[UPDATED] Why Not to Buy an Email List and What to Do Instead

How many times have you received an email you didn’t want? 

You didn’t even remember signing up for it! 

Wasn’t that annoying? 

We know it was!

So — what did you do? Flag it as spam? Hit unsubscribe, at least! 

Well, that’s what it would be like for your recipients if you ever decided to send them unsolicited emails. And that’s what it will be like for them if you ever decide to buy email list and use it for email marketing purposes. 

Still, there are more downsides to buying an email list than the optics. It’s the recipients’ reactions that can get you and your business in serious trouble. This is because sending unsolicited promotional emails is not only frowned upon, it’s heavily regulated and even banned in some jurisdictions. 

If you’re still on the fence about whether or not to purchase lists of email addresses, let us run you through the process of what it takes to buy emails and what consequences it can have. You’ll be able to ultimately decide whether buying an email list is a good idea.

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Can You Buy Email Lists?

Having a readymade list of email addresses you can use immediately is tempting. An email list purchase can spare so much time and effort than going through subscriber acquisition processes, promotions, and similar. 

And you can buy emails for marketing very easily; they’re a couple of clicks away! If you’re on the edge, tempted to make that final click — please don’t.

Let us explain. 

Whatever an email list seller tells you, whatever their argument might be, the first thing to know is that the owners of the addresses on those lists did not agree to receive marketing emails from you. They may have clicked on something, somewhere, agreeing to receive who-knows-what, but never did they want or plan to get emails about your business. You are not sending them opt-in emails.

Even if their address is not stolen, sending emails to people who don’t even know you exist makes you a spam email sender. You are likely violating several regulations  — GDPR, for example — and can get banned by ISPs or email services. 

If you are looking to develop a business and not make a quick buck and disappear, such a practice can seriously hurt you and destroy your email sender reputation as well as your brand name. 

So is buying email lists legal?

You may purchase email list but emailing them without permission is not legal. When you purchase email list for marketing, you’re taking a huge risk.

Email Marketing With Purchased Lists is Risky

Data selling is a thing, and some companies specialize in selling email addresses, such as Lead Forensics or UpLead. Looking up their pages and offers, you’ll find a lot of convincing data claiming their techniques and tools work, promising success if you subscribe. 

If you look deeper, you’ll find that all their email address acquisition methods are shady at best. There is no way to transparently obtain an address if a person doesn’t give it out willingly.

Remember, at Campaign Refinery, we work with large senders who send thousands of emails at once, millions of emails each month, and we can tell you this: buying lists for email marketing is a bad decision. 

No technique will be successful if you don’t have a valid email address list. 

Is It Legal to Buy Email Lists?

Technically, it’s legal. No legal act prohibits email list trading in the US, so that’s not a concern. 

However, if you live in Europe or the UK, you should look into your local regulations. There are laws forbidding transactions involving personal data, such as email addresses, to third parties.

But even after you purchase an email list in the US, you have to abide by the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003. This regulation prevents senders from spamming contacts who unsubscribe from their list. It enforces transparency, putting a stop to bad email marketing practices. 

Email list sellers are thus at risk because if they ever sell a list to a known spammer, they could also be accused and suffer the consequences. Penalties can go up to $50 -120 per email or instance. Multiply that by the number of emails sent and the numbers get big, quickly.

Finally, laws regarding marketing and promotion differ from jurisdiction to jurisdiction (more on that later). If you’re dead set on using a purchased email list for marketing, you need to ensure you’re not violating any of them. 

And no, a VPN won’t help. 

Can You Buy Local Email List to Target Nearby Users?

Buying a local email list might seem like a good way to reach nearby customers, but it’s still a bad idea. Regulations such as the GDPR compliance checklist or CAN-SPAM rules apply regardless of location. This means sending unsolicited emails can lead to fines or legal action.

Plus, your local email marketing audience is just as likely to report email spam, damaging your reputation. Instead of buying lists, focus on building an opt-in audience through local events, social media, and PPC ads.

How Much Does it Cost to Buy an Email List?

