When do you need a reverse phone
service?If you want to
find the name and location of the owner of a
specific phone number (cellular or landline) and
this number is not listed in whitepages or phone
books, you will need a specialized
reverse phone lookup service. These services
operate by purchasing access to subscriber databases
of various mobile operators and phone companies. By
combining multiple sources of information, they
provide users with a capability to search through a
huge database containing almost all phone numbers in
the USA. This database includes land line numbers,
unlisted numbers and cell phone numbers.
reverse phone lookup services are
bound by agreements with phone companies, which
prohibit them from providing this information for
free (primarily for the reasons of privacy). This is
the reason why you need a valid credit card or
paypal account to register and use these services.
This ensures that they cannot be utilized for
illegal purposes (e.g. stalking.) Besides, phone
companies charge for access to their databases in
the first place, so reverse lookup services try to
recoup some of their costs by requiring a
subscription fee.
Are there any free alternatives
to paid reverse phone lookup services?
If you don't feel like using paid
services, there are a few alternatives that may
help. You may look up the number in publicly
available whitepages or phone books, or use an
internet search engine, such as Google or Yahoo.
However, if the number in question is cell phone or
unlisted, you search will most likely provide no
results, because such information is not publicly
available. It won't hurt to try, though.
What kind of information you
can expect to find using a cell phone lookup
service?
You can expect to find the owner's
name and address. Some services also provide
additional information such as the list of household
members.
How to use a reverse phone
lookup service?
Simply enter the phone number
which you are researching into the online form. Most
services will immediately provide the following
information for free:
- Whether the phone number in
question is cellular or land line.
- The precise location (city
and state) where the number is registered.
- Whether any additional
information about this number is available.
To find the name of the phone's
owner, you will need to purchase access to the
service (a nominal yearly fee is usually required).
As mentioned above, the registration requirement is
a way of ensuring the service will not be used
illegally.
Are reverse phone lookup
services legal?
Yes, cell phone lookup services
are completely legal, provided you use the obtained
information for lawful purposes. In particular, you
are not allowed to take advantage of this
information for making telemarketing calls.
