Despite the allure, using purchased phone number lists by zip code carries substantial risks:
Lack of Valid Consent (The Biggest Problem):
Most privacy and telemarketing laws globally (e.g., GDPR, TCPA, Canada’s CASL, Australia’s Spam Act and Privacy Act) require explicit, verifiable consent from individuals to receive marketing communications via phone (calls or SMS).
Purchased lists almost never come with this level of specific, auditable consent for your business. The original data collection might have been for a different purpose or with very broad, vague consent that doesn’t cover direct marketing from a third party.
Simply being listed in a public directory or living in a certain zip code does not constitute consent for direct marketing.
Do Not Call (DNC) Register Violations:
Many countries are Phone maintain national
Do Not Call” registries. If you conduct malta phone number list telemarketing, you are legally obliged to scrub (remove) numbers from your list that are on these registries.
Purchased lists frequently contain numbers on DNC lists, exposing your marketing service and your clients to severe fines.
Spam Act & Electronic Message Violations (for SMS):
Laws regulating commercial electronic targeted audience reach messages (SMS, email) universally require consent, clear sender identification, and an easy unsubscribe option.
Sending unsolicited SMS messages to numbers obtained from purchased lists, even by zip code, is a clear violation and can lead to hefty penalties and carrier blacklisting.
Data Quality & Accuracy Issues:
Purchased lists are often outdated
People move, change phone numbers, or die. This leads to wasted resources, frustrated recipients, and high bounce/disconnection rates.
The “targeting” may be superficial or inaccurate, leading to irrelevant outreach.
Reputational Damage:
Unsolicited calls and messages, especially european union email list to individuals who haven’t consented, are highly irritating. Your brand will be associated with spam and annoyance, eroding trust and harming your reputation.
Complaints to regulatory bodies, social media backlash, and negative reviews are common consequences.
Ethical Considerations:
Using data without clear consent is unethical and contributes to the general public’s distrust of marketing.
Strategic Recommendations for Marketing Services:
Instead of buying phone number lists by zip code, marketing services should focus on ethical, compliant, and sustainable strategies: