If this sounds like a bad idea to you, then it’s because it is.   If you are a new email marketer this may sound like a good idea to you.   Building a list of subscribers takes time and you found someone that’s promising you quick results by selling you entire lists of emails addresses from people that they claim were targeted, verified,  opted- in,  and clean.

Stop.  Just think about what you are doing.

You’re getting a whole bunch of email addresses, from people that never gave you permission to have them in the first place, so that you can send mailings that they never asked for.    How is that different from spam?   Not only are you wasting money on bad prospects but you are setting yourself up for nothing but trouble.

Here are some consequences you are likely to face:

• You will receive complaints to your ISP which will result in your company being disconnected.
• You will find yourself blacklisted and no ISP will want you as a customer.
• You will be prosecuted as there are laws against this here in the US and many places abroad.
• Your reputation as a company will suffer and no one will want to buy what you are selling.
• No one will take your mailing seriously,  it will go straight in the trash, where it will never be read
• Most of your emails will bounce causing mail server congestion and your ISP will fire you.

Don’t fall into a “spam trap” by responding to an unsolicited email from so called “list brokers” claiming to offer you targeted lists of subscribers.   These emails were either purchased from spammers or collected using harvesting programs that scan sites for email addresses so they can be dumped in a database.

To combat this some sites bury email addresses in their source code so that they are picked up by harvesting programs.  The company where the email originated is then alerted to any incoming emails that go to that address at which time they contact your web host and file a spam complaint.   This leaves you not only subject to being cut off by your hosting provider but it also leaves you open to prosecution.

You can purchase an email list from either buying or renting.   When you rent an email address you are not given the email address and your mailing is sent on behalf of you.    When you buy a list you receive subscriber details, etc.   You’re more likely to find a reputable rental service that does not offer subscriber details than you are to purchase a list of email addresses that you can use to send out your own mailings.  Companies that sell subscriber details should be approached with extreme caution.

If you do purchase then you will have to ensure that your mailing does not contain the following:

• False or misleading header information
• Deceptive subject lines
• Your mailing has an opt-out method
• Your commercial mailing is identified as an advertisement and has the sender’s physical postal address

If you do a paid subscriber list and have ensured that your mailing is compliant with local laws governing unsolicited mailings be sure to tweak your expectations.    You can’t expect much from people that have not opted-in to your list and may have never heard of you.   Adjust your expectations accordingly.   Its better to take the long view and collect your mailings through subscription forms and  opt-in email confirmations.    Your list will take some time to grow, but by ensuring the integrity of your list,  your list will be worth a whole lot more.