1. Don't post personal information. Wait until you feel comfortable with an individual before telling them things like your phone number or place of work or address.
2. Never give out your bank account details or any other financial information. If you are approached by any member then report them immediately.
3. Don't let anyone pressure you into giving away more information than you want to.
4. Beware of solicitation - watch out for anyone offering financial advice or asking for charitable contributions.
5. Even if you're arranging to meet someone, do not give out any unnecessary personal details such as your home address.
6. If you feel unsure or threatened by someone's behaviour, stop contact with them immediately. Visit their profile and use the block button to prevent any futher contact.
A free Guest Membership allows you to create your own profile which will describe who you are as well as the kind of person/match that you're looking for. You may even also upload photos of yourself to your profile.
Other Guest Members and Gold Members will be able to view your profile. If you should receive an email or instant message from a Gold Member you may reply back for free to that member. However, you may not initiate emails or online instant message out to other Guest Members. That privilege is reserved for Gold Members.
As a Guest Member you may also search profiles for free. However, you are restricted to a basic search which includes the gender you are seeking, age range and as close as 100 miles to you . All other specific search criteria are reserved for Gold Members.
We offer four membership purchase options: (ALL PRICES ARE IN US DOLLARS)
•12 months for $143.95 USD Save 70% per month ($11.95) USD
•6 months for $95.95 USD Save 60% per month ($15.95) USD
•3 months for $59.95 USD Save 50% per month ($19.95) USD
•1 month for $29.95 * USD
When purchasing a gold membership through check card/credit
card/PayPal, please be aware that our one-month memberships
automatically renew unless we are notified to turn off the
billing.
*Initiate email
*Initiate chat online
*Advanced search
*Priority listing in search results
*View "Who is interested in me?"
*View "Who has viewed me?"
*View newly registered members
*View last login time
*View daily news
*View videos
*Hide undesirables from searches
*Upload more photos
*Scan photos
*Faster profile reviews
*Dating advice and safety tips
*Highlight my profile, emails/winks
*Manage profile/photo privacy setting
*Receive priority customer care
*Get featured
*And many more...
1) Credit Card - Visa, Mastercard or American Express
2) Visa or Mastercard Check Card
3) PayPal.com
4) Personal Check or Money Order
2. Online payment:
Credit Card and Check/Debit Card payments are made online using our secure server. Subscribe today for more details.
3. Pay by Checks and money order:
Checks and money orders can be made payable to
bigpersonal.com. For detailed information, please go to "Update billing information" after login.
Please make sure you include the name of the website you have joined (bigpersonal.com), your username and email address.
We will update your member status once your check or money order has been received. It may take 1-2 weeks from the day that you mail it. Try logging in periodically to see if your account has been updated. If you have any problems, please send your check or money order number, date when it was sent, real name on it, amount and email/username to support@bigpersonal.com.
A: If you pay by credit card, your subscription will be auto-renewed
at the monthly rate after its initial term expires until you cancel
gold membership, unless you pay by packages. You can easily turn off
auto-renewal on the Billing history page after login.
A: After logging into the website, click on the MY ACCOUNT/HOME button at the top of the page. Then, scroll down the page and choose " Other Membership Services" . Click on "Stop the billing/payment for next and future months, but continue enjoying free stuff as a guest." You can also stop the auto renewal by clicking "Subscription Status" on "MY ACCOUNT/HOME " page.
A: PayPal, owned by eBay, is a global online payment system. PayPal is a convenient, easy-to-use, and secure way for individuals and businesses to send and receive money online for goods, services, charitable donations, and so forth. It's also a full-service operation that provides
front-end and back-end solutions to increase growth and revenue for merchants.
A: As the best dating site, we offer a very secure SSL environment for tens of thousands of our members. We have not encountered a single incident where the customer's information was compromised.
Our website is directed to PayPal.com. You actually enter all your billing information at PayPal.com, not at our website. Please double check.
A: At present, the system does not allow freezing gold membership. However you can cancel the gold membership by going to "Other membership services" under "My membership" item.
A: After logging in, click on " My Account/Home " then click on " Other Membership Services ". You may also reach us to cancel.
Alternatively, you can email support@bigpersonal.com . We will terminate your membership and stop billing you. But this process will take 2-4 working days and we may need some back and forth verifications from you.
