A method comprising: a) establishing upon a first electronic device comprising at least a microprocessor connected to a network a first message for transmission to a second electronic device associated with a contact; b) establishing upon the first electronic device a plurality of items of contact data, each item of contact data relating to a communications address associated with the contact; c) establishing upon the first electronic device first time data relating to a future point in time before which the first message should not be delivered and a second time limit relating to a subsequent time after delivery within which the first message is retrieved or not; d) transmitting the first message and the first time data to the second electronic device connected to the network from the first electronic device, the second electronic device associated with a first item of contact data of the plurality of items of contact data; e) receiving upon the first electronic device from the network a first indication, the first indication relating to a delivery status of the first message to the second electronic device associated with the first item of contact data of the plurality of items of contact data; f) automatically transmitting, upon receipt of the first indication indicating non-delivery, a second message and the first time data to an alternate electronic device connected to the network, the alternate electronic device associated with an alternate item of contact data of the plurality of items of contact data other than the first item of contact data; g) automatically transmitting upon receipt of a second indication indicating delivery but no retrieval of the first message within the second time limit the second message to the alternate electronic device; and h) only providing a further indication on either the second electronic device that the first message has been received when the first message was successfully delivered or on the alternate electronic device that the second message has been received when the second message has been successfully delivered, wherein the further indication is only available after the future point in time established by the first time data has passed; and steps (e) through (h) are repeated for each item of alternate contact data within the plurality of items of contact data until a determination is made that either the first message or the second message has not only been successfully delivered to an electronic device associated with one of the items of alternate contact data but that the first message or the second message has been opened within the subsequent time after delivery established by the second time data. a) establishing upon a first electronic device comprising at least a microprocessor connected to a network a first message for transmission to a second electronic device associated with a contact; b) establishing upon the first electronic device a plurality of items of contact data, each item of contact data relating to a communications address associated with the contact; c) establishing upon the first electronic device first time data relating to a future point in time before which the first message should not be delivered and a second time limit relating to a subsequent time after delivery within which the first message is retrieved or not; d) transmitting the first message and the first time data to the second electronic device connected to the network from the first electronic device, the second electronic device associated with a first item of contact data of the plurality of items of contact data; e) receiving upon the first electronic device from the network a first indication, the first indication relating to a delivery status of the first message to the second electronic device associated with the first item of contact data of the plurality of items of contact data; f) automatically transmitting, upon receipt of the first indication indicating non-delivery, a second message and the first time data to an alternate electronic device connected to the network, the alternate electronic device associated with an alternate item of contact data of the plurality of items of contact data other than the first item of contact data; g) automatically transmitting upon receipt of a second indication indicating delivery but no retrieval of the first message within the second time limit the second message to the alternate electronic device; and h) only providing a further indication on either the second electronic device that the first message has been received when the first message was successfully delivered or on the alternate electronic device that the second message has been received when the second message has been successfully delivered, wherein the further indication is only available after the future point in time established by the first time data has passed; and steps (e) through (h) are repeated for each item of alternate contact data within the plurality of items of contact data until a determination is made that either the first message or the second message has not only been successfully delivered to an electronic device associated with one of the items of alternate contact data but that the first message or the second message has been opened within the subsequent time after delivery established by the second time data.