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.
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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.
Cell Phone Number Search - How to Reverse Lookup a Cell Phone Number