Your profile is still kept on our site so that you can continue to respond other profiles of interest.
A: In order to use your debit card on our site, it must have both a name and verification code. You may also try PayPal, with which you can register your debit or credit card.
A: In order to receive your free membership, please send that information in an email to support@bigpersonal.com . Be sure to include the username and email address of your account as well as the username and email address of your friend who has registered.
A: Occasionally our credit card processor will refuse a card even though it is valid. Please give PayPal a try, or you could send us a check or money order in the mail.
A: bigpersonal.com is the name of the parent company. We have about 30 different dating sites, all of which appear as bigpersonal.com for billing purposes.
1) PayPal, owned by eBay, is a global online payment system. PayPal is a convenient, easy-to-use, and secure way for individuals and businesses to send and receive money online for goods, services, charitable donations, and so forth. It's also a full-service operation that provides front-end and back-end solutions to increase growth and revenue for merchants.
2) Check is a financial document which allows us to transfer specified amount of money from user's account to ours A money order is a type of check intended to provide a safe alternative to sending cash (in the mail). Money orders are typically sold by third parties such as post offices, etc.
3) Credit Card/Charge Card A card which can be used to obtain cash, goods or services up to a stipulated credit limit. The supplier is later paid by the credit card company which in due course is reimbursed by the credit card holder who will be charged interest at the end of the credit period if money is still owing.
4) Check Card/Debit Card A debit card is a card which physically resembles a credit card, and, like a credit card, is used as an alternative to cash when making purchases. However, when purchases are made with a debit card, the funds are withdrawn directly from the purchaser's checking or savings account at a bank.
A: No problem! Just click Forgot your login? at the login area. Enter either your email address or username. Then your password will be mailed to your registered mailbox within a few minutes.
If you have changed email addresses and cannot receive the auto-email username/password reply you may call us at 416-628-1072 for assistance.
A: Your username and password are case-insensitive. Please make sure you input them correctly. This applies to you if you get the correct username or password. If the problem still persists, you may have turned the cookies off by accident. Then set cookies of your browser on. For more details about cookies, please check Enable cookies.
Log-in to the site using your username and password then click on the "Reactivate" button. You will receive a confirmation letter after it is successful. Keep in mind that all reactivated profiles must be reviewed and approved by customer service. If you have any problem, write to support@bigpersonal.com .
A: In the main navigation click on " Free Sign-Up " and follow the steps. Creating and posting a profile is free and takes only a few minutes to go through the easy steps. Think of it as a quick sketch of who you are, your lifestyle, and what counts most in a relationship. Our questionnaire will highlight your personality traits and interests and enable you to describe your personality even further in a brief narrative. Why wait? Create your profile today!
A: It's quick and easy to do! To update your profile, just click " My Account/Home " then click on " Edit/Update my profile " and follow the simple instructions.
A: bigpersonal.com makes it easy for you to post a photo. To upload a photo directly from your computer, simply go to the " My Account/Home ", select " Manage my photos ", and follow the instructions.
A: Normal posting time for photos is 24-72 hours. Our staff must approve each photo to maintain the quality of matches available through bigpersonal.com.
A: Searching allows you to specify the types of member profiles you want to see. You can conduct an unlimited number of searches by selecting the preferences and characteristics of your desired match. Start with zip code, age, and gender. Then narrow your search with physical characteristics, lifestyle practices, and relationship desires. Play around and try a variety of searches. You never know where you'll find your perfect match!
A: There are a number of ways to increase your number of matches. First make sure you have created a profile. Once you create your profile, our exclusive technology will compare your profile responses with those of other members to find the profiles that best match you. Already did that? The criteria in your profile may be too specific. Go to Search Profiles and try to broaden your match criteria. For example, if you have height requirements of 5'10" -6'0", try expanding those by a few inches.
Don't just wait for someone to respond to your profiles. Start initiating as many winks or emails as possible.
Post a photo. Research shows that profiles with photos are 8 times more like to receive a response.
When contacting other members. remember to talk more about yourself and ask questions. That gives your potential match even more incentive to write back.
Make sure to login to your account frequently. this will enable your profile to be higher up in the search results.
