Is this ethical....

by rlharding

Posted: 14 years ago 15 replies

INTERNET MARKETING

I was thinking today about all the email I am being swamped with because I have opted into freebies from the latest bulk offerings venture. And I got to wondering......hummm...all of these people 'know' me because I am on their list........what if I sent them a response to their follow up 'did you get the product?' and said yes, I did, thanks, and here's mine?

I have at the back of my mind that it's probably not the thing to do............only because if it was OK someone else would be doing it and I would have heard about it.

thanks,

ruth

#ethical

hotftuna 14 years ago

I would not do this to someone who sent me a message from a list that I opted into.

You can try it when you get stuff that you never asked for.
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Rob Barbour 14 years ago

Sending email to an address that you never subscribed to is like an open invitation to plenty of more emails. Just ignore them....
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hotftuna 14 years ago

Very true Rob.

Once case that I did use this method with some results-

When I got an email request for a link exchange, I would send a note back saying that I did not do link exchanges and that one-way links are much better. I then suggested that they pay for a review in my directory.
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Audi0 14 years ago

Rob that is a good point...that only confirms your email address exists most likely automatically adding you to many more lists.
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Troy_Phillips 14 years ago

From this list builders point of view, I delete any list member that replies back with their own offers or worse yet an autoresponder .

If I send 27,000 emails out tomorrow and get 12,000 replies back, the people I am sending out to gets one email, I get 12,000.

Some of these emails are requesting information, some are just saying hi. I can't weed through emails that are offering the next overnight miracle that I never requested .

Not saying my policy is the correct take on the situation... just my policy .
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- Tina Golden 14 years ago
  
  I was thinking today about all the email I am being swamped with because I have opted into freebies from the latest bulk offerings venture.
  
  I'll share a secret with you....shhhh....don't let word get out but if you scroll down on those emails, there is a secret unsubscribe link. Click that and you'll stop getting those emails - just like magic.
  
  Then again, if you don't want to get emailed perhaps you should stop grabbing all the free stuff those guys have the nerve to offer you.
  
  Tina
  
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rlharding 14 years ago

Tina,
You must be responding to someone else's post because you are not commenting on anything I have posted, or alluded too.
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- Troy_Phillips 14 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by rlharding
  
  Tina,
  You must be responding to someone else's post because you are not commenting on anything I have posted, or alluded too.
  
  Sorry but the quote she highlighted comes directly from your post
  
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Banned 14 years ago

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deeross

14 years ago

I don't know if there is any law about this, but it seems to me that if someone sends you an email, there is nothing wrong with replying to them. Opt-in only applies to bulk email mailings.

However, many marketers use a "no-reply" email address to send out their mailings, so there would be no way for you to get through anyway.

Also, you would need a killer subject heading to get your email opened.

Dee

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Troy_Phillips

14 years ago

Originally Posted by deeross

Dee

There is nothing illegal or unethical really about doing what the op is thinking about .

Just saying most list builders didn't use do not reply emails until they started getting unsolicited reply emails for their list members next overnight miracle .

It hurts the entire membership as a whole because some (not all) of these marketers actually replied back at one time .

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Kay King 14 years ago

it's probably not the thing to do

I think there is something wrong with it. YOU opted in to receive emails from the list owner. HE did not opt in for you to market to him. I've know a few newbies who tried that - none lasted very long. It's not an effective way to do marketing.

Build your own list would be my advice.

kay
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yoessan 14 years ago

I think it's not "unethical" to do so, but I'd think those mail senders will just ignore your email.
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rlharding 14 years ago

Thanks for your thoughts. I hadn't seen any other posts about this so I just wondered if anyone had tried it.

ohh well, it would have been an interesting way to build up a list!

thanks

ruth
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sandra.IMqueen 14 years ago

I think it's fair to say that your approach wouldn't win you many friends or business opportunities.

When you act think about the person you are and the kind of message you want to send out about you/your business.

I'm sure you can find a better way.
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Website Tuner Articles 14 years ago

Agree with that: I wouldn't do it too.
The list owner didn't opt in for you to market to him.

So I think it is somehow unethical..
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Is this ethical....

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