Example of An Email Abuse Report (Why Your Contact List Should Stay Updated)

I received this email from our email vendor:

Attention: Email/Cloud Account Administrator


A mailbox on your account has been reported as sending unwanted emails. These reports come to us from various internet service providers when the recipients physically mark an email sent by a Email/Cloud user as spam.

Attached you will find detailed information regarding each reported instance of abuse including the time stamp, subject, and recipient. In some cases an internet service provider may choose to withhold or redact recipient information for privacy purposes however please note that each line below is an individual report of abuse. Those specifically listed as UnknownRecipient are most likely AOL recipients as they have the strictest privacy policy regarding their user data.

Further complaints from the same recipients or continued complaints in general about mail sent by your user may result in disabling of the sending mailbox. In the case of multiple notices or extreme levels of abuse, termination of email hosting service for the entire sending domain may occur in accordance with our Acceptable Use Policy and your Rackspace product Terms of Service.

Please regard this notice as an opt-out or unsubscribe request. To remedy this issue, please inform your user that the recipients listed do not want to receive future emails. If your user is not sending these messages, their account is likely compromised and you should encourage them to choose stronger passwords. If your user forwards their mail to another provider and marks it as spam there, please tell them that this flags our servers as the spammers.

If you have any questions at all regarding this notice or if you would like to receive future notifications at a different email address, please reply to this email or contact your product support through normal channels.

I guess they told me! Well, I figured straight from the horse's mouth was the best way to make a point. Keeping your contact list updated with people who want to receive your emails is something that can't be put off.  Make sure your customers know how to opt out of your emails so I don't get one of these about you! Also, notice they suggested the use of strong passwords (combinations of numbers and letters with a capital letter for good measure).