Unlimited storage, it’s coming!

Posted May 14th, 2007 at 9:50 pm by John Kremer, Yahoo! Mail

 292 Comments / Filed in: Trends & News

As promised, we’ve started to roll out unlimited email storage to Yahoo! Mail users worldwide today. When it hits your account, you’ll notice the storage meter has disappeared — meaning, you just don’t have to worry about deleting old messages ever again!

As a reminder, while we wish we could simply flip a switch and “unlimit” everyone at once, we’ll be rolling this out over a few months to facilitate a smooth transition. Thanks for your patience.

Happy emailing!

John Kremer
Vice President, Yahoo! Mail

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292 Comments Add your own

TheAnand | May 15th, 2007 at 1:35 am

Thats good news, I was kind of getting worried about my account reaching 30%……THANKS !

Tim | May 15th, 2007 at 4:47 am

Will this go out farm by farm or something else?

BJ | May 15th, 2007 at 6:05 am

I received an email on May 3 announcing the pending roll-out of the unlimited storage enhancement.

One particular item in the email has drawn concern: “Additionally, within the next few weeks you will begin seeing graphical advertisements in your AT&T Yahoo! Mail service.”

I’m not currently an AT&T Yahoo! subscriber (though, I used to be), but have been a Yahoo! Mail Plus subscriber for a number of years.

I do not wish to have advertising in my email, as this is a service I pay for.

I’m hoping I received the email in error and that it’s intended for AT&T Yahoo! subscribers and not Yahoo! Mail Plus subscribers.

raffaell | May 15th, 2007 at 6:13 am

Thanks, but my yahoo account right now full with spam….i dont know why this is happening…….everyday i check my mail, i have to cleanup some spam….

I hope its will be better soon

destoller@hotmail.com | May 15th, 2007 at 7:00 am

Who gives a rats behind about unlimited storage for yahoo email accounts when Yahoo terminates your account without notice and does not adfvise of its intent to terminate the account. No due process and then to boot you lose whatever you stored in that account… BEWARD of their business tactics Yahoo SUCKS! If yahoo wants to respond, please do… they don’t give any links to reach them to discuss any problems… just spew their commpany policy to “Banish you forever”

Manas | May 15th, 2007 at 7:30 am

Excellent news !!!

Y Mail rocks.. :)

alex | May 15th, 2007 at 7:51 am

my question is i’m from latin america i have 1gb the we is going to change right i hope it will be soon thanks for doing this i really looking forward to test it

mohanraokotari | May 15th, 2007 at 9:28 am

xllent services, than q

Jeremiah Owyang | May 15th, 2007 at 9:30 am

Thanks for doing this, I’m approaching capacity as I don’t want to delete anything. It would be great if Yahoo could discuss how data is being secured, backedup, and other privacy concerns.

While I’m sure you’re doing a great job doing this, we’d love to hear how it’s being implemented.

G. Chai | May 15th, 2007 at 2:09 pm

I wonder who’s complaining about free 1 GB limit? Since you’re in the process of getting rid of that limit, I hope you will consider increasing the number of filters…and giving POP access to everyone. Yes, even to non-Plus users.

John Kremer | May 15th, 2007 at 5:25 pm

Thank you for your comments about the rollout of unlimited email storage. I wanted to address a few of them in particular. The feature will be pushed out to users around the world over the coming months to ensure everything goes smoothly. The rollout will be faster than “farm by farm,” but unfortunately, due to the complexity of our infrastructure, I can’t share the details of which users will receive the feature first.

If you are an AT&T Yahoo! Mail customer, you may have heard about our plans to introduce graphical advertisements into the email experience. To clarify, we will not show any ads within your email messages. Also Yahoo! Mail Plus will remain an ad-free experience.

We take security and privacy seriously and there is useful information for consumers about protecting their passwords and data at http://security.yahoo.com. In addition, we offer tools such as the Sign In Seal, to help users protect their accounts.

As always, if you have additional questions or comments about the product or need customer care assistance, please visit http://help.yahoo.com/mail and click on the “Contact us” link.

Fred | May 15th, 2007 at 6:40 pm

It’s good news really, but can Yahoo! set the priority higher on problem of lots of spam mails, not only on the storage size issue. Thanks.

=bg= | May 15th, 2007 at 6:52 pm

so, will deleted items remain in ‘trash?’

jon | May 15th, 2007 at 9:19 pm

this is fantastic, thank you

Rajesh Anandakrishnan | May 15th, 2007 at 10:14 pm

This is a good news John Kremer.

Yesterday: Free Mail : Hotmail was a revolution in 90’s
Today: Wow Mail : Yahoo, Live & Gmail
Tomorrow: Unlimit Mail: Yahoo!

Read More, I have blogged on this:

http://www.suggestusability.com/2007/05/yahoo-mail-unlimited-storage-its-coming.html

Mike | May 16th, 2007 at 8:32 am

I won’t hold my breath. Wasn’t it in February that they said they were going to roll out the integrated into mail IM client and I have yet to see it. Don’t know if that got shelved because of problems or they have that big of infrastructure that it takes that long to roll it out. I’m not really a yahoo basher I pay for mail plus and find a lot of yahoo’s services to be top notch. Just wanted to post my $.02 since it seems there is a yahoo rep reading this..

TheAnand | May 16th, 2007 at 9:32 am

@destroller, I think yahoo! is doing a great job of customer care…i have been using them for more than 7 years now…whenever i have approached them with a problem, the response has been simply super and the problems are usually solved in a single mail if you are clear enough…i love yahoo for their products and for ther service levels…even though i am only a stingy free mail user….

Baldusi | May 16th, 2007 at 2:44 pm

I’m a paying customer of the US service. If I could get IMAP4 access, I would dump most other mails save my business addresses.

Andrew | May 16th, 2007 at 4:10 pm

I have been a loyal Yahoo! Mail user for well over 6 years now, and love the service, reliability, and ease of use. The interface’s design is also much more intuitive than any of the other web-mail providers.

I have enjoyed Yahoo! Mail so much that I have upgraded to Yahoo! Mail Plus. I just have one question. One of the main perks that Plus Mail users had was their giant 2 GB of storage space. But now that everyone’s account space will be unlimited, will there still be distinguishable features that separate Mail Plus from regular Mail so that it is still worth the $20 annual fee? How will Mail Plus be different from Mail in the future?

Thanks!

Rajesh Anandakrishnan | May 16th, 2007 at 6:11 pm

HI John,

I could able to see few promotions news about the yahoo mails new feature. What about the file size of attachment?. Is that going to be same or any difference in size?

Yahoo! Mail User | May 16th, 2007 at 8:20 pm

I’m still sad we don’t have disposable email addresses for free.

= … O (

Yahoo!’s AddressGuard features are WAAAYYYY~ better than Gmail’s unlimited number of disposable email addresses. If the spammer’s smart, they’ll drop the “+word” and spam you at your original Gmail email address. PLUS, Gmail’s “+” is not recognized in many places, but Yahoo!’s “-” IS!

I don’t want my email address to end with, for example, @yahoo.fr just so I can use unlimited AddressGuard/disposable email addresses.

= … O (

Eragmus | May 16th, 2007 at 9:06 pm

I am so sorry, but GMAIL FTW!!!

Gmail’s superior to Yahoo Mail in nearly every way. Yahoo, you see this and so try to imitate Gmail (and Google in general), but that is all you are… a cheap imitation. Google innovates, while Yahoo copies. Pretty simple, really.

Gmail > Yahoo Mail

toomuchgreentea | May 16th, 2007 at 9:07 pm

@Mike
Many have used the integrated chat and love it! I myself use it daily. Maybe it just takes time to have all the “farms” updated so they’ll be ready for this new integration.

IKhan | May 16th, 2007 at 11:29 pm

Its great news

picciu | May 17th, 2007 at 7:45 am

Is a good ideea ! Thank you !

Al Mun | May 17th, 2007 at 12:17 pm

If you want to stay in the game you must localize the interface of the e-mail accounts (translate it into various languages), maybe also add a spellchecker for each language. Also you must localize the search engine.

shyam | May 19th, 2007 at 2:39 am

im using 91% of mail box plz come fast ………

Jesh | May 19th, 2007 at 2:55 am

Hi,

I found that some of the users who switched to mail beta recently were having messenger also integrated in the mail beta but what about the users switched earlier. How can i upgrade to new mail and messenger version of yahoo beta. Pls any body reply to my email id.

Jesh.

jaanss | May 19th, 2007 at 5:02 am

i need unlimited storage mail

Kiran | May 19th, 2007 at 5:10 am

Hi All,

Nice to hear the good news…..

Kiran
dotndot.com

mudafer | May 19th, 2007 at 6:05 am

thank u

Aamir | May 19th, 2007 at 10:00 pm

Cool…
I always wanted it…
So when does it come to India??

