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Frustrated with aweber and need recommendations

by ocflyfish
27 replies
Hi everyone,

Yes, I am a noob here so please be gentle.

I have been using Constant Contact for more than a year and have built up a nice email list. I did it ethically and everyone on the list has either made a purchase with me, or has subscribed from my opt-in sign up page. My understanding is that you can market to someone if they have 1) bought from you, 2) opted into your mailing list.

I signed up with Aweber because my shopping cart plugin and membership plugin both integrate with it. I tried to import my list and found out that everyone has to reconfirm again. That already blows and I am dialoging with the guy at their company to waive that requirement.

My issue is that whenever my customer makes a purchase on my site, or signs up to be a member they are being required to opt-in again through Aweber even though the shopping cart and member plugins do that!
I figured it would irritate people and found that to be true since people are purchasing but ignoring the confirmation email from Aweber.

With Constant Contact I had the option to import my customers in manually since there was no native integration. If I try to import email addresses into Aweber, they are requiring confirmation! It appears like Aweber is doing above and beyond the US requirements and is causing me all kinds of grief.

Am I missing something with Aweber? If not, is there another provider does not go overboard with these silly requirements?

Maybe I am unique in that I want to still communicate with customers after they purchase.. very frustrated...

Thanks,
Bryan
#aweber #frustrated #recommendations
  • Profile picture of the author NateRivers
    Well I can only help you bitch about how if you have aweber's parser hooked up with your payment gateway the customer still has to "confirm" their email. That bugs me.. but I started with aweber so I like them overall.
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    • Profile picture of the author ocflyfish
      Yes, that is what I was trying to describe (without having the screen in front of me). That plus I have no way to import small batches of customers as they purchase into Aweber without confirmation being triggered! I totally understand their reviewing large imports of emails but give me a break.
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  • Profile picture of the author NateRivers
    Yeah it sucks. If it helps at all, the subject line I've come up with that works pretty good for that confirmation email is, "Please update your customer status"
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  • Profile picture of the author art72
    I too am a noob, and just started with AWeber, but after researching an idea I had which included using a 3rd party list, I learned real fast they put up a wall. I guess it's not really AWeber you can thank, but the new CAN-SPAM laws that require these new procedures.

    What really clarified it for me was a video that MailChimp uses to describe the reason behind these new "importing list" requirements.

    Sadly, it effects people like yourself who may have a legit list too. Yes, I agree it sucks!

    P.S.- Since we're bashing AWeber, I noticed their new WordPress API does not keep formatting very well either. I tested it, worked great.

    2 weeks later wondered why nobody opted-in, and wah-lah...found that it was requiring reconnection...not cool!

    *Other than that, I think AWeber will be an important component in my future efforts, and I am pleased with their service.
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    • Profile picture of the author ocflyfish
      Correct me if I am wrong, but I did comply with the CAN-SPAM rules: 1) they have bought from me, or 2) they signed up on my opt-in mailing list.

      It appears (and I could be wrong) that Aweber is adding EXTRA requirements that what the law currently calls for. This is the most frustrating part for those of us who followed the rules and are getting dinged anyway.

      Let me ask this then: Besides Constant Contact, is there any other AR companies that have good deliverability and don't require more opt-ins than are necessary?
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  • Profile picture of the author Ian Varnava
    ocflyfish,

    I can't speak from experience on this as I've never tried them, but a lot of established IM'ers I know swear by https://www.icontact.com/. Not sure if it can do what you want it to do, but I would imagine most platforms are not as 'strict' as AWeber.
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    • Profile picture of the author ocflyfish
      Thanks Ian. I am looking at them MailChimp, and GetResponse right now. So silly that Aweber has gone off the deep end.
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      • Profile picture of the author ocflyfish
        GetResponse has the same restrictions as Aweber. Moving on to iContact now...
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      • Profile picture of the author Maria Jimenez
        Originally Posted by ocflyfish View Post

        Thanks Ian. I am looking at them MailChimp, and GetResponse right now. So silly that Aweber has gone off the deep end.
        Mailchimp are not IM friendly, there are always Cons and pros..sure you'll find some autoresponders who may solve your problem right now but they fail in other issues .
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  • Profile picture of the author Charles Boustany
    Hello

    I use Get response and am happy with their service so far I checked re importing your list and this is what they say:

    ""This is a double opt-in import. We will send a confirmation
    email to all imported Contacts. If you would like to go back
    to Campaign Settings and customize the confirmation message
    that will be sent, click on Customize Confirmation.

