Is it legal to buy email lists?

When most people think of data collection they imagine hackers or scammers trying to steal personal information from unsuspecting internet users. But there's another side to that coin -- one that involves businesses collecting your personal details in exchange for something valuable, like money, free samples, or access to other services. If you're looking for ways to boost sales through marketing campaigns, then buying email lists might be just what you need.

But before we get into whether this practice is ethical, let's take a look at some of the downsides associated with purchasing lists. We'll start by examining whether it's actually possible to legally "download" someone else's private info without their permission. Then we'll go over the pros and cons of using bought lists and finally explore the costs involved.

Is it illegal to download company emails?

It depends on where you live. In some states (like California) downloading email addresses constitutes a felony. Other locations have no such laws against it. For example, in Canada, it's not explicitly forbidden but you can't claim any ownership rights over the content without explicit consent. It doesn't matter if you only intend to forward those emails onto others. The act itself remains illegal.

On the flipside, many companies use third-party service providers to handle all sorts of tasks related to customer support, billing, analytics, etc., so they don't necessarily own the data themselves. Instead, they license the right to use it in return for payment. So while it may seem as though these systems are set up to facilitate easy data sharing between two parties, technically speaking, it's still against the law to collect the data without direct authorization.

If you find yourself wondering whether it's morally acceptable to scrape a website for its contact information, the answer will depend heavily upon your country and state laws. Some countries even ban scraping entirely, which means you could end up getting sued in court if you try to use the data collected here. Be careful!

Can I purchase a mailing list?

Yes. There are plenty of places online where you can pay for access to large databases of contacts. Many offer a simple form you fill out to gain access and then provide you with a link to add new names to the database. This isn't anything special. You've likely already seen similar offers when signing up for websites or apps.

The difference is that once you sign up, you're agreeing to give away your name, address, phone number, occupation, income level, hobbies, and interests in order to receive whatever benefits the site promises. These sites often promise additional perks like coupons and discounts, invitations to exclusive events, and even better deals on products and services. While these features sound pretty enticing, they aren't always worth the risk.

There are several things you should know before deciding whether or not to participate. First, keep in mind that these sites are essentially selling your identity for profit. They will probably ask you to verify your account via text message or call, and you might also be asked to confirm your age (if underage). Second, make sure that you understand exactly what kind of information you're giving up. Most mailers won't require you to reveal sensitive financial details like credit card numbers or Social Security numbers. However, they may request your full name, street address, city, zip code, daytime work hours, and cell/mobile phone carrier. All of this info is generally public record anyway. Finally, remember that many of these sites sell data to marketers who want to target ads based on specific characteristics. That's great for business owners, but bad news for privacy advocates.

How much do targeted mailing lists cost?

This question gets complicated because there's no single standard price point for mailing lists. Each individual provider has different terms and conditions, so you'll need to check each source individually to see what they charge and under what circumstances. One common way to describe prices is by volume. Smaller lists tend to cost less per person than larger ones. A few notable examples include:

DataAxle: $0.10-$1.00 per lead depending on size

MailChimp: $0.20-$3.00 per 1,000 subscribers depending on plan selected

SendinBlue: $0.50-$4.95 per thousand subscribers

AOL Mailing Lists: Free to $2.99 per subscriber depending on package chosen

You can usually expect to pay anywhere between $5 and $25 per 1000 leads, although higher rates can apply for high volumes and certain types of leads. Another important thing to note is that pricing varies widely across providers. Some smaller groups simply don't offer subscriptions at all. Others charge lower fees for bulk orders and higher ones for small quantities. And some offer discounts for paying monthly instead of yearly. Make sure you read the fine print carefully before committing to a deal.

Remember that paid lists come in a variety of forms. Some are sold directly to customers, whereas others are offered to advertisers. Whichever option you choose, chances are the vendor will send you a welcome letter detailing everything you agreed to when making a purchase. Read it carefully and ensure that you fully understand every aspect of the transaction.

What is the average cost of an email list?

That depends largely upon the type of list you're interested in. Large, well-known brands typically command premium prices due to brand recognition alone. On the other hand, smaller niche firms that specialize in serving local markets frequently offer cheaper options. Generally speaking, email lists fall somewhere in the middle. Prices vary wildly depending on quality, quantity, and geographic location.

