RocketResponder

[jackpinion]

For those of you out there who have heard of RocketResponder and were wondering about them... This post might be worth reading to you.

I signed up for RocketResponder around the first of the year. Now I've used all the major services at one time or another... Especially GetResponse and Aweber. These days, I pretty much host my own autoresponder script but I've always been on the lookout for a service that was fairly inexpensive, reliable, etc. When I came across RocketResponder, I figured it was too good to be true.

Unlimited email lists and subscribers forever for only $20 a month. I figured it could end up being a decent backup because the money -- at least for me -- has truly been in the list.

Flash forward to five days ago... I decided that I could put a new online endeavor in work and start using RocketResponder.

Now when I first created the account, they give you a free 30 day trial which I used to test the system out. I created a list. Created optin forms, Created followup emails. Everything worked and I was super impressed.

Plus? They had a great deal of good information on their blog. Overall? I was happy to pay the $20 a month.

Until five days ago.

Five days ago, I created a new list. New confirmation email (they are only double-optin). New test followup email. All that went smoothly like it had during my first 30 day free trial.

Then I created my own optin form. Now just so you know? I've been doing this since the early 90s. I'm no stranger to any of this and I can create an optin form in my sleep and in fact, I modeled (of course) after RocketResponder's own automatically created optin form for the actual list I created.

Then I tried to subscribe with a very old Gmail address and was told by RocketResponder that the email address was invalid. Immediately, I assumed I'd done something wrong so I did my usual troubleshooting and within 10 minutes, I realized everything I'd done was fine.

I tried Gmail address after Gmail address to subscribe. Why? Because I almost exclusively use Gmail accounts in my online businesses. The very first email address I ever made for myself was a Yahoo email address but I rarely use that so it didn't even enter my mind to use IT to subscribe with.

Over and over and over, RocketResponder kept telling me I was using an INVALID EMAIL ADDRESS.

No I was NOT.

At some point -- again, thinking I had done something wrong -- I went ahead and renamed my list thinking it was somehow due to what I'd saved my list as. That didn't work.

Then instead of using my own optin form? I started trying to subscribe several Gmail addresses with RocketResponder's automatically created optin forms. They make two of them as soon as you create your list. And? They create a subscribe email address to subscribe with. You just send an email from any email account to that subscribe email and then you're subscribed.

Please make note that I did in fact try out all these utilities during my initial 30 Day Free Trial Period and everything worked flawlessly.

None of RocketResponder's optin forms worked. Every time I used one to try and subscribe with a Gmail address, I was given a message: You're Using an Invalid Email Address.

No I was not.

Nor did the subscribe email address they provide you with each list you create work... I sent emails from all the different Gmail accounts and none of them were subscribed by RocketResponder.

Then it occurred to me to try one more time using my old Yahoo account and guess what? The Yahoo email address WORKED and was subscribed to the list and the confirmation and test followup email worked fine.

So once again, thinking I had done something wrong, I tried all the Gmail addresses again and none of them worked. I tried another non Gmail address and it too worked.

Then it occurred to me to give the "Add Subscriber" utility a try. With this, you just enter an email address in manually. I tried all those same Gmail accounts and everyone that I tried? RocketResponder said...

Error: Banned Email Address

Really? Every one of my Gmail addresses BANNED?

So of course, I promptly created a brand new Gmail address and just as promptly... It too returned the same message..

Error: Banned Email Address

Obviously, a brand new Gmail address cannot be banned when it had never existed before... So that means that ALL GMAIL ADDRESSES ARE BANNED from becoming subscribers in RocketResponder's autoresponder list building platform.

That was all five days ago and after all that happened, I opened a support ticket by sending an email to support@rocketresponder.com and kept adding to it as I tried out different things.

NO RESPONSE FROM THEIR SUPPORT DESK EVEN AFTER FIVE DAYS.

Bottom line? No autoresponder is worth a crap if it does not allow Gmail addresses to subscribe to its lists. Gmail now has over 1 Billion active email accounts so of course you need to be able to add them as subscribers.

And yes, they are still charging for their service (of course).

So after all that, I went to Google to find out if anyone else had experienced anything similar. I managed to find a forum where a thread started back in November 2017 revealed that RocketResponder doesn't seem to reply to open support tickets on a timely basis. However, on that thread, one of the founders -- Jon Olson -- had jumped in a couple of times and appeared to have helped resolve some of the problems.

After reading the thread, I went ahead and added all the above information in hopes that Olson would, once again, jump in and lend a hand. In fact, the forum's Admin said he would contact Jon personally and see if he could help.

That made me happy until I read Jon's reply to the Admin:

Code:

Jon said he can't do anything... he is not handling support or anything technical, and the guys that do seem to have abandoned the business for now, so I guess you shouldn't expect any resolution :(

Really? All this guy had to do was pick up the phone and call or email whomever IS handling support AND MAKE IT HAPPEN.

He did nothing and offered to do NOTHING.

No way to do business online so I sent them a subscription cancellation request which I doubt they will honor so I backed that up with calling my bank to make sure they do not allow anymore charges to my credit card from RocketResponder.com.

I'm not really here to bitch or complain... I wrote this lengthy post just to let anyone know what's going on with them because what I found out? Was purely by accident. If you're currently using RocketResponder? You may not know if your lists are in fact not subscribing any Gmail addresses.

If you're a subscriber to RocketResponder, you may want to check.

Good luck!

jack

[Tomwol]

Thanks for the alert mate!!!! Max Reps added!!!

