When building an email list, you must only send emails to subscribers who have explicitly consented or opted in to receive communication from your company.
It is against our Anti-spam Policy to use a purchased email list for Marketing 360® Email. Furthermore, using purchased lists to send unsolicited emails violates anti-spam and privacy laws in multiple countries, which can lead to significant fines.
Most ESPs require users to confirm that their lists are "opted-in," meaning every person on the list specifically consented to receive emails from your company. ESPs strictly monitor sending activity because their own sender reputation depends on it. They will detect if you are sending to a non-opted-in list and may suspend or terminate your service.
Bought lists are often of poor quality, containing old, inactive, or invalid email addresses.
Sending to a list full of unused contacts leads to higher bounce rates.
High bounce rates damage your deliverability rating, causing fewer of your emails to reach subscribers' inboxes.
Since contacts on a purchased list did not opt-in, they won't recognize your company and are highly likely to mark your email as spam.
The industry standard for spam complaints is very low: 0.02% of all recipients (about 1 in 5,000).
Most countries have laws against unsolicited bulk email, including the CAN-SPAM Act (United States) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (European Union).
Both regulations require explicit consent to send marketing emails. Since contacts on a purchased list have not given consent to your company, sending them emails is a violation of the law and can result in significant legal fines.
The only way to build a quality email list is to collect contacts organically and ensure you have their verifiable consent. Always follow email marketing best practices when building your list and sending campaigns.