This is a stretchy subject, as it generally depends on the type and quality of the email list you wish to buy. 

Looking at the prices of the leading email list vendors, they range from $195.00 for 1000 emails. The prices drop as the list grows; you can also opt for a credit system that costs up to $3,590 annually.

At Campaign Refinery, we feel this would be a waste of money, and you’d be better off investing in healthy email lead generation practices. 

Where to Buy Email Lists

Curious about how to purchase email lists?

When looking to buy email lists, you’ll find various online providers offering B2B and B2C contacts based on industry, demographics, or geography. 

Many promise targeted, verified data, but quality varies widely. Expect high prices for so-called “premium” lists, but even these often contain outdated or overused contacts. If you do proceed, vet providers carefully and test small batches first. That said, we still don’t recommend it.

What if you wish to go against our advice and buy email lists for marketing? We cover that next.

How to Buy Emails for Marketing

You can check out the 6 options below if you wish to purchase consumer email list.

Company	Specialties	Potential Risks
Blue Mail Media	Global B2B and B2C email lists, Industry-targeted lists	The data may be outdated or overused, leading to low engagement rates.
FrescoData	Custom-built email lists, Compliance-focused lists	This seller claims compliance but purchased lists still risk spam complaints.
ListGiant	Consumer and business email lists, Targeting by demographics	There is limited transparency on data sources, which means potential for low-quality leads.
Modaramo Media	Lead generation, Data acquisition for cold outreach	This data is mostly resold, possibly leading to poor deliverability and spam issues.
Mailing Lists Direct	Industry-specific lists, Postal and email data	It’s hard to verify list quality; may not align with GDPR and CAN-SPAM.
BuyEmailMarketingLists.com	Bulk email lists by industry and location	No transparency on data sources is provided; there is a high risk of spam traps and blacklisting

Is It Legal to Sell Email Lists?

Selling email lists is legal in some regions but heavily regulated. 

Email marketing laws impose strict consent requirements but it is the email sender who will face problems, more than the seller. But in certain cases, email list sellers can help liable for the actions of a spammer they sell data to.

If contacts didn’t explicitly opt-in for third-party emails, selling their data could lead to legal penalties. Even if legal, purchased lists often harm deliverability and increase spam complaints.

Is Buying Email Lists Worth It?

All of us at Campaign Refinery think buying email lists is a bad idea; non-permission-based email marketing always ends badly.

We understand the temptation and the seeming ease it promises. Everyone wants to succeed fast.

We know how much effort and thinking goes into email marketing, and we still believe all that sweat and tears are worth it! With Campaign Refinery, you can use cutting-edge tools to design and revive your email campaigns. You can grow your email list and maintain it — we’ll support you every step of the way.

Check out our plans and apply to become a customer here!

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Is Email List Buying Worth It?

Email list vendors are clever. They know email, and they will use actual, verified data and spin it to their advantage. Think cunning politicians campaigning for your vote. 

They will mention the exceptionally high ROI of email marketing and say it’s a numbers game; they’ll claim that the more people you get to, the higher the chance you’ll sell more; they will use words such as “opt-in,” “verified,” “quick” and “affordable.”

But they will never mention the fine print — unverified email lists do not work and can do real damage. Yes, even if you buy opt-in email list.

Remember, reaching more random inboxes does not equal getting more subscribers. That’s why Campaign Refinery specializes in improving the email deliverability of our clients through our advanced email validation tool.

Not to brag, but the built-in tool works really well — our customers have seen increases in email deliverability by 30% and more while sending to verified subscribers!

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Top 4 Reasons to Avoid Buying Email Lists

If we still haven’t convinced you purchasing email lists is a terrible idea, look at the detailed list of the biggest reasons not to do it. There are just too many adverse effects it can have on your business; all backed with data and experience. 

1. Losing Customers and Loyalty   

Customer loyalty is a thing you earn by being transparent and by sending emails to people who want them. 

If you decide to disperse your promos to random people, you will not get many customers, let alone inspire loyalty. If you focus on these tactics, you could lose your customer loyalty because when it comes to niches — the internet is a small place, and word travels fast. 