On the more technical side. many people have more than one email address. Always make sure you're using your registered e-mail address.
If you're not reveiving any response at all. you may have a "spamguard" in place. keeping mail from bigpersonal.com from reaching you. Check with your service provider.
If none of these solutions work, please contact us and we'll be happy to help.
A: You can check your email by clicking on "Checking emails" or "Webmail" on my account page after logging in, you may also go to your mail box that you used to register with us.
A: No. As a guest, you can reply to all messages except winks sent to you by hitting "reply" at your real mail box.
If you have received a "Wink" you must be a Gold Member to reply to the "Wink". If you are a Gold Member you can click on the profile link at the bottom of the "Wink" email. That will take you to the users profile where you can scroll to the bottom of their profile in order to initiate an email.
A: As a Guest Member, you can not initiate sending messages to others. To do so, you need to become a Gold Member.
A: We respect your privacy and will keep your actual email address confidential.
To send anonymous email from your own email program, send email to:Username@bigpersonal.com. If you want to use another email address of yours, change it first at My Account after login.
To reply to email from other bigpersonal.com users: just hit "reply" at your email account!
When you reply to a Username@bigpersonal.com, your real email address will be removed. The recipient will see only: YourUserName@bigpersonal.com.
We do not save email sent through bigpersonal.com. If you want to save email messages, save copies in your inbox.
A: If the email you're sending is being returned to you, it could be that: you are trying to send to an anonymous username that doesn't exist. Be sure to check your spelling. The person you are trying to contact is no longer a member of bigpersonal.com. You are sending from an email address other than the address that you used when you joined bigpersonal.com.
A: If you need to establish an email account, there are several Web-based services that provide email service free of charge. By establishing a free web-based email account and registering it with bigpersonal.com, you can: Be organized by sending all of your bigpersonal.com email to your Web-based email inbox rather than having it mixed in with your work or other personal correspondence. Send and receive messages from any internet-connected computer. Stay in touch with your matches even when you're out of town. After joining, if you'd like your bigpersonal.com email directed to your new web-based email address, you must change your current registered email address in your Membership Info
A: If you're having trouble with the speed of our site, it's usually one of three things: bigpersonal.com may be experiencing technical difficulty. We know what it's like to be in a hurry to find love, but please try again later. The connection on your end may be the cause. Double-check your modem settings or connection speed to make sure you're connected at the highest possible internet connection rate. The internet itself may be experiencing a traffic jam. Try again at another time when the information highway may not be so heavily traveled.
A: Our Instant Messenger is a fun and easy way to communicate instantly with other users who are online now. You can auto-logon IM after you sign in "My Account". There will show up a window which includes the online users. You can chat with them by clicking their usernames respectively. If you want to log off, just close the online user list window.
We are improving our IM everyday. Any suggestions you can provide are greatly appreciated. Please feel free to send us your thoughts.
If you've done all this and continue to have difficulties, please contact us, and we'll be happy to help you.
Click the Edit menu and select Preferences.
Click on Advanced in the list of topics on the left side of the window. The right side of the window should now display a series of checkboxes.
Find the box labeled "accept all cookies" and make sure it is checked.
Click OK.
2.Microsoft Internet Explorer For Windows Version 5.xx
Click the Tools menu and select Internet Options.
Click the Security tab at the top of the window.
The box at the top of the window should read Internet Zone.
The bottom section of the Security window contains several buttons. Click the one marked Custom.
Scroll down the list of options until you see the Cookies heading.
In the Allow per-session cookies (not stored), click the Enabled button.
In the Allow cookies that are stored on your computer, click the Enabled button.
Click OK.
3.Microsoft Internet Explorer For Windows Version 6.xx
Click the Tools menu and select Internet Options.
Click the Privacy tab at the top of the window.
Make sure that the slider is set at a level not higher than Medium.
The bottom of the slider section of the Security window contains several buttons. Click the one marked Advanced.
In the new window under the Cookies section, check the box labeled Override automatic cookie handling.
Now you will see the other settings enabled and can be configured.
Under the First-party Cookies section, click the Accept button.
Under the Third-party Cookies section, click the Block button.
Check the box labeled Always allow session cookies.
Click OK.
4.Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.x (Mac)
Click the Edit menu and select Preferences.
