Reverse search a phone number

FISHGUTS · 4 Oct 2006 at 17:45

I'm trying to find out where a number is registed with a reverse search.

Google seems to show you can do it in the USA but not the Uk, or am I being stupid.

Any ideas ?

Thanks.

Rich_L · 4 Oct 2006 at 17:48

Ring it and ask who it is/where they are?

toy_soldier · 4 Oct 2006 at 17:48

You tried ringing it and asking?

Beaten

Pho · 4 Oct 2006 at 17:50

Sounds like a job for social engineering

FISHGUTS · 4 Oct 2006 at 17:56

I bought some alloys off fleabay and when I've come to pay for them there is no address listed for the guy.
When I sent him an email asking how he would like paying he said by credit card, call me on blah blah.
So I asked him if he was a garage and if he could send me his name and address as I didn't want to give my card details to someone with no name or address listed.
All he sent back was "yes where a garage phone me on. . . . " no more details, so I thought i might be able to easily check it out before ringing him.

Mikeyboy · 4 Oct 2006 at 18:02

The only way I knew of reverse searching a telephone number is by using a UK-Info disk, but I think they've removed that option now too in the later disks. Of course, it'll set you back £350 too, unless you know someone who has one.

cleanbluesky · 4 Oct 2006 at 18:05

FISHGUTS said:
"yes where a garage phone me on. . . . "

Obviously you are dealing with the nice people at 118118, you asked them for a garage and they are going to tell you where a garage...

Tesla · 4 Oct 2006 at 18:13

If they were reluctant to provide an address then alarm bells should be ringing!

FISHGUTS · 4 Oct 2006 at 18:26

Tesla said:
If they were reluctant to provide an address then alarm bells should be ringing!

Exactly.

Thats why I wanted to see if I could easily find out any info on them. I guess not.

They were cheap but not worth the risk.

SexyGreyFox · 4 Oct 2006 at 19:52

Its against the law to do a reverse search for some reason.
The very early versions of UK Info Pro used catalogue lists to do reverse search and thats why you were lucky to make one hit in a 100.
UK Info were eventually told to pull the plug and that was years ago.

Burly · 4 Oct 2006 at 20:55

why don't you just phone up and ask for a name and address? if it sounds like a scamming git, hang up. why wouldn't a cheque by suffice anyway?

FISHGUTS · 4 Oct 2006 at 21:16

Offered a cheque. He ignored the offer.

Bri · 4 Oct 2006 at 21:37

As has already been said, you can't do a reverse search on a UK directory.

However, if it's a legit business, if you google the number it may show on a directory site. Try differing number formats surrounded by quotation marks.

Pookie Bear · 4 Oct 2006 at 21:48

Bri said:
As has already been said, you can't do a reverse search on a UK directory.

However, if it's a legit business, if you google the number it may show on a directory site. Try differing number formats surrounded by quotation marks.

That's what I do when I'm looking for a number

it's even worked on more than one occasion......usually when I find a number on my telephone bill and forgot I'd rung it

Dolph · 4 Oct 2006 at 23:04

dmpoole said:
Its against the law to do a reverse search for some reason.

It's that pesky little thing called data protection....