Looking for reverse phone lookup directories can become confusing. You may start out with a quick Google search, assuming it will automatically appear and you'll discover the information you desire with very little work. Yet what actually comes up is a series of paid services which vary from under a dollar for one number search to over fifteen dollars for a service subscription.
Changing your search to include free reverse phone lookup delivers even more pay services sneaking in claims that they are completely free. They may allow you to enter the number free of charge and give very nominal information such as the city and state, but in order to obtain the more substantial details like a name or address you will once again be requested to pay.
Totally free reverse phone lookup is not possible at this point. Providers of this information go to great efforts and sometimes money to compile information such as unlisted home phone numbers, cellular numbers, and sometimes address histories. These businesses have no use for this information other than to make it available to you for a minor charge.
how you proceed from here depends on how badly you really want to identify the person connected to that phone number. In the age of identity theft most people won't just pick the cheapest site and reveal their private information. Finding the most reputable services is just as necessary as when you buy clothing or purses over the internet.
Getting the information you desire isn't very difficult, once you locate a legitimate lookup directory.
There are a growing number of competitive directories all offering different prices and delivering different combinations of information. When you only want to know the name behind a unidentified phone number calling your home or want to determine exactly who your child is chatting with at all hours of the night, you may not have the patience to rate different directories.
The easiest answer may be to go with a name that many of us have grown up with and access the web-based version of the white pages. There is a sense of security when you use a common popular name that has been trusted for years. You can look up a phone number and get very basic information here for free, including if the number is a cell phone or landline and a map indicating the general location if it is a home or business. You won't find much beyond that, especially if you are looking up a cell phone or a residential number that is unpublished.
Be aware at this point because there are links from these pages that promise more detailed information, like names and specific addresses, for a fee. These links go to different webpages, so you no longer necessarily have the familiarity of the yellow pages website so you need to ensure the reputation of these websites just as with any other. White pages itself is not going to deliver much information other than a general location; you will need to search elsewhere for more, especially if you wish to research a cell phone or unlisted number.
The easiest way to find reverse phone lookup websites for basic needs is to go to a reputable database with a nominal one time charge paid through a secure payment system. If you only need a one time lookup then it is probably not worth the fee to commit to a more detailed directory. Find one that delivers a one time lookup for a small charge, often just a buck or two.
Shelling out a huge charge for small amounts of information or being asked to secure information by sending personal information by email or other non-secure forms are obvious signs of a scam.