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As experienced brokers, managers and analysts of business and consumer mailing lists and marketing data we are pleased to provide answers to as many of these frequently asked questions as possible. We hope you will find this list helpful. If your question is not addressed, please call (914) 948-8300 or contact us. One of our data professionals will respond shortly.

How are Response mailing lists and Compiled mailing lists different?

Response and Compiled mailing lists are the two main types of lists on the market. A Response list is comprised of individuals or companies who have taken an action. These people/companies have purchased from a catalog, have subscribed to a magazine, have replied to a space advertisement, or have ‘opted-in’ to receive an e-mail solicitation. On the other hand, a Compiled list is made up from such sources as public records, questionnaires and registration forms, telephone directories, business incorporation papers, and realty filings. Complete Mailing Lists follows all best practices to ensure the quality and deliverability of the compiled mailing lists we offer.

How do I find mailing lists that identify my audience?

Mailing lists are our specialty, and we make it easy! Begin by describing the universe of people/businesses that you want to contact. We have access to over 80,000 mailing lists through our databases. We will identify the mailing lists that best meet your specifications and present you with a recommendation, which is supplied to you at no cost. Learn how it’s done.

How do I buy mailing lists I have identified as appropriate to reach my audience?

It is important to understand that the mailer does not “buy” the list data per se, but rather rents it. All lists are the property of the list owner. Usage is purchased on a one-time basis. Multiple usage can be arranged by agreement, as well as access to the data by contract.

  • First, you submit a copy of your mail piece or telemarketing script for list owner approval
  • Next, you submit an outline describing the criteria you are interested in renting
  • Finally, you pay the rental charges and the mailing lists are shipped to you
  • Let us assist you with every step of the process

When comparing lists for a direct marketing campaign, which factors are most important?

  • Completeness, and absence of duplicates
  • Frequent updates, CASS and NCOA certification
  • Who else is using the list, how often, and how recently
  • Is the data response, compiled or a mixture, with sources
  • Price, in $/M, including Net Name, processing fees, selections, re-use terms
  • A choice of delivery formats (Excel/CSV, PDF)
  • If the minimum order is in line with the quantity needed

How much do mailing lists cost? How can I save money?

The price of mailing lists is set by the specific list owner, and you are charged based on the quantity of records that you rent. The industry standard is that you are given a quantity discount if you order a substantial number of records. There are other factors that may affect the price of mailing lists, including integration with your own business data or customization of individual records (“selects”). Call (914) 948-8300 for information about the complete range of services that we can provide.

What does a mailing list broker do?

A mailing list broker is responsible for conducting all the list research and making list recommendations for the mailer. In addition, a good list broker performs price negotiation, clears the sample mail piece, tracks the orders, and in general is the go-between for the mailer and the list owner. Learn more about how we do data right.

What is a mailing list manager?

A mailing list manager is responsible for maximizing the performance of mailing lists by maintaining the integrity of the database, performing stringent hygiene and generating regular usage and performance reports. This ensures that the mailing lists you buy are of the highest quality possible.

What can Mailinglists.com do for me that others can’t?

A first rate mailing list data provider like Mailinglists.com will do all the leg work for you – research, consultation, price negotiation, tracking details, and more. These services are provided at no cost to the mailer. (The list provider is paid an industry standard commission by the list owner). So, the better the provider, the better the mailing lists, at no added charge for the mailer. Mailinglists.com has provided the highest quality data to direct marketers for over 20 years. Learn how we can make a difference for your business.

What is a datacard, and how do I use the Mailinglists.com datacard look-up?

A data card is an informational brief that describes the contents of a mailing list. The data card will feature topline information such as total universe, major data segments, pricing structure, granular data selections, delivery etc. You are invited to begin your search for the perfect mailing list datacards by visiting our datacard index.

What does the /M on a mailing list data card mean?

The /M stands for the cost per every one-thousand records ordered. The mailer is charged a base rate dollar amount for every 1,000 names. Therefore, a list priced at $90/M means it costs $90 for every one thousand names, or 9 cents per name. In addition, when customizing the portion of a list that a mailer wishes to select there may be a per-thousand charge for each selectable item.

What are Net Name arrangements?

Net Name is a negotiated agreement that credits mailers for duplicate records. It is common that purchased or rented list contains some of the same names on a house list or on other acquired lists. The net name agreement process consists of two parts, an allowable duplicate percentage and a run charge. The percentage is the minimum percentage of the quantity ordered, say 100,000, that must be paid at the full rate, say 85%. So even if there are 80,000 unique names left after the merge/purge process, the mailer must pay for 85,000 at the agreed to list price. The run charge is the rate charged for the duplicate records deleted. In this case, the 20,000 duplicates would be billed at $3/M. Net name arrangements are not available on all mailing lists and are typically only available on larger orders.

Does Mailinglists.com let me customize orders? Can I order segments of mailing lists?

Most mailing lists contain a variety of selectable details from which the mailer may choose. These data details will help to more accurately identify and focus on a target audience. So, if your offer is geared towards a specific geography, age range, business type, etc, you are able to select the precise data elements you need. Call (914) 948-8300 or contact us for information and quotes regarding available selects from any list or database.

