Purchasing bulk email shots

Will it get me into trouble? Worthwhile?

[CraigMyers]

I have recently been looking into purchasing paid mass Email sending. I looked on Google and found some deals that look too good to be true.

Has anyone actually tried any of these paid email sending services? Did they actually send out that many emails?

I would love to hear about anyones experience using these kind of services?

Thanks
Craig.

[edited by: trillianjedi at 4:22 pm (utc) on Aug. 7, 2005]
[edit reason] Please keep this generic. Thanks. [/edit]

[txbakers]

How do you spell "SPAM?"

Is it worth possibly having your domain listed on every spam blocker out there?

[CraigMyers]

Well, These sites who promote their Email sending service, claim to be members to Anti Spam organisations, and promise not to get you into trouble or be blacklisted for spamming, aswell, of course, as sending a huge amount of mails for a cheap price.

Readers of this thread, will no doubt expect this is some sort of con as I do, but surley if the sites were complete scammers then they would be closed down?

Thanks
Craig.

[CraigMyers]

Has anyone used a Paid Email sending service before?

Craig.

[TheGuyAboveYou]

I tried email SPAM in the past. Here are the results:

0 Sales. I predict the same for these guys as well.
If it worked then they would email them themselves
and make the sales. Emailing those X thounsand clients is
surely woth less than $Y otherwise they wouldn't
sell it for $Y.

[edited by: trillianjedi at 4:23 pm (utc) on Aug. 7, 2005]
[edit reason] Let's keep it generic, thanks. [/edit]

[ControlEngineer]

First, to send out mass e-mail will make you a spammer, complete and total scum.

Unless the people receiving the e-mail asked to receive e-mail, you will be violating the CAN-SPAM act and many state laws. Keep in mind that Virginia sentenanced a spammer to nine years in jail. Do you want to take this risk?

You might be able to use some method to prevent the e-mail from being traced back to you, but if law enforcement flips the list seller, you could go to jail. (and should rot in jail)

[edited by: trillianjedi at 4:23 pm (utc) on Aug. 7, 2005]
[edit reason] Let's keep it generic, thanks. [/edit]

[TheGuyAboveYou]

Also, just because they are open for business doesn't mean they are not "scammers". They have just not been shut down yet. Or they may get away with it for a while.

Believe me it won't work and you will want your money back.
Email converts at very low percentages and thats even if you
have your own opt-in email list, like I do now, that is highly targeted and they have been to your site before and already confirmed they like it by signing up.

[CraigMyers]

Paying for traffic to come to your site is a business decision. If you can convert your traffic to money, for less than what you paid to get the traffic there, then you will be left with profit.

I do not approve of 'Spamming' I am interested in targeted email compaigns, (if there is a difference.) I guess i'm interested in trying to stay on the legitimate side of the email sending game.

I am only asking for feedback on the possability and feasability. Has anyone tried paid email sending before?

Craig

[ControlEngineer]

These sites who promote their Email sending service, claim to be members to Anti Spam organisations, and promise not to get you into trouble or be blacklisted for spamming, aswell, of course, as sending a huge amount of mails for a cheap price.

And the man on the corner selling cheap Rolex watches assured me that they were authentic.

if the sites were complete scammers then they would be closed down?

As soon as they make some money they will disappear and re-appear under some other name--just like the people who sell get rich quick schemes and body part enhancement pills. They will be shut down if they stay in business long enough.

[CraigMyers]

I would like to add to this thread, that the site I have looked at for sending paid emails, were there about 6 months ago when I first looked into this, and are still there now.

I guess they are here to stay, what I wonder is the following:

i) Do they do what they say they will?
(send millions of mails for a few dollars)
ii) Do they use legit opt in lists like they say?
iii) Has the list they are using been flogged to death?

The more I listen and think about this, the less I like the idea of it. Its certainally is a sensitive subject the old email sending game! :)

Craig.

[ControlEngineer]

I do not approve of 'Spamming' I am interested in targeted email compaigns, (if there is a difference.) I guess i'm interested in trying to stay on the legitimate side of the email sending game.

The only legitimate side of email marketing is sending e-mail to addresses given to your site by people who want more information about your product or service or who subscribe to your newsletter.

If you purchase a list, you are a spammer.

Also (more to the point of your question), very many of the addresses on a list are no longer active. Most of the rest will go to people who have no interest in your product.

[CraigMyers]

Looks like the fear of going to jail has dried this thread up lol

I think I will stick to legal methods of advertising, I guessed it was a total scam but was curious if anyone actually had a good experience. Who can resist checking into some thing that good sounding.

Thanks
Craig.

[txbakers]

were there about 6 months ago when I first looked into this, and are still there now.
I guess they are here to stay,

6 months is NOTHING in this game. They can hide in a third world country for much longer than that before they get found, let alone shut down.

[ControlEngineer]

Also the group operating now may not be the same as six months ago. Two things can happen. A group can shut down, move (perhaps to another country), cover their trails, and then start back up. Also, one group can get shut down or take their money and run; then another group copies their operation, same name, etc. and starts up in their place.

With these kind of people almost anything is possible.