    If you would like to be considered for a Single Optin Import,
    please contact us before importing your list.""

    As you can see you can contact them re single opt in

    Good luck

    Charles
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    • Profile picture of the author Zanti
      I've been with Imnica Mail since they first started and I'm very happy with what Richelo has developed. Just do a search here for Imnica Mail.

      I think it may serve you to consider it as an option.

      Brian
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      • Profile picture of the author Shaun OReilly
        iContact will allow you to import your existing subscribers
        database without requiring that they re-confirm their
        subscription:

        http://www.icontact.com (no affil.)

        I have used both AWeber and iContact and each has their
        own pros and cons.

        iContact has a much simpler user interface but doesn't
        come with many of the more sophisticated functionality
        that AWeber has.

        iContact will also allow you to automatically add your
        customer data to a customer list without forcing them
        to confirm.

        Dedicated to mutual success,

        Shaun
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        .

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    • Profile picture of the author JimDucharme
      Originally Posted by Charles Boustany View Post

      Hello

      I use Get response and am happy with their service so far I checked re importing your list and this is what they say:

      ""This is a double opt-in import. We will send a confirmation
      email to all imported Contacts. If you would like to go back
      to Campaign Settings and customize the confirmation message
      that will be sent, click on Customize Confirmation.

      If you would like to be considered for a Single Optin Import,
      please contact us before importing your list.""

      As you can see you can contact them re single opt in

      Good luck

      Charles
      Thanks Charles!

      Yes, if you contact our support people we can have compliance follow up with you quickly and if your list is good, compliance can elect to waive the confirmation.

      Feel free to ping me directly if you have questions or need any help.

      Askloz - thanks for the kind words. You're right about the "family run biz" feeling and I think we come by it naturally since we are privately owned. I can only speak from the prespective of an employee, but I certainly do feel that family thing too. I'll pass along your kind words to our support/service people.

      Regards,
      jim
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      • Profile picture of the author Clint Faber
        Originally Posted by JimDucharme View Post

        Thanks Charles!

        Yes, if you contact our support people we can have compliance follow up with you quickly and if your list is good, compliance can elect to waive the confirmation.

        Feel free to ping me directly if you have questions or need any help.

        Askloz - thanks for the kind words. You're right about the "family run biz" feeling and I think we come by it naturally since we are privately owned. I can only speak from the prespective of an employee, but I certainly do feel that family thing too. I'll pass along your kind words to our support/service people.

        Regards,
        jim
        Wish this was still true
        I have a paypal list that was in aweber D opt in and the "Team" denied it.
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        • Profile picture of the author MickK
          Originally Posted by Clint Faber View Post

          Wish this was still true
          I have a paypal list that was in aweber D opt in and the "Team" denied it.
          Hi Clint,

          It is still true, but GetResponse does check the list for quality.

          They usually give out a reason for rejecting the list. Once you clean it you can try to import it again.

          The most common reason I've seen to reject a list is that people forget to clean out the unsubscribes and bounced emails from their list before they import it.

          Cheers,

          Mick
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  • Profile picture of the author MaxReferrals
    Use a little creativity with your confirmation messages, and you won't have
    an issue with getting people to confirm and opt-in.

    This subject has been beat to death on many threads here.
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  • Profile picture of the author askloz
    Aweber SUCK!!!!

    Go with GetResponse instead! cheaper, better delivery rates too!

    and dont use iContact, they will get blacklisted soon, iContact is for spammers!
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    • Profile picture of the author celente
      Originally Posted by askloz View Post

      Aweber SUCK!!!!

      Go with GetResponse instead! cheaper, better delivery rates too!

      and dont use iContact, they will get blacklisted soon, iContact is for spammers!
      I like aweber, and most the autoresponders, some even smaller cheaper ones like emailaces, that was run by a WF member i think.

      Its better to get something you find is easy to use, and manage, or you could spend all you day trying to sort through these issues.
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  • Profile picture of the author thegabrieljibril
    Banned
    [DELETED]
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    • Profile picture of the author convert2steve
      I would say ditch all and step up to the plate with interspire!

      If you want to be subject to other ESP's rules then use them and stop complaining, there is no way around this unless you get an account which has a full-time rep. If these emails belong to you AWEBER does not care, you will have to have the list re-optin. I know contactology has some cool reps over there who will get on a call with you and sort this out after they determine if it is legit or not.

