Not long ago, everyone had a standard phone in their home and finding a number or address simply required opening the white pages and searching for the name. Things have grown more complicated now that cell phones are widely used and many people do not even have landlines, and if they do their number may be unlisted.
Even with the invention of caller ID on most landlines, some numbers may appear without an identifying name and there are ways for callers to stop their name from showing up. Reverse phone lookup services have responded to these changing times to offer a very timely service to modern phone users.
There are two typical functions for these services.
Finding Names
If you are receiving calls from someone and only a number shows on your ID, or you need to figure out cellular phone callers, reverse phone lookup directories can help you find out the name registered to the phone number in question. Just by entering the phone number you will be able to identify the person who is responsible for the phone calls in question.
People in search of lookup directories include those who need to identify a number constantly phoning their spouse or teenager's cell phone, since there is no phone book for cell phone numbers. Others may use lookup directories when they need to identify a name registered to a home phone that may be unpublished. Whenever you have a phone number but are uncertain who it belongs to, a reverse phone lookup website can assist you.
Finding Addresses
another typical purpose is to locate an address for someone, whether you know their name or not. Once you gain access to the information associated with a specific number most directories will give other sorts of information as well, such as the address of the home phone or the address connected to a cell phone number.
This may not be a typical need for some people, but it does have its uses in some situations. For example, take a parent desperate to track down a teenager who has run off or has not returned home long after curfew. If they can come up with numbers from the teenager's bedroom or cell phone a lookup directory could quickly tell them addresses as well as names of places the child may be at that time.
Other situations may be searching for addresses to mail out party invitations to your child's peers. If you have the phone number you can find their address and mail out the invitation without calling and tracking down other busy family.
These services can also deliver access to other various types of information, like income brackets or address histories, and one site even gives a map with an estimated pinpoint to the business or home's location.
There is a small charge for any up to date reverse phone lookup directory, but if your business or personal situation requires accurate information it is money well spent in the end. The fee is required because this variety of information is not simple or completely free to research, compile, and save, so issuing it as needed to others like you must also come with a fee to make up for such working costs.
There likely 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 home phone numbers right now. The best way to obtain access to such phone numbers is to put up a nominal fee either to complete a single phone number search or to join a lookup service if you will be using the service long term.