Spamming ESPs

In my mailbox there is a definite uptick in spam from ESPs advertising their services.
Today’s email was from a company that has the following in their anti-spam policy:

To send email to anyone using [ESP name], you must have clearly obtained their permission. We consider qualifying methods for obtaining permission are as follows:

  • An email newsletter subscription form on your web site.
  • An opt-in checkbox within a form. This checkbox must not be checked by default, the person completing the form must willingly select the checkbox to indicate they want to hear from you.
  • If someone completes an offline form like a survey or enters a competition, you can only contact them if it was explained to them that you would be contacting them by email AND they ticked a box indicating they would like you to contact them.
  • Customers who have purchased from you within the last 2 years.
  • If someone gives you their business card and you have explicitly asked for permission to add them to your list, you can contact them.

Apparently this only counts for customers, as I have never heard of this company before receiving the spam.
I’m sure they’ll argue it wasn’t spam, it was a holiday greeting, and in fact everything above the fold was wishing me a Happy Christmas. But, down at the bottom was a message.

PS: Still not sorted your customers Christmas cards out?
You could send every one of them a fun ecard in no time at all… just click here to contact [ESP] today.

I don’t know anyone at this ESP. They hit an address that was only ever published on a website and was removed from use more than 5 years ago. It was never entered into any forms. I have never purchased from them.
It’s so blatantly spam, couched in a “HOLIDAY GREETING!” It’s not the first one I’ve gotten. It’s not even the first one I’ve gotten this year.
EDIT: Make sure to read the followup
How can this ESP claim with a straight face that they expect customers to only send opt-in mail? How can they claim they force customers to follow good practices when they don’t? This message even violates CAN SPAM – failing to have a postal address included.
At least I know what to answer if any client ever asks me about this particular ESP and what I know about them. “Well, they are spammers themselves.”

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PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS NOT A SPAM OR AUTOMATED EMAIL, IT’S ONLY A  REQUEST FOR A LINK EXCHANGE. YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS HAS NOT BEEN ADDED TO ANY LISTS, AND YOU WILL NOT BE CONTACTED AGAIN.IF YOU’D LIKE TO MAKE  SURE WE DON’T CONTACT YOU AGAIN, PLEASE FILL IN THE FOLLOWING FORM: <link>
PLEASE ACCEPT OUR APOLOGIES FOR CONTACTING YOU.

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