Sometimes, you may reach an inbox of an interested person, but the fact they never applied for your message may come across as arrogant, so they could consciously decide not to click and opt out; probably even flag you. This way, you’re missing out on potential future customers.

2. No Quality Customers  

Say you want to reach new customers. What is your offer? Who guarantees the email addresses on the purchased list are from people interested in such an offer, even if the list is “100% opted-in”?

A readymade email list can lead to poor acquisition because all the best email addresses are not for sale. Nowadays, people are cautious with their privacy and won’t give out their emails to just anyone. And if you’re selling sports gear for gyms, why would you want to engage with a grandma from Michigan who loves cats? No reason, exactly.

Those addresses come from random lists, unrelated third parties, or spying techniques that can only get you role-based addresses — such as admin or office — or poorly checked work emails. We clean those at Campaign Refinery. 

3. Non Opt In Email Marketing Can Lead to Legal Issues

Yes, you could annoy people, but you could also end up in court if you opt to use a purchased email list!

Emailing purchased lists in email marketing can lead to legal issues due to laws such as the CAN-SPAM Act (U.S.), GDPR (EU), and CASL (Canada).

These regulations require consent before sending marketing emails. Purchased lists often contain recipients who haven’t opted in, leading to complaints, fines, and blacklisting by email service providers, harming deliverability and reputation.

We’ve explained these laws in detail further below.

4. Damage to Sender Reputation              

Let’s face it, using a purchased email list is sneaky. And if you think you won’t get caught, then you should know that you will likely fall into what is called — a spam trap. 

There are organizations dedicated to fighting spam. They do it by planting email addresses into lists and tracking sender activity to flag them as appropriate. They also set traps by turning off hard email bounces from disabled or old addresses as they track senders reaching out to them. This happens when you use pre-made email address lists that are not verified. 

Oh, but the vendor told you the addresses are verified. Do you trust them, though? In reality, there’s no way for you to know if and when they verified the list, which still consists of random recipients.

Getting a spam flag will ultimately damage your sender reputation and your email IP address, and it will affect your deliverability. To us, it seems like too big of a risk. 

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The Laws Around Permission-Based Email Marketing

Sending emails without understanding the laws behind them is a fast track to blacklists, fines, and lost trust. But what exactly do these email laws, also called email unsubscribe laws, say about buying lists?

Regulations like CAN-SPAM, GDPR, and CASL dictate how businesses can collect, store, and use email addresses, with strict penalties for violations. But beyond compliance, these laws shape how brands build trust and engagement, making permission-based marketing a competitive advantage.

Let’s now see what the main email marketing laws of the world have to say about buying email lists.

CAN-SPAM Act

The CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 is the foundation of email compliance in the United States.

This legislation establishes requirements for commercial messages, giving recipients the right to opt out while imposing penalties for violations.

Contrary to popular belief, CAN-SPAM doesn’t prohibit purchased lists outright; however, using them significantly increases compliance risk. When utilizing purchased data, marketers inherit all responsibility for consent verification and opt-out history, information often missing from these lists.

Although not as strict as GDPR, the CAN-SPAM Act limits the usage of pre-bought email lists to one time only since many will either flag or unsubscribe. And if you don’t abide, you can get fined.

Without proper documentation, you’re essentially gambling with compliance, as the FTC places the burden of proof squarely on the sender, not the list provider.

General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), a data privacy regulation in force in Europe, forbids email sending to addresses that opted out. It also requires you to have clear consent from the subscriber to send them messages.

This disables people from using purchased email lists in Europe completely since you must have a compliant list. This includes US senders if their recipients are in Europe — all senders distributing email in the EU fall under this act. 

Canadian Anti-Spam Law (CASL)

In Canada, there is the Canadian Anti-Spam Law (CASL). This regulation is in force since 2014, prohibiting spamming in Canada and also sending spam to Canadian citizens. 

According to CASL, fines for individuals can be as much as 1 million dollars per violation and can climb up as much as 10 million for companies, and that is per violation. No need to calculate; just don’t spam Canadians.

