Why am I not receiving FBL reports from Telenor and Validity?

Key findings

• Intermittent service: Telenor's FBL reports, managed by Validity, have experienced periods of non-delivery, with some senders reporting no reports for over a year, only for the service to be re-enabled later.
• Validity's pricing model: Validity introduced charges for its Universal Feedback Loop (UFL) ARF reports, which means access to these FBLs might require a paid subscription. You can learn more about Validity's FBL pricing structure to understand the financial implications.
• Low complaint volume: If your email volume to a particular ISP is very low, or your subscriber engagement is exceptionally high, you might naturally receive few or no FBL reports.
• Service-specific issues: Even if you are a paying customer, specific technical glitches or maintenance activities on the FBL provider's side (Validity, in this case) can temporarily disrupt report delivery for certain ISPs.

Key considerations

• Verify payment status: Ensure your Validity subscription is active and covers the necessary FBL feeds. Lack of payment is a common reason for discontinued reports, as discussed in detail on sites like emailexpert.com.
• Contact Validity support: If you are a paying customer and still not receiving reports, directly contact Validity's data support team (e.g., datahelp@validity.com) for investigation. They can confirm the status of specific FBLs.
• Monitor delivery metrics: Even without FBL reports, closely monitor other deliverability metrics for the affected ISPs, such as open rates, click-through rates, and bounce rates, to detect any sudden drops that might indicate deliverability issues. This is part of a broader strategy to boost email deliverability rates.
• Assess audience size: Consider the size of your active subscriber base for the affected ISP. A small audience might genuinely generate too few complaints to trigger FBL reports.

Key opinions

• Shared experience: Many marketers report similar experiences of not receiving FBLs from Telenor or other Validity-covered ISPs, even when they are paying customers, suggesting a broader issue beyond individual sender setup.
• Impact of Validity's charging: Some marketers initially suspected the shift to a paid FBL model by Validity was the cause for missing reports, even when they were paying for the service. This change has been a significant topic of discussion within the industry, as detailed by ISIPP.com.
• Audience size relevance: Marketers recognize that small target audiences at specific ISPs might not generate enough spam complaints to trigger FBL reports, making it difficult to assess if a lack of reports indicates good sending practices or simply low volume.
• Need for direct communication: When FBLs disappear, marketers often look to peers for similar experiences before escalating directly to Validity, highlighting the importance of community insights in troubleshooting deliverability. You can also explore why you might be not receiving FBLs from other providers.

Key considerations

• Confirm FBL status: Before assuming an issue, confirm with Validity if the FBL for a specific ISP is currently operational and if your account is correctly configured to receive reports. This helps to avoid unnecessary debugging. You can also check if you are receiving Yahoo FBLs.
• Analyze sending volume: Evaluate your sending volume and engagement rates for the specific domain or ISP. If the volume is low and engagement high, a lack of complaints may be expected.
• Monitor other reputation signals: In the absence of FBLs, marketers should pay close attention to bounce rates, unsubscribes, and engagement metrics as alternative indicators of email health. You can also use a free online email testing tool to check for problems.
• Maintain list hygiene: Proactive list hygiene is essential. Regularly cleaning your email lists helps reduce complaints, even if FBL reports are not consistently received. This includes removing inactive subscribers and managing bounces effectively.

Key opinions

• Service re-activation: An expert from Validity confirmed that the Telenor feedback loop had recently been re-enabled after a period of being unavailable, indicating that such service disruptions can be temporary and resolved by the provider.
• Direct inquiry advised: Experts recommend direct contact with Validity's support channels (e.g., datahelp@validity.com) for any FBL-related issues. This ensures that specific account or ISP-level problems are properly investigated.
• Impact of policy changes: The industry's shift towards paid FBL services by Validity has fundamentally altered how senders receive spam complaint data. Experts note this change has led to more direct engagement between senders and Validity to secure access.
• Beyond FBLs: While FBLs are crucial, experts emphasize that they are just one component of a holistic sender reputation strategy. Other factors like overall domain reputation, engagement metrics, and proper authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) are equally important for inbox placement.

Key considerations

• Confirm subscription terms: Ensure your Validity contract or subscription explicitly covers the FBLs from the ISPs you are trying to monitor. Misunderstandings about service terms can lead to missing reports. For deeper insight into the service, you can examine the pricing structure for Validity's FBL service.
• Review FBL data consistency: Regularly check the consistency of FBL data you receive. Inconsistent reports, as sometimes seen with Gmail Postmaster Tools, can indicate underlying issues.
• Proactive outreach: If you observe a prolonged absence of expected FBL data, reach out to Validity's support team promptly. Do not wait for weeks or months, as this data is time-sensitive for deliverability management.
• Understand ISP nuances: Each ISP has its own approach to FBLs and spam complaint reporting. While Validity consolidates many, some ISPs might have unique quirks or periods of service interruption that only direct inquiry can resolve.

Key findings

• ARF format: Feedback Loop reports typically follow the Abuse Reporting Format (ARF) standard, which specifies the structure and content of spam complaints sent back to senders. A failure to parse or receive ARF messages would mean no FBL reports.
• Registration required: ISPs and FBL providers require senders to register their sending IP addresses and/or domains to receive FBL reports. If registration lapses or is incomplete, reports will cease.
• Thresholds for reporting: Many FBL systems only generate reports once a certain volume of complaints or a specific complaint rate threshold is met. If mail volume is low or complaints are minimal, no reports may be sent.
• Delivery mechanism: FBL reports are delivered via email to a designated address. Problems with the receiving mail server, such as misconfigured spam filters or full mailboxes, can prevent reports from being received.

Key considerations

• Understand ARF format: Familiarize yourself with the Abuse Reporting Format (ARF). While Validity handles the parsing, understanding the underlying structure can aid in troubleshooting. Learn common DMARC tags and their meanings as they are often related to abuse reports.
• Confirm registration details: Regularly check your registration status with Validity to ensure all your sending IPs and domains are correctly enrolled and active for FBL receipt. This prevents issues like SPF unauthorized mail errors that can impact deliverability.
• Review FBL documentation: Consult Validity's official documentation for specific FBL onboarding, configuration, and troubleshooting steps related to their Universal Feedback Loop service. This is your primary source of truth.
• Monitor inbound mail server: Ensure that the email address designated to receive FBL reports is fully functional, not blocking Validity's sending IPs, and has sufficient storage capacity. Some mail services might automatically filter or discard these types of reports.