In reply to a post by ppppenguin99:

... email address I use is [email protected]. if the company gets hacked ...

I have been using Spamgourmet.com for some years for free. It allows mail addresses of the form
<word> , <count> . <username> @ <domain>

<domain> can be spamgourmet.com or one of a number of others with registrants worldwide, but pointing to the spamgourmet.com mail servers.

<count> used to be from 1 to 20 as the number of messages you wanted to accept - a larger number was acceptable in the address but capped at 20. The situation has changed to allow a larger default but I don't recall it off hand.

<username> would be my login username and is associated with a real mail address. I have a few usernames 'hiding' different mail addresses.


Just as you have used 'amazon@ domain' I could use 'amazon' as the 'word' I wanted for a new e-mail address.

Domains and specific mail addresses can be 'whitelisted' so I will always get mail from domain firms, and even if the count reaches '0' then wanted mail from a known address/domain would arrive. An individual 'word' can have only one whitelisted address / domain


The <count> can be altered to 0 (if I want spam eaten) or reset to the max (if I have a need to reset a password on a little used account and want to be sure not to miss any support messages).


The main difference is that unless the whole domain is taken over by a spammer, a few messages might get through and then when the count hits zero, only a whitelisted address or domain will get through, without me having to change a thing. Some spam comes through (usually into GM's spam folder) but the stats show quite a lot of mail never reaches me


30,870 forwarded, 37,006 eaten. 33 trusted 377 disposable addresses

7,582 forwarded, 104,733 eaten 20 trusted 284 disposable addresses

24,451 forwarded, 52,585 eaten 19 trusted 316 disposable addresses

9,567 forwarded, 58,142 eaten 20 trusted 535 disposable addresses

No need to configure anything to create new address, just type it and then Spamgourmet adds it to the list of addresses. In a way I'd like to be able to zap some (which only get spam now) but appears not possible at present.

You need to have your own domain.

See https://www.fastmail.com/help/ourservice/pricing.html

I have my own domain at 123-reg and then forward mail to my ISP's email servers.
Costs very little, very flexible as incoming emails can be forwarded to more than one email server account, but a little more complex to set up.

Post deleted by HarrysPlusnet

If it's a co.uk domain then you are able to hide your address

Total disaster. B4dger's warning came too late, I simply picked the .Com suffix from the top of the box, in my ignorance I did not realise that my details would be published around the world: RL name, full address, phone number, and RL alternative yahoo email which I have used for 11 years. I discovered this only through Bob's kindly PM.

Over the weekend I have had more spam/scams than I have in a year, including one very convincing scam that would certainly tempt the unwary to part with CC details. Even more worrying has been a couple of phone calls though these may have been our friendly Microsoft team offering to fix my computer for only £120.

TSO agreed to an immediate refund on the hosting package and undertook to cancel the domain. Meanwhile I stay with BT and have spent the day reverting my address changes and changing all my passwords. The old say If it's not broke, don't fix it was never more apposite

Of course a Gmail address avoids any needs for information to be published in domain whois. A lot of people seem paranoid about Gmail, but thankfully I'm not one of them, I don't trust them any less than any other email host.

Sorry to hear that, but pleased I mentioned how this works!


For a .com you can hide your details if you pay for the service. For a .uk you can hide everything but your name if you aren't a commercial outfit.

I'm often recommending Gmail as their spam filters are so good and your data is backed up, but I see you mentioned you weren't keen.

To answer my original question of March 22 regarding an email programme for dummies after BT's price increase:

I would like to keep our existing mail system as my wife and I are too long in the tooth to change. We use Thunderbird and have two addresses/boxes, one for me and one for my wife �.. We do not need webspace, sync across devices etc. just the handling of say 10 emails per week. We seldom send attachments.

The solution is Fastmail. Just eleven minutes to set up and pay for two accounts, one each myself and wife, auto-install on both of our desktops (Thunderbird) and iPads, and to send tests to and receive replies from our alternate addresses. Cost $US10 (about £6.50 including bank charges) each for the year compared to BT's £60. Fastmail seems much faster than my other providers, mail going and returning as fast as we can hit the send and reply buttons.

For those requiring a domain and all that goes with it, TSO's service was excellent, phone support waiting times only a couple of minutes, mail response within the hour, immediate refund for the hosting package when I realised my mistake, and my new domain deleted by the following morning.

Finally, my letter from BT says: As we recently upgraded you � When I went to BT Checker I wasn't surprised to find I wasn't 'upgraded' and am still on the old BT Yahoo email which gave such problems a couple of years back. But I suppose inertia will ensure that thousands of customers will still pay BT its trebled charges.

In reply to a post by Malwaremike:

I am considering Fastmail, which offers a $US10 annual 'Lite' package which meets my needs, and TSO, which at £10 monthly is very expensive for all we want. I would be very grateful for the advice of all you TBB posters.

I'm a long time Fastmail user and big fan (well, to the extent one can be a 'fan' of an email service).

In reply to a post by binary:

In reply to a post by Malwaremike:

I am considering Fastmail, which offers a $US10 annual 'Lite' package which meets my needs, and TSO, which at £10 monthly is very expensive for all we want. I would be very grateful for the advice of all you TBB posters.

I'm a long time Fastmail user and big fan (well, to the extent one can be a 'fan' of an email service).

Re the OP's quote you give there, the cost of the package he would need on Tsohost is £7.19pa for the domain and £14.99pa for the mail (including web hosting and free blogging/forum/CMS/ecommerce such as Wordpress). That's £1.85pm.

Four months on and our two Fastmail accounts have been faultless. I phoned BT and told them to end my email contract and was offered continued service at same price £1.60 but no way. Oddly enough my BT a/c still works to send and receive emails, not that it matters as all my contacts use fastmail.