On the left pane, under the Receiving Files section, click Cookies.
In the right pane, find the pull-down menu next to When receiving cookies and select Never ask.
Click OK.
A: Our instant messaging software stores chat history on your computer to increase it's performance. When the program requires to save onto your hard drive, it will ask you to "Allow" or "Deny" storing the information. Clicking on "Allow" will let Instant Messenger to store your chat history. This function also allows you to browse and search through past conversations you have had.
If you prefer not to use this option, please right-click on Instant Messenger and select "Settings...." from the dropdown menu. In the settings link, check the box "Never" or "Never ask again" under the Local Storage Tab, and then click on "Close".
A: If the chat window does not pop-up on your computer, here are possible reasons:
1. You might not have the "Flash Player" program installed on your computer. Get Macromedia Flash Player here.
2. Our instant messenger automatically pop-ups after you log in. Some browsers have a feature of blocking pop-ups. Change the settings of your browser or Toolbar, and then the IM will pop-up.
A: Click here to test if your browser has the correct setting to display Instant Messenger.
The above test will check if your browser supports Macromedia Flash, has JavaScript enabled and has pop-ups blocking disabled for http://www.largefriends.com . If pop-ups are correctly enabled the window will open when you click on the link above. If the test fails, please follow the steps below to make sure that your browser is compatible with LargeFriends.com Instant Messenger service.
1. Macromedia Flash LargeFriends.com chat uses Flash technology and you must have it installed in order to use chat. If the IM screen is blank, install the latest version of Flash Player by clicking here
2. JavaScript
You need to have Javascript enabled.
If you see a message saying Javascript is working, then you are ok. If not, then follow these instructions for enabling it here.
3. Pop-ups We use pop-ups for launching the instant messenger. For all features of instant messenger to work your pop-up blocker should be disabled for http://www.largefriends.com . For instructions on disabling pop-ups, look at the next post.
To have the best experience on LargeFriends.com, it is recommended that you disable your pop-up blocker.
Pop-ups are small windows that appear in front of a web site like when Instant Messenger is launched.
We only use pop-ups to enrich your experience and never for annoying advertisements.
Some of the most common pop-up blocking programs are described below;
the techniques for disabling other programs will be similar.
Google Toolbar If the Google Toolbar is blocking http://www.largefriends.com, there are three
ways to disable it:
1. To let a pop-up through on a one-time basis, press and hold the "Ctrl-" (or )
key as you click on a link to navigate to a new page.
2. The pop-up blocker can also remember
certain sites (like http://www.largefriends.com) and allow them to launch pop-up windows. To add http://www.largefriends.com to your list
of permitted sites, click on the pop-up blocker button after clicking the launch chat button. The pop-up
blocker button will appear.
3. To completely disable the pop-up blocker, click the "Options" button
in the Google toolbar and clear the checkbox next to "Pop-up Blocker" in the Accessories section.
AOL Toolbar 1. Click "Settings" on the AOL toolbar.
2. Click "Pop-Ups"
in the "Essentials" tab.
3. In the "Web Pop-Ups" tab of the "Pop-Up Control Settings" window, select
"Allow Web pop-ups from these sites" from the available options.
4. Enter "http://www.largefriends.com" and
click "Add". Click "Save".
Firefox 1. Go to the "Tools" toolbar menu and select "Options...".
2.
When the "Options" window opens, click on the "Web features" icon in the left-hand panel.
3. Uncheck
the box next to "Block Pop-up Windows". Then, click the "OK" button to exit the "Options" window.
4.
Alternatively, you can leave the "Block Pop-up Windows" box checked and click on the "Allowed Sites" button to
the right of it. In the "Allowed Sites" window that opens, type "http://www.largefriends.com" in the text field
beneath "Address of the web site". Click the "Allow" button to the right of the text field and then click
"OK" to confirm the addition.
Microsoft Windows XP SP2 When you install the Windows XP Service
Pack 2 (SP2), Pop-up Blocker is automatically turned on
in Internet Explorer and set to the medium setting,
which means that it will block most automatic pop-ups.
To allow Pop-ups from LargeFriends.com:
1. Launch an
Internet Explorer browser window.
2. In the
"Tools" toolbar menu, point to "Pop-up Blocker", and
then click "Pop-up Blocker Settings".
