These "free" websites allow you to lookup the issuing location (city and state) and carrier of the cell phone number you choose, but provide absolutely no other information about the owner. So essentially you're getting free information that is completely useless... but why? Why aren't there any free reverse phone lookups available?

It all comes down to how the information is classified. Your home phone, for instance, is in the public domain and can be found in the local phone book. Sometimes you actually have to pay a fee in order to get it removed from the public eye.

Cell phone numbers on the other hand are generally considered more private because you pay for each phone call you receive (including from telemarketers, which makes it illegal for them to call you without your permission). This is why cell phone information is much more difficult to get a hold of.

There was a plan at one time for all of the major carriers to get together and create a free reverse phone directory, but privacy concerns regarding telemarketers (as we mentioned before) stopped the project in its tracks.

So how exactly does a reverse phone lookup work then? Quite simply, with A LOT of effort and work. All of the data has to be manually put together from millions upon millions of different records and databases. This is why it is considered a service that no company can realistically offer for free. This is also why there is so much inconsistency in quality of reverse phone lookups online, as the accuracy and amount of data they have is directly connected to how much effort they put in... therefore many services vary greatly in what exactly they provide.