Kabeer | May 20th, 2007 at 4:00 am

Thank you very much. It is a great thing? only two days ago I started deleting unwanted mails in order to provide free space. Congratulations! May the Great Gods blessing in plenty be on the Yahoo team

Raghu | May 20th, 2007 at 8:09 am

Unbetable offer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thnx a lot.

nishant | May 20th, 2007 at 9:51 pm

hay thanks u have done a exellent job

Vishal garg | May 21st, 2007 at 1:22 am

Excellent News….!!!!!

now we dont need to delete our old mails….. but i wanna ask when you are going to strat POP3 services in yahoo….!!!!

again congratulation!!!!!!

Regrads… vishal

john | May 21st, 2007 at 6:13 am

ya have seen you r webside so i agree with yo r terms and condions

UAP National | May 21st, 2007 at 7:12 am

Just to inquire if Yahoo! Mail unlimited is now available since my storage meter is already 97%. I am an avid Yahoo user since 2004. Temporarily, I registered with GMAIL in case such move is yet to be confirmed. However, i will re-transfer to Yahoo as soon as the Yahoo! Mail unlimited is available. I love Yahoo! so much and I hope I can benefit such great offer. Regards and More Power to Yahoo!

David Hobby | May 21st, 2007 at 7:55 am

Thanks much for such a user-friendly gesture. I am sure you will build a lot of stickiness with unlimitede storage.

I have a bit of a gripe about Yahoo! Email Beta and supported browsers. I use Safari (the latest version) which is far and away the most popular Mac browser.

Yet, when I log into my mail I have to wade through the “unsupported browser” screen every single time. That’s 15 seconds of my life I’ll never see again. Every time.

If Yahoo! is unwilling (or unable) to support the most recent version of the most popular browser for Mac, could you possibly cut us a break and not browbeat us about switching from what is actually an excellent browser every single time?

Please, please, please.

It is very customer-unfriendly and very unlike Yahoo! to insist on doing it.

Either supporting Safari or just letting us get to old e-mail without the gruffy doorman would be far preferable to the current situation.

Thanks,
David

Dave | May 22nd, 2007 at 5:42 am

You haven’t addressed the SPAM problem. I receive over 500 spams a day. I keep using the spam button, but the same spams (with different made up return addresses) keep ariving.

My question is this:
Why can’t Yahoo filter spam based on the actual message content, not just by return e-mail address?

Also, how big of an attachment will we be able to send now that storage will be unlimited. 10g per message these days doesn’t cut it.

Also, you may want to post an actual e-mail that we can use to contact Yahoo directly instead of using this blog.

Thanks for your service.

Dave

M | May 22nd, 2007 at 8:47 am

As someone with a well filter 61% email account, I think this will be right on time.

If beta ever picks up speed, that would be great. (Until then, I’ll just stay with my 61% classic version.)

Tina Young | May 22nd, 2007 at 12:38 pm

This is fantastic! I can wait. I always liked yahoo but now I can’t ever foresee leaving it. But like someone said here, what about a direct e-mail to yahoo for this….maybe you could inform us of some of the order/areas that will go unlimited first over the next few months. So I’d have a better Idea of when this is likely to happen to me. Will It be a paid for service??
Thank you again. Tina

Dave | May 22nd, 2007 at 7:58 pm

Again I ask, how big of an attachment will we be able to send now that storage will be unlimited. 10meg per message these days doesn’t cut it. Will we be able, let’s say to send a couple of home movie files and some mp3s, or will it be still limited to 10 meg total per message?

shibin | May 23rd, 2007 at 1:40 am

Hooooooooraaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyy I GOT UNLIMITED STORAGE

Ramesh | May 23rd, 2007 at 9:12 am

It’s very nice to hear, b’cz I have more than five ids in yahoo. all the five are reached 1gb. please make it fast. very proud to saying that I’m a yahoo user.

Donna | May 23rd, 2007 at 9:22 am

I got mine today. Thanks a bunch!!

Carl DiLorenzo | May 23rd, 2007 at 11:51 am

Your ads on my PAID MAIL SUBSCRIPTION page are outrageous/ You have taken over 1/3 of my mail page and have no given me a rebate in my monthly fees. This really sucks. YOAHOO How greedy can you get?

Kay Clark | May 23rd, 2007 at 12:24 pm

What the HECK!!! Why do I have advertising all over my Yahoo email. I pay too much…$20 per month to have this email service. I don’t understand WHY I am paying to see advertising. This is TOTALLY annoying. I’m shopping around for another service!! How rude of YAHOO!!

FFFFF | May 23rd, 2007 at 8:17 pm

Unlimited storage is FREE?
What about the “graphical advertisements” in your AT&T Yahoo! Mail service. What a sellout! I suppose we are not valued customers anymore, but rather “marketing opportunities” for AT&T Yahoo! to exploit! YahooThinksItSucks!

Vaibhav | May 24th, 2007 at 1:06 am

Please do it fast(as soon as possible).

Ahsan Iqbal | May 24th, 2007 at 6:40 am

Wowwwwwwwwww! That will be really amazing if I’ll be able to get UNLIMITED mail storage. That will also ve really nice if I can use my Yahoo! Mail account as a back-up storage devicce. I want to ask that is it OK, legal and allowed to use Yahoo! Mail account to store back-ups of our important files?

X | May 25th, 2007 at 10:03 am

Will we be able to send unlimed attachments?

jules | May 25th, 2007 at 2:01 pm

AS a business client I find it absurd you place ads there .

give me back my monitor space and why should i pay anything if its unlimited now ?

my 2 cents

jules | May 25th, 2007 at 2:04 pm

okay if you want a better email -

A) let me forward messages without opening.
B) stop all spam

C) come on those nigerian letters and v1agra ads are easy to spot as well as those fake watches

D) let me mark / flag emasils with 3 -6 symbols and autosort by symbol

needs response
save
priority
long term project
etc
etc

Nicki Dugan | May 25th, 2007 at 2:08 pm

@Dave and X - All e-mail messages will have the same attachment limits as before… 10MB for free users and 20MB for Plus users.

John Daniel | May 25th, 2007 at 3:26 pm

I subscribe to Yahoo Mail Plus which is supposed to have 2 GB storage space. However, I was surprised to note that my account shows only 1 GB space, which is available with your FREE email service. So, what’s my advantage of paying $19.95 per year for Yahoo Mail Plus?

John Daniel

The Beatles | May 26th, 2007 at 12:20 pm

Can’t Yahoo spot those Nigerian letters and Viagra ads as well as those fake watch ads and singles wanting to meet me. (My wife doesn’t appreciate it… and neither do I).

I keep getting them over and over and OVER AGAIN!

I can’t have my kids check my e-mail because of all this crap!!!!!!!!!!

If Yahoo is ONLY looking at the spammer’s e-mail address, this is hopeless as they keep using different fake e-mails everytime.

LOOK AT THE ACTUAL CONTENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This spam is getting old REALLY FAST!!!

The Beatles

celeron | May 26th, 2007 at 3:12 pm

I should be much more happier for POP acces for free version of yahoo. i only still keep yahoo account for messenger.

sankaranand | May 26th, 2007 at 11:57 pm

Well everything is ok about the unlimited storage but when you guys have stated that “Store limitless photos, messages ”
which means you give unlimited storage even for storing photos although i heard the news that yahoo will switch the yahoo photos to flickr so the flickr users will have a unlimited storage ?

though i am a flickr pro account holder i have this silly doubt that will the unlimited storage influence the flickr uploading bandwidth ? if so what about pro account holders ?

Lucy from the other side | May 27th, 2007 at 9:50 am

I’m also pretty upset that Yahoo only looks at the e-mail return when blocking spam.
I keep getting the same spams over and over again.

Clique | May 27th, 2007 at 10:07 pm

How are you going to deal with message content spam. Yahoo only blocks the e-mail address. I get so many of the same spams that I’m contemplating getting out of Yahoo mail.

Marguerite Jasmin | May 28th, 2007 at 7:48 am

Yes it sounds impressive but I’m still at only 44% of my 1GB and I can’t remember the last time I deleted an email. How about increased attachment size (and speed) splitting up a 15MB file just so I can send it via email should be a thing of the past!

vera gensan | May 29th, 2007 at 1:07 am

When do I get to benefit from it?

My email addy box is already near the brim. It is now 70% full.

I normally don’t delete so many of my emails because i find value in these even 10 months later.

I hope I receive it soon.

I have been with Yahoo since 2000.

roderick | May 29th, 2007 at 1:19 pm

i love it and i already have unlimited mail but i think yahoo should only give it to people who are running out of space becouse i have never went over 1%

Stacy | May 30th, 2007 at 12:34 am

As a paying subscriber to sbc yahoo! internet service I am becoming more and more despondant over the service that I am receiving.

I just opened up my email (beta interface) to find that a large portion of my already too small mail interface has been completely obliterated by ads.
It is bad enough that the entire right side of the screen is taken up by that towering advertisement, but now there are ads taking up half of the space on the lower left (immoveable, I might add) dock where all folders are.

