411 for free!
July 29, 2010—Dialing 411 is one of the quickest ways to find information—and get a $2 charge slapped on your phone bill.

At clinics across Illinois, CUB staffers frequently encounter landline and wireless bills needlessly bloated with directory assistance charges, which cost up to $2 per call, plus tax. CUB Executive Director David Kolata recently spotted $27 worth of 411 charges on a Chicago TV host’s wireless bill—that’s more than $300 a year, just for dialing 411.

The good news is consumers can dial free directory assistance numbers to get the information they need without the bloated bill.

Some free 411 services play a short, five to ten second advertisement before connecting callers with the party they select. Others list the address and phone number of the party, but don’t offer automatic connection. Google’s 411 service, 1-800-goog411, will even send callers a text message with detailed information and a map of the neighborhood where the business is located.

Despite the differences, the services have one thing in common: they’re free.


1-800-Info-Fast
This is the only free directory assistance service of the group that connects callers with a live operator. Try this number for direct connection with both business and residential listings.

1-800-Free411
This automated system provides free residential, business and government listings, but does not offer automatic connection. Wireless callers can receive free text messages with more information.

1-800-YellowPages
AT&T provides this free service, which lists both business and government phone numbers and locations. The service does not offer automatic connection.

1-800-goog411
This Google service provides business listings for free. For wireless callers, Google can send a text message with more details and a map of the neighborhood where the business is located. The best part: Callers can be automatically connected without listening to an advertisement.

1-800-555-Tell
The service, called Tellme, provides free driving directions to consumers on the go. Like Google's 411 service, callers do not have to listen to an advertisement before being connected with the business they select.