Summary
Experts and marketers overwhelmingly advise against emailing old lists of eBay buyers. Key reasons include outdated email addresses (particularly given eBay's current use of privacy proxies), the likelihood that the list doesn't represent actual eBay buyers, and the risk of damaging sender reputation through spam complaints, spam traps, and low engagement. Email permission is not permanent and expires over time. Instead of emailing the entire old list, consider list cleaning, re-engagement campaigns, and prioritizing fresh, opted-in contacts.
Key findings
- eBay Data Outdated: eBay's current privacy practices make old lists of buyer email addresses likely invalid.
- Consent Expires: Email permission is not perpetual; consent expires over time.
- Reputation Damage: Emailing old lists damages sender reputation and deliverability.
- Engagement Decline: Old lists have low engagement, negatively impacting deliverability metrics.
- Increased Spam Risk: Old lists increase the risk of spam complaints and hitting spam traps.
Key considerations
- List Cleaning: Regularly clean email lists to remove unengaged subscribers.
- Re-engagement: Implement re-engagement campaigns to win back inactive subscribers.
- Opt-in Focus: Prioritize acquiring fresh, opted-in subscribers.
- Segmentation: Segment your list to provide targeted and relevant content.
What email marketers say
13 marketer opinions
Emailing old lists of eBay buyers is generally discouraged due to potential negative impacts on sender reputation, deliverability, and compliance with privacy regulations. eBay no longer provides direct buyer email addresses, making old lists likely outdated. Experts recommend against directly emailing old, unengaged lists, suggesting instead to focus on list cleaning, re-engagement campaigns, and acquiring fresh, opted-in contacts.
Key opinions
- Deliverability Risk: Sending emails to old lists damages sender reputation and increases the risk of landing in spam folders.
- Engagement Decline: Old lists typically have low engagement rates, negatively impacting deliverability metrics.
- Privacy Concerns: eBay no longer provides direct buyer email addresses, suggesting any existing lists are outdated and may violate privacy.
- Spam Traps: Using old lists significantly increases the risk of hitting spam traps, which can lead to blacklisting.
- Wasted Resources: Emailing uninterested recipients wastes resources and negatively impacts ROI.
Key considerations
- List Cleaning: Regularly clean your email list by removing unengaged subscribers to improve deliverability.
- Re-engagement Campaigns: Consider implementing re-engagement campaigns for inactive subscribers before removing them from your list.
- Opt-in Practices: Focus on acquiring fresh, opted-in contacts to ensure a healthy and engaged email list.
- Segmentation: Segment your list to provide relevant content to subscribers.
- Compliance: Be aware of changes to privacy policies and proxy practices on Ebay.
Marketer view
Email marketer from EmailOctopus suggests implementing a re-engagement campaign for inactive subscribers, rather than simply emailing the entire old list. This involves sending targeted emails to those who haven't engaged in a while, offering them a reason to stay subscribed or unsubscribe gracefully.
3 Jun 2025 - EmailOctopus
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks points out that eBay's website states they no longer show buyer email addresses in orders to protect privacy and combat spam/phishing.
16 Feb 2022 - Email Geeks
What the experts say
4 expert opinions
Experts agree that emailing old lists of eBay buyers is not permissible. The email addresses may be outdated and not accurately reflect eBay buyers, and any previous consent is likely expired. Sending to these lists risks hitting spam traps, generating complaints, and damaging sender reputation. Regular list hygiene, re-permissioning campaigns, and acquiring fresh, opted-in contacts are recommended.
Key opinions
- Data Age: Email data ages, and consent is not perpetual.
- Invalid Data: Old lists may not accurately represent eBay buyers.
- Deliverability Risks: Emailing old lists increases the risk of spam traps and complaints.
- Reputation Damage: Poor engagement from old lists damages sender reputation.
Key considerations
- List Hygiene: Regularly clean and maintain your email lists.
- Re-permissioning: Consider re-permissioning campaigns for older lists.
- Opt-in Focus: Prioritize acquiring fresh, opted-in contacts.
- Engagement Tracking: Track and monitor engagement metrics to identify and remove inactive subscribers.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks believes that the list is likely not a list of eBay buyers and there is no such permission attached to the list.
26 May 2022 - Email Geeks
Expert view
Expert from Spam Resource explains that emailing very old lists carries high risks of hitting spam traps, generating complaints, and damaging your sender reputation due to lack of recent engagement. They suggest focusing on acquiring fresh, opted-in contacts.
6 Jul 2022 - Spam Resource
What the documentation says
4 technical articles
Documentation from multiple sources (SendGrid, HubSpot, Spamhaus, and Mailchimp) indicates that emailing old lists of eBay buyers is not permissible due to negative impacts on deliverability and sender reputation. Permission is not permanent, and unengaged contacts should be reconfirmed or removed. Sending to old lists increases the risk of bounces, spam traps, and blacklisting.
Key findings
- Permission Expiration: Email permission is not a one-time event; it expires over time.
- Deliverability Impact: Sending to old lists negatively affects deliverability, causing higher bounce rates and lower engagement.
- Reputation Damage: Poor engagement from old lists damages sender reputation.
- Spam Traps: Emailing old lists increases the risk of hitting spam traps.
Key considerations
- Re-confirmation: Reconfirm subscriptions from contacts who haven't engaged recently.
- List Cleaning: Regularly clean email lists to remove unengaged subscribers.
- Engagement Monitoring: Monitor engagement metrics to identify inactive subscribers.
- Opt-In Practices: Focus on acquiring fresh, opted-in contacts.
Technical article
Documentation from Spamhaus explains that sending emails to old lists increases the risk of hitting spam traps, which can severely damage your sender reputation and lead to blacklisting.
31 Jul 2024 - Spamhaus
Technical article
Documentation from SendGrid emphasizes the importance of permission and suggests that even if you previously had permission, if the contacts haven't engaged recently, it's best to reconfirm their subscription to avoid deliverability issues and potential blacklisting.
5 Oct 2022 - SendGrid
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