Email Address Already Exists when Adding or Editing Contacts

[IvanR]

I had two contacts that were same person but different email addresses  I deleted one to combine them.  Then your system would not let me change the email on the remaining contact to the correct email of the deleted contact, saying it still existed (even though I had deleted that record).  A search proved it didn't exist.

So now I am screwed.  Your system has a bug.  FIX IT so I can get my data correct.

I founded a software firm in 1981 that still exists today.  Do you test your software before releasing it on an unsuspecting user?

[IvanR]

Hi all. In order for us to fully investigate the issue, please comment on the post with the following information
 

• If you search for the previously deleted contact, do they appear as a result?
• If they do appear, can you update the contact's email/information?
• Are you able to add these contacts through the workaround of importing the contact from a file or by typing/pasting the contact for import? 

[Caitlin_M]

Hi all. In order for us to fully investigate the issue, please comment on the post with the following information
 

• If you search for the previously deleted contact, do they appear as a result?
• If they do appear, can you update the contact's email/information?
• Are you able to add these contacts through the workaround of importing the contact from a file or by typing/pasting the contact for import? 

[TomFR]

Hi Caitlin,

This is how I produce the problem:

1. I add several contacts, via an Excel file.

The list contains a contact C with a misspelled email (like it often happens).

2. I send a campaign to the newly created contact list.

This may not be a necessary step.

3. I manually add a new contact C' (i.e. not via an Excel list), with his correct email (and usually less properties like address, street, etc.).

4. I realize that the newly manually created contact C' is already in the new contact list, where it has a misspelled email.

5. I edit the misspelled contact C email.

ConstantContact tells me that I cannot complete the "edit" operation, due to the fact that there is already another contact (C') that has this same email.

Fair enough.

There is no other option than to cancel the "edit" operation.

6. I delete the newly manually created contact C', the one with the correct email (it has less properties).

7. I manually edit the contact C by setting its email to the correct value.

-> When I try to save the changes, ConstantContact tells me that I cannot change the email, because there is another contact with this same email.

But no, there is none, I have just deleted it.

Answers to your questions

1. If you search for the previously deleted contact, do they appear as a result?
   -> No, the contact does not appear, it is gone.
2. If they do appear, can you update the contact's email/information?
   Not applicable.
3. Are you able to add these contacts through the workaround of importing the contact from a file or by typing/pasting the contact for import?
   I haven't tried "typing/pasting the contact for import".
   I used "importing the contact from a file".
   Yes, this has worked for me yesterday:
   1. In the Excel source file, I adjust contact C email.
   2. I create a new Excel file with only this C contact, having a correct email.
   3. I import into ContactContact the new Excel file with only the contact C.
   ConstantContact then updates my C contact email properly.

The solution that you propose is not an intuitive workaround.
I won't remember it the next time.
It seems that there isn't much missing in ConstantContact to make it more intuitive.

Thank you,

Marc

[BobbieJoM]

I don't want to lose years of engagement information by having to create a new contact. Surely it is possible to fix this issue.

[WestSuburbanF]

(1) is the existing contact, (2) is the duplicate contact, (a) is the new email address, (b) is a temporary email address

I had the same error. We are at the end of 2024. Sad it cannot be fixed.

1. I added a duplicate contact (2) with the new email address (a).

2. I first changed the email address of the newly created duplicate (2) to a temporary email address (b) so the error would not occur when so I could assign the new email address (a) to the existing contact (1).

3. I then deleted the duplicate contact (2).

4. I then tried to change the email address of the existing contact (1) to the new email address (a). I then received the "Email Address Already Exists" message.

5. As directed, I pasted and imported a new contact with the same first and last name as the existing contact (1), and the new email address (b). The new contact was created and had all of the other fields filled in from the existing contact (1), but not the history.

6. I then had to deleted the existing contact.
The bug is that Constant Contact keeps a list of all email addresses used, and never deletes them from the list when the contact is deleted. The list is checked in the UI, but not during import. I'm a Principle Software Engineer and believe this is the problem.
Constant Contact, please fix it by deleting the emails from the list when a contact is deleted!
The warning that a Delete cannot be reversed is a lame message which indicates that the email in the list is not removed so if you try to add the contact back in the UI it will fail. I am glad that the work around exists, but fixing it will be better.