independent.

I had a problem with my unison email a few years and phoned Digiweb and they sorted it - and they did not tell me that they don't support unison.ie and that I should move my email elsewhere. <snip> of Digiweb told me today that it was their server that had failed and caused the email to stop working - but then he kept saying that they don't support it, whatever that means.

my bad was under the impression that independent media had the service now.

Free or not, they should not have shut down a service they were providing without any notice to the people affected.

They sent out an email when they stopped supporting,which if you believe what the manager told you was six years ago.

By stopping support normally means if you have any problems sending/recieving emails or any password issues etc you are on your own and that they wont investigate or fix any hardware/software issues on their end.

It appears they simply don't care, and have refused to. I think that if they had to incur the costs and time involved in meeting a court case, companies might reconsider treating people like this in future ...

They stopped caring 6 years ago when they sent out the emails and again the smalls claims court is only for when youre out of pocket ie you bought an electronics device and it doesnt work and the business you bought it off refuses to honor the warranty.

Just playing devils advocate cgarvan,have no relationship with digiweb or unison and Im difinitely not <snip>:pac::pac:

GarIT · 06-11-2013 3:45pm

cgaravan wrote: »

Hi returnNull,

I'm not a technical person, so I don't know the difference between hosting and supporting email.

I know that Independent Media sold Internet Ireland to Digiweb, and that for the last six years it has been Digiweb's server that has hosted/supported unison.ie email, so it is definitely them that are responsible for this and not Independent. I had a problem with my unison email a few years and phoned Digiweb and they sorted it - and they did not tell me that they don't support unison.ie and that I should move my email elsewhere. <snip> of Digiweb told me today that it was their server that had failed and caused the email to stop working - but then he kept saying that they don't support it, whatever that means.

As for bringing a claim to the small claims court, you may be right but I am going to look into it even if it costs me €25. Free or not, they should not have shut down a service they were providing without any notice to the people affected. All they had to do was send an email to all unsion.ie addresses to tell them this was going to happen and giving them time to move. This is what ireland.com did, and dublin.ie are apparently doing, and Digiweb could still do this now if they choose to. It appears they simply don't care, and have refused to. I think that if they had to incur the costs and time involved in meeting a court case, companies might reconsider treating people like this in future ...

Your logic is greatly flawed. Say if I make a site for something illegal, I can't just blame it on the person that is hosting it. All the hosting company does is store the information so it is accessible on the internet. You did not make a purchase from them therefore you cannot take them to the small claims court, to take somebody to the small claims court you need proof of purchase and whoever you are taking to court needs to be a registered retailer. They did not shut down the service nor where they providing it. The servers failed, it could cost them thousands to get it set up again and the data may be lost anyway, nobody was providing the service it just kind of existed, sort of like an abandoned hotel, you could probably sleep in it if you want but that doesn't mean anybody is looking after it. Nobody is treating you in any way, it is nobody's responsibility, what you are doing is like going after the owners of a long closed hotel because you didn't enjoy your stay. It was made clear that this was the way it was ages ago and it is not their fault you couldn't understand it.

yoyo · 06-11-2013 5:01pm

Can we stop naming hosting providers please. Feel free to discuss the issue but from here on no mentioning of providers.

jzvn54 · 06-11-2013 9:35pm

Sounds like unison.ie is gone. I know it is a pain but probably best spending your efforts migrating to new email account. I am not too bad as it is only a personal email account for me. Some of you guys are using it for business. Will keep in touch with the postings to see if anything materialises.

Boards.ie: Niamh · 07-11-2013 1:17pm

Please do not mention individuals who work for any company, it is irrelevant to the discussion at hand.

yammagamma · 07-11-2013 3:54pm

returnNull wrote: »

my bad was under the impression that independent media had the service now.

They sent out an email when they stopped supporting,which if you believe what the manager told you was six years ago.

By stopping support normally means if you have any problems sending/recieving emails or any password issues etc you are on your own and that they wont investigate or fix any hardware/software issues on their end.

They stopped caring 6 years ago when they sent out the emails and again the smalls claims court is only for when youre out of pocket ie you bought an electronics device and it doesnt work and the business you bought it off refuses to honor the warranty.

Just playing devils advocate cgarvan,have no relationship with digiweb or unison and Im difinitely not <snip>:pac::pac:

i to am a unison.ie user using it on a daily basis for personal use and i can tell you i Never received a email from them 6 years ago stating they were ending it. .. i have many emails on there server that i need access to and am wondering if there is a case for Data Protection Commissioner to get involved so people can access there stored emails and migrate to another provider

GarIT · 07-11-2013 3:55pm

yammagamma wrote: »

i to am a unison.ie user using it on a daily basis for personal use and i can tell you i Never received a email from them 6 years ago stating they were ending it. .. i have many emails on there server that i need access to and am wondering if there is a case for Data Protection Commissioner to get involved so people can access there stored emails and migrate to another provider

The stored info is apparently gone, that is the main part of the problem.

yammagamma · 07-11-2013 4:06pm

how do you mean gone ? did all the hard drives get wiped and then all get written over multiple times ? otherwise would not the data on the drives be there ?

GarIT · 07-11-2013 4:29pm

yammagamma wrote: »

how do you mean gone ? did all the hard drives get wiped and then all get written over multiple times ? otherwise would not the data on the drives be there ?

It depends on how they failed, but the most common failure would be the drive. Either way, the server to host the data is gone, and the data likely encrypted. The server itself would have to be used to make the data accessible unless they have exact records on how everything was set up.

yammagamma · 07-11-2013 4:40pm

i contacted the data commissioner and they requested more info on unison.ie and the problem and said it would be a data protection issue and maybe others should contact the data commissioners as well as they didnt hear anything about this problem

returnNull · 07-11-2013 5:19pm

yammagamma wrote: »

i contacted the data commissioner and they requested more info on unison.ie and the problem and said it would be a data protection issue and maybe others should contact the data commissioners as well as they didnt hear anything about this problem

edit:didnt see previous post from the user

returnNull · 07-11-2013 5:36pm

just had a look at the DPA site and their remit is data protection in regards personal information held by a 3rd party and that it isnt given to other parties without your permission etc

cant see how they would be interested in a non supported email service that customer's had ample notice to move to a different provider and delete/save their emails and contacts.

Maybe all digiweb would have to show that they recycle HDD correctly so that they are unreadable by another party.

http://www.dataprotection.ie/ViewDoc.asp?fn=/documents/rights/RightsPlainEnglish.htm&CatID=16&m=r

returnNull · 07-11-2013 5:42pm

As an aside if the service has been stopped getting support for 6 years (as another poster who had got in contact with digiweb said) theres a good chance neither the HDD's or the server config has been backed up. I know with other major email providers they would have back up servers that would take over if the first server failed for whatever reason.

yoyo · 07-11-2013 5:47pm

Right folks, going to close this now as it's going beyond simply discussing the issue. I recommend contacting the provider in question for any advice on the matter.

Nick

Unison email

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