The issue is a simple one - the trash doesn't get deleted after 30 days and hasn't for many people for some time - here's one such thread - this goes back over a year with no resolution to date. Any Ideas?

I finally switched from 'standard html' to 'basic html' within Gmail (online) a while back, it loads faster, but you also miss the 'select all' feature and so you have to click each and every email to move to trash, as well 'delete' from trash. I had hoped the 'delete after 30 days' issue was fixed but apparently not, my emails are still present after months, the trash count is into the hundreds.

The only option as far as I can tell (though this is funky) is to load the 'standard html' view once a month and use the 'select all' feature within trash, and change back when done - this plain sucks. I know you can use a client like Thunderbird, retrieve your mail, and 'delete' the mail from the server but despite pretty good filters unwanted mail was getting past them and downloading to my system - this is not good, so with Gmail I use 'online' only.

Google has added more crap to Gmail like 'Buzz' and 'video clips' yet they can't seem to get it straight with 'delete after 30 days' - clowns.

Weird, my trash has been deleted just fine. Perhaps because I use Outlook 2007 and IMAP with Google?

If what you're doing is downloading your mail for offline viewing, and have it setup that Gmail deletes the mail from the servers when the transfer is complete, this feature works.

On the other hand, in my case, the mail read online and then moved to 'trash' is supposed to be automatically removed within 30 days (roughly), instead the mail keeps piling up - for months.

Again...

THIS SUCKS!