Purchased Opt-in leads

[micktm]

Hello. I am in the process of testing the HS CRM. I'm hoping this will be a good solution for our sales team. Currently, as one of our lead sources, we are using purchased leads from a reputable source. These leads have filled out an online request form, opted-in, provided their contact information, and are waiting to be contacted.

However, when I was setting up the CRM and trying to import some leads, the form said that leads are NOT to be purchased from a 3rd party. This is confusing because it is standard practice to use a combination of lead sources, including purchased leads that are verified and requested information and/or a call for products or services.

Does this mean that all leads to be imported into the HS CRM must come from our own website or websites and not to come from a 3rd party even if verified?

[Josh]

According to every HubSpot guideline I have seen, you should not upload any purchased lists. I personally wouldn't recommend it.

[bradmin]

[NOTE: I am not a lawyer, and any requests for letter-of-the-law interpretations are best emailed to HubSpot's legal team.]

The help doc about purchased lists specifially includes forbidding lists "where contacts have not explicitly opted into hearing from you". Based on what you said originally, sounds like that's not the case. 

If the list you purchased was basically, "Hey, we need to source some new leads, but we don't have the time or resources to do this internally, so let's farm it out," that should be okay - assuming that the sourcing you've farmed out is to seek explicit permission to be emailed by your company. 

If the list is more of "wow, we just need more names, and we don't care where they come from," that's the kind of list that's to be avoided with HubSpot. The impact on your email reputation can suffer, with enough spam reports, and those chances go up from these kinds of purchased lists. 

[roisinkirby · Accepted solution]

Hello @micktm - following on from @bradmin and @Josh, I can confirm that it is against HubSpot's Acceptable Use Policy to use purchased leads:

3. Prohibited Email Content and Formatting; Email Best Practices

You are prohibited from using the HubSpot Service to email: (a) purchased, rented, or borrowed lists, and (b) lists that are likely to result in an excessive number of unsubscribe requests or SPAM complaints or notices, as determined by acceptable industry practices.

Please review the full policy here: https://legal.hubspot.com/acceptable-use