Now, you might not think this to be that big of a deal, but remember: with yahoo mail beta there is no way to simply select or multiple select and move mail from one folder to another by clicking on a ‘move’ button. Of course, Yahoo has been saying for the last 8 months that it was working on that capability and it would be out shortly.

But I digress….
I have aproximately 15 personal folders for mail sorting in that left hand pane. In order to get mail from my inbox (or any other box) into the desired folder, I have to drag and drop it.

Now that there are the ads, I’m finding it virtually impossible to move my mail around to my lower folders. By the way, the ability to add subfolders would be fantastic.

Back to my original point.
I understand the need for yahoo to fund it’s business by padding non-contextual ads into FREE yahoo mail accounts, but I am EXTREMELY ANGRY that I am a paying customer and I have to put up with this crap!!!

According to my ruler, I now have exactly 632 pixels in which to view the “from, to, subject, date, flag, spam, and size” partitions of my email.
That does not work for me.

I also have to scroll in many emails now, as well.

Here’s the kicker….. I have ad blocker so YAHOO, YOUR ADS ARE WASTED ON ME! I CAN’T EVEN SEE THEM!!
The only thing that you are accomplishing is pissing off a lot of people that have put trust in you to deliver at least a competitive, if not superior, product.

Way to go, yahoo!

NOT!

Stacy S.
A very irritated consumer.

Richard | May 30th, 2007 at 7:18 am

Still no sign of the Integrated Messenger function which was promised to be available to all several weeks ago. Otherwise Yahoo Mail Beta is wonderful!

Joshua Sawyer | May 30th, 2007 at 10:02 am

Thank you yahoo I can’t wait. I think everybody should try the beta service. It will be nice to have all the space, because I will be able to use it for a lifetime.

Sweet | May 30th, 2007 at 11:14 am

hey everyone this is destoller@hotmail.com again i just wanted to say that i take back my remarks against yahoo, their services had been great but i was a retard and didnt open my email for 6 months and they deleted my very important documents that i didnt look at for six months. but what the heck i am pretty slow in the head.
send me some mail
destoller@hotmail.com

gahgah | May 30th, 2007 at 7:48 pm

ok. y did mi old email address get y-mail IM and unlimited storage and mi new 1 got NOTHING USEFUL???

I KNOW ITS ABSOLUTELY NONE OF MY BUSINESS, BUT THAT SUX!

James | May 30th, 2007 at 9:04 pm

So basically what you are saying is that my $40 per month for DSL service is not good enough. If I want an ad free email client I will have to shell out another $20 per year for yahoo mail plus?

Looks like I’ll be shopping around for a new provider for all of my combined services, that’s over $100 per month from just one subscriber.

Way to go AT&T and Yahoo.

Ann | May 30th, 2007 at 10:04 pm

Thanks for the unlimited e-mail storage. However, I don’t appreciate receiving advertisements in my
e-mail account. I’m paying for e-mail service and NOT for unsolicited ads. I believe Yahoo has made a poor business decision by inundating e-mail acounts with blinking graphics and advertisements. Hopefully, consumers whose ISP providers utilize Yahoo mail will cancel their accounts and go elswhere.

I’m in the process of identifying another ISP provider in order to transfer my e-mail service acount. AT&T and Yahoo — good riddens. You don’t own this market!

Jason | May 31st, 2007 at 1:02 pm

This is pure rubbish, Yahoo!

It’s one thing to bombard free Yahoo users with ads, but PAYING users??? Are you SERIOUS?

Also, I highly do NOT appreciate how you just close accounts with no notice and without ability to receive your info FROM your account. You have poor managing skills, Yahoo! Very poor!

Turn on account rsqviper RIGHT NOW!!

Manoj | May 31st, 2007 at 2:49 pm

you have no idea how much happy i m hearing that news…
i love yahoomail…
it will be fun with unlimited space with yahoo….

Roxann | June 1st, 2007 at 9:49 am

i need it quickly, my mail is already 75% so thank ya very much.

John Kremer | June 1st, 2007 at 10:05 am

Hello again. I wanted to address a few more comments from you about Yahoo! Mail.

We are in the process of rolling out integrated instant messaging to users of the Yahoo! Mail beta. If you are a beta user, stay tuned; it’s coming very soon.

Many of you have asked about how unlimited email storage impacts Yahoo! Mail Plus users. Of course all Yahoo! Mail users will receive unlimited storage, but keep in mind that people upgrade to our premium product (Yahoo! Mail Plus) for many reasons, with storage being just one of them. Yahoo! Mail Plus users also enjoy no graphical ads, bigger attachment limits (20MB), enhanced spam protection, AddressGuard/disposable addresses, POP access, mail forwarding, and premium customer support.

As always, if you have additional questions or comments about the product or need customer care assistance, please visit http://help.yahoo.com/mail and click on the “Contact us” link.

Please also be sure to see my previous replies in which I address ads in AT&T Yahoo! Mail, Spam, Speed and Anti-abuse Limits.

Thanks,
John Kremer

lisa | June 2nd, 2007 at 2:58 am

Thank you for offering this. I have to wonder…why did you roll it out to FREE customers before paying customers (Yahoo Plus)? How is this an incentive to keep paying?

Bill G***s | June 2nd, 2007 at 9:19 am

John,
You STILL haven’t addressed how you will be dealing with the spam problem, meaning catching spam by the message CONTENT, not just the return e-mail address.

Most spammers use a fake return e-mail address which changes with each message sent. The content of the message itself remains the same.

RESPOND to this concern NOW will you!!!!!!

Bill G***s

Russ | June 2nd, 2007 at 7:38 pm

I have to agree with the folks who have complained about the ads in the AT&T Yahoo. One would imagine that the 50 or so dollars spent each month on DSL would also include an ad-free email experience. However, I now find that my (still in beta) email UI is cluttered with a large vertical ad on the left and annoying panels on the right above and below the folder list. When I received notice that the interface would start containing ads, I thought they’d be somewhat unobtrusive links at the top and bottom versus full vertical panels. I now find I like the old UI better since the ads aren’t quite as annoying.

momo | June 3rd, 2007 at 4:19 am

i have an e_mail at yahoo from 6years and it have the same space so any one send me the soultion on my e_mail my e_mail is momo_momo_ccc@yahoo.com thaaanks

Anil NATHANI | June 4th, 2007 at 6:09 am

Dear Yahoo,

It will be really nice if I can get un-limited storage, as I use Yahoo regularly.

Thanks in advance,

Anil NATHANI

Senthil | June 5th, 2007 at 12:54 am

Its really nice news…
Most of the time i keep on deleting mails ..
Now its really useful to have an yahoo account..

But still i didn’t get the unlimited storage , messenger…

when will it be upgraded…thanks in advance..

Keep rocking Yahoo Team…

-Webrsk

Jagadeesh | June 5th, 2007 at 4:22 am

its very good news for me

John Kremer | June 5th, 2007 at 5:01 pm

Bill G***s,

We certainly know that spammers have been forging email addresses for many years. In fact, this is precisely why we invented DomainKeys, which was just standardized by the IETF as Domain Keys Identified Mail. Yahoo!’s SpamGuard uses a variety of techniques to keep the spammers at bay — including examining the content of messages.

We appreciate your feedback on this, and hope that you will continue marking those spam messages that arrive in your inbox as spam. That information is invaluable to us in updating the filters, and tracking the bad guys’ latest tricks.

- John Kremer

Jim Del Favero | June 6th, 2007 at 10:56 am

As a product manager for another silicon valley company and a yahoo ATT DSL subscriber, this new ads in the email issue provides great fodder when talking to my team about how to generate more revenue off of your customers.

A great example of what not to do. Put ads into a service that customers pay for, and do it in a way that degrades their experience.

Create ads that look like navigational elements, buttons, and aren’t targeted to anything. Make those buttons take up enough space to create a vertical scrollbar that further reduces horizontal space. Also put enough fake ads (buttons) so that many of my folders are now below the ‘fold’ so to speak.

Advertise for products I already have to make sure it creates the maximum feeling of being hosed, like new free ATT cellphone, uh I already have one of those.

Large vertical skyscraper on the right so now I can’t see the date column on my emails, awesome who thought of that genius move?

So now I had to move all my emails into the inbox, which caused yahoo mail to choke, download them all into my desktop client. Delete all my folders and go about changing all of my bills and other items to point to a different email account.

it will take a few weeks, but soon enough i will be using an email service a I pay for about as much as I use hotmail.

Nice work in helping Google to grow their userbase.

Bob | June 6th, 2007 at 9:19 pm

John Kremer

I join the affray in objecting to the proliferation of ads in the e-mail interface (they are everywhere, like bad guys in a low budget horror movie!) This really is unfair to inundate us with so many invasive ads. They are everywhere, top-left, bottom-left, right side, in your face mostly! It has really taken the joy out of e-mailing. If my email service was free, I could perhaps understand the ads, but I am a paying customer via my AT&T DSL internet service. Please rethink this decision. Thanks for considering my complaint.

.

