Remember the “good old days” when your email inbox was filled with spam? Everything from male enhancers to diet miracles to baldness cures. Day after day with no end in sight.

Then a funny thing happened…

The ISPs got far more aggressive as to who (and what) got through, detection got significantly better… and a new sheriff arrived in town (Google). The turnaround was so dramatic, I get almost no inbox spam anymore.

But what goes around comes around.

Spam is back. And it’s not those shady guys operating out of third word internet cafes anymore. It’s the good guys. All-American. Madison Avenue. Wall Street. The big money guys.

Here’s where it goes wrong…

I recently opened a new gmail account to use for online shopping. That’s it. Just for use when I buy something online and the merchant needs an email address. Since it is a new account and one I don’t use much, it is really easy to follow all the shenanigans that have ensued.

Last month I made a $125 purchase at TommyBahama.com and used my brand new gmail account for the purchase confirmation. I guess Tommy Bahama must think I have lots of money because they have been spamming the living crap out of me since then.

They’re not alone.

Last week, I spent a night at the Hampton Inn in Annapolis. Same deal, my new email was used just for the reservation confirmation. And now they are spamming me. Surveys, offers, discounts, etc. A few weeks earlier, I had a nice visit at the Hilton in Boston. Oh yeah, they want in on the fun and now swear we are best friends.

So does the Gap, Audi, and the New York Yankees. AT&T too. Unfortunately there is not much I can do except opt out on a one-at-a-time basis.

The ISPs will never block Hilton. Google will never filter out email from Audi, the Gap or AT&T (well, actually they might filter AT&T). You get the point.

So… get used to it.