Some electronic mail software packages, such as Microsoft Outlook, allow you to attach return receipt requests to e-mail. The idea is that once your electronic mail is read, you will get a notification that the e-mail reached the recipient. While some find these requests a good idea, there are a couple of reasons why you cannot rely on these requests.

1. Guaranteed return receipts were not built into the Internet's electronic mail protocols. Thus, some electronic mail software packages do not support return receipt requests. Also, some people get their mail over the web, and those systems may not honor such requests.

2. When someone reads a piece of electronic mail using software that honors return receipt requests, they may choose not to send the receipt. Some software packages, again such as Outlook, can be set up to query the user when a return receipt request was made. That way, the user can decide not to send the receipt, if desired.

While receipt requests are a good idea for some, you can see that there is no way to force the recipient to provide a receipt.

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