Tim | June 7th, 2007 at 8:40 am

Stated above in the June 1st post by John:

“Also Yahoo! Mail Plus will remain an ad-free experience.”

DSL subscribers are listed as having a mail plus account under their services etc. However in my area some people I know that have these accounts are getting the adds. Is this just a glich or something else? When one person chatted with tech/customer support they advised there was nothing they could do. Is this correct?

Bill G***s | June 7th, 2007 at 1:51 pm

John,

I keep marking the same messages over and over and over again for weeks at a time. When you see this over and over and over again, why won’t you just block the message as per the exact same content?

I see not one bit of reduction in my inbox (over 600 spams each day).

Bill G***s (*ate*)

S. Chuck | June 7th, 2007 at 4:11 pm

The new ads will drive me away as a paid subscriber soon. If I pay for something, I expect at least some privacy. The ads are everywhere, and the banner side ad is 1/6 the page which makes navigation difficult especially since I pin the favorites to my left screen side. I call B.S. This is a money grab. Way, way too intrusive. It is one thing to stick free users with ads, but paying customers??? Very bad marketing strategy. So I pay for this but am driven to consider a more privacy respectful email domain. Good move. The “new att”, right.

Brian C | June 7th, 2007 at 4:52 pm

Mine is still at 12% of 2GB. I’m not to worried; I’ve been using yahoo mail for years so I have plenty of space but I am looking forward to knowing that I will never run out of space.

Any chance of IMAP for premium subscribers? I would really appreciate this and I am sure many other premium users would as well. The beta is nice but still not the same as being able to use a mail client and pop doesn’t cut it for me because I need the ability to also access my emails online through the web client.

Thanks,
Brian

S. Chuck | June 7th, 2007 at 4:55 pm

Mr. Kramer,
One other point. To the extent that these ads are unique to the “ATT Yahoo” experience, then Yahoo ought to give serious consideration to the damage this is doing to the market perception of Yahoo. Indeed, as we speak I am on the phone with ATT/Yahoo trying to figure out if there is a way to upgrade my way out of this advertising h*ll.

S. Chuck | June 7th, 2007 at 5:20 pm

Mr. Kramer,

This is the stock response on line chat customer service provides:

“We apologize for the inconvenience. The advertising is a needed step towards providing world class service at an affordable price.”

WORLD CLASS SERVICE?????

S. Chuck | June 7th, 2007 at 5:42 pm

Mr. Kramer,

Truly, I believe this to be a world class marketing gaff. Mr. Del Favero’s post, above, states the problem succintly. I might sound flippant, but in fact I want to remain an ATT Yahoo susbscriber with the option to opt out of the ads. I am brand loyal but if ATT/Yahoo doesn’t respond constructively, then as each unhappy customer is marginalized, erosion of your hard fought customer base will accelerate. Google must be smiling all the way to the bank.

Maureen | June 7th, 2007 at 5:49 pm

I used to enjoy the visual “peace and quiet” of my email, but now it’s filled with really annoying advertisements. Please get rid of them!

Matt | June 7th, 2007 at 5:51 pm

Personally, I love the ads. As a Premium Mail SBC/Yahoo! subscriber for 4+ years, I have turned down multiple offers to go to Comcast for phone and cable modem service which would result in a more streamlined billing process. But, I try to be a loyal consumer and SBC/Yahoo! provided a very high quality service and I stuck with it.

Loyalty is awesome. I never thought I would be this lucky, but now, unsolicited, I have the following:

1. Ad “buttons” that look components of my mailbox in an apparent effort to trick me into clicking. This is a solid example of Yahoo! innovating.

2. Mail that loads even slower. I never thought I would get this. In fact, I never even thought to ask. Thank you for building in features I did not even know that I wanted. This enables me to stare into space for a few extra seconds with each email that I send. Thank you for that.

I need to get back to my Inbox so I can see all the other new “features” Yahoo! has sent me.

ArtB | June 8th, 2007 at 3:11 am

The ads in the beta client are completely unacceptable. I too have been a loyal Yahoo user. I loved the Beta interface, i loved the speed, everything was great. That has all changed.

Now, if someone glances at my screen when I’m using Yahoo Mail, it looks like I’m looking at po-rn with all these obnoxious ads everywhere. My $39.99/month for DSL was a steep price to pay for internet service, but I figured it was worth it because I had this nice email client. That is no longer the case.

I’ve already begun the process of archiving my emails and putting them into MS Outlook.

I have noticed, like someone else before me, that if you “switch back” to the old yahoo mail, the ads arent as annoying…. BUT THE BETA CLIENT WAS SO MUCH BETTER.

Big mistake, Yahoo. You are going to lose a lot of customers over this.

Joe | June 8th, 2007 at 7:41 am

I just got the update this morning. I am very upset with the “graphical advertisements.” Not only have they added a 2 inch bar on the right, but have added smaller ads all over the place. I feel personally betrayed by ATT Yahoo for doing this. I spend a fair amount of money every month on internet and feel that I have paid for an ad free experience.

I hear google calling my name……

S. Chuck | June 8th, 2007 at 8:25 am

Yep, a day later and I’m still aghast and angry at this move. So absent a constructive response from Mr. Kramer et. al., we’ll know that they have no intention of listening to their customer base. Sure, ATT/Yahoo will get ad revenue and can trumpet that to shareholders (I wouldn’t buy now). But they’ll lose brand loyalty, users will begin flocking to Google as the default search engine, use gmail, hotmail or whatever, and Yahoo will lose more in search engine market share than they will ever see in the piddling amount of revenue they’ll get out of spamming their own customers right where they shouldn’t. Email. This ought to be a violation of the CAN-SPAM ACT.

Would love to hear Mr. Kramer’s response, but I suspect we won’t get one.

Gustavo | June 8th, 2007 at 8:55 am

Take the horrible ads of old people and wrinkles off my email. It sucks. Not happy. You are taking away my screen space and replacing it with eye sores. No good.

Ann | June 8th, 2007 at 10:23 am

I have been a customer so long my domain is pacbell.net

Count me in as another subscriber who is intensely irritated by these new ads. First of all, I don’t need unlimited storage, I am at 5%. What I need and EXPECT is ads-free email. I could understand if it was a free account, but it isn’t. I have been paying for this service for 8 years and have put up with a lot (none of which you could call “world class”). I do not want to deal with the hassle of changing my address, but if they don’t rethink this policy, I may finally have to do it.

Gary L | June 8th, 2007 at 10:37 am

I have blasted Yahoo mail with complaints all this week. They answer that “while Yahoo is indirectly connected to these ads, I should forward my complaints to the advertisers”.

What BS. They must be rolling in the ailes.

Gary L

NOT John Kramer | June 8th, 2007 at 1:48 pm

You tell us to mark inbox spam and press the SPAM button. My spam increases.
What in the $%#^@&$& are you doing with all this incoming spam? If even ONE comes into your nerve-center, it should be blocked right away!

STOP ALL OF THIS FREAKIN

SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM 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SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM 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SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM

NOT John Kramer | June 8th, 2007 at 1:49 pm

The above represents the number of spams I get EVERYDAY!!!!!!!!

S. Chuck | June 8th, 2007 at 2:16 pm

Paging Mr. Kramer,

We all deserve the courtesy of a substantive, material response. It doesn’t matter whether Yahoo is obligated by contract to ATT, because both companies are being tarred by the same brush. PLEASE, favor us with a response. You asked for comments, you got them.

roxanne m. | June 8th, 2007 at 4:11 pm

How about for the freelancer who works online and with email 15 hours a day, and to add to the struggle has ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder): he or she now has to endure additional stress on focus components by hypercorrecting that focus every time he or she goes to the inbox–has to force the consciousness to overrride, ignore, bypass…to essentially do another level of conscious filtering OUT of junk–explotive, undignified crap.

What a mess greed brings to the already overburdened PAYING, LOYAL users, and how those ads contribute to mental erosion.

Wonder how many lawsuits will arise from this intrusive and unacceptable ad inclusion strategy?

roxanne m. | June 8th, 2007 at 4:13 pm

And…, ironically, the warning at the bottom of this very posting window says that if you weild spam, you will be banished forever!!?? Should the cop be exempt from wreckless driving laws?

Arafath | June 9th, 2007 at 12:21 pm

i saw in my friends yahoo mail os unlimited storage. currently my e-mail box is going to be full i dont like to delete the mails of the mails i need that the reason i would like to know how can i make my e-mail inbox unlimited storage

Brian | June 9th, 2007 at 11:11 pm

John-

I’m so glad to hear that I’m not the only paying user that’s shocked by and complaining about the new ads in the email browser. Lose the ads or lose another customer. I will not pay more to remove the ads.

Hitesh | June 10th, 2007 at 9:24 pm

Dear Yahoo!

I am still living with 1GB Mail Storage.

What should I do to get this facility?

