[exim] Unqualified addresses

I have just been dealing with an issue where we are blocking messages because the message header contains 'To: GroupName'. We reject at the end of the DATA phase with 'Unqualified address not permitted'. I believe this comes from 'verify = header_syntax' in my DATA ACL.

The sender of the message is using Apple Mail and 'GroupName' is the name of an address group. He has ticked a box which says 'hide addresses of recipients' (or some such). I don't have Apple Mail available to look at the details.

I have explained that the proper syntax for this is 'To: GroupName:;' but the sender's response is predictably 'Apple can't be wrong'. I have also suggested he use the Bcc: header instead of the To: header. The response is 'you are the only site which rejects my mail, so you must be wrong'.

I find it hard to believe that the sender is not getting this problem from other sites, so I am looking to find out if I am unusual in rejecting messages with unqualified addresses in the header (as opposed to the envelope). Would you allow such a message in?

Thanks in advance,

Phil.
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Phil Chambers
Postmaster
University of Exeter