3. Type
"http://www.largefriends.com" in the "Address of Web site to
allow" box, and then click "Add". Click the "Close"
button to exit.
Mozilla 1. Open the
"Edit" toolbar menu ("Mozilla" menu on Mac OS X) and
choose the "Preferences" option.
2. On the
right-hand column, under the "Privacy & Security
Preferences" category, click on the "Pop-up Windows"
topic. (If no sub-categories are visible, double-click
on the title "Privacy & Security" to expand the
list.)
3. You can either de-select the box next
to "Block unrequested pop-up windows" to completely
disable the pop-up blocking software, or add
http://www.largefriends.com to a list of allowed sites. To do this,
click on the "Allowed Sites..." button, type
"http://www.largefriends.com" into the text field, and then
click the "Add" button to the right. Click "OK" to
confirm the addition.
4. An alternative method
of doing this is to browse to the LargeFriends.com website
(http://www.largefriends.com), and then click on the
"Tools" toolbar menu. Choose "Pop-up Manager" and then
select the "Allow Pop-us From This Site" option.
2. Right-click with
your mouse on the small color-coded area in the bottom
left corner of your browser window. A red or green bar
will appear called a "widget".
3. In the
resulting drop-down menu, select the option to "Allow
Pop-ups from http://www.largefriends.com".
Note: In
order to enable pop-ups on an individual basis, press the
"Ctrl" key while clicking on whatever is initiating the
desired pop-up window.
Pop-Up Stopper If you
have Pop-Up Stopper, an icon will appear in the bottom
right hand corner of your screen.
1. To disable
the blocker, right-click on the Pop-Up Stopper software
icon.
2. Un-check the checkbox next to "Enable
pop-up blocking".
3. You can re-enable the
software when you are done using LargeFriends.com.
Starware Toolbar (for Internet
Explorer) 1. To allow pop-ups from LargeFriends.com,
launch a new Internet Explorer browser window and
navigate to http://www.largefriends.com. Once you are on the
LargeFriends.com home page, click on the Pop-up Blocker
button in the Starware Toolbar . Once you do, the
toolbar button will change to indicate that pop-ups will
now be allowed from LargeFriends.com.
2. To
completely disable the pop-up blocker, click on the arrow
next to the Starware logo on the left-hand end of the
toolbar. This will display the main menu; select the
"Preferences..." option from the resulting drop-down
list. In the message window that appears, uncheck the
box to "Enable Pop-up Blocker". Click "OK" to close the
window.
Yahoo Toolbar If Pop-Up
Blocker is blocking LargeFriends.com, there are three ways
to override it:
1. Turn off Pop-Up Blocker by
clicking the Pop-Up Blocker menu and un-checking "Enable
Pop-Up Blocker".
2. Press and hold the "Ctrl"
(or ) key while clicking a link to override Pop-Up
Blocker and allow any pop-up windows resulting from the
click.
3. Add the source of the pop-up window to
your "Allowed List" by clicking the Pop-Up Blocker menu
and selecting "Always Allow Pop-Ups From...". Then
select "http://www.LargeFriends.com" from the "Sources of Recently
Blocked Pop-Ups" list and click "Allow".
A:
1. Heart indicates "Favorites" profiles.
2. Asterisk indicates a "Gold" member.
3. A username in light purple means a member you have previously chatted with or the one you are currently chatting with.
4. The gray bar means that you have viewed this member's whole profile.
A:
When you select "Offline", you will log out of the instant messenger.
When you select "invisible", you still can initiate chat, but others will not see your username on the online list.
A: If you are the new user, after your registration, you can go to invite page directly and start to invite your friends. Established users can click" My friends circle" to start inviting your friends. When some of your friends join your circle, your circle is created successfully.
A: Once you have received the invitation letter, you can click the link for registration. After you sign-up, you automatically join your friend's circle.
A: You can't add all bigpersonal.com to your personal list of friends. But you can "Invite" new people to join bigpersonal.com. If they sign-up through the Invitation letter you sent to them, they will automatically be added to your "My Friends" list. Also, we offer the right for you to access all the friends in your circle including those whom are invited by you and those whom are invited by your friends or friends' friends.