Please reply

Regards,
Hitesh
India

Chi | June 11th, 2007 at 12:04 pm

I am a long time paid AT&T/Yahoo customer. I am currently using Yahoo Mail Beta as well. Last week, everything changed. The advertisement are showed up on the right side and took up about 1/8 of the page. Chat feature was added, which I don’t use. The folders area on the left have strink, so now I can’t see many of my folders unless I scroll down. When I’m composing an email, the advertisement space turn to hint, which I don’t need. And from what I read here, I’m suppose to get unlimited email storage(which I don’t have) because of all these changes. I called customer service several times and all they give me is the same BS “this is to provide you with quality service.” I guess Yahoo and AT&T have a different opinion than the rest of us about quality service. I’m switching back to regular mail and if they mess with that too, Bye Bye Yahoo, Hello Google. And you know what, I might just pay Google for it.

Alanna | June 11th, 2007 at 2:07 pm

all I can say is YA HOO!!!!!!!

sd dietz | June 11th, 2007 at 5:46 pm

Thanks to the spam ads I have had to go back to my original model. Use Yahoo mail as a daily filter and use Outlook as my client. The Beta client was superior, fast and usable prior to the Intrusive sidebar ads.
I can live with some ads, but when they were changing every three seconds I had to go back to the original client. At least its ads do not use up desktop space.
I too thought as a paying ATT/DSL high end customer I would be marginally exempt to such treatment. I guess not.

SDD

Disrespected DSL Customer | June 12th, 2007 at 10:02 am

Mr. Kremer,

You can add me to your growing list of PAYING customers (DSL) who are outraged by the addition of annoying graphical ads to my email.

If you want to bombard users of your free email service with ads, bomb away. But, to punish your long term, loyal, paying customers with incredibly annoying and obtrusive ads is seriously disrespectful.

Do you actually expect people to pay you money to be disrespected?

LOSE THE ADS, OR LOSE ANOTHER PAYING CUSTOMER!!!!!

Most Sincerely,

Disrespected

andyo | June 12th, 2007 at 1:42 pm

[…]Yahoo! Mail Plus users also enjoy no graphical ads…
[…]
Please also be sure to see my previous replies in which I address ads in AT&T Yahoo! Mail, Spam, Speed and Anti-abuse Limits.

Comment by John Kremer - Jun 1st, 2007 at 10:05 am

I would like to know where are your other replies, please.

Various Yahoo Mail Plus users who are paying $20 a month (which is not the fee for AT&T Yahoo DSL) have already complained about the ads. Is this a mistake?

I am an AT&T Yahoo DSL customer, and I’m also extremely annoyed at the ads. But if I was a Yahoo Mail Plus customer, who opted to pay because he was told explicitly that there would be no ads, and then get not only some, but many extremely annoying ones, I would be supremely p1ssed.

andyo | June 12th, 2007 at 3:00 pm

I think I was just censored. I wonder why, it wasn’t that bad. Certainly up there are some worse ones.

I also was complaining about the ads, and was pointing out that what the author said about the yahoo mail plus accounts not having them is not true. Several people with those accounts have already complained. I am not talking about ATT yahoo, but yahoo mail plus. I also have ATT yahoo, and I think, while I’m very annoyed as a paying customer, that yahoo mail plus people, who paid for explicit no-ads mail, would and should be much more upset than I am.

andyo | June 12th, 2007 at 3:02 pm

weird, the previous message appeared when I posted it, then when I came back it wasn’t here, refreshed many times and still not here. Posted the second message, and now both are there. So I apologize for implying censorship.

BDD | June 12th, 2007 at 9:53 pm

Yahoo Hostage!

Yahoo forces customers to pay annual fee to remove unwanted email page ads

The addition of ads to a paying customers email site with no way to request its removal constitutes spam. The shear volume of email page consumed, detracting from productivity of email processing, along with the inability to request it to be removed, is the definition spam. The addition of an advertising bar containing spam as well as every other free area being filled with spam is annoying to the users and counter to good customer service. The consumption of large areas of my email page and the additional bandwidth consumed is unwanted and slows other internet access.

Please stop spamming me immediately.

The fact that I must now pay to stop this practice (EMAIL PLUS) is equivalent to being held hostage. Internet blogs and local news stations are already starting to blast this practice. “YAHOO HOSTAGE” is not a slogan I would want my company to be associated with. Again, general public opinion considers this advertising approach to be spam. Allow those with a concern to remove, those that do not express concern can continue to receive the ads.

The blogs are already sharing numerous ways to filter/block the ads. ( i.e. Mozilla adblocker add-on). They are also enlisting support to send an email blitz of negative feedback to the advertisers. So each advertiser on the email page will receive volumes of negative feedback and few positive responses driving down their customer good will.

Why not reverse this practice before a large wave of negative customer feedback starts to eat away at the Yahoo AT&T credibility and customer good will.

Causing your loyal customer base to unite against a bonehead marketing policy seems very irresponsible.

Please suspend sending SPAM material consisting of non-requested , unwanted materials to my email application. It distracts from productive email use, negatively affects performance, consumes valuable computer resources, is annoying, and undesirable.

As I plan to use every means possible to block these ads and would not contact one of these advertisers even if the product offered was of stellar value; they are completely useless to me.

Tim | June 13th, 2007 at 3:22 am

The advertisement for Plus still list no graphical adds: http://mailplus.mail.yahoo.com

Doen’t seem right to me.

Larry Schwarcz | June 13th, 2007 at 7:00 am

Hi John,

I noticed that in addition to the “unlimited email storage” you’ve now started displaying ads on the e-mail web pages. I’m sure you’ve seen other posters who are less than happy about this. We were all sold on the AT&T DSL solution with “No Graphical Ads” as one of the selling points. I poked around the AT&T web site on Sat, June 9, 2007 and found this link:

http://www.att.com/gen/general?pid=7301

On it, it says one of the standard features is:

Enhanced email - AT&T Yahoo! Mail PLUS at no
extra cost with 2 GB of storage, POP access
and email forwarding

So, I then went to the Yahoo! web site to see the features of Mail Plus and found this:

http://mailplus.mail.yahoo.com/

No graphical ads
We’ve removed all graphical ads from the Mail
Plus pages, so your experience is even more
enjoyable. You will not see any third party ads
either.

Both of these links are still active as of today (June 13, 2007).

When I call AT&T to complain, I’m told that they’re getting so many complaint calls that they’ve been told they can’t escalate them to tier-2 support any longer! And, all of the customer service reps tell me AT&T is only providing me my link to the net. These ads are put there by Yahoo! But, when I call Yahoo! customer support, I’m told that as far as they’re concerned, I’m not a paying customer (we all pay AT&T for our service, not Yahoo! directly).

So, what’s the scoop? When will Yahoo! do the right thing and REMOVE THOSE ANNOYING ADS? All of us AT&T DSL customers are PAYING for no ads!

Thank you,
Larry.

P.S. Being a moderated site, I would be very surprised if this even gets published. After all, it has useful content!

clarence p | June 13th, 2007 at 9:18 am

PLEASE stop all of the ads. my beta email page is covered with ads. I am paying for this service snd should NOT be required to try to move the ads out of the way…………..
clarence p

Another Lost Customer | June 13th, 2007 at 9:23 am

Add me to list of extremely peeved AT&T Yahoo DSL customers.

Per AT&T’s website: “Enhanced email - AT&T Yahoo! Mail PLUS at no extra cost…”

Per the Yahoo Mail Plus site: “No graphical ads**
We’ve removed all graphical ads from the Mail Plus pages, so your experience is even more enjoyable. You will not see any third party ads either.”

According to these descriptions, I should see no ads. What gives?

I agree with the other posters- If it were a free account I wouldn’t care. But I’m paying $35 a month for the “Elite” DSL package, which is quoted as being “ad-free”. Apparently that doesn’t count anymore?

It wouldn’t be such a big deal if the ads were small and unobtrusive. These ads are just outright annoying though! Mine has been stuck on some stupid wrinkle ad since this whole mess started! (I definitely won’t be buying that product!)

I couldn’t care less about the unlimited storage. Some may need it, but I’m consistently around 10% of my 2 gig limit.

ATT/Yahoo needs to get this situation under control fast- before they lose even more customers. I’ve been looking for an excuse to switch to another provider. ATT/Yahoo may have just provided one.

Sincerely,
Another Lost Customer

Rob Becker | June 13th, 2007 at 9:48 am

As a long time SBC/AT&T DSL customer (2000-present), I was dumbfounded today to log into my mail to be greeted by giant banner ads. This is pathetic. Free e-mail users? Sure. But people who are paying top dollar for internet access? That’s wrong.

Dean Wilcox | June 13th, 2007 at 11:26 am

Yes, add my rant to the growing list. I actually pay $35/mo for “high speed” DSL. This is complete bull****!

D | June 13th, 2007 at 11:55 am

If i pay for no graphical ads like you state in your advertisement…

http://mailplus.mail.yahoo.com

then I should see no graphical ads. It’s like Yahoo is asking for a class action law suit on false advertising and revoking on services promised.

GET RID OF THE ADS for PAYING CUSTOMERS!