Other Important Email Marketing Laws

In California, special acts went into effect in 2018 and 2020, respectively, protecting consumers from getting emails they don’t want. The acts are the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA). 

CCPA created new privacy rights for Californians and new data protection obligations for businesses, while CPRA includes additional privacy protection clauses. Moving forward, it will be no surprise to see similar acts in force on a national level.

Predating all of these modern legislations, as a pioneer in protecting people from unwanted email, there was California’s “Anti-Spam” Law from 2004, which banned “most unsolicited commercial email advertisements in total.” 

The law holds both advertisers and spammers liable and the penalties are quite high: they can go up to 1 million dollars per breach!

What’s interesting for email service providers is this specific stipulation:

“The new law also grants California electronic mail service providers (including ISPs) the right to bring their own civil actions, including liquidated damages of up to twenty-five thousand dollars per day against advertisers that violate the provider’s policies of unsolicited electronic mail advertisements.”

Knowing the legal repercussions you could have with your unwilling subscribers and also with your email service providers, we’d advise you to steer clear of spamming. As a general rule.

GDPR Buying Email Lists What You Need to Know

So is there a do not email list maintained by GDPR? 

No, there isn’t a centralized do not email list, but that doesn’t make all email addresses fair game. GDPR clearly states you need explicit permission to email them.

Are There Email Marketing Services That Allow Purchased Lists?

You will not find a reputable expert or ESP anywhere who finds purchasing an email list for marketing. They will all advise against it, stating the same reasons we listed above. 

Any email platform that allows purchased lists is already disregarding industry best practices. This means they likely cut corners in other areas, such as data and email security, compliance, and deliverability. Using such a platform puts your sender reputation at risk, so it’s best to choose a provider that prioritizes ethical email marketing.

If you’re building an email marketing operation, it’s wise to listen to experts and people with experience. If you choose not to, make sure you use a sender address and email domains you don’t care about and be aware some money will go down the drain. 

Is Free Email List Bad for Your Company Reputation?

Absolutely. 

But beyond company reputation, mass emailing a free list is the shortest route to ruining your sender reputation. Mailbox providers will mark you as a spam email sender for all future email campaigns. 

That’s why no reputable email platform allows it — and neither does Campaign Refinery.

Note: Campaign Refinery strictly allows permission-based opt-in subscribers only. No cold or third-party data is permitted on the platform. Any use of this type of data will result in an immediate and permanent ban from the platform without refunds.

You will not find a reputable, successful email service provider able to handle large volumes of emails to allow the usage of purchased email lists anywhere. 

Ever wonder, can you buy email lists for marketing that have prior permission? The next section has answers.

Can You Buy Opt in Email Lists?

Let’s say you wake up feeling clever and tell yourself, you could just buy opt in email list.

These are lists of email addresses from people who supposedly agreed to receive marketing messages, but the quality and legitimacy of consent are often questionable.

Yes, it is technically possible to purchase opt-in email lists for marketing purposes, but this practice is generally discouraged by email marketing experts and may violate regulations. 

Building your own email list organically through website sign-ups, content offers, and genuine customer interactions is almost always more effective and compliant with regulations.

So let’s learn about the best ways to build an email list.

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How to Build an Email List Organically

The best foundation you can build for your business is the email list. It’s your pot of gold, your precious one, your asset to cherish and nurture. And the best way to acquire a healthy email list is to get real, organic subscribers who are genuinely interested in your products and services. 

Top Email Capture Methods

Getting people to opt in requires a lot of effort and promotion on different platforms. Even if you get them to reach the subscribe button, you have to make them enter their address and click on it. 

The double opt-in method ensures that only genuinely interested subscribers join your list, reducing spam complaints and improving engagement. By requiring users to confirm their subscription, you can build a higher-quality email list that boosts deliverability and ensures compliance with regulations.

You can implement this method for the email capture methods below.

1. Lead Magnets

You can offer your prospects free gated digital products, such as webinars, pdf ebooks, video series, templates, guidebooks, presentations, or similar. To download them, they would have to give you their email address. 

