Hard bounces and spam complaints

Email reputation matters now

PW Hosting email is built on modern delivery infrastructure, including Amazon SES. That gives customers stronger deliverability, but it also means we must enforce bounce and complaint rules that ProHosting did not enforce.

What changed from ProHosting

For many years, old ProHosting accounts could send to invalid addresses, let messages bounce repeatedly, or receive spam reports without much visible consequence. That is not how modern email systems work.

Mail providers now measure sending behavior closely. Hard bounces and spam complaints affect the reputation of the sending account, the domain, and the mail platform behind it. If poor mail hygiene is ignored, legitimate messages from other customers can be delayed, filtered, or rejected.

The practical change: customers need to be more mindful about where email is sent, which lists are used, and whether recipient addresses are still valid.

Spam complaints are serious

A spam complaint happens when a recipient marks a message as spam or junk. Even one complaint can create risk for the sending account and for PW Hosting's mail reputation.

If your account receives a spam complaint, outbound sending for the account will be suspended. Accounts are not automatically unsuspended after a complaint. You will need to contact support so we can review what happened and decide whether sending can be restored.

This does not mean every complaint is intentional or fair. People sometimes click the wrong button. But because complaints are treated seriously by mailbox providers, PW Hosting has to treat them seriously too.

Hard bounces use a plan-based limit

A hard bounce usually means the recipient address cannot accept mail. Common causes include addresses that do not exist, domains that no longer receive mail, or old contacts that have been abandoned.

Hard bounces count toward an outbound sending limit over a rolling 3-day window. The limit depends on your hosting plan: Plan A allows 3 hard bounces, Plan B allows 6, and Plan C allows 12. If your account reaches that limit, outbound sending for the affected relay or mailbox will be suspended.

Occasional mistakes are expected. If you send one message to an outdated address, that does not mean your account is immediately in danger. Hard bounce history clears over time, so an occasional hard bounce here and there will not normally suspend an account.

For example, one hard bounce per week is unlikely to cause a suspension. Several hard bounces in the same day, or enough hard bounces close together within a few days to reach your plan limit, can suspend sending.

You can see your current hard bounce limit in the Admin Portal under Hosting Plan.

What happens after suspension

Suspension stops outbound sending for the affected account. It is a safety measure to protect mail reputation and keep legitimate customer email deliverable.

Suspended accounts do not automatically turn back on. Support must review the issue before sending can be restored. In many cases, that review will include confirming what caused the bounces or complaint and what will be changed to prevent it from happening again.

If your sending is suspended, contact support@pwhosts.com with your domain name, the sending address, and any bounce or rejection messages you received.

Monitor delivery feedback

You can review recent delivery issues in the Email Sending & Delivery area of the Admin Portal. Look for the Delivery feedback section.

That section lists soft bounces, hard bounces, and spam complaints across your email accounts. Checking it regularly can help you catch bad addresses or complaint patterns before they lead to a suspension.

How to avoid problems

The best protection is careful email hygiene. Before sending, especially to a group of recipients, make sure the addresses are current and that recipients expect to hear from you.

  • Remove addresses that have bounced before.
  • Do not use purchased, scraped, inherited, or very old mailing lists.
  • Send only to people who recognize your organization and expect your mail.
  • Use a dedicated bulk email platform for newsletters, promotions, or large campaigns.
  • Watch for replies, rejection notices, and signs that an address is no longer valid.

What this means for customers

This is a behavior change from ProHosting, but it is necessary for the current email environment. The old approach of sending without consequences is not compatible with modern deliverability rules.

PW Hosting customers can still use email normally. The key difference is that accounts must be maintained responsibly. Keep recipient lists clean, avoid unwanted mail, and contact support quickly if you see bounce or complaint problems.