Rob Becker | June 13th, 2007 at 4:05 pm

One more thing…the ad for Dermitage? Could it be a little more distracting? Imagine how this looks when you’re accsesing mail in the office.

Gary L | June 13th, 2007 at 4:06 pm

Open Task Manager, size it and slide it over the cover the large banner on the right. It covers up the disgusting animation and the TM window will always stay on top.

Gary L | June 13th, 2007 at 4:06 pm

Has anyone in Marketing even considered that the side panel banner ad is so disgusting and irritating that I would not even consider opening it or buying the product.

(Yes, I have my MBA)

John Kremer | June 13th, 2007 at 4:23 pm

AT&T and Yahoo! have integrated advertisements into the AT&T Yahoo! Mail experience as a new source of revenue to help maintain AT&T and Yahoo!’s joint commitment of delivering a leading broadband experience — complete with industry leading features at a competitive price.

Thank you for expressing your concerns. We truly value your business and your feedback.

- John Kremer, Yahoo! Mail

Catheniale | June 13th, 2007 at 5:27 pm

I’m a long time SBC/ AT&T dsl subscriber-

I’d like to express that I HATE the ads recently placed beside and on top of my inbox. If I don’t want Spam, why would I want this junk?

Please remove the ads! I don’t need or want this distraction when I’m trying to view my email and I will go elsewhere for my service if it doesn’t stop!!!

David Powers | June 13th, 2007 at 5:29 pm

John,

My e-mail interface just flipped over today to your new ad banner format. I’m amazed that people as smart as you all are think that this is OK. It is unbelievably tasteless and obnoxious. The thing takes up 15% of my screen and cannot be adjusted, moved, turned off, etc. It flashes and gyrates and rotates while I’m trying to read my e-mail.

You need to come up with another solution to generate additional revenue. If you don’t, you know your customers will. Comcast calls me every other week wanting me to switch over to them.

Rob Becker | June 13th, 2007 at 5:56 pm

John Kremer, you’re missing the point. People log in to Yahoo Mail to check their e-mail…not get hit up to buy a new car, pursue an online degree, find people, or to take the “No Acne Challenge.” It’s understandable to put these on no-pay pages…but when you have customers paying for internet access and e-mail and you basically force them into using a webmail client littered with advertising, it’s wrong. I would gladly take a mailbox limit any day of the week over looking at the stupid ads I had to stare at all day today.

Try responding directly to one of your unhappy customers instead of the safe cookie cutter response.

BDD | June 13th, 2007 at 6:13 pm

John,

Stop with all the MBA / Marketing hype terms ( world class, industry leading, truly value your business). The rest of the world stopped using that type of language years ago.

Everyone realizes this is just BS. We all understand that this is a revenue generating program. However judging from the feedback and even from the folks at the customer support desk; it has raised more customer hostility than revenue.

You have taken your customer goodwill and over night turned your customer base into FURIOUS indifferent consumers looking for their next internet provider.

When will Yahoo/AT&T admit this campaign was a huge mistake and let the successor, to the bonehead with the idea, fix this mistake and try to win back what was a happy loyal customer base.

schuck | June 13th, 2007 at 6:17 pm

Mr. Kremer,

With all due respect, Yahoo should now be able to derive from the above posts the following:

1. The ads have utterly ruined an otherwise decent email interface - especially for those who use it for work. [Bet you use Outlook];

2. ATT claims it is Yahoo’s problem;

3. Subscribers receive zero preferential treatment over free users;

4. Your own users are finding work arounds - firefox, ditching the beta for the old client, pushing to Outlook, gmail;

5. Consumer perception is negative;

6. Yahoo risks continued erosion of its subscriber, user, and search engine market share absent a quick, and material response to these concerns.

Gary L | June 13th, 2007 at 7:39 pm

Then how about giving us just small buttons so we can open ads that might appear interesting. The big banner ad on the right is absolutely disgusting.

Benoit | June 13th, 2007 at 8:02 pm

John Kremer,

Thank you for answering yahoo dsl customer questions/comments regarding the new add in the yahoo mail plus service.

I am also one of these users and I am very disappointed with these news adds. I believe as a yahoo dsl customer, we are entitled to have a email service provided with the dsl service that is add free, especially graphic add free.

Also, I believe these graphical adds are ugly and their integration on the all right side of the window is really poorly designed. I am certain that a graphic artist student in a summer internship would have done a much better job.

If yahoo believes this the way, the company will generate more revenue, I am sorry but this is not the right answer. I am even convince, it will push a lot of the user to migrate to gmail. Yahoo should instead consentrate on developing new services and improving the great ones you already have. This is how you will win market share against google and msn.

Best regards,
Benoit

schuck | June 13th, 2007 at 8:09 pm

Yahoo Mail + ATT = GOOGLE

schuck | June 13th, 2007 at 9:43 pm

Mr. Kremer,
Have your finance department crunch numbers comparing the revenue from subscribers to, say, a 20% loss of portal and search engine business over the next 2 years. Is it really worth the quick buck? I think not. Yahoo is already on a downhill slide, and this move is only making it worse. Yahoo may as well give up the ghost. Sell out now to Google, or Microsoft, or go LBO before your stock price goes into the toilet. Unbelievable failure to respond to us as customers. Just deserts. It will happen.

scottr | June 13th, 2007 at 11:23 pm

THANKYOU!!! TO ALL OF YOU ATT/YAHOO CUSTOMERS WHO SENT IN THE ABOVE COMPLAINTS TO YAHOO. THAT WAS BETTER CUSTOMER SERVICE THAN THE HOURS I SPENT COMPLAINING AND TRYING TO GET THE HIDEOUS ADVERTISEMENTS OFF OF MY INBOX, CONTACTING AT&T BY CHAT, TECH SUPPORT BY PHONE, AND E-MAILS TO AT&T CUSTOMER SERVICE. AT&T TOLD ME TO CALL YAHOO, THEN YAHOO TOLD ME TO CALL AT&T WHO FINALLY TOLD ME THERE WAS _NOTHING_ ANYONE COULD DO AND THAT THE UGLY! ADDS (ESPECIALLY THE MANY VERSIONS OF THE WRINKLED EYE) WERE NEEDED TO PROVIDE “WORLD CLASS SERVICE”. THE ADDS HAVE BEEN THERE TWO WEEKS, I GET HEADACHES FROM THEM, AND I DON’T LIKE THEM ANY MORE TODAY THEN I DID TWO WEEKS AGO WHEN THEY CAME, UNSOLICITED AND UNWANTED. I SAID A LOT OF THE SAME THINGS YOU ALL SAID, INCLUDING THE IRONY OF WHY YAHOO MAIL PROVIDES SPAM BLOCKERS, THEN PUTS THE BIGGEST, FLASHIEST SPAM IN YOUR FACE WHILE YOU TRY TO ORGANIZE AND READ YOUR E-MAIL. SO THANK YOU ALL AGAIN VERY MUCH!!!! I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO HATES THESE ADVERTISEMENTS AND NOW I SEE THAT I AM FAR FROM ALONE. I ALSO HAVE THOUGHT OF LEAVING TO GO TO GMAIL OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. BUT HEY! WHY NOT STAY WITH YAHOO FOR NOW, GET MORE UPSET WHEN THEY KEEP TELLING YOU THEY HAVE TO DO IT TO PROVIDE THE FREE SERVICE THAT YOU PAY FOR, THEN CLOG UP THEIR TECH SUPPORT LINES WITH COMPLAINTS AND DEFEAT THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF THE TECH SUPPORT SERVICE. THEN ON 7-7-07 IF YOU ARE STILL UPSET, YOU COULD LEAVE THE COMPANY FOR GOOD. WHAT THE HECK, OTHER PROTESTS ARE PLANNED ON THAT DAY. BY THE WAY, THIS IS ALL IN CAPS BECAUSE THAT IS HOW I SENT FEEDBACK TO AT&T, HOPING THEY MIGHT GET MY MESSAGE. By the way, that response by that John guy on Jun 13 at 4:23 seemed a little weak didn’t it. Who was that? Oh, he works for Yahoo!

scottr

AoiGSR | June 13th, 2007 at 11:49 pm

No more happy e-mailing for me with Yahoo unless the ads go. A lot of users who pay for the no graphical ads are now gettings ads. What your say you provide for Mail Plus services is now contridictory (Is that False advertising now? :|) While this probably is considered changing the terms of service, which I assume you probably say you can do what you want, You’re going to lose a lot of customers. At least with Yahoo Japan, the ads look pretty. US ads are garbage, with exception of Geico. The ads with the dermatage. How much they paying Yahoo? I guess more than all of us Mail Plus customers.

If you expect to make more money for your public company, you’ve got to be more creative. You guys are taking the easy way out. Of all companys :|

If this does not get resolved, soon, consider me dropping my account as well. Imagine the ramifications of those that will leave. Or perhaps the advertisers are paying more so your revenues will look better and if you do lose all your mail plus customers, you don’t care. Because all you’ll be caring about are your quarterly earnings. I’ve enjoyed the services Yahoo has provided in the past. But this is the first time, where I’ll be considering other web based e-mail instead.

rosie | June 13th, 2007 at 11:57 pm

The advertisement is the worst in the world. For me that is terrible. Now in the U.S., I think I am in Venezuela with Chavez. What they said you do, you do. I pay for internet. If I don’t pay for internet I don’t see advertisement.