For instance, if you wanted to promote a product to residents in a particular region, MailChimp would likely be able to help you reach hundreds of thousands of potential buyers. Depending on the nature of the campaign, it could easily run you upwards of $500. Meanwhile, a smaller group focused solely on providing affordable solutions to homeowners within 100 miles of NYC might charge around $100 per month.

In general, you can expect to spend roughly 10% to 20% of a typical advertising budget on targeted emails. As long as you follow industry standards and stay within the bounds of legality, it shouldn't pose too big a problem. Just be mindful of the fact that you're potentially handing over part of your hard-earned cash to random strangers. Don't forget to factor in time spent managing your list.

Ultimately, it comes down to weighing the value of having a dedicated audience versus the effort required to maintain said list. If you decide to invest in building a list, consider hiring a professional firm to manage it for you. Not only will it save you countless hours, but it will allow you to focus on running your business rather than worrying about keeping track of spam filters and unsubscribe requests.

Finally, if you're planning on sending out mass messages, you should consider investing in an autoresponder system. These tools automate your entire process, saving you time and energy. Plus, they prevent you from accidentally hitting send to anyone outside your intended audience.

Buying emails from other people's inboxes may seem like a smart way to start your own successful business or online campaign, but there are many pitfalls that can catch even seasoned marketers off-guard. If you haven't yet had enough experience with buying mailings, here are some important things you need to know before you take this step in email marketing.

There are plenty of companies out there who will sell their mailing lists for cheap, so don't be fooled into thinking they're all scams. You'll find legitimate services that offer great deals on bulk emailing lists (that means hundreds at once) if you just look around. But as long as these people have collected those names legitimately, then they deserve to make money from selling them. However, if you want to keep costs down, there are ways to go above and beyond what most sites provide without paying too much.

Before we dive into the details, let me first mention how valuable email lists are. They’re essential to any digital marketer, because not only do you have access to huge amounts of potential clients, but you also get to target specific groups of people based on interests, location, age, gender, income level, etc. Email lists give you the ability to reach new customers through different channels -- whether it's social media advertising, PPC ads, SEO, blog posts, website content, or whatever else works well for you. In fact, email campaigns remain one of the highest converting forms of direct response ad spend. And since we've covered this topic extensively elsewhere already, I won't cover it again. Instead, below you'll find our guide to purchasing email lists along with tips on how to avoid falling for fake offers.

Can you purchase a mailing list?

You might think it would be easy to buy a database full of emails, right? Unfortunately, not every service provider allows you to buy individual subscribers. The reason being that each company has its own rules regarding data privacy laws, and sometimes they require you to sign up for a paid subscription in order to obtain such information. This isn't necessarily bad news though, because there are free alternatives available when looking for a mailing list.

Some websites allow anyone to register and create an account to download the site's entire collection of email addresses. Others host the same content behind paywalls, which limits the number of visitors you can receive. Even still, you could potentially snag a large amount of emails by doing some digging. For example, using Google search "email address" + "domain name," and simply typing in something like ".com/.net/etc." will yield thousands upon thousands of results. Just remember to filter out the junk and focus on finding relevant domains. These may include domain registrars, hosting platforms, government organizations, and others.

If you really want to save time, you can always skip the legwork and head straight to a third party email list vendor instead. There are several major players in the industry today including MailChimp, AWeber, GetResponse, Campaign Monitor, Constant Contact, and dozens more. All of these vendors specialize in providing high quality email lists, and usually charge a fee per user. Keep in mind that you shouldn't expect to see a massive influx of traffic after signing up for these programs, especially if you're trying to build a brand. Also, be sure to read reviews and testimonials from real users to determine whether a particular platform is worth your investment.

The bottom line is you can buy your own list, but it's going to take a lot of work and effort. That said, you can actually turn a profit if you're willing to put in the work to acquire subscribers over time. To help you get started, you should invest in learning how to manage your existing email list. It doesn't matter if you bought a list from another person or built it yourself, you should set goals and track metrics regularly to ensure success. We've got lots of resources to help you grow your mailing list, including How to Grow Your List Using Social Media Marketing Tips & Tricks, 10 Ways to Build a Better Leads Page, and 3 Simple Steps to Growing Your Email Subscribers Fast.

How much does it cost to buy a mailing list?

