Could you make this up?

I wasn't going to post any more on my discussion with Orange about corrupted subject lines - but it's like watching a car-crash. They appear to now accept there's a problem but it is with my end of things:

We would like to inform you that the emails you are receiving could be spam which does not refer to you.

People who send spam (known as spammers) can harvest email addresses from a variety of sources including via Usenet postings, feedback forms, web sites, Chat forums, 'friends' distributing your address (either knowingly or not) etc. Increasingly however, spammers use sophisticated software which generates any possible email address combination.

There is a possibility that the email may be spam email which you can deal with by setting up spam filters...

I do want to receive these emails - really! If I set up a spam filter to get rid of them though, it will certainly solve the problem (from their POV).
I'm not going to respond to this latest email in case they suggest formatting the hard drive.

Hmmmph!

Further to this issue I blogged about a bit back with Orange email, I decided to report the issue. After a few emails - in one of which I sent a screenshot. I let slip that I was using Linux to access the emails, and I got the following (no doubt canned) response.

In regards to your query we do not support Linux and firefox as it is a third party software , we advise you to upgrade your computer to Windows XP and internet explorer with the help of the local computer vendor.

Upgrade, .. third party.., do Orange develop internet explorer? Just - in the remote case that it is some sort of font size issue with firefox, I've just tried with XP and (euugh) IE and see the same issue. Well I'm glad it's their server problem and not mine. Here for your delectation is a screen shot -with a little blurring added - of the Linux/FF/XP/IE version of my inbox.

ncredible ffers

I think Aria's email system is doing some trimming of subject lines, in the past few days I've had emails advertising

• ntel Quad Core Q6600
• 7" widescreen monitor
• GB PC
• 00GB Seagate Barracuda SATA2 drive - now only 27.95+

I keep hoping they'll trim the first character off their prices but, so far, they haven't.
Later: it looks to be an fsmail/Orange problem having just noticed another subject line from a different source also just missing the initial letter. I now get the Telegraph xpat emails - I've no idea why! - bizarrely the bug only appears to affect emails from a couple of sources.