Find phone numbers the hard way with Skype and Free411

Free is good. But just because something is free doesn't mean it's worth using.

Skype teamed up with 1-800-Free411 to provide free directory assistance for Skype users. That's good news. Most phone companies charge a buck or two to give you a phone number. 1-800-Free411 gives you a number for free. All you have to do is listen to an advertisement. (Of course, you can get the same numbers for free without sitting through an ad using Goog411).

Normally Skype would charge you a small fee to call a land line unless you have a calling plan. But a1-800-Free411 is counted as just another Skype contact and calls are treated as Skype to Skype calls. So far so good. But almost everyone who has access to Skype also has access to a web browser, whether it's on their computer or their mobile phone. So why sit through an advertisement when you can just look up the phone number you need online?

In fact, during a recent test, it took almost two minutes to get a phone number using Skype and the Free411 service. And it turns out the number we were given is not in service. Have a listen for yourself.



[via SkypeJournal]

Tags: 1-800-free411, free411, skype