A: To remove someone from your Friends List go to your personal home page, scroll down to "My circle of friends" and click on "my Friends." You will then see a listing of every single person currently on your Friend List Next to each name you will see "Remove from friends". By clicking "Remove from friends", that person will be removed from your Friend List. You may only delete one person at a time.
A: Make sure the friend you want to contact is listed in your friends list directly, go to more info page of one you want to contact, then you can send email to him or her free, and you can send free wink to anyone in your circle. If you have any other problem, feel free to contact us on support@bigpersonal.com .
To cancel, please go to "Other membership services" on the My Account page after login. It is instant and secure. Canceling by our staff takes much longer time due to procedures including possible back and forth security verification.
Q: What is a blog?
A :A blog is short for "weblog". According to Webopedia, a blog is a Web page that serves as a publicly accessible personal journal for an individual. Typically updated daily, blogs often reflect the personality of the author. A blog allows you to keep an online journal you share with others. You can add, edit, or delete posts and comments.
Q: How do comments work on the blog page?
A: Comments are postings other people can add to your personal blog page. In the "Edit Your Blog Settings" page, you decide if people can leave comments or not.
Q: Can I watch blogs automatically?
A: You can choose which blogs to watch, like your Hotlist, on the Blog Main Page and never miss an entry.
Q: Why was my post denied?
A: Original content is reviewed before publishing to the site. If bigpersonal.com's Terms of Use are violated, the posting is denied. Examples of denied content include but are not limited to: personal ads, advertisements of products or services, and hate language.
Q: What is RSS and how do I use it?
A: RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication. The RSS link at the top of a member's blog allows you to set up your favorite RSS reader to periodically check and alert you about new posts in that blog.
Q: What is my blog homepage?
A: As a member of bigpersonal.com, you get your own blog homepage. From your homepage, you can see all your posts, recent visitors, the most recent responses by others, and your responses to other member's blogs.
Yahoo! Mail helps you combat spam with advanced, patent-pending SpamGuard technology. Our enhanced SpamGuard uses artificial intelligence to automatically detect and direct spam into your Bulk folder. With SpamGuard, your Inbox stays clear for your important personal and professional messages.
To check if SpamGuard is on (the default):
Click on "Bulk" in the left navigation bar.
Above the list of messages, if any, you will see a notice that says SpamGuard is ON or OFF.
If SpamGuard is OFF, click the text to the right that says "Edit Settings."
With SpamGuard turned on, most spam will go to your Bulk folder instead of your Inbox.
SpamGuard Plus is an advanced spam fighting system that is completely customized according to your individual preferences. You tell the filter what you want and what you don't and over time, this feature learns to deliver the mail appropriately. SpamGuard Plus is only available to Yahoo! Mail Plus subscribers.
How do I use SpamGuard Plus?
You train the filter by clicking "Spam" (in your Inbox) or "Not spam" (in your Bulk folder). If a message is directed incorrectly, tell us by clicking the appropriate button.
If a spam message is delivered to your Inbox - click "Spam."
If a non-spam message is delivered to your Bulk folder - click "Not spam."
The system records your preferences and keeps your own personal database of rules to reject spam. (This is called a Bayesian filtering system.)
Smart filtering is turned on by default for Mail Plus users. You can turn it off by changing the settings in the Spam Protection section of the Mail Options page, but we strongly recommend you leave it turned on for the best anti-spam protection.
When SpamGuard is on, messages that trip its "spam alarm" are automatically directed to the Bulk folder - which reduces the amount of spam you receive in your Inbox.
Messages will be removed from your Bulk folder periodically. You may choose to
delete messages from your Bulk folder after 1 month, 2 weeks, 1 week, or
immediately. Messages in your Bulk folder do not count toward your mail storage
quota.
The Bulk folder doesn't generate spam, and you won't receive any additional mail as a result of this folder. The system only diverts from your Inbox incoming messages that appear to be spam.
Yahoo! makes a concerted effort to deliver solicited commercial and personal email directly to your Inbox. If you believe that a message delivered to your Bulk folder is more appropriately delivered to your Inbox, please select the message(s) and click the "Not spam" button above your messages.
If you're ever worried about giving out your email address on a web site, AddressGuard is for you. Instead of leaving your address open to spam, you can use a disposable email address, while still accessing all your mail in one place.
