Many companies use toll-free 800 numbers to communicate with us. In the case of reputable companies, this is a great benefit, since we don't have to pay for calls to 800 numbers. But disreputable companies use 800 numbers too. They have developed effective techniques to get through to us so they can pitch their dubious products or services.

So when you are getting calls from an 800 number, and the name of the company doesn't show up on caller ID, it helps to be able to identify the company the phone number belongs to. That way, we can know whether to answer calls from that number or not. And in cases where they keep calling, or otherwise engage in unacceptable behavior, we need to be able to file a complaint with the authorities. We need to be able to do reverse 800 numbers searches.

Unfortunately, there isn't a comprehensive list of 800 numbers like the phone book. And even if there were, many companies block their caller IDs and have unlisted numbers, so you wouldn't be able to find their information anyhow. And when you consider that it is most likely the disreputable companies that will go to such lengths to hide their identity, their numbers are the ones we most need to be able to look up.

Fortunately, there are commercial services like Reverse Phone Detective that can help. These services put a lot of time and money into gathering as much information as is available about phone numbers. They gather information on regular land line phones (the kind that have been plugged into American walls for the last 100 years), cell phones, 800 numbers, and unlisted numbers. In short, they pull together all the information they can get on any kind of phone number out there.

Once they gather this information, the cell phone number lookup service creates a giant database containing all the information they have on each phone number. They make this database available to anyone through a simple website.

Top notch services like Reverse Phone Detective allow you to enter any phone number into their site and do a free basic search. The report that comes back from such a search tells you whether their database contains information about the phone number you entered, along with what types of information they have. They even provide a map that shows the area near the address the phone number is registered to. They don't give you the actual information though. For that you need to get a full report.

The free information allows you to decide whether you want to invest ($14.95 at this writing) in a full report. The full report gives you all the information that's available on that number. All you need to do is decide whether finding the information is worth paying the fee. It's a simple, straightforward way to get the information you need. Reverse 800 numbers searches couldn't be any easier.

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