      Problem is ESP's dont want huge list being imported over and not re-subscribing to your list. If they allow this when you start mailing this newly imported list, the subscriber may not recognize your FROM NAME OR ADDRESS or even more not remember subscribing at all and clicking report as spam this damages the IP's and Reputation of Aweber and their relationships with the whitelisted ISP's.

      Move on to Interspire or choose a new ESP that is pretty simple!
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    • Profile picture of the author askloz
      yeh, a good friend of mine, has (HAD) 7,000+ list with aweber... guess what, he asked for some support to delete some ppl, and they deleted his ENTIRE list and said they could not get it back... WTFH..

      I asked him why couldnt they revert the database back, sites like aweber and get response should be doing hourly backups...

      that list was worth over $500k to him, and now its gone!

      So avoid aweber completely! they are not professional enough to do biz with.

      GR on the other hand, really nice ppl, kinda a family feeling type of support

      Originally Posted by thegabrieljibril View Post

      icontact works for me, get response is great, aweber has been doing some massive banning of accounts lately, i dont know what's up with them.
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      • Profile picture of the author calfred
        Originally Posted by askloz View Post

        yeh, a good friend of mine, has (HAD) 7,000+ list with aweber... guess what, he asked for some support to delete some ppl, and they deleted his ENTIRE list and said they could not get it back... WTFH..

        I asked him why couldnt they revert the database back, sites like aweber and get response should be doing hourly backups...

        that list was worth over $500k to him, and now its gone!

        So avoid aweber completely! they are not professional enough to do biz with.

        GR on the other hand, really nice ppl, kinda a family feeling type of support
        Wow that's nuts.

        Gotta backup Aweber emails list before I ask them to change anything in the future.

        Thanks for this reminder Loz.
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        • Profile picture of the author VideoMarketer
          Hey, I just talked with a guy at Aweber and told them my situation.

          I've got lists from 18 people to 3,100..

          He emailed me a form with a few questions on it that request them to waive the confirmation email. You fill it out and they review your request.

          My guess is that asking people to re-confirm would cut our list 50% to

          A rep at icontact said that they "usually" can import up to 15,000 without being overly concerned about CAN-SPAM and would act on good-faith in specific circumstances.

          Matthew
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      • Profile picture of the author JackSimms
        Originally Posted by askloz View Post

        yeh, a good friend of mine, has (HAD) 7,000+ list with aweber... guess what, he asked for some support to delete some ppl, and they deleted his ENTIRE list and said they could not get it back... WTFH..

        I asked him why couldnt they revert the database back, sites like aweber and get response should be doing hourly backups...

        that list was worth over $500k to him, and now its gone!

        So avoid aweber completely! they are not professional enough to do biz with.

        GR on the other hand, really nice ppl, kinda a family feeling type of support
        That's crazy, I can't believe that , great support... bye bye list... nice.
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  • Profile picture of the author Steven Miranda
    I have used aweber and didn't really like it. I switched to GetResponse and I really like it. Cheaper too.
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    • Profile picture of the author SimpleSpencer
      Originally Posted by Steven Miranda View Post

      I have used aweber and didn't really like it. I switched to GetResponse and I really like it. Cheaper too.
      I'm right there with ya Steven.

      I too am glad I switched from Aweber to GetResponse.

      My story (in the form of a video) is actually on GetResponse's main homepage. They were cool enough to share it there. :-)

      GetResponse allowed me to easily import all of my leads (without requiring confirmation). It was a really simple process that only took about a day to move everything over.

      Was well worth it in the end. My open rates are much better now over at GetResponse.

      ~SS
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  • Profile picture of the author kencalhn
    i've used both aw and icontact for years and am happy with both
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  • Profile picture of the author euraffiliates
    I think the root of the problem are not they, but the mail service providers like GMAIL and other big players. Recently I sent emails to my old customers and I have been marked as spammer by Gmail. Now even my outlook emails are also treated as spam. I really never wanted to send spam.

    I know I cant battle with Google, better I abide by them. I was looking in their mass mailing instruction where there are a lot of restrictions are imposed. Here you can see their guidelines

    https://support.google.com/mail/answer/81126?hl=en

    In fact they have made the life of the mail companies life miserable. I will suggest all of you to send emails to people who will not report as spam. Otherwise Gmail will treat your legitimate emails as spam. This is not problem with private domain emails unless your content is not spammy and you are sending with a legitimate email address and server.
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