Rosie,

Uma Brasileira Desesperada

Desesperada com essa nassa da propaganda que vai me levar direito pro infeirno da locoura

nathan | June 14th, 2007 at 12:02 am

I have a friend here at work who does not recieve internet at her home, but she is a customer of AT&T. I have told her about my unhappiness with the 2 inch by 8 inch add on the right side of the inbox that squezes my e-mail into a little 6 inch square box, and she said she will mention it to her colleages and complain to AT&T when she calls them about her phone service.

Dan Glovier | June 14th, 2007 at 7:58 am

Please remove the advertising from my email reader - I pay for a service, and I expect my experience not to be affected by your advertising.

I can see ads being included in the additional features you offer - that’s fine. But email reading is one of the core components to any online provider, and I expect to be able to do this efficiently, without losing real estate, and without being harassed by ads.

Jim Del Favero | June 14th, 2007 at 9:52 am

Nice canned response Kremer, fortunately it is easy to write with a straight face. I would think if you had to look someone in the eye and give them that response you would be hard pressed to not start laughing.

You have addressed none of our concerns, congratulations, you just made it worse than not responding at all.

Instead of continuing to drive revenue off of the backs of your minority of paying customers, why not try to convert more of the non-paying folk to paying customers. I am pretty sure that is the larger opportunity. I could create a pie chart outlining that if it would help.

If all else fails I am sure you could put a mandatory click through ad and force everyone to go through that before they get to their email. Or maybe one of those 5 minute video ads.

I am sure that would drive revenue.

I will be at the In and Out Burger in Mountain View at lunch if you want to swing by and talk about other ways to degrade your paying customers experience in order to increase revenue by a barely perceptible amount.

Greg | June 14th, 2007 at 10:17 am

The ads are abusive, repugnant, and intrusive. I refuse to continue paying for a service that makes my experience much more difficult with the use of advertisements.

Give me the service free, and I’ve got nothing to complain about. But, you’re not.

Scooby DOO | June 14th, 2007 at 10:22 am

John Kramer, whoever you are,

Are you listening to all the above bloggers?

Are you ever going to respond more than once every 20 days?

Are you going to respond to the actual complaints being sent to you?

Do you realize that ATT says to call Yahoo and Yahoo says to call ATT?

Does Yahoo have some kind of agenda in mind to allianate it’s users?

Is John Kramer your real name, and what is your position at Yahoo?

Do you actually take to heart any of the suggestions in this blog?

Why do you say “NO ads” when in fact you include VERY offensive ads?

Who are you selling the business too,… Google? Bill Gates?

Well….. is anybody there? Does anybody care? Does anybody see what I see?

P.S.: Kramer, loved you on Seinfeld

Scooby DOO | June 14th, 2007 at 10:24 am

By the way:

Who are you fooling with the:

“YOUR COMMENT IS AWAITING MODERATION” routine?

S. Chuck | June 14th, 2007 at 10:24 am

Subscribers - start letting the media know your feelings if Yahoo won’t provide anything other than this canned response.

Kim | June 14th, 2007 at 12:33 pm

I am an AT&T (formerly SBC) DSL subscriber and pay for my DSL service and receive Yahoo Mail Plus with my service and now am subjected to these unwanted ads in my mail window. This is utterly frustrating and ridiculous that a paying customer is subjected to this, without notification, and without receiving an answer other than it is to provide world class service, won’t be going away anytime soon, and thank you for being a customer. I hope that AT&T Yahoo is taking these complaints seriously.

Joy | June 14th, 2007 at 4:04 pm

Mr. Kremer,

Thank you for your response to AT&T Yahoo customers. If advertising is going to allowed through these accounts, I STRONGLY urge Yahoo to stop saying DSL customers have Yahoo! Plus accounts. That is no longer the case. And since I have these ads, I will be canceling my DSL service when it runs out next month, and switching my e-mail to gmail.

A former fan of Yahoo

David Powers | June 14th, 2007 at 5:10 pm

John,

This is my second submission on this subject. I’m looking for something other than a canned marketing response from you (Yahoo!) on this subject. I am actively looking at switching to another provider now and will be making a decision shortly if I don’t see a meaningful response/resolution to my and everyone else’s protests over the intrusive add banner.

I did note today that the banner got slightly smaller and that the adds seemed to tone down a little. So you all must be seeing our response to this insult and considering the ramifications. Are you going to remove it or at least give us users controls over it so that we can turn it off if we don’t want to see it?

BTW, you can pass this pledge onto your advertisers: I vow never to buy anything from anyone I see on that banner so long as the banner exists.

Future Ex-customer of AT&T | June 14th, 2007 at 8:24 pm

I submitted a harassment complaint and was told that ads are not harassment, but required to provide world class service.

It sounds like everyone is getting the same message, which is consistent with AT&T’s service model.

Here are some of my personal experiences with AT&T over the last TWO months:
1. Phone service out - 5 days to send a technician (although they are installers everyday in the neighborhood for the complaint-ridden uverse)

2. DSL modem failed - 2 weeks to receive a replacement. I had to call 3 times, and argue to receive a rebate and free shipping. I ended up getting two modems.

3. Flashing, annoying ads that take up 1/4 of my screen.

I understand that things break, but they should be fixed in a timely manner. The ads just pushed me over the edge.

Every time that I call, they give a hard sell for their “quad-slam” services, etc. I have to interrupt almost every other sentence to say that I am calling for help, not to buy additional services.

What’s even more amazing….I’m in San Antonio…you would think that they could at least service their customers across town from their headquarters.

Time warner and gmail, here I come….internet, tv, phone and all.

schuck | June 14th, 2007 at 9:08 pm

Mr. Kremer,

The ads are like a jack in the box - they spring out at your face with headspinning alarcity - neon bulbs flashing on and off. Empty your spam and deleted folders and see it happen. The problem Yahoo now faces is that subscribers and users alike have identified the main problem with the rollout - THE ADS UTTERLY RUIN THE BETA INTERFACE.

So you have a double edged sword: (1) loyal subscribers are leaving; and (2) the ADVERTISING interface will act as a repellent to any free users.

The effect and net result is so easy to quantify, and right in front of Yahoo’s nose. ACCELERATED LOSS OF PORTAL AND SEARCH USERS. Indeed, users don’t even have to abandon Yahoo as their portal or ATT/Yahoo DSL provider, they will just start using gmail, and using Google or Live Search. MARKET SHARE LOSS RESULTS IMMEDIATELY BECAUSE THE WEBMAIL INTERFACE IS SO HORRIBLE. It is the antithesis of the “leading broadband experience” you proclaim.

I urge Yahoo, as a long time, loyal customer, to heed customers’ concerns immediately, while there’s still a chance to avoid total, brand ruination from the rollout. If Yahoo fails to act decisively and swiftly, this is the beginning of the end. Bummer for users, but we have options. Yahoo doesn’t.

andyo | June 15th, 2007 at 12:02 am

And meanwhile, Hotmail has moved away from ads in their Windows Live Desktop interface. It’s funny, I was about to “rollout” towards the ex-super clean Yahoo interface from the buggy and Firefox-unfriendly Hotmail for my personal email. Really, just a few days before I got the ads I was gonna do that. The I downloaded Windows Live desktop and was pleasantly surprised. Hopefully they will retain the clean interface, as they used to have an ad there that they took out now.

Damien | June 15th, 2007 at 1:52 am

Just like everyone else, I’m pissed that I’m paying a monthly fee for my AT&T Yahoo DSL service, yet, I have to put up with ads. What’s the deal with this? I’ve been a paying subcriber for 2 year, but if this doesn’t change soon, I’ll be switching to a different DSL provider, or even cable.

Save the ads for the free users, not the PAYING users like myself and so many others.

Oh, almost forgot, it gets better. Right now if I want to get ride of the ads, all I have to do is upgrade to Business mail for only $9.99 a month more then I’m already paying. What???

Bad move AT&T Yahoo… If I have to look at ads while checking my e-mail, maybe you should **** ** *** once a month so I could feel better about paying my bill. How’s that for world class service?

Gary L | June 15th, 2007 at 8:05 am

Start doing what I have done; go in through the back door. I continue to e-mail Dermitage and others that buy the large, right side banner space to complain about their intrusive, abusive, irritating and demeaning advertising with ATT Yahoo on the e-mail page. Let’s see if that has any effect.

Josh | June 15th, 2007 at 10:19 am

Mr. Kremer,

I am a long time Yahoo email user (since 1996), and a long time SBC / Cingular / AT&T customer. I have AT&T for my DSL, home phone (both local and long distance), wireless (via the old Cingular) and I even use yahoo for my website hosting. Heck, I even was willing to become an AT&T u-verse customer. I think that I’m the type of customer that you would appreciate and want to keep.