Email lists aren't exactly inexpensive. Some companies advertise their products as low as $0.01 per subscriber, while others claim to deliver a price point between $5-$10. Regardless of where you fall within that range, you're probably going to end up spending more than you anticipated. When planning your budget, consider the following factors:

Your goal - Do you plan to send emails every day, weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annually? Each frequency requires a different amount of time and effort to maintain.

Target audience size - Are you targeting individuals or businesses? Small businesses tend to be less expensive due to lower overhead expenses. Individuals typically run higher prices if you're sending out multiple emails daily.

List segmentation - What type of segments am I interested in? Will I be sending emails to men vs women? Young adults vs older generations? People living in North America vs South America?

Bulk pricing - Most large email list providers now offer discounts for larger quantities. Sometimes they charge extra fees, but often times you can negotiate a better deal by ordering in bulk. So far, I've found that the average discount ranges anywhere from 20%-50% depending on the product.

So assuming you've decided to pony up the cash, what's next? Well, you can either buy a single list or join a community of buyers. Whichever option you choose, you should follow these steps:

Look for verified opt-in options - If you have no luck searching for a free listing, try visiting a few reputable directories and forums dedicated to email marketing. Make sure to check out the terms and conditions of each website carefully before submitting personal info. Be wary of any sites that ask for credit card numbers or sensitive financial information.

Research the seller - Find out anything you can about the owner of the list. Look for customer feedbacks, positive experiences, negative complaints, and anything else that might shed light on the reputation of the company.

Ask questions - Before committing to a payment, ask the owner any questions you have about his or her business model. Ask specifically about the validity of the list itself, and if there are any hidden charges. Asking questions early in the process ensures transparency and trustworthiness.

Don't forget to review your contract! Many sellers fail to disclose crucial information in their contracts, which puts you at risk of getting scammed later down the road. Take note of any limitations, fees, restrictions, penalties, guarantees, refunds policies, and other clauses that apply to you.

How do I get mass mailing addresses?

One last thing to consider before investing your hard earned dollars into buying a mailing list is how to obtain a large quantity of email addresses quickly. One method involves creating a lead magnet, which is basically a promotional item designed to entice someone to fill out a form. After clicking the link, the recipient gets taken to a page asking for contact information. Once the visitor fills out the form, he or she receives a gift certificate code that gives him or her access to additional bonuses. Another popular tactic is called co-registration, meaning both parties must complete a common registration form together in order to qualify for the giveaway.

For instance, if you were running a contest offering a free eBook, you'd likely want to collect everyone's e-mail address so you can notify winners via newsletter. Or perhaps you're promoting a webinar or event, and you want to gather as many leads as possible. Either way, you'll want to consider the methods listed above to generate as many contacts as possible.

Lastly, be careful with your competition. While it's tempting to just grab a list from a competitor, you should steer clear of shady tactics. Don't assume that your competitors' databases contain valid information, and definitely don't steal their ideas and copycat their strategies. Doing so could result in costly lawsuits and damages. Plus, you'll be risking your own credibility by violating the law.

When most people think of emails being sold online they imagine the shady person who sells your address on eBay or through their own website. But there's another kind of selling going on that we all have probably seen in our inboxes at one point or another: unsolicited offers from companies trying to sell us products by way of direct mail. And while this can be annoying (depending on what you're looking to purchase), there's actually nothing wrong with these kinds of sales if done properly.

There are many ways to go about purchasing email lists, but here I'm going to focus on the three main types of purchases available and explain when each would make sense.

The first type of purchase is obviously collecting email addresses directly from someone else without any sort of permission. This could mean asking strangers over coffee whether they'd like to sign up for something new or just outright stealing a list from somewhere. While both scenarios seem sketchy, as long as you don't lie to anyone you're doing no harm. There is nothing inherently bad about gathering information like this, so long as you know the risks involved. The biggest risk is getting caught, which is where things get tricky. If you ever consider using such an approach then make sure to take precautions.

Another common method of acquiring email addresses involves making friends with those already interested in specific products. You might ask around what the best product review websites are or find out who has recently bought whatever it is you want to promote. Once you've got names and contact info you'll either need to add them to your database or send them a message offering them free stuff in exchange for their name/email. Again, this isn't necessarily a problem if done correctly, especially if you're only contacting people who were personally recommended to you. Just remember to always give proper attribution whenever possible.

