Need evidence an email was sent on Hotmail days later

[jacobjingle]

I am new to this site but thought I would get the best advice here. I sent an email to an employer before a deadline but after the date I was informed they didn't get it. My job is at stake if I can't prove that I sent it. Hotmail has no records, my ISP sees it as web traffic, no apparent problems on their end, History folder shows expired pages, but Hotmail says since I got a confirmation page it should have gone through. Any type of forensic search I can do or have done to retrieve any type of record that it was sent? I have the file, it's missing the deadline that is my concern. Thank you

 

[franklin97355]

Does hotmail have a sent items folder? You might consider getting a real email account in the near future.

 

[SjrH]

Hotmail does have a sent mail folder, but only if you check the box for each message you send!

You might have a slim chance if you run a tracert from your pc to the mx of the domain you sent the email to. Then check out

http://www.dnsstuff.com

to check if any of the addresses en-route are smtp relays (mx hosts), if so they should have smtp relay transaction logs. A long shot but I can't think of any other way

Good luck!

 

[eyec]

it is sad to hear of this problem again and again.

first off, if you have an absolute must be there email (with or without an attachment) you should save a copy in the Sent Items folder.

secondly, you should request a delivery & read return receipt.

third, you should follow up with a phone call to let the person know that you just sent the important email and for them to call you when they receive it or don't get it within 24 hours.

finally, (as was mentioned) get a reliable email address. not that Hotmail, Yahoo, MSN, or others are not reliable but they cannot really help in a situation you described because of the sheer volume and you're not important enough for them to backup your emails. your isp is a much more user friendly source for helping in such a situation.

good luck anyway and i hope things work out for you.

 

[jacobjingle]

Thanks everyone, I appreciate the advice. I went to my boss's boss and showed him what I had and all the work I went through trying to figure this out (including this thread) and he let me off the hook! Thanks again.

 

[eyec]

glad for you.