This was annoying and worth documenting

Starting conditions

• Record types defined on Case.
• Email2Case configured with email address support@foo.com using RecordType A and email address orders@foo.com using RecordType B.
• RecordType A is the default record type for the automated case user (as configured in Case Settings).
• Automated Case User’s profile has access to both RecordType A and RecordType B.

You start testing

Since it typically requires liaison with your mail server team to establish the email addresses, verify-to-Salesforce their validity, and then auto-forward the email to the Salesforce email services address (e.g. verylongname@salesforce.com), you will be tempted during testing to try sending emails to verylongname@salesforce.com as this is what Salesforce actually would receive.

You will be surprised.

If the email you send to is for the Automated Case User’s profile’s non-default recordtype, then the recordType assigned to the Case will be the default record type (!?!). This happens in either of the following circumstances:

• Email-to-case address is not verified, or ..
• Email-to-case address is verified

That is, in order to get the correct recordType assigned, you have to send the email to your company’s email domain and have that email forwarded to Salesforce.

Example:

• RecordType A is default recordType for Automated Case User
• Email-to-Case address orders@foo.com is configured to use RecordType B
• Email-to-Case address orders@foo.com is associated to orders-verylongname@salesforce.com

Results:

• Send email to orders-verylongname@salesforce.com. Result: Case created with recordType A ?!?
• Verify orders@foo.com and send email to orders-verylongname@salesforce.com. Result: Case created with recordType A ?!?
• Establish forwarding rules in your mail server that forward orders@foo.com to orders-verylongname@salesforce.com. Send email to orders@foo.com. Result: Case created with recordType B Hooray!