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Unsolicited Email Marketing

  • 15-10-2013 7:45pm
    #1
    gazillionaire
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3 ✭


    Not sure if this thread is breaking any rules, please delete if it is.

    I'm just wondering about the use of purchased / obtained email lists to market to potential customers.

    As far as I know, it breaks data protection law. But I have worked in 2 fairly large companies, who purchased databases, exchanged them with other companies and scraped together email lists. They both had great success doing this, and never received any customer complaints etc, some unsubscribed, but no many

    Is it a case that the laws just aren't enforced, and/or people don't bother complaining to the Data Protection Commission?


Comments

  • #2
    Peterdalkey
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,091 ✭✭✭Peterdalkey


    It is illegal but you probably sum it up perfectly in you last sentence! Thus one does it at ones own peril!


  • #3
    anbrutog
    Closed Accounts Posts: 386 ✭✭anbrutog


    Peterdalkey wrote: »
    It is illegal but you probably sum it up perfectly in you last sentence! Thus one does it at ones own peril!

    As Peter said. Regardless of whether you get caught or not ( you probably won't unless you're really obnoxious about you go about it ) it's not going to do your business any favours in terms of image if you're spamming.

    By the way, quick question about that list that was scraped together, I'm curious how these companies unsubscribed when they were never subscribed to begin with?


  • #4
    Peterdalkey
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,091 ✭✭✭Peterdalkey


    anbrutog wrote: »
    As Peter said. Regardless of whether you get caught or not ( you probably won't unless you're really obnoxious about you go about it ) it's not going to do your business any favours in terms of image if you're spamming.

    By the way, quick question about that list that was scraped together, I'm curious how these companies unsubscribed when they were never subscribed to begin with?

    Effectively you "subscribe" them when you load the lists and all proper mass emailing programmes must have an "unsubscribe" button or links in any mails sent.


  • #5
    anbrutog
    Closed Accounts Posts: 386 ✭✭anbrutog


    Peterdalkey wrote: »
    Effectively you "subscribe" them when you load the lists and all proper mass emailing programmes must have an "unsubscribe" button or links in any mails sent.

    The more reputable ones I've used like Aweber and Infusionsoft don't just let you load up a list of email addresses and start sending out emails. You have to get the users permission to 'opt-in' to your list before you can do anything.

    Hence I was curious how they would have unsubscribed when they hadn't subscribed (knowingly) to begin with.

    That's not to say of course there aren't companies who will let you load up a list and start spamming...:D


  • #6
    Peterdalkey
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,091 ✭✭✭Peterdalkey


    You can load lists from your existing customer databases and CRM systems and legally mail them without permission provided you have had communications/enquiries etc or traded with them in the past 12 months. It is a small step to add spam lists!


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  • #7
    anbrutog
    Closed Accounts Posts: 386 ✭✭anbrutog


    Peterdalkey wrote: »
    You can load lists from your existing customer databases and CRM systems and legally mail them without permission provided you have had communications/enquiries etc or traded with them in the past 12 months. It is a small step to add spam lists!

    Interesting.

    I was the under the impression that most of them required an opt-in at least, certainly the ones I've used do anyways..


  • #8
    gazillionaire
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3 ✭gazillionaire


    Thanks for the responses guys. As far as I know, they were uploaded in bulk to Campaign Monitor, and you just had to tick a box / agree to terms saying everyone on the list had agreed to be opted in.
    There was an unsubscribe button at the bottom of every email, and anyone who clicked was unsubscribed immediately


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