I have a mass mail program that sends an email to a mail list.
The program, which I bought, is written in php and the mail list is stored in mysql.
My list consists of around 2000 addresses.
When I send an email out it sends multiple copies to the same address.

I have tested this by creating 2100 email addresses and sending a test email to the list.
I have had varying results ranging from 2400 to 5840 emails being received when there is only 2100 addresses in the list.

I have asked the programmer about this and he says that there is nothing in the program that can do this and nobody else has ever complained about it.

Has anybody any idea what might be happening ???

Step by step it...

0. turn on max logging debugging
1. clean out DB and check its really clean ie from SQL cmd line; don't use a custom gui.
2. send an email; should get nothing out; check any/all logfiles
3. create 5 email entries; again, use SQL to check that's all that have been created in DB.
send an email; do you get <5 , =5 or >5 emails. if not =5, check any all logs; which addrs are repeated, why? any 'wildcard' or funny/invisible ctrl chars, extra spaces not being trimmed off?
4.personally, I'd want to see the emailer code; the programmer could be wrong....

Hi chrism01...

Many thanks for taking the time and trouble to try and help me.
I am utterly confused with this.
All my test give varying results.

However, I need help with trying to follow your suggestions:

I don't know how to do this.
I don't know how to do this. I use phpmyadmin to service the DBs.

I did delete all the email addresses from the database and then sent an email to the list.
Nothing was sent.
I then created 5 email addresses, as you suggested, and just 5 were sent and received.

As a matter of fact I did this test with different numbers of email addresses.
I found that with 100 addresses, 5 tests, they all went through OK.
When I tested with 150 emails I got:
1. 150 sent 150 received
2. 150 sent 180 received
3. 150 sent 150 received
4. 150 sent 216 received
5. 150 sent 150 received
6. 150 sent 210 received

I cannot see any pattern in this at all.

This is a sample of my maillog:
I don't understand why it is showing from=<test-bounce@in-uk.co.uk> in the log files. When it gets to me it shows from jc@ukzone.net

I was going to attach the program for you to look at but it is 650Kb and as such is too large to attach.
If you send me your email address I will sent it to you.

Thanks again for your help. I'm lost...

John C