Switching Email Service Providers??

I haven't had any problem moving providers over the years. You can upload a file or paste the e-mails into a box to import them into the new provider. Most just ask you to check off a box attesting that you have received permission to mail those people. Keep whatever opt-in proof you can from the previous provider (screenshots or copies of pages that show the opt-in date/times would work).

Lots of the challenges of changing over are a misnomer as long as you have the time and resources to re-configure and get running in another platform.

With transferring a list, Dan's advice is on spot. In addition however, we make it a habit to clean and narrow down our lists before moving them. Its a waste of resources to transfer over big lists that include people that have never opened, never clicked and don't interact with the material.

If you have great readership and at least a lukewarm following you'll bring over at least 15% of the best part of your list by:
- Run one or two warm-up emails that contain some of your best information
- Follow with two emails that announce that you're moving to a new system and provide a link to the opt-in form for the new system.

Depending on how active your list is, I've seen everything from 1% to over 20% pick up and move themselves into the new list (usually offering a free report or another fresh opt-in offer to boost incentive for the move).

Don't move junk into a new system is my best advice. I consult for a company that provides a great platform and marketing it is a unique challenge because people are afraid to move. If you're in a system that is too complicated, overrun with templates everyone uses, open rate stinks or your sender score is low you'll be doing yourself a huge favor. That in addition to the housecleaning (incidental and planned) that forces itself to happen. Most work out for the better after its done.

No autoresponder service is going to let people import a list without proof of where it came from, I think. (I certainly wouldn't want to be a customer of one that did, because their delivery rate would be painful, wouldn't it?). You can prove that to them, though - and will have to - if it's bona fide.

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Interesting responses so far. Thanks all.

Well I've had pretty good success with Get Response so I never really had a need to switch autoresponders.

The only time I use a different autoresponder is when I clean up my non-active subscribers off of Get Response, and instead of throwing them away I just store them into an AWeber database. I do this so that maybe later I can send them out a message again to make them responsive. If they still dont respond, I delete them permenently.

You are allowed to import contacts also so that would make things a lot easier

The only challenges you may face is getting used to the new interface that you are using. You shouldnt really have any problems though once you get used to it. Good Luck