Stormpulse was politely turned down by YC in 2007. I'm sure getting accepted would have changed things in a good way, but I can't complain about the way things are going; a YC-no-thanks is not a fatal judgment.
I was also going to add that I would say for B2C relations this doesn't seem to matter a lot. In fact, I prefer it, as it makes us seem more single point-of-contact and personal (for some reason I have no confidence whenever I email a support@xyz.com, or even feedback@xyz.com). Presenting your customers with a Mom and Pop shack even when you're a Wal*Mart isn't a bad thing. It helps them feel bigger if you seem small.
As far as B2B, I haven't seen any negative responses there either, perhaps because we don't deal with many middle-management MBA-types. Most of the fans we've heard from are either low on the totem pole, helping us get in the door at their mother ship, or so high on the totem pole that @stormpulse.com might make them think of us as a large cockroach at best.
I agree with the reasoning. However, more from a hacker's point of view, wouldn't you rather hide the implementation details of your email system you use behind something that you know will stand the test of time?
For example, if gmail were to no longer be the preferred email address system of techies (because they start charging, they are no longer reliable, or as seen more recently, you get totally locked out with no way of getting real support, etc), you would have to struggle with letting the word out about your new email address, or something.
With your own email address, you would have the flexibility to switch out to a different mail provider with your domain's MX records. You also can print business cards without worrying about reprints and the like. :)
Anyway, I don't necessarily think bigger customers will think you're bigger just because you own a @stormpulse.com email address.
I used to use my own domain email for more than a decade and now I use gmail exclusively. Why? First of all they have the best spam filtering system I've ever been exposed to. Second, they archive all my email and each account has a limit of more than 7 GB. Third, I can use my regular email client to receive my mail via pop3. Fourth, they allow me to send email via their smtp server. Fifth, it is simpler to use than my own domain email account.
Yes I know it is 'nice' to have your own domain-based email accounts, especially when trying to advertise your domain, but all the advantages of gmail encouraged me to switch and I've never been happier.
