Buying leads or building your own?
A bought lead is sold to several businesses at once, so you are competing on response speed the moment it arrives. That is not a scam, but it is the deal.
Why do bought leads convert badly?
Because they are usually sold to several competitors simultaneously. Whoever calls back first tends to win, and everybody else has paid for a conversation that was over before it started.
Are lead platforms ever worth it?
Yes, when you have idle capacity, can respond within minutes, and know your true cost per won job rather than per lead. Businesses that answer instantly do well on them.
What does building your own actually mean?
A listing that ranks, reviews that accumulate, a site that converts, and past customers who come back. It is slower and the enquiries are not shared with anybody.