[jackpinion]

Now after having gone through all this... Been doing more research and found TrafficWave.net and they seem to have been around a lot longer than RocketResponder and their price is $17.95 a month... Unlimited lists -- Unlimited autoresponders -- Unlimited subscribers -- Unlimited emails per month.

This sounds too good to be true as well but so far? The research shows a solid reputation. About the only thing bad anyone is saying about them is that you cannot use them to build landing pages... Well I would never use them for that anyway.

Was just wondering if anyone has any experience with them...

Thanks,
jack

[twidget]

Trafficwave is crap, its just a cheap MLM which is the only reason anyone promotes it it has not been updated in years and deliverability is non existent

[Lumos]

Following with curiosity for any new/added info...
(+Rep added for OP as it is a great/useful info share !!)

[jackpinion]

It's now been six days since I opened my ticket with RocketResponder. Still NO REPLY to the open support ticket.

I also opened a new support ticket to CANCEL MY SUBSCRIPTION to RocketResponder. That's been two days now and NO REPLY from them. They charge my credit card on the 7th and or 8th of every month so I am glad I already informed my bank to NOT let those charges go through.

It's not the $20. It's the way these guys do business. All three founders:

Justin Ledvina
Tim Linden
Jon Olson

apparently love serving the lord (GOD?) since they all put something like that in their professional profiles.

I guess serving the lord doesn't necessarily have anything to do with serving your paying members though... LOL.

My bad.

Hey, if I can keep even one person from making a mistake and give their money to these guys? I'm good with that.

After Jon Olson said HE CANNOT DO ANYTHING, that was IT for me. All that guy had to do was PICK UP THE PHONE or SEND AN EMAIL. He is one of the founders of RocketResponder! Maybe I'm crazy -- after all I am 60 years old... But when I read that he couldn't and or wouldn't do anything? That says to me that he wants to continue taking people's money for as long as he can until members start figuring out the service sucks.

I wish there was a way to see if other members are having problems getting Gmail addresses accepted as subscribers.

I will keep this thread updated though.

So today? I just registered for a free 30 Day Trial of TrafficWave.net autoresponders. They did not even ask me for a credit card number so that was good. The only thing that they do not allow during the Free 30 Day Trial period is for you to import any subscribers or to participate in their affiliate program.

No worries... I am going to give the autoresponder a complete test for the 30 Days and let you guys know if it's worth it or not.

I will say this... LOL. As soon as I registered? The confirmation email they sent me ended up in my SPAM folder. LOLOLOLOLOL.

Not a good sign as twidget above pointed out. The only reason I do want to give it a try though is because there are quite a number of good reviews online about TrafficWave.net and let's face it... You can't beat the price... $17.95 a month for unlimited everything.

So I will PUSH their autoresponders HARD for the next 30 Days and update this thread about it.

jack

[jackpinion]

Wow.

So I registered for the Free 30 Day Trial with TrafficWave.net. That went smoothly however, their confirmation email landed in my SPAM folder.

Not a good sign.

In that confirmation email? It said to CLICK THE LINK BELOW to confirm my new TrafficWave.net account. LOL. There was no link to click however, there was a url that I could copy and paste into my browser in order to confirm my account so I did that.

That's the first red flag... No active live link to CLICK in the confirmation email EVEN THOUGH the email itself says it's there.

Here's what it looks like:

Code:

(My name removed by me) - Your TrafficWave.net Account Is Ready
Your TrafficWave.net Account Is Ready

TO:

My Name and Address (removed by me)

Hello So and So (modified by me)

We have created your new TrafficWave.net account: (removed by me).

There is just one step left:

To confirm your account and receive your log in information, just click the link below.
(If you are having trouble clicking the link, copy and paste it in to your browser)

http://www.trafficwave.net/cgi-bin/newmember/enroll_validate.cgi(rest of the link removed by me)

We are looking forward to working with you.

Yours in success,

TrafficWave.net
330 Rayford Rd PMB 312
Spring TX 77386

So the first thing I'm seeing that bothers me here is the technology...

cgi-bin?

Not that I dislike pearl coding but wow... That's a little old by today's standards but okay... We'll see.

Additionally? After I MANUALLY confirmed my TrafficWave.net account as per the above email? I was supposed to receive a WELCOME email with my LOGIN information.

It's now been 40 minutes since I MANUALLY confirmed my new account and there is still NO welcome email from TrafficWave.net in my inbox NOR in my SPAM folder.

HUGE RED FLAG.

jack

[jackpinion]

Interesting...

So the first email address I used to register with TrafficWave.net was a Yahoo email address. The link in that email address was not live so I had to copy and paste it into the browser which I did. I have NOT received a Welcome email from them and I cannot login to that account.

I know having to wait almost an hour for a welcome email is ridiculous... So I signed up again, this time using a Gmail address and everything went smoothly.

The confirmation link was live and in the email. I clicked on it and it confirmed my email and the Welcome email with the login information came IMMEDIATELY.

I have NO IDEA why this didn't work with the Yahoo email address. So if you do decide to give TrafficWave.net a try, be careful using a Yahoo email address because it didn't work for me.

So now I have a TrafficWave.net account.

I'll start giving it a shot and let you know what happens...

jack

[jackpinion]

Okay, I'm now inside my TrafficWave.net Back Office...

This completely reminds me of the 90s. LOL. Using the cgi-bin for the autoresponder script and just the way this Back Office is laid out.

Pure 90s.

Still... Let's see if it's worth using.

jack

[jackpinion]

Just created my first campaign in TrafficWave.net... It went very smoothly and it's very intuitive. It might be based on 90s technology but so far so good. Now onto setting up a few follow up emails and then using the autoresponder in an actual squeeze page funnel.

jack