Why is the required minimum quantity for a mailing list order 5,000 records?

It comes down a matter of mailing a testable sample. For almost all response mailing lists, 5,000 is typically the minimum number of records needed to mail in order to determine if the list has actually worked successfully.

How quickly can I receive my mailing lists order?

The actual time from placing an order to delivery varies depending on the size of the output and complexity of the order specifications. The majority of all orders are actually delivered in less then 5 minutes upon approval. Some orders are available in less then 1 minute. Orders that use complex selection criteria may take upwards of an hour, but that is very rare.

Once I order and receive mailing lists, are the names mine to keep?

No. Orders for mailing lists are placed with the condition that you will only use the records one time for whatever purpose has been specified (postal mail, telemarketing, etc.) If a prospect responds to your offer, then they become part of your database. If you want to re-solicit the list, a ‘re-use’ order can be placed, allowing the records to be contacted again. Typically the charge for a second use is slightly lower.

How would the owner know if I used the mailing lists more than once?

The list owner includes ‘seed’ names in each list. Seed names are dummy records that become part of the mailer’s campaign. If a seed gets solicited more than once, then the list owner will know that the record was mailed a second time.

What is my guarantee that the mailing list will be successful for me?

We cannot guarantee that the list we recommend, and you select, will be successful. But we can guarantee that our knowledge and expertise will ensure the highest possible level of deliverability, and that you will be mailing to your targeted audience. The responsiveness of mailing lists depends on many variables, such as the effectiveness of your offer, price, creative content, competition, as well as the time of year in which you mail.

Does Mailinglists.com offer consultative assistance? If so, what would that include?

Mailinglists.com was created to ensure the highest quality targeted mailing lists. This means providing the best customer service, at the fairest prices. The targeting and reach needs of every customer come first. There is never a cost to help you reach your goal of identifying the right data. This is true no matter how many times counts we have to run, new ideas we suggest, or how comprehensively we need to discuss our products. Call us at (914) 948-8300 and discover the difference top level professionalism can make.

How do I change my Mailinglists.com customer profile?

You have two options if you would like to change your profile. You can call one of our account managers at (914) 948-8300 who will be glad to make any of the changes for you. Or you can log on to your existing profile and make any of the changes yourself.

Is my account data secure?

Mailinglists.com uses software technology from the largest software companies in America to ensure your data is safe and secure in our data warehouse. Your data and mailing lists purchase history is protected by the latest technology available. We guarantee we will never share your information with any other vendor or third party, and will never ship you data without your prior authorization.

Can I easily review my browsing and purchasing history?

Yes you can. All of your mailing lists counts and orders are easily accessible from our state of the art database system. All of the information pertaining to these counts and orders is right at your finger tips. Your selects, quantity, pricing, suppressions, etc is one click away. You will never again have to search through files and folders to determine the specifics of any order or count. All orders are automatically saved and warehoused for 12 months. Counts are the same, but please remember that you must save all of your counts for them to be warehoused (just name the count and press the save button).

Is their a “grace” period when I can either cancel or change my order?

Once you place the order, the system automatically proceeds to process and output your order without delay. But don’t worry, if you change your mind we will make any changes that are necessary and rerun your order for you at no additional charge. The only thing we ask is that you destroy all of the mailing lists data that was originally shipped. Call us at (914) 948-8300 for details.

Is usage by other mailers good or bad?

Usage is a common term used by list industry professionals to refer to mailer companies that rent or exchange specific mailing lists. Lists popular with mailers offering related – but not the same – products/services can indicate list efficacy. If a list has been used by a competitor it may indicate that the list is most likely to be responsive to a similar offer.

How often should a mailing list database be updated? How is this done?

The overall decay rate for B2C and B2B customer data is estimated at 20-30% each year. In the most dynamic job markets, better than 70 percent of business people change some aspect of their contact data each year. Consumers move constantly, while experiencing life changes of all sorts. Freshness counts, staleness costs.

Can data from a response list be combined with data from a compiled list? Is that expensive?

Response lists represent people and businesses that have taken specific action or expressed interest in an offer. Since they are more qualified leads in that sense, the cost is generally higher. There may be a need to append certain data elements to a response list record. These may be obtained as selects from a compiled list, which is comprised of generally available demographic, firmographic, and psychographic data. Selections come at a higher cost than whole compiled records.

What about compliance with U.S. and global privacy regulations?

Mailing list data is subject to strict governance around the world. Reputable mailing list data brokers and managers must comply with regulatory frameworks which include the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the EU and UK, the US-EU-Swiss Privacy Shield Framework, the California Consumer Protection Act (CCPA), and the Canada Anti-Spam Law (CASL). These should be referenced in a Privacy Policy or data sourcing and usage compliance statement. Mailinglists.com is in full compliance with all major regulatory frameworks and laws.

We hope the answers to these frequently asked questions are helpful.

Please don’t hesitate to call us at (914) 948-8300 or contact us if you have any questions that have not been answered above.