I am extremely offended by AT&T and Yahoo’s decision to start placing very large and obtrusive ads in the right hand side of my email account, which I pay for as an AT&T DSL customer. I don’t mind ads in general, but to take up almost 1/3 of the usable space on the webpage is an extremely poor design idea. Had you done any user acceptance testing with yahoo customers prior to rolling this out?

The ads ruin my yahoo mail experience, so much so that I am currently looking at alternatives for all of my AT&T and Yahoo services that I am currently using.

I know that I am most likely in the big scheme of things I am a small customer, but I hope that by taking my business else ware, it will send a message to both AT&T and Yahoo.

Dd | June 15th, 2007 at 1:33 pm

Here is a thread from another website where we started the same conversation:
—————————-
May 4, 2007 at 6:28 am · Hot Web Topics
Tags: ads, breaking news, E mail, free, hosting, paid, unlimited,

—————————————————-

Merlin said,

May 5, 2007 @ 5:36 pm

Hmm, that’s odd Mitch. I just checked the status of my Yahoo “Mail Plus” account and it still states no ads or tag lines. Maybe it’s to do with AT&T’s version?

—————————————————-
Mitch said,

May 5, 2007 @ 6:38 pm

Well with them saying that it “is coming” I don’t think they have rolled ‘em out yet. I hope they will change their minds. I don’t mind ads on some sites - but for application sites like Web mail, RSS reader, ect - I’d rather be ad free.

—————————————————-
Joe Beaulaurier said,

May 5, 2007 @ 6:55 pm

Thanks for sharing this.

Users from Yahoo!’s ISP partners (AT&T, SBC, Verizon, etc) may all receive such letters or maybe just AT&T users. And maybe Y! Mail Plus users will lose the advertising-free interface as one of their bonuses, maybe not.

This one letter doesn’t enable determining any of the above. So casting dispersions Y!’s way may be missing the mark. Your ISP may be choosing to package Y! Mail this way in order to gain a revenue share opportunity.

I certainly hope Verizon doesn’t follow suit. That’s where my hat’s hung. But if it happens, I’d be happy to sign up directly for Y! Mail Plus if that program offered an ad-free mail interface. Otherwise, I may be driven to use Thunderbird.

Time will tell.

—————————————————-
John Doe said,

May 6, 2007 @ 1:04 pm

I am testing out yahoos new email, hopefully the unlimited gets into effect really really soon, drop me a line @ unlimited_email_test@yahoo.com or unlimitedemailtest@gmail.com Thanks

Dd said,

June 6, 2007 @ 1:01 am

The ads hit my inbox tonight. Unacceptably obtrusive and annoying. I cannot believe paying DSL customers are being treated this way. No way I’m gonna send AT&T/Yahoo more money for an ad-free “plus” account. That is part of what I’ve been paying for the past several years. Time to change my homepage to Google and set-up a G-mail account.

—————————————————-
Austin said,

June 6, 2007 @ 10:22 am

I’m a paid AT&T/Yahoo Mail, and first the very fist time I’ve found it being “decorated” and “laced” with all sorts of ads. I suppose I’d just have live with them now.

—————————————————-
Matt said,

June 7, 2007 @ 4:46 pm

I am on the phone with Yahoo At&T right now and they maintain that this is a part of their world class service. They are actually telling me that over the phone! It does get better, they are trying to give me a case ID that….you guessed it….they cannot send via email! I am a mail plus customer as well, no way I am sticking around and paying for something like this. Off to Google and GMail.
Yahoo! Mail Gets “Ads”

—————————————————-
Upgrade said,

June 8, 2007 @ 6:53 am

[…] Well I guess it finally happened sometime last night. The nice sleek and clean interface of Yahoo! Mail became ad-tastic. As an AT&T DSL customer I was getting the “plus” E-mail pack with my Web mail from Yahoo. I have been over this story before though. […]

—————————————————-
Ann said,

June 8, 2007 @ 11:42 am

Ha ha! I got the same “world class service” line from them this morning, too but through live chat:

AT&T: Hi Customer! How may I help you?

ME: I just want to register a complaint that I hate the ads in my email. I feel that since this is not a free email account and I have been paying your company for 8 yrs. as my ISP, I should have ADS-Free email.

AT&T: I appreciate your patience and apologize for the inconvenience this has caused

ME (after long pause): This is lame

AT&T: We apologize for the inconvenience. The advertising is a needed step towards providing world class service at an affordable price.

AT&T: Please bear with us, it is just a temporary advertisement. Im sorry!

ME: Honestly, I have never had world class service from this company and I am not sure that it is even possible.

Your session has ended. You may now close this window.

—————————————————-
Kada Situ said,

June 8, 2007 @ 10:41 pm

This is completely lame, I would prefer having only 2gig of space with no ads. I don’t care about the unlimited storage, since I will backup all the email into Outlook anyways. I really, really hate these new ads as I never seen them before >:(

—————————————————-
Tony said,

June 10, 2007 @ 7:07 am

I was on the phone for two hours and got the same load of “canned responses” from everyone I talked to.

Has any hacker figured out how to disable the ads yet?

—————————————————-
schuck said,

June 11, 2007 @ 12:17 pm

I’ve posted my ire over on
http://yodel.yahoo.com/2007/05/14/unlimited-storage-its-coming/#comment-51010

Get the word out, and maybe this unbelievable marketing gaff will gain some momentum in the news.

—————————————————-
andyo said,

June 12, 2007 @ 2:45 pm

Hi all, I came to this site through googling for people who had the same trouble as I did. You can get rid of the ads in Firefox (at least visually, but not entirely blocked), but if you haven’t done so yet, I’d encourage you to complain. That vertical banner is horribly obtrusive. On a 1024 or 1280 horizontal screen is just unbearable. Check out my screenshots.

This is with the new ads.

This is after using Adblock plus to block and hide elements.

These are my Adblock settings. Copy the lines exactly into the Adblock plus filters and they should get rid of the ads.

As you can see, though, I still have the big annoying vertical blank space to the right. Hiding the elements for that messes up the whole page, so I can’t do it. It may have to do with the messenger “feature” that these people added. I don’t care for Yahoo messenger and I don’t want it in my mail. It’s funny, just a couple of weeks ago I was thinking of switching from Hotmail to Yahoo, because of their very clean interface, no tagline ads at the end of emails for us paid customers.

The tide turned quickly. The new Windows Live Desktop gets rid of ALL ads (including taglines) and provides many more features, and it’s faster. It’s still in the final beta stages, though, so they may add some ads by the final release, but the way it’s been evolving, (from annoying ads to none at all) I’m hopeful.

—————————————————-
andyo said,

June 12, 2007 @ 2:50 pm

oops, sorry. These are my settings for Adblock.

You can also use the Element Hiding Helper to aid you, but this will only hide unblockable elements, like Google’s text ads and such.

—————————————————-
Kumar said,

June 12, 2007 @ 5:33 pm

I can’t believe they think people are stupid enough to buy this “world class” service nonsense. We need to organize something to help them know this is quite inapropriate. I’m paying for dumb advertisements???

Bryan Mills | June 15th, 2007 at 2:34 pm

These ads are pretty awful. I’m considering using a “forward” for my Yahoo! mail to Gmail or my office Outlook mail.

Alex, long time Yahoo DSL User | June 15th, 2007 at 5:09 pm

Please add my vote to “very unhappy paying customer” list. The new adds are terrible and runing the email experience. Particularily those of us who access email from work and the big flashy ads is the last thing we need popping up on a desktop in a busy business envinroment.

But then again, it’s all been said before. I have no doubt that whatever additinal revenue stream from those ads will be more than offset by the lost paying customer base, not to mention lost respect in the eyes of many users. Does Yhaoo want to be new “AOL”? It certainly seems that way.

I am going to hope for the best and give yahoo & ATT suits till the end of the month to back this out before i move on with my DSL business elsewhere.

In the meantime, i suggest users to check out this brand new portal and email website with absolutely no pop up ads:

http://www.myway.com/

It’s not as flashy as yahoo, but sometimes thats a good thing. Particularily when it comes to email.

I hope yahoo management folks do the right thing sooner ratehr than later before me and many outhers move out of here permanently….

Cheers
-Alex

John | June 15th, 2007 at 9:53 pm

Hi to all,

The ads are driving me crazy… I am seriously considering switching my ISP ASP. Ditch the ads SBC…

Vito | June 15th, 2007 at 9:57 pm

First ads start appearing on my AT&T home page….

….Ads then start appearing on my beta and original versions of AT&T e-mail…

…My promotional DSL price package has expired with no renewal offers - so now I am paying even more money towards AT&T DSL….

Ads+more ads+more spend for DSL…

But wait - no more contract so freedom to move services….

Priceless!

nathan | June 15th, 2007 at 10:03 pm

I think I know who is behind this whole thing! It isn’t Yah