It used to be that everyone had a landline phone in their home and searching for a phone number or address simply required opening the white pages and searching for the name. This has become more complex now that cell phones are in common use and many people do not even have landlines, and if they do their number may be unpublished.
Even with the development of caller ID on most landlines, many numbers may show up without an identifying name and there are ways for callers to stop their details from showing up. Reverse phone lookup providers have responded to these changing demands to offer a very timely service to modern phone users.
There are two common uses for lookup directories.
Searching for Names
If you are getting calls from someone and only a number shows on your caller ID, or you need to figure out cellular phone callers, reverse phone lookup directories can help you find out the name listed to the number of concern. Just by entering the phone number you will be able to identify the person who is behind the calls of concern.
People looking for this service include those who need to check up on a number often texting their spouse or children's cell phone, since there is no accessible directory for cell phone numbers. Other people may use lookup directories when they want to identify a name connected to a home phone that may be unpublished. If you have a phone number but aren't sure who it is connected to, a reverse phone lookup directory can deliver the information.
Locating Addresses
The other common function is to locate an address for someone, whether you know their name or not. Once you plug into the information connected with a specific number most services will give additional information as well, such as the address of the landline or the address connected to a cell phone number.
This may not be a common need for some people, but it does have its uses in some situations. For instance, consider a parent in a rush to track down a teenager who has run away or has not returned home well past curfew. If they can get access to numbers from the teenager's belongings or cell phone a lookup directory could quickly tell them addresses and names of locations the teenager may be located.
Other circumstances may be searching for addresses to send out party invitations to your child's peers. If you have their phone number you can access their address and get the invite in the mail without calling and tracking down other busy parents.
Lookup directories can also deliver a connection to other kinds of data, including income brackets and address histories, and one site even gives a map with an general pinpoint to the business or home's location.
There is a minor fee for any relevant reverse phone lookup service, but if your business or personal situation requires accurate information it is worth the money in the end. The charge is unavoidable because this kind of information is not easy or free to research, collect, and protect, so dispensing it immediately to consumers like you must also collect a charge to cover such operational expenditures.
There probably will never be a public directory for cellular numbers, and even if they were compiled it is probable a lot of the numbers would be unlisted as is the case with many landline numbers today. The only way to gain access to such phone numbers is to put up a nominal charge either to do a one time number search or to join a lookup service if you will be using the service on a regular basis.