2. Free Tools for Digital Marketers

If your business has the option to produce simple digital tools to give out for free, such tools are also excellent means to motivate prospects to opt in. 

3. Contests

Inspiring your prospects to take part in a contest is something that can both grow your list and bring in revenue.

4. Free Trials

You can offer a free trial for those who apply with proper information, meaning you are already getting interested prospects and all they need to do is convert. 

5. Get Your Subscribers to Share Your Content

By placing smart email CTAs and motivating your customers to share and forward your email content, you could reach more audiences and, subsequently, acquire more subscribers. 

6. Offer Discounts to Newcomers

This technique is something e-commerce marketers use as it’s proven effective. New buyers and customers can get a discount by subscribing to your email. You can get them to do this through a pop-up on your website or via different promotions on social media, for example. 

7. Promote Your Brand

Building brand awareness is essential in acquiring new customers. You have to invest in marketing and targeted campaigns on various platforms to reach out to the broadest possible audience. As a result, your email list will grow as well. 

These best practices are widely known to email marketers, but it’s not a bad idea to repeat them to ourselves once in a while. Still, there is a trade secret professionals don’t share that often. 

Wanna hear it?

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Convert Your Customers Into Email Marketing Subscribers 

To find out the absolute best way to build an email list, we asked our in-house expert and founder, Travis Ketchum, and he was happy to reveal his secret — the best way to acquire leads is to acquire customers!

We know it sounds simple enough, but it’s not easy. However — buyer leads are always more valuable than opt-in leads, according to our expert. They are the people who know your brand and already have a relationship with it; they are likely loyal and returning customers. Sending them targeted and nurturing campaigns is a thing of beauty and will greatly support your business. 

Buying email leads means starting from scratch.

Still, getting opt-in leads is a lot easier than getting buyers right from the get-go, so planning to acquire both makes a good game plan. 

When you send a compelling offer to your customers and opt-ins, you are bound to get traffic. 

The trick is that all of the offers depend on the traffic you drive to your website via affiliate links, SEO, media promotion, podcasts, public speaking, newsletter sponsorships, etc. Any legitimate way to get people to give you their email voluntarily is a good idea, and we are only mentioning the most common ones.

And keep in mind that even a $1 buyer is far more valuable than a free opt-in, as our founder would say. 

Additional Reading

Want your emails to inbox consistently? 

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How to Build a Large Email List Quickly

Congratulations on reaching the end of our email-list tirade! 

By this point, we hope you have a clear vision of why buying an email list is a bad idea and what the alternatives are. 

We know that building a verified email list requires a lot of time and effort, but it’s ultimately the best asset you can build if you’re planning on using email marketing. At Campaign Refinery, we’re dedicated to helping businesses send highly successful campaigns by cleaning their lists, making sure their reputation is excellent, and making the emailing process easy for them. 

But we also love to share our in-depth knowledge on the matter. 

This time, we’d like to invite you to apply for our brand-new mini-course on how to dramatically increase the number of people who read your lead magnets. 

By using this technique, we got 7.56x more people to click on our lead magnets!

We are offering you this online mini-course completely for FREE under one condition: you have to complete it to keep it! 

You will have a week — 7 days — to complete all 4 of the mini-trainings inside the course, and if you do, you can keep access to it FOREVER!

Like the offer?

Apply here to get the Lead Magnet Mini Course.

And stay away from email list vendors! Happy Emailing!

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FAQ

Where Can I Buy an Email List?

You can buy email lists from vendors like Blue Mail Media, ListGiant, and FrescoData, but most come with compliance risks, poor-quality contacts, and low engagement rates.

Is Purchasing Email Lists for Marketing a Bad Idea?

Yes, buying email lists leads to spam complaints, poor deliverability, and legal risks under GDPR and CAN-SPAM. It’s always better to grow an opt-in list organically.

Can You Buy an Email List Online?

Yes, many websites sell email lists, but they often contain outdated, unverified, or non-consenting contacts, making them ineffective and risky for email marketing.