Is this legal?

[lee_sufc]

I have been running a business for over 4 years and in this time, stupidly never had a newsletter subscription service.

After all this time, I now have one and have people coming to my site and subscribing to it.

However, it is OK for me to add the addresses of past customers to my newsletter even though they didn't subscribe to the new service?

[King_Fisher]

Why dont you just send them an email telling them about about your newsletter

and see if they want to sign up or not...KF

[surrealillusions]

I dont think its a good idea..not sure about the legal side of things.

I read somewhere that you have to let people opt in to a newsletter service rather than sign them up automatically and then ask them to opt out. But what i remember is vague and cant remember where i read it. Either way, the online newsletters/subscriptions have changed to help reduce spam/unwanted email.

Hope that helps anyway.

[MatthewHSE]

My understanding of the CAN SPAM Act is that you are allowed to add e-mail addresses to your list without the user's explicit permission, but that you also have to allow them to unsubscribe at any time.

In your case, I would second King_Fisher's suggestion - consider sending all those past customers a single email to tell them about your list. If they sign up, great; if not, don't bother them about it anymore.

[piatkow]

Legality depends on where you are located. IIRC the laws in the EU are far stricter than in the USA.

Good manners dictates a one-off mailing offering the chance to subscribe but you still need to check the legality.

[topr8]

i'm not a lawyer etc. but in the eu you are allowed to send marketing material to previous customers (although i think you have to give them the opportunity to opt out)

[lee_sufc]

cheers for the help guys! i will send all previous customers a one-off email advising them of the newsletter.

[Esqulax]

AND you could use this one-off mail, as a shameless plug (If you sign up using this link, you get a free mousemat/hat/lil furry thing that sticks on your monitor/%xx off next order.. as a Thank you for your continued support)