Have you ever wondered who belongs to all those missed phone calls in your cell phone’s memory? Or maybe an important call came in on one of those numbers, but you haven’t a clue as to which one it is. There is a way to find out. It’s called a reverse cellphone lookup.
Reverse phone records have been available for land-line numbers for decades, first in printed reverse phone directories and now, of course, online. Land-line services are free and don’t include unlisted numbers.
Reverse cell phone lookups are also available through online services, but many sites charge a minimal fee, starting at about $15 per phone number. If you need to run a lot of reverse phone number searches, you might look for a service that also offers an annual fee, which may be as little as less than three times the single-use fee. The amount and quality of information you get may vary from service to service, and it’s sometimes a reflection of the fee. In other words, less money may mean less information. Most reports will include the name and address of the phone’s owner, the phone company or carrier, where the phone is located, and the type of number (cell or land line). You may also get information about the phone owner’s background and even other household members may be included. Some websites offer a sample report so you can see what you’ll get before you sign up.
An online cell phone reverse phone lookup service operates on a fee-only basis because the process is more complicated than looking up a land-line number. The service needs to check many different sources and directories to find that number, plus they must keep updating their records and databases to be sure their information is correct.
Is it worth paying the fee? Well, only you can determine how much that information is worth to you. You need to weigh the urgency of your quest against the cost of a reverse phone number trace. If your teen-aged daughter is calling one number way too frequently a search may give you either peace of mind (it’s her chemistry tutor) or a reason to take her phone away (it’s not her chemistry tutor). Or you can trace a series of prank calls—or even worse, threatening calls—and put a stop to them.
A reverse phone number finder can also come to the rescue when you need to find an address quickly. What if you promised to feed your boss’ rare tropical fish while she’s out of town, but you’ve lost her address? You don’t want to call her and have her think you’re a fool. Just join a service and find her address. Whew! That was easy, and well worth the fee.
Copyright Rick Phoenix
