Ethics

[taiarain]

What are ethical ways to build your mailing lists? What are unethical ways?

Taia

[Pamil Visions]

That's simple: your email list should contain your permanent customers and business parners, local media outlets and the opt-in newsletter subscribers.

[sweet_mayhem]

i think it's alright to purchase mailing lists from mailing list companies...is that right, guys?

[Melos]

Buying or renting a mailing list from a reputable company that gets people to opt in to the list is fine, although I only did it once and did not get a very good return.  I wouldn't try it now.

Things like harvest emails from message boards is decidedly unethical.

[Corey Bryant]

I have had my name sold to people who for mortgages.  The funny thing is - they emailed me to an email address that I just posted on my website for just that purpose - to find out who crawled my website.  The email was something like iamaspammer@example.com. 

The mortgage broker bought that email address for $10.00.  Personally, I would never trust an email list company whatsoever

[Melos]

I believe I've had my name sold to TONS of companies, according to the amount of spam I get!  I wouldn't think getting your email contacts that way would be very effective - or cost effective - really.  I think it better to have people opt in because you know they are interested to begin with