Stop paying for information

Remember when you used to have to pay for 411-type information calls? Well, it’s time to forget.

1-800-FREE411 lets you look up phone numbers by simply dialing the number and responding to the voice prompts. I tried it this morning and it passed the noobie test. It couldn’t have been any easier.

I didn’t even talk to a human. The voice prompt asked me for the city and state. I responded “Greenwood, Indiana”. Without skipping a beat, the voice prompt then asked me whether I wanted to look up a business or residential listing. I responded “business” and again, without skipping a beat, it asked me for the listing. I spoke the name of my favorite Chinese restaurant and, after listening to a brief advertisement, the computer responded with the complete (and accurate) phone number.

Did you notice the catch? Yes, I had to listen to a brief advertisement before I got the number. Small price to pay for a free information service.

Besides just hearing the phone number, I was also given options to connect directly to the advertiser or to receive a text message on my cell phone containing the listing.

Remember though, the information is free but your call may not be. Long distance and/or air time charges on your own phone may be applicable for the call.

If calling and using the voice prompts isn’t your cup of tea, you can always go the web site at http://www.free411.com/ and enter your search criteria there. You can look up by business name, business category or people. You can even choose to do a reverse phone number lookup if your heart so desires.