A Lead Buyer's Checklist

Before You Buy Leads, Ask These 5 Questions

Q: Where did this lead come from?

Ask the vendor to identify the actual source path: the campaign or traffic source, the ad or creative, the landing page or form, the capture flow, and the source and tracking data. "Facebook" or "online" is not enough—what you're looking for is traceability, not a vague explanation.

Q: What is the credit or replacement policy?

Ask what qualifies for a credit or replacement, what does not qualify, how long you have to report a problem, what evidence is required, and how the request is reviewed. What you're looking for is a written policy in plain English and a trackable review process—understood before purchasing, not after filing a complaint.

Any lead vendor can make promises. A trustworthy vendor should be able to show the records behind them.

By Jeromy Kovatana

April 1, 2026

Jeromy Kovatana is the CTO of GOAT Leads and a marketing-systems consultant for insurance agencies. His systems have managed $38M+ in ad spend and generated 1.63M+ unique consumer leads.

Where did this lead come from?

"Facebook" or "online" is not enough. Ask the vendor to identify the actual source path:

→Campaign or traffic source
→Ad or creative
→Landing page or form
→Capture flow
→Source and tracking data

What you're looking for: traceability—not a vague explanation.

How many agents received this lead?

A vendor calling a lead "exclusive" does not prove exclusivity. Ask whether they can show:

→Who received the lead
→When it was assigned
→Whether another buyer received a copy
→The order or account connected to the assignment

What you're looking for: assignment records showing exactly where the lead went.

Where is the consumer's consent record?

If the consumer opted in, there should be evidence tied to the capture. Ask for:

→Consent timestamp
→Form and source information
→Consent language
→TrustedForm certificate or other consent evidence, where available

What you're looking for: a verifiable consent trail—not simply "all our leads opt in."

What is the credit or replacement policy?

You should understand the rules before purchasing—not after filing a complaint. Ask:

→What qualifies for a credit or replacement?
→What does not qualify?
→How long do you have to report a problem?
→What evidence is required?
→How is the request reviewed?

What you're looking for: a written policy in plain English and a trackable review process.

How quickly was the lead delivered?

"Real-time" should be supported by timestamps. Ask the vendor to show:

→When the consumer submitted the form
→When the lead was created
→When it was assigned
→When delivery was attempted
→When the buyer actually received it

What you're looking for: the complete capture → assignment → delivery timeline.

How GOAT Leads Answers These Questions

GOAT Leads was built around traceability. Depending on the lead and delivery method, our system maintains:

Source & campaign dataWhere the lead actually came from.

Assignment recordsExactly who received each lead, and when.

Consent evidenceThe opt-in trail tied to the capture.

Capture & delivery timestampsThe full timeline, not just "real-time."

Credit & replacement-request trackingA review process you can follow.

Order & recipient historyThe account record behind every assignment.

We maintain the available source, consent, assignment, and delivery evidence tied to each lead—and we can show the trail our system recorded.

Go deeper on the GOAT Leads blog

Written by Jeromy Kovatana, Chief Technical Officer of GOAT Leads.

Don't just ask whether a vendor is trustworthy.
Ask whether they can prove it.

Bring these 5 questions to your next lead order—or put them to us directly.
Want all 10 questions in a printable PDF, with what a good answer sounds like? Get the Lead Vendor Vetting Checklist →

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