Free alternative: Stop getting gouged for 411 calls from Verizon Wireless

I discovered Google Voice Local Search in a web forum recently. It's
*free* and it works great. It's better than being raped for $1.49 a pop
for 411 calls from Verizon, on top of their airtime charges.

http://labs.google.com/goog411/

samdaman34@hotmail.com (Sam) wrote in news:20070808102921.C00B04E759
@outpost.zedz.net:

> I discovered Google Voice Local Search in a web forum recently. It's
> *free* and it works great. It's better than being raped for $1.49 a pop
> for 411 calls from Verizon, on top of their airtime charges.
>
> http://labs.google.com/goog411/
>
>
>

http://www.switchboard.com/

IT even finds people who are unlisted, unpublished or just plain un a lot
of the time. It also does reverse lookups...handy.

Larry
--

Program these #'s into your cell phone:

Google: 1-800-466-4411

and

Tellme's 1-800-555-8355

Both work great. I think one of them even offers to connect you to the #
you're looking up,


"Larry" <noone@home.com> wrote in message
news:Xns99865DA781D76noonehomecom@208.49.80.253...
> samdaman34@hotmail.com (Sam) wrote in news:20070808102921.C00B04E759
> @outpost.zedz.net:
>
>> I discovered Google Voice Local Search in a web forum recently. It's
>> *free* and it works great. It's better than being raped for $1.49 a pop
>> for 411 calls from Verizon, on top of their airtime charges.
>>
>> http://labs.google.com/goog411/
>>
>>
>>
>
> http://www.switchboard.com/
>
> IT even finds people who are unlisted, unpublished or just plain un a lot
> of the time. It also does reverse lookups...handy.
>
> Larry
> --

Program these #'s into your cell phone:

Google: 1-800-466-4411

and

Tellme's 1-800-555-8355

Both work great. I think one of them even offers to connect you to the #
you're looking up,


"Larry" <noone@home.com> wrote in message
news:Xns99865DA781D76noonehomecom@208.49.80.253...
> samdaman34@hotmail.com (Sam) wrote in news:20070808102921.C00B04E759
> @outpost.zedz.net:
>
>> I discovered Google Voice Local Search in a web forum recently. It's
>> *free* and it works great. It's better than being raped for $1.49 a pop
>> for 411 calls from Verizon, on top of their airtime charges.
>>
>> http://labs.google.com/goog411/
>>
>>
>>
>
> http://www.switchboard.com/
>
> IT even finds people who are unlisted, unpublished or just plain un a lot
> of the time. It also does reverse lookups...handy.
>
> Larry
> --

"Kenny M" <kraken35194@mypacks.net> wrote in news:nwHvi.13604$tj6.3647
@newsread4.news.pas.earthlink.net:

> Program these #'s into your cell phone:
>
> Google: 1-800-466-4411
>
> and
>
> Tellme's 1-800-555-8355
>
> Both work great. I think one of them even offers to connect you to the
#
> you're looking up,
>
>

Thank you! Most cool....(c;







These bastards keep calling me so I'm feeding them to the spambots.
--
Sunrise Communications
1374 E. Republic Rd.
Springfield, MO 65804
866-483-1228
417-886-7091
http://www.sunrisecommunicationsinc.com/
877-842-3210
866-842-3278
United Healthcare
http://www.unitedhealthcareonline.com/

["Followup-To:" header set to alt.cellular.verizon.]
On 2007-08-12, Larry <noone@home.com> wrote:
> "Kenny M" <kraken35194@mypacks.net> wrote in news:nwHvi.13604$tj6.3647
> @newsread4.news.pas.earthlink.net:
>
>> Program these #'s into your cell phone:
>>
>> Google: 1-800-466-4411

800-GOOG-411

>> Tellme's 1-800-555-8355

800-555-TELL

Be forewarned. Several years ago Verizon Wireless charged me their
then-standard $1.25 directory assistance charge for calls to 555-TELL. I
complained quite loudly. I don't know whether that played into their decision
to stop the practice.

