Tips from September, 2002

A site visitor recently wrote, "I was horrified to receive a recent bill using 1010345. Three brief calls had been made to directory assistance (555-1212), each incurring a $1.99 charge." I responded that a $1.99 charge for long distance directory assistance (DA) is not unusual in the current telecommunications market. Two of the largest phone companies now charge $2.49 a call. However there are ways to get free DA online or lower costs with other dial around services.

For links to free online phone books for the U.S., click to my Related Links page. International phone books for 100 other countries can be accessed by clicking country names that show in blue text at the top of the International Rates tables. (If a country name is in black text, then there is no link because I've not been able to find online phone books for that country.)

The lowest rates I have found for directory assistance (555-1212) available via 10-10 service providers are Primus and WorldxChange at 75¢ and 101-6868 at 85¢ per call.

Some are much more expensive. VarTec recently increased the DA charge for 10-10-636 and 10-10-811 users to $2.49 a call. MCI and Sprint recently increased their DA charge for regular long distance plans from $1.99 to $2.49. AT&T charges $1.99 a call.

The main reason directory assistance fees are not listed on 10-10PhoneRates.com is some of the services don't list those fees on their Web sites.

Free 411 calls for Visually Impaired People.