unless it can be proven that the recipient consented to them or was a customer – with John Lewis unable to satisfy either requirement
So it sounds like in this case he didn't actually purchase anything.
I've never been a big fan of the "existing business relationship" rule. It basically means I have to click an unsubscribe link once for every company I buy from.
In my books, once payment has been made, the goods received, and the sales contract completed, the business relationship is over. Comments? Anyone here a (British) lawyer?
from http://ico.org.uk/concerns/marketing/11
The law says that marketers are allowed to send marketing messages if:
the marketer has obtained your details through a sale or negotiations for a sale (this includes asking for a quote); the messages are about similar products or services offered by the sender; and you were given an opportunity to refuse the marketing when your details were collected and, if you did not refuse, you were given a simple way to opt out in every future communication.
Edit to add: I do think that pre-checked opt-ins are a bit sleazy.
A recall message (we've noticed a problem with a widget you have) is perfectly legal, while a message like "since you're an avid user of our widget we present you widget v2" isn't.