Re: Problems trying to send site email through gmail server....

[RodG]

You're helpful but I did exactly what you said to do and it didn't work.

Correction. It DID work, in that it configured Google to act as a mail server for your domain. That is what you wanted.

The error "173.194.79.26 does not like recipient. Remote host said: 550-5.1.1 The email account that you tried to reach does not exist" is a totally different kettle of fish.

I think the reason it doesn't work is the google page setup info is meant to be used to send a gmail replies through google,

Errrrr, what exactly is a 'gmail reply'?

not an email address from a domain I own

So what is the point/purpose of the MX records? You DID read those links I gave, didn't you?

and have set up in my mail control panel through my hosting company

Different server, different email accounts. "[email protected]" with your hosting company is a different (and unrelated) to the "[email protected]" email account on the gmail/google servers. (assuming both have been set up).

The MX records are what determine which of the servers will handle the incoming mail for "osdparts.com".

Outgoing mail is routed through whatever you have configured your mail client for. Your local mail client (on your computer) will/should be configured to send via your ISP (not your webhost, not gmail, not google). The emails sent via ZenCart will be sent via wharever server you have defined under the email settings in Zencart. This is usually the same as you webhost, but could be any other server that you are authorised to use.

(***@osdparts.com) (the *** is so I don't get spammed). With it set like the google page directs, the site will send mail to people through google but when you reply to the email (which should send an email back to ***@osdparts.com)

The 'Reply-To' address is yet another thing entirely. If unset it will default to using the same address that you send your mail from. If set, it makes no difference where the mails are sent from, the replies will go to the reply-to address. I could be wrong, but I have a sneaking suspicion that this is why it is called a 'reply-to' address :)

I get the message

From who/where? (I don't need to know this. YOU DO).

saying that email address I just received the test email from doesn't exist that I posted above.

So, just to clarify, you are saying that you are receiving an email from an address that doesn't exist? This is quite normal. The email address of almost every spam email you receive will be from a non-existent address. How many times have you received an email telling you that the spammers email address doesn't exist? I'll answer that for you. Never!

Mail servers typically don't check whether the email address of a sender exists or not.

Meaning it doesn't exist because it's not a gmail mail address.

So, why did Google/gmail provide all that information about their MX records if they aren't willing/able to process the mails for the folk that set up to use them?

Note too this morning I tried the MX settings with osdparts.com set to lowest priority 20

The 'priority' settings mean exactly what they say they mean. They set the priority of which server should be contacted 1st, 2nd, 3rd etc. 99% of the the time, the 1st server (highest priority) will be the one used. The others are just for backup/redundancy purposes. Many/most sites these days only have one server (the one provided by their webhost). The main reason people use the google servers instead of (or as well as) thier host provided one, is for greater reliability, OR, to avoid using thier host provided one because it keeps getting blacklisted due to spammers. (Hmmm, does that ring a bell?)

so it was there and it still wouldn't let a reply to a test email pass through.

OK, so you sent the test mail. Who tried to send the reply?

The only way an email sent by my site can be replied to is with the osdparts.com in the MX and priority set to 0 so it is first on the list.

OR, don't have any MX records at all.... so you are back to square one.

Thanks again for trying to help but apparently until someone who has done this and actually made it work responds, I'm back where I started.

I've done it. It does work. The problem is with you. You haven't grasped the difference and relationship between Email Accounts and Email Servers.

Cheers
Rod

[DrByte]

What I want to do is have zen send automatic confirm emails using my osdparts.com email address but appear to aol and other isps that it's a google (or some other) address so I don't get blocked constantly. Then if a customer email replys to it it comes directly back as ***@osdparts.com Can that be done? If so, directions/steps on how to set up will also be appreciated!

If you're going to send through google's servers, you need to have a valid account on their servers, and use that account's credentials in your ZC store.
And I'd suggest you start off by not trying to trick things into replying to your @osdparts.com email until AFTER you've got the emails sending through gmail properly first. You'll need to set the "Email-From" address in Admin->Configuration->Email Options to your gmail address.

After you've got that working, then adjusting to spoof your real address is a different hurdle to cross afterward. Not that I recommend spoofing at all.