See, the problem is this. Dial 411 from a Verizon cell phone and they
incur real costs. I know this because there is a Verizon 411 call
center across the street from my house, a big campus where they
employ tons of people (and they're always hiring operators here). So
I don't have a problem paying for 411 or 555-1212 which is going to be
answered by a Verizon employee; I don't expect them to pay for the
facility and people and not make their money back.

But they incur no such costs on calls to 800-555-TELL, other than the cost
of connecting the call. I'm willing to pay airtime, but not the $1.25. They
don't even incur long distance costs as the long distance is paid for by AT&T
(the company that owns TellMe)!

Verizon stopped this obnoxious, greedy practice a few years ago, but you will
want to check your bill to make sure your carrier doesn't do the same thing.

Steve Sobol <sjsobol@JustThe.net> wrote in
news:slrnfbuqsm.dtv.sjsobol@amethyst.justthe.net:

> Be forewarned. Several years ago Verizon Wireless charged me their
> then-standard $1.25 directory assistance charge for calls to 555-TELL.
> I complained quite loudly. I don't know whether that played into their
> decision to stop the practice.
>
> See, the problem is this. Dial 411 from a Verizon cell phone and they
> incur real costs. I know this because there is a Verizon 411 call
> center across the street from my house, a big campus where they
> employ tons of people (and they're always hiring operators here). So
> I don't have a problem paying for 411 or 555-1212 which is going to be
> answered by a Verizon employee; I don't expect them to pay for the
> facility and people and not make their money back.
>
> But they incur no such costs on calls to 800-555-TELL, other than the
> cost of connecting the call. I'm willing to pay airtime, but not the
> $1.25. They don't even incur long distance costs as the long distance
> is paid for by AT&T (the company that owns TellMe)!
>
> Verizon stopped this obnoxious, greedy practice a few years ago, but
> you will want to check your bill to make sure your carrier doesn't do
> the same thing.
>
>
>

Alltel hasn't charged me extra to call the Mobivox access number to
connect my cellphone to Skype and Mobivox's 1.9c/min international
calling........well, so far.

http://www.mobivox.com/

For anyone that cares, dialing "332" from your verizon phone will
grant you access to thier 411 service at no charge...



On Aug 12, 3:59 pm, Steve Sobol <sjso...@JustThe.net> wrote:
> ["Followup-To:" header set to alt.cellular.verizon.]
> On 2007-08-12, Larry <no...@home.com> wrote:
>
> > "Kenny M" <kraken35...@mypacks.net> wrote in news:nwHvi.13604$tj6.3647
> > @newsread4.news.pas.earthlink.net:
>
> >> Program these #'s into your cell phone:
>
> >> Google: 1-800-466-4411
>
> 800-GOOG-411
>
> >> Tellme's 1-800-555-8355
>
> 800-555-TELL
>
> Be forewarned. Several years ago Verizon Wireless charged me their
> then-standard $1.25 directory assistance charge for calls to 555-TELL. I
> complained quite loudly. I don't know whether that played into their decision
> to stop the practice.
>
> See, the problem is this. Dial 411 from a Verizon cell phone and they
> incur real costs. I know this because there is a Verizon 411 call
> center across the street from my house, a big campus where they
> employ tons of people (and they're always hiring operators here). So
> I don't have a problem paying for 411 or 555-1212 which is going to be
> answered by a Verizon employee; I don't expect them to pay for the
> facility and people and not make their money back.
>
> But they incur no such costs on calls to 800-555-TELL, other than the cost
> of connecting the call. I'm willing to pay airtime, but not the $1.25. They
> don't even incur long distance costs as the long distance is paid for by AT&T
> (the company that owns TellMe)!
>
> Verizon stopped this obnoxious, greedy practice a few years ago, but you will
> want to check your bill to make sure your carrier doesn't do the same thing.

On 2007-08-17, CDuncan03@gmail.com <CDuncan03@gmail.com> wrote:
> For anyone that cares, dialing "332" from your verizon phone will
> grant you access to thier 411 service at no charge...

Who's? Verizon's?

I doubt that's guaranteed to work - sounds like a backdoor, may work in
some markets, but I'd be surprised if it works everywhere.

--
Steve Sobol, Victorville, California PGP:0xE3AE35ED
"Drench yourself in words unspoken / Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins / The rest is still unwritten"
- Natasha Beddingfield