Finally, there is the option of buying email lists. When buying lists you will typically not receive individual names and addresses attached to them, instead receiving bulk amounts of contacts. Sometimes you may also get additional data including age, location, gender, etc., depending on the company providing the list. Buying lists is generally frowned upon because it means you're essentially paying other people to do work for you. That said, it doesn't sound too different than what businesses pay freelancers anyway. So unless you really feel like you're saving money by outsourcing tasks that you could otherwise perform yourself, I wouldn't recommend buying lists.

If you're still interested in learning more about buying email lists though, let's explore exactly what happens behind the scenes when you decide to purchase one. Is it even worth it? What are some potential issues that come along with buying email lists? Let's dive into these questions!

Is it illegal to steal an email list?

Probably not. It depends on what country you live in and if the laws surrounding email address theft are enforced. In general though, if you're simply copying text off an email signature -- i.e. "Hi [NAME]!" -- then I doubt anything will happen. However, if you're taking actual content from the original sender, then that's a whole 'nother story. Some countries may have strict anti-theft legislation that makes it illegal to copy someone else's personal information. Others may look the other way since everyone knows it happens anyways. Regardless, it's important to keep in mind that even if you're not breaking a law, you could still end up landing in hot water. For example, if you're sending mass emails to thousands of users, it's likely that whoever owns the domain hosting your server will notice and possibly shut down your account.

Is it illegal to collect email addresses?

Again, probably not. Most places allow you to gather basic contact details like phone numbers and addresses for research purposes. As long as you inform people that you're conducting research and provide a link back to your site (wherever it exists) then you should be fine. Of course, it's better to ask before collecting any information rather than after, and ideally you shouldn't be collecting any sensitive information at all.

Is it illegal to spam someones email?

This one is easy. No matter how legitimate your intentions are, if you're sending unsolicited messages to random members of the public then chances are you won't last very long. Legitimate marketers sometimes resort to techniques like cold calling people to try to convince them to join an affiliate program or similar offer. These tactics are considered unethical and often result in lawsuits against spammers. Don't fall prey to them though, and follow the rules set forth above.

Is it legal to sell an email list?

Yes! As long as certain requirements are met, it's perfectly acceptable to sell email lists.

First, you must comply with CANSPAM regulations. The CANSPAM Act was passed in 2003 and imposes various restrictions on commercial emailers. One requirement is that every email sent must contain a clear opt-out mechanism allowing recipients to remove themselves from future communications. Additionally, you cannot require payment upfront or charge customers until they click a confirmation button. Finally, you must include unsubscribe instructions on every single communication. Failure to adhere to these guidelines is grounds for fines up to $40,000 per violation.

Second, you must verify that the list you plan to sell belongs to real individuals. Not everyone uses Gmail or Outlook to check their email accounts. To combat phishing attacks, some people prefer to receive all incoming emails via POP3 servers. In order to ensure that you're not violating privacy rights by selling private information, you should request proof of identity for every single subscriber. Make sure to double check that the documentation provided includes full names, home addresses, birthdates, and social security numbers.

Third, you should clearly disclose the price you paid for the list. Even if nobody cares about the exact amount, transparency helps prevent fraudsters from claiming that the price listed is inflated.

Lastly, you should ensure that you aren't charging more than the subscription rate advertised. Otherwise you run the risk of having your service shut down due to excessive charges.

Now that you understand how buying email lists works, what problems arise with it, and how to protect yourself legally, you should be ready to start building your business with a well-curated database of prospects. Remember that email is still king, despite Google+ dominating search results. Email remains incredibly effective at converting browsers into buyers thanks to its ability to target interests, demographics, and behaviors. It's also the cheapest form of advertising, costing less than half of Facebook ads and Instagram posts combined. All that plus it provides instant feedback so you can see what worked and didn't work right away. Now that's pretty cool.

So next time you're thinking about starting a blog, creating a YouTube channel, launching a podcast, or planning to write an ebook, stop procrastinating and start reaching out to prospective leads immediately. A well-curated database of high quality subscribers is far superior to any number of followers or likes, and can turn even the worst ideas into profitable ventures.

Have you had success with email campaigns? Do you have horror stories from past experiences? Share your insights below!