Summary
Understanding the deliverability statistics for rented email lists is a complex challenge, primarily because direct and reliable figures are scarce. Unlike opted-in lists, where performance metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and bounce rates can be tracked and benchmarked, rented lists operate under entirely different dynamics. These lists are often managed by third parties, obscuring transparency and making it nearly impossible to gather accurate, granular deliverability data.
Key findings
- Data scarcity: Specific deliverability statistics for rented email lists are rarely published by reputable sources or email service providers (ESPs).
- Variable performance: Deliverability can range from comparably good (for very specific, well-managed lists) to near zero, depending on the list owner's practices and the marketer's approach.
- Reputation impact: Sending to a rented list, especially when acquiring the data to send yourself, significantly risks your sender reputation and can lead to permanent blocklistings.
- Engagement challenges: Recipients on rented lists typically have no direct relationship with the sender, resulting in low engagement rates and high complaint rates.
Key considerations
- Defining 'rented': It is important to distinguish between renting (where the list owner sends) and purchasing (where you send). Each has different implications for deliverability outcomes.
- Sender responsibility: If you send to a purchased list, your sender reputation is directly at risk.
- Monitoring difficulty: When the list owner sends the email, you have minimal to no visibility into crucial deliverability metrics.
- Industry averages: General email deliverability rates (e.g., the average 85% according to industry reports) apply to permission-based marketing, not rented lists.
What email marketers say
Email marketers often find themselves in a challenging position when considering rented email lists. While the ideal scenario involves building an organic, opted-in list, some situations might necessitate exploring alternatives. However, the consensus among marketers points to significant concerns regarding deliverability and brand reputation when using rented lists. The primary challenge remains the lack of transparent, reliable data on how these lists perform in terms of inbox placement and engagement.
Key opinions
- Data scarcity: Many marketers acknowledge the difficulty in finding any deliverability statistics specifically for rented lists, as most available data pertains to opted-in subscribers.
- Reputation concern: There's a strong concern that using rented or purchased lists can severely damage a sender's established reputation, leading to poor inbox placement even for legitimate campaigns.
- Varying results: The potential deliverability can range widely, from very low to occasionally comparable to good opt-in lists if the rental is managed expertly by the list owner.
- Preference for owner-sent: Marketers prefer arrangements where the list owner sends the email, reducing direct risk to their own sender reputation and increasing the likelihood of better results.
Key considerations
- Unverified data: Any statistics provided for rented lists are often unverified and may not reflect actual deliverability, making it hard to set realistic benchmarks for email campaigns.
- Negative impact: Sending to non-opted-in lists almost invariably leads to higher bounce rates, spam complaints, and can land your domain on a blocklist.
- Long-term damage: Marketers must weigh the short-term perceived gains against the long-term damage to their email program's deliverability.
- Compliance risks: Marketers should be aware of the legal and ethical implications of using rented lists, particularly concerning consent.
Marketer from Email Geeks explains that finding reliable data for deliverability statistics on rented lists is incredibly difficult due to the many variables involved and the lack of transparent reporting.
Marketer from a marketing forum suggests that without proper segmentation and an understanding of subscriber interests, rented lists often lead to high unsubscribe rates and low engagement.
What the experts say
Email deliverability experts consistently advise against the use of rented or purchased email lists due to the significant risks they pose to sender reputation and overall email program health. While the upfront perceived benefits might seem appealing, the long-term consequences, including blocklistings and diminished inbox placement, far outweigh any short-term gains. Experts emphasize that consent and engagement are the cornerstones of healthy email deliverability.
Key opinions
- No monitoring: Experts stress that there is typically no way to effectively monitor deliverability performance when using rented lists, especially if the list owner sends the campaigns.
- Reputation exposure: Even if a purchased list is used, and the sender's own network is utilized, the existing sender reputation will rapidly erode due to poor list quality and recipient complaints.
- Spam trap risk: Rented lists are highly likely to contain spam traps, which are designed to catch senders using non-opt-in data, leading to severe penalties like blocklisting.
- Distinction matters: Experts clearly differentiate between purchased and rented lists based on who actually sends the mail and whose reputation is at risk.
Key considerations
- Lack of incentive: The list owner (in a rental scenario) has no direct incentive to ensure good deliverability for the marketer's specific content, as their business model often relies on volume rather than quality.
- Consent issues: The core problem with rented lists is the absence of explicit consent from recipients to receive emails from the renting party, leading to high complaints and negative blocklist outcomes.
- Impact on engagement: Even if emails initially land in the inbox, low engagement from disengaged subscribers on rented lists will negatively impact future deliverability.
- Industry stance: Most legitimate email service providers and industry bodies like MarketingSherpa strongly discourage the practice.
Expert from Email Geeks explains that there is no effective way to monitor deliverability from rented lists because the sender (the marketer) has no control or visibility over the sending environment or metrics.
A deliverability expert from Word to the Wise explains that email service providers actively block senders who use non-opt-in lists, making achieving good deliverability nearly impossible regardless of list size.
What the documentation says
Official documentation from major mailbox providers, email industry organizations, and research bodies consistently reinforces the importance of permission-based email marketing. While they may not provide specific deliverability stats for rented lists, their guidelines implicitly suggest that such lists will perform poorly. The emphasis is always on explicit consent, legitimate list acquisition, and maintaining positive sender reputation through high engagement and low complaint rates. Any deviation from these principles is flagged as a risk to deliverability.
Key findings
- Consent requirement: Documentation universally prioritizes obtaining explicit consent from recipients before sending emails, a principle often violated by rented lists.
- Reputation focus: Sender reputation is built on sending desired content to engaged recipients, which rented lists rarely facilitate.
- Policy violations: Most ESPs and mailbox providers have clear acceptable use policies that prohibit the use of non-opt-in lists, leading to account suspension or blocks.
- Filtering mechanisms: Documentation details how various filters, including DMARC, SPF, and DKIM, and spam traps are used to identify and block suspicious sending patterns.
Key considerations
- Compliance risks: Using rented lists significantly increases the risk of violating anti-spam regulations (e.g., CAN-SPAM, GDPR), leading to legal and financial penalties.
- Bounce management: Documentation emphasizes the importance of managing bounce rates, which are inherently high with rented lists due to invalid or old addresses.
- Blocklist inclusion: High complaint rates and spam trap hits from rented lists invariably lead to placement on email blocklists or blacklists.
- Technical standards: Technical documentation on authentication protocols like DMARC, SPF, and DKIM underscores the need for legitimate sending practices, which rented lists undermine. EmailToolTester's findings support this.
EmailToolTester's data indicates that average deliverability rates are significantly lower for campaigns sent to unverified or old lists, which are often characteristics of rented datasets.
Kickbox's deliverability report suggests that businesses which do not verify their email lists before every campaign frequently experience higher bounce rates and spam trap hits, outcomes typical of rented lists.