You can create up to 500 disposable addresses with Yahoo! Mail Plus. Use these when you want to give an email address to a site that you suspect might share or sell it. Create several if you shop at different places and want to have a different email address for each store. You can view messages sent to each of your disposable addresses in your Inbox or a folder that you designate.
Each disposable address has two parts: a base name and a keyword.
Base name
The base name is the same for all your disposable addresses but it's different from your Yahoo! ID. By using this profile, you can keep spammers from guessing your Yahoo! ID and your primary email address.
Keyword
The keyword identifies what you are using the disposable address for. You can use the name of the company to which you are providing the disposable email address, or another word that you will remember.
All disposable email addresses will take the form basename-keyword@yahoo.com.
Example:
Your Yahoo! ID: johnmichaeldelaney Your base name: dairyman88 (so spammers cannot figure out your real email address) Keyword: Widget Designs (based on the store to which you want to give the address) Your Disposable Email Address: dairyman88-widgets@yahoo.com
If Widget Designs shares or sells this disposable email address and it begins receiving spam, you can simply shut down dairyman88-widgetdesigns@yahoo.com without affecting your primary Yahoo! Mail address or any of your other disposable addresses.
To shut off a disposable email address, click the Mail Options link in the upper-right corner of your Inbox. Select AddressGuard from the list of options. Select the address you want to turn off and click delete. You will no longer receive any messages sent to that address. If you still wish to communicate with Widget Designs, you will have to create another disposable email address.
For more information about the AddressGuard feature, take the tour. (Requires Macromedia Flash Player.)
You can access several different views of your Inbox by using the View command above your messages. Click the arrow to reveal a menu with the following choices: All Messages, Messages from My Contacts, Messages from Unknown Senders, Unread, and Flagged.
Messages from My Contacts:
When you choose "Messages from My Contacts" from the menu, you will see a view of your Inbox that displays only messages sent from people whose email addresses are in your Address Book.
However, in this view you will not see messages from your contacts who you have not yet listed in your Address Book. This may result in some missed messages that you want to read. To see all the messages sent to you, select "All Messages" from the menu.
To add people to your Address Book so that you are able to see their email messages in the "Messages from My Contacts" view, open a message from one of them and click on the link next to their name: "Add to Address Book." You can also click the "Addresses" button on the Yahoo! Mail toolbar to add addresses anytime.
Messages from Unknown Senders
When you receive messages from those not in your Address Book that are not snagged as spam by SpamGuard and directed to the Bulk folder, they will appear in the "Messages from Unknown Senders" view of your Inbox. These messages may not be spam, but the sender's email address is not in your Address Book.
To add a sender to your Address Book, open the message and click "Add to my Address Book" at the top of the message or use the "Addresses" button on the Yahoo! Mail toolbar. Future messages from that sender will appear in your "Messages from My Contacts" view.
Another easy way to add names into your Address Book is
QuickBuilder. QuickBuilder setup allows you to search your Yahoo! Mail messages for contacts and add them to your Address Book. It's easy and fast!
How do I view all my messages?
To see the all the messages in your Inbox, click the "Inbox" link in the left navigation bar. This will show you a combination view of "Messages from My Contacts" and "Messages from Unknown Senders."
Never respond to unsolicited email. To those who send spam, one response or "hit" from thousands of emails is enough to justify the practice. Additionally, it validates your email address as active, which makes it more valuable, and therefore opens the door to more spam.
Never send your personal information (credit card numbers, passwords, etc.) in an email. Spammers can fake the format of Yahoo! and other trusted sites. Yahoo! will never ask you to send your password or credit card information by email.
Never follow a spam email's instructions to reply with the word "remove" or "unsubscribe" in the subject line or body of the message unless you trust the source. This is often a ploy to get you to react to the email. Not only will spammers fail to unsubscribe you, they will have even more incentive to sell your address - which you've validated with your response.
Never click on a URL or web address listed within a spam email, even if the message tells you that's how you unsubscribe. This also alerts the sender that your email address is active and can result in more spam.
Never sign up with sites that promise to remove your name from spam lists. Although some of these sites may be legitimate, most are actually address collectors. If a collector records your address, they will value it more highly because it is active.
