# Saving a backup e-mail when sent from a company's website **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 1, 2003, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saving-a-backup-e-mail-when-sent-from-a-companys-website/205000 "2003-10-01T22:03:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Oldmaid85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oldmaid85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oldmaid85)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2003, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saving-a-backup-e-mail-when-sent-from-a-companys-website/205000/1 "2003-10-01T22:03:54Z")
Is there some way to save a copy of an email I send through a company’s website? As an example, here’s this. Let’s say I want to write the president of Whirlpool about my broken dishwasher. So I go to the Whirlpool website, see his name, click on his email address, and an email window pops up. I did this yesterday, but after sending the email, there was no backup copy in my “sent” email box. Is there some way to save a copy for myself, or is it Whirlpool’s hope that I don’t? Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2003, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saving-a-backup-e-mail-when-sent-from-a-companys-website/205000/2 "2003-10-01T22:20:16Z")
I think you are confusing an HTML form with email. When you fill a form you are not using email and so there is no _email_ sent. ---
**Author:** ![Oldmaid85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oldmaid85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oldmaid85)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2003, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saving-a-backup-e-mail-when-sent-from-a-companys-website/205000/3 "2003-10-01T23:25:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by sailor \* > \*\*I think you are confusing an HTML form with email. When you fill a form you are not using email and so there is no _email_ sent. \*\* Well, that’s new to me! However, wouldn’t you agree that this message you send to the company official–this “HTML form”–looks just like an email form and is sent by (what seems like) email to the receiver? So, basically, you’re saying there’s no easy way to save a copy of this message? ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Severian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@Severian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Severian)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2003, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saving-a-backup-e-mail-when-sent-from-a-companys-website/205000/4 "2003-10-01T23:31:23Z")
Do you have an example of the link? While some (most?) corporate “e-mail” links are just as **sailor** describes, and not actually e-mail at all, some are nothing more than mailto: links, and should bring up your own e-mail client. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2003, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saving-a-backup-e-mail-when-sent-from-a-companys-website/205000/5 "2003-10-02T01:19:43Z")
If I understand Oldmaid85’s problem correctly, here are two ways to solve it: 1. Write your message in the box they provide. When finished, either press Ctrl and the A key on your keyboard, or right-click the mouse and click on “Select All”. Either way, all your text should get highlighted. (This is for Windows. I don’t know how to do it on a Mac.) Then press Ctrl and the C key, or right-click the mouse and click on “Copy”. Either way, you’ll have copied your text into the clipboard. Then, all you do is paste it into your favorite editor or word processor, and save it. 2. Or do the reverse. Write your answer in some other program, save it to your hard drive, and then “Select All”, “Copy”, and paste it into the box on the website. Makes sense? ---
**Author:** ![Daver914](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@Daver914](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daver914)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2003, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saving-a-backup-e-mail-when-sent-from-a-companys-website/205000/6 "2003-10-02T02:13:10Z")
It’s Option-A (Option is the little squiggly dealy) on a Mac. ---
**Author:** ![Daver914](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@Daver914](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daver914)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2003, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saving-a-backup-e-mail-when-sent-from-a-companys-website/205000/7 "2003-10-02T02:14:31Z")
Actually, I believe that might be called Command. Anyway, look for the squiggle where ALT should be.