Is this considered Spam?

16 replies
If i provide a service and i collect emails from the web (according to certain criteria) and i email potential customers, offering my service - is this considered spam?

( It would be very similar to cold-calling local businesses whether they need a certain service...assumed that the majority of the targeted audience could indeed be interested in that service, eg. calling up businesses whether they a need web site )

Just unsure about the law here.
#considered #spam
  • Profile picture of the author TheRichJerksNet
    If they did not opt-in to get your emails then yes it is Spam.... You are better off doing the cold calling ...lol

    James
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1833440].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Jeff Henshaw
      Yes, as James has stated, it could be regarded as spam and if reported (certainly in the USA) would be regarded as spam.

      Cold calling is not (yet) subject to full legal regulation, although there are moves afoot in many Western countries to introduce stricter legislation here too.

      So put on your Winter coat and knock doors (for the time being) instead of sending emails from the comfort of your home or office.

      Jeff Henshaw.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1833474].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author TheRichJerksNet
        Originally Posted by Jeff Henshaw View Post

        So put on your Winter coat and knock doors (for the time being) instead of sending emails from the comfort of your home or office.

        Jeff Henshaw.
        LOL .. I remember those days when I first started in website development

        James
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1833491].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Michael Silvester
    Hi Mate,

    If you are tailoring a unique message
    for each individual and you are sending the
    emails one by one it wont be considered spam.

    But if your scraping the internet of emails
    and sending out a broadcast email that
    is the same message for all of them...that
    is definately spam.

    Hope that helps?

    Michael Silvester
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1833447].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Johnny Slater
      It doesn't matter if it's a mass broadcast or a unique message. If they have not given you permission to send them emails then it is spam. The content of the message has no bearing on it. If your sending commercial email to anyone who hasn't given you prior permission to email them then you are spamming.


      Originally Posted by Michael Silvester View Post

      Hi Mate,

      If you are tailoring a unique message
      for each individual and you are sending the
      emails one by one it wont be considered spam.

      But if your scraping the internet of emails
      and sending out a broadcast email that
      is the same message for all of them...that
      is definately spam.

      Hope that helps?

      Michael Silvester
      Signature

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1833479].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author halfpoint
        Originally Posted by Johnny Slater View Post

        It doesn't matter if it's a mass broadcast or a unique message. If they have not given you permission to send them emails then it is spam. The content of the message has no bearing on it. If your sending commercial email to anyone who hasn't given you prior permission to email them then you are spamming.
        So all of those link exchange emails I get on a daily basis are all breaking the law?

        What about contacting someone for a potential JV request via email without any prior communication?
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1833719].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author TheRichJerksNet
          Originally Posted by Pat Jackson View Post

          So all of those link exchange emails I get on a daily basis are all breaking the law?

          What about contacting someone for a potential JV request via email without any prior communication?
          Pat,
          Yes those link exchange emails are spam ... I trash every single one I get and do not even read them.

          As for JV's they are requesting for the both of you to enter into an agreement to do business together. They are not just pushing some service or product. Can you report it for spam ? Yep you sure can.

          James
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1833801].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author FriendlyRob
    This is why I use Aweber. Collect my names and email addresses with an "old-fashioned" squeeze page, and let them figure out what is considered spam.
    Signature

    See What I'm up to Now The New Blog

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1833702].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author mtnbiz
    It is very tempting. I find myself "wishing" I could do that too. I am sitting on a list of 30,000 realtors in Southern California. I didn't collect them, so I can't use them. It just isn't worth the risk. Most of them are probably out of business anyway... ;-)
    Signature
    http://www.First-Page-Domination.com
    Helping "Brick and Mortar" businesses market on the "click and order" world of the Internet.
    Have a list of "Real World" business owners? I am always looking for JVs
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1833716].message }}
  • I think the only way you could genuinely prevent yourself from getting into 'hot' water so to speak is having a genuine offer that makes the prospect money/sales/whatever, with 'no' risk, etc, to them. But then again, some people are just trigger happy with the 'report spam' button (i.e., spam cop), so while you might help 1,000 guys, 1 of those might not be too happy, which can make it difficult for you.

    And yes, many hosting accounts/ISPs are getting *exceptionally* strict. If you do not actually have a time/date stamp/IP address from those individuals contacting you, and they get one or two complaints (with provable evidence that you sent the e-mails), they have no problem shutting off your service immediately.
    Signature
    Pick a product. Pick ANY product! -> 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1833829].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Kay King
      As for the "link emails" - that's questionable. If you have a "contact me" page on your site I doubt you could cry "spam" if someone contacts you.
      Signature
      Saving one dog will not change the world - but the world changes forever for that one dog
      ***
      Sometimes I just want someone to hug me and say...
      "It's going to be OK - here's a horse and two million dollars."
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1833848].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Web Dev
        Originally Posted by Kay King View Post

        As for the "link emails" - that's questionable. If you have a "contact me" page on your site I doubt you could cry "spam" if someone contacts you.
        But I would think that the "contact me" page is only there to give them answers to their questions,

        Not the other way around for them to contact you, and to sell you something.
        Signature

        I create this blog to express my opinion on How to Make Money Online
        Get free tips along with other useful information to Make Money Online for free, read more...

        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1833893].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author sbucciarel
    Banned
    It is unsolicited commercial email, which is spam and if someone reports you, you could lose your hosting account. You need to collect emails in the usual fashion, with an autoresponder service and double opt-in if you want to email people with a commercial message.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1833837].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author JennSpencerIM
    Yes that is spam and I hate it! I actually respond to those people telling them it's spam and they should really stop before they get into trouble. Only ONE person ever thanked me for that. EVERY OTHER ONE responded by telling me I didn't have an open mind and then proceeded to try to sell me what they were marketing. Really?!? NOT a good way to conduct business, especially when there are so many legal ways to market yourself online.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1833846].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Mukul Verma
    It is spam unless you the person asks permission for that information.

    Example - If you goto Craigslist and find info people looking for certain work and you sell it as a lead to a employer, that is fine, they are asking for it. If dont ask for you to email, then stay away from it.

    Cheers,
    Mukul
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1833857].message }}

Trending Topics