THE SHORT ANSWER
Six signs predict a bad experience: exclusivity that is claimed but not written into the contract, targeting at region rather than postcode level, delivery measured in hours, no replacement policy or one you cannot practically use, inability to produce a consent record for a single lead, and pressure to commit to a long minimum term. Any two of those together is enough to walk away.
The six signs, and what each one really tells you
Exclusivity claimed verbally, absent from the contract. The product you are buying is not the product being described.
Region-level targeting. You will receive enquiries two hours from your depot and be told they are in your area.
Delivery in hours. Reach rates fall by roughly half after thirty minutes, so slow delivery destroys value before you touch the lead.
No usable replacement policy. Five to ten percent of any feed is faulty. A supplier denying that is either inexperienced or transferring the cost to you.
No consent record. Your compliance exposure, sold at a discount.
Pressure for a long minimum term. Confidence in the product does not require locking the buyer in.
Softer signals that are still reliable
Volume that arrives in sudden bursts rather than steadily suggests bought or aggregated traffic rather than managed campaigns. Refusing to name the channels leads come from suggests the same. A rate card that is identical for every trade suggests the pricing is not modelled on the auctions at all.
None of these is disqualifying alone. Together with any of the six above, they resolve the question.
How to check before you commit
Ask for the exclusivity clause and the replacement clause as text, before discussing price.
Ask for the consent wording used on the enquiry form.
Ask for the postcode list to be attached to the agreement.
Ask what the average delivery time was last month, in minutes.
Buy 20 to 30 leads before agreeing to anything longer.
Five questions. A good supplier answers all five in a single email.
If you are already in a bad arrangement
Stop volume first, then claim every faulty lead in the last window with specifics, then give notice in writing. Keep the enquiry records you have lawfully received and the outcome data, because that history is what makes your next supplier test fast and conclusive.
Related answers
Frequently asked questions
Are marketplaces automatically bad?
No. They are a different product: shared, fast, cheaper per unit. They are bad only when sold as exclusive.
Is a very low price a warning sign?
It is a signal to ask what is being left out, usually exclusivity or qualification. Cheap and shared is honest; cheap and described as exclusive is not.
Should I name a supplier publicly if it goes badly?
Deal with it contractually first. Public complaints rarely recover money and complicate the commercial exit.
What should a good supplier volunteer without being asked?
Exclusivity terms, replacement policy, average delivery time and the consent wording. If you have to extract all four, that is itself an answer.
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