Summary
The overwhelming consensus is that B2B lead vendors' claims of opt-in leads are generally unreliable and should be approached with strong skepticism. Experts, marketers, and documentation sources highlight numerous risks associated with purchased lists, including low data quality, poor engagement, negative impacts on sender reputation and deliverability, potential legal violations (CAN-SPAM, GDPR), and damage to brand reputation. It is strongly recommended to verify lead data, focus on inbound marketing strategies, build email lists organically through permission-based methods, and carefully assess lead vendors before believing their claims. Prioritizing genuine consent and clean data is crucial for effective and compliant email marketing.
Key findings
- Unreliable Opt-in: B2B lead vendors' claims of 'opt-in' are often dubious, leading to unreliable data.
- Poor Data Quality: Purchased lists frequently contain outdated, invalid, or low-quality email addresses.
- Low Engagement: Recipients on purchased lists are typically not targeted or engaged, resulting in poor campaign performance.
- Deliverability Issues: Buying email lists negatively impacts sender reputation and email deliverability, increasing bounce rates and spam complaints.
- Legal Risks: Using purchased lists can violate anti-spam laws like GDPR and CAN-SPAM, leading to significant fines and legal repercussions.
- Reputation Damage: Purchasing email lists can damage brand reputation by associating the business with spammy practices.
Key considerations
- Verification: Use tools and methods to verify the quality and validity of email addresses provided by lead vendors.
- Inbound Focus: Prioritize inbound marketing strategies and targeted advertising to attract high-quality, opt-in leads.
- Organic List Building: Focus on building email lists organically through permission-based methods to ensure genuine opt-in and consent.
- Vendor Assessment: Carefully assess lead vendors by checking third-party reviews, requesting sample data, and verifying their adherence to data privacy regulations.
- Data Freshness: Ensure lead data is recent (ideally less than 90 days old) to maintain accuracy and engagement.
- Opt-in Verification: Always verify that leads have genuinely opted-in to receive communications before sending emails.
What email marketers say
10 marketer opinions
The consensus is that B2B lead vendors' claims of opt-in leads should be approached with skepticism. Purchased lists often contain unreliable, outdated, or invalid email addresses, leading to low engagement, deliverability issues, and potential harm to sender reputation. Furthermore, using such lists can violate anti-spam laws, resulting in fines and legal repercussions. Experts recommend verifying lead quality using verification tools, focusing on inbound marketing strategies, and building email lists organically through permission-based methods.
Key opinions
- Lead Quality: Purchased lists often contain low-quality leads with outdated or invalid email addresses.
- Engagement: Recipients on purchased lists are typically not engaged or targeted, resulting in poor campaign performance.
- Deliverability: Buying email lists can negatively impact sender reputation and email deliverability.
- Legal Risks: Using purchased lists can violate anti-spam laws like GDPR and CAN-SPAM.
Key considerations
- Verification: Use tools to verify the quality and validity of email addresses provided by lead vendors.
- Inbound Marketing: Focus on inbound marketing strategies and targeted advertising to generate high-quality, opt-in leads.
- Permission-Based Marketing: Prioritize building email lists organically through permission-based methods to ensure genuine opt-in.
- Due Diligence: Thoroughly assess lead vendors, checking third-party reviews and their adherence to data privacy regulations.
Marketer view
Email marketer from ActiveCampaign Blog emphasizes that genuine opt-in is critical for lead quality and long-term success. Purchased lists rarely provide engaged leads, and sending to these lists can result in low engagement and high bounce rates.
15 May 2023 - ActiveCampaign Blog
Marketer view
Email marketer from HubSpot Blog shares that buying email lists can harm your sender reputation and negatively impact your deliverability, as these lists often contain outdated or invalid email addresses and recipients who have not opted in to receive communications.
25 Sep 2023 - HubSpot Blog
What the experts say
4 expert opinions
Experts generally express skepticism about B2B lead vendors' claims of reliable, opt-in leads. They question the vendor's motives and authenticity, pointing out the importance of verifying lead data for deliverability, engagement, and freshness (no older than 90 days). Building an email list organically through consent-based opt-in is recommended over purchasing leads, as purchased lists often lack genuine engagement.
Key opinions
- Skepticism: There's widespread skepticism regarding B2B lead vendors' claims, with questions raised about their motives and the validity of opt-in assertions.
- Data Quality: Reliable lead data must be 'good' (deliverable, engaging) and 'fresh' (up-to-date, no older than 90 days).
- Authenticity: Identifying the true identity of lead vendors can be difficult, raising further concerns.
- Engagement: Recipients on purchased lists are unlikely to be genuinely engaged.
Key considerations
- Verification: Scrutinize lead vendors claims of opt-in before using their data.
- Freshness: Prioritize leads that are recent, ideally collected within the last 90 days.
- Consent: Focus on building an email list organically through explicit consent-based opt-in practices.
- Do It Yourself: If budget allows, build your own list.
Expert view
Expert from Spam Resource, Laura Atkins, shares that it is crucial to determine if the lead data provided by B2B lead vendors is reliable by checking if the data is 'good' and 'fresh.' Good data means the email addresses are deliverable and people actually read and engage with the marketing material sent, and fresh data means that the information is up-to-date and not stale. The data should not be older than 90 days.
10 Sep 2024 - Spam Resource
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks jokes if Laura opted in when viewing their email. Then asks if it was sent from a random Gmail/Outlook account.
13 Jul 2023 - Email Geeks
What the documentation says
4 technical articles
Email service providers and legal documentation strongly advise against relying on B2B lead vendors' opt-in claims and purchasing email lists. Sending to non-opted-in recipients violates terms of service, increases the risk of spam complaints, deliverability issues, blacklisting, and potentially breaches the CAN-SPAM Act. Maintaining a clean, organically-grown list through legitimate opt-in processes is essential for a good sender reputation, high deliverability, and legal compliance.
Key findings
- Reputation Risk: Using non-opted-in lists damages sender reputation and can lead to account suspension.
- Deliverability Impact: Purchased lists increase spam complaints and decrease email deliverability rates.
- Legal Violations: Sending to purchased lists may violate the CAN-SPAM Act, risking legal repercussions.
- Data Quality Issues: Purchased lists typically contain stale and invalid data, harming engagement metrics.
Key considerations
- Permission-Based Marketing: Prioritize permission-based marketing to ensure recipients have explicitly opted-in.
- Organic List Building: Focus on building an email list organically through legitimate opt-in methods.
- Terms of Service Compliance: Adhere to email service provider terms of service regarding email list practices.
- Legal Compliance: Ensure email marketing practices comply with the CAN-SPAM Act and other relevant laws.
Technical article
Documentation from the FTC explains that the CAN-SPAM Act requires senders to have permission to send commercial emails. Purchased lists often lack verifiable consent, putting businesses at risk of violating federal law.
28 Feb 2023 - FTC
Technical article
Documentation from Mailchimp explains that permission-based marketing is crucial for maintaining a good sender reputation. Sending emails to recipients who haven't explicitly opted in violates their terms of service and can lead to account suspension.
31 Mar 2025 - Mailchimp
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