There are many reverse phone directories offering their services online. And then there are the scamming websites. So not only do you have a choice to make among the different directories, you also have to be careful to not get scammed in the process. How do you find out the best directory for your use? We tell you how.

First, let us talk about what is reverse phone lookup in the first place. Oftentimes you have a phone number with you and no clue whose number it is. The reasons for this are usually varied, from malicious circumstances to forgetful memory. Maybe you are getting prank calls day in and day out, and the caller is unknown to you. You have the option of making the police complaint right away, but perhaps you want to first check who the person is. Other times, you have a number and you have just forgotten whose number it is, and want to know of the owner without making an awkward inquiry call starting with "Whose number is this". Whatever the reason, reverse phone directories will help you do the owner of just such a number.

These directories have arrangements with phone companies whereby the phone companies lease out their subscriber database to the reverse lookup companies for a fee. This in turn means that you can look up almost any number in these directories - from cellular numbers to landline numbers. Different directories have agreement with different number of companies, which means that some of them contain more numbers than others in their database. This is one of the factors in choosing a directory, especially if you want to look up a lot of numbers.

Almost all directories allow a free preliminary search to the potential customer. You should use this search to find out whether the number you are interested in is contained in the directory database or not. Plus it also allows you to know what kind of information is contained for a particular number. This too will help you decide which directory is better.

The reverse lookup tells you not just the name of the owner of the number, but also their address, and other such information like the total household income etc. The amount of information a directory tells you about a number is also a factor in selecting the best directory. For example, if you are trying to target people in a particular income bracket in your marketing campaign, the household income is what you would want to know most. So any directory that does not offer that information should be ruled out by you.

Some websites also provide services such as background reports, cell phone reports, and advanced people search. You can use the advanced people search to find old classmates or to reconnect with former co-workers. This is another factor that helps you decide the best lookup service.

The better reverse lookup directories allow a 100% money back guarantee, so you should only go for directories that offer this guarantee. If you keep all these factors in mind, you will be best served by the directory of your choice.