My Customer Didn't Receive Their Estimate

Troubleshoot why your customer didn't receive their PaintScout estimate email and learn how to resend or share it directly.

This is one of the most common support questions. The good news: in almost every case, the estimate was sent successfully — the issue is on the receiving end. Here's how to diagnose and fix it.

Most Common Causes

1. Spam or junk filters

This is the number one reason. Email providers (especially Gmail, Outlook, and corporate email systems) sometimes route automated emails to spam or junk folders.

What to do:

• Ask your customer to check their Spam, Junk, and Promotions folders
• Have them search their inbox for your company name or "PaintScout"
• Ask them to add your sending email address to their contacts to prevent future filtering

2. Wrong email address

A typo in the customer's email address means the estimate goes to the wrong inbox (or bounces entirely).

What to do:

• Double-check the email address on the estimate before resending
• Look for common typos: .con instead of .com, missing letters, wrong domain (gmail vs yahoo)
• Update the email address on the contact record if needed

3. Corporate email filters

Some businesses use strict email filtering that blocks or quarantines emails with links. The estimate email contains a link to view the estimate online, which some filters flag.

What to do:

• Ask the customer to check with their IT department
• Send the estimate as a PDF attachment from your own email as a workaround (see below)

4. Customer opened the email but didn't click the link

The estimate email contains a link to view the full estimate. If the customer opens the email but doesn't click the link, the estimate status may not update to "Viewed."

What to do:

• Follow up and ask if they clicked the View Estimate button in the email
• Remind them the full estimate is behind the link, not in the email body itself

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How to Resend or Share an Estimate

Option 1: Resend from PaintScout

1. Open the estimate
2. Click the Send button
3. Review the recipient email, subject, and body
4. Click Send Estimate

PaintScout uses live links — the link in every email always shows the latest version of the estimate. So even if the customer finds an older email, the link will show the current estimate.

Option 2: Copy and share the estimate link

1. Open the estimate
2. Click the dropdown arrow next to the Send button
3. Select Copy Link
4. Paste the link in a text message, your own email, or any messaging app

This is a great option when you want to text the estimate or send it through a channel the customer checks more frequently.

Option 3: Send a PDF as a backup

1. Open the estimate
2. Click the dropdown arrow next to the Send button
3. Select Download PDF
4. Email the PDF to your customer from your own email account

PDFs are static snapshots. If you update the estimate after downloading, the PDF won't reflect those changes. The live link (Options 1 and 2) always shows the latest version.

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How to Confirm Delivery

Check the Activity section in the estimate sidebar to see if the estimate was sent and whether the customer has viewed it:

• Sent — the email was sent from PaintScout
• Viewed — the customer opened the estimate link
• Accepted/Declined — the customer took action

If the activity shows "Sent" but never "Viewed," the email likely didn't reach them or they haven't clicked the link yet.

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Tips to Prevent Delivery Issues

• Verify the email address before sending — ask the customer to confirm it verbally or via text
• Send a text message too — toggle on the text message option when sending to provide a second delivery channel
• Use email templates with a clear, recognizable subject line so your emails don't look like spam
• Tell customers to expect it — a quick "I'm sending your estimate now, check your email" goes a long way

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Still Not Working?

If you've tried everything above and the customer still can't access the estimate, contact [e-mail] with:

• The estimate number
• The customer's email address
• When you sent the estimate

We can investigate delivery on our end.

Related articles

Sending Estimates

Send estimates to customers via email or text with customizable subject lines, body content, and follow-up settings.

How Customers View & Accept

See exactly what your customers experience when they receive, view, and electronically accept an estimate through the email link or on-site preview.