Find Contact Info: Where To Start Your Search
Cindy Ellis - June 6, 2023
Understanding how to easily find contact info might be confusing at first, especially as there are many different ways to locate this information and find out the information you need. Our guide helps you understand more about finding contact information for a person or a business, and we provide you with the best methods to start your search. With our help, you can obtain the accurate contact information you need with less stress.
Why Is Finding Contact Information Important?
Finding the contact information for a person or a business is important because it allows you to verify if the information you have on file for them is correct and gives you a way to reach out to that person or business.
Common reasons for finding contact information include:
- To confirm if the email address or phone number you have for a person or business is accurate before you attempt to reach out to them.
- To get into contact with a person you have fallen out of contact with recently.
- To reach out to a business and find the correct contact information for the department you are searching for.
- To find someone’s mailing address, email, or phone number so you can collect on a debt or serve legal papers.
Of course, these aren’t the only reasons to find contact information for a person or business. Whatever reason you have for searching this information is likely valid, unless you are attempting to use the contact information you find to plan or commit crimes; this will land you in serious legal trouble down the line.
Things To Consider Before Starting Your Search
There are a few different things that you might want to consider before you start your search for contact information. It’s important to keep these items in mind as you use our search methods below so that you can properly direct your search and find the most accurate information possible.
Things to consider ahead of your contact information search include:
- The type of contact information you are looking for, such as email addresses, mailing addresses, or phone numbers.
- If you are searching for a business’s contact information, someone’s private contact information, or the contact information of a specific employee at a business.
- Whether or not the contact information is likely to be international or U.S.-based.
- If you have the correct information about the person whose contact information you are searching for, such as their name.
Make sure to keep a list of these items as you start to search and reference them to keep you on track while you gather the contact information you need.
Your Guide To Finding Contact Information
The following methods can help guide you to find contact information with less stress. If you can’t find the information you need with one method, make sure to try the others, as you never know which option will bring you the information you need.
Use Social Media
Social media is one of the easiest places to make contact with people and inquire about their contact information. For this method, utilize a social media website such as Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
Search for the person or business’s name along with their location, if you know it, and then review the search results. Then select the profile for the person or business you are looking for. You then have the choice to send them a message to ask about their contact information or reviewing the information they have listed publicly on their profile to find what you need.
Try a People Search Tool
A people search tool is a convenient way to figure out all of the contact information you can about a person. An online people search tool uses the name and location of a person to search public records and compile a report. This report will contain information such as email addresses, phone numbers, and mailing addresses, making it easy to access the contact information you need.
Utilize the USPS
You may not know it, but the USPS provides a simple way to figure out what a person’s mailing address is. All you need to do for this method is address a letter to the last-known address of a person and write “address service requested” on the envelope before mailing it. The USPS will forward the letter if the individual leaves a forwarding address, and they will tell you the new mailing address.
However, it’s important to note that this forwarding only works within the first 18 months of someone’s address change. Speak with your local post office to learn more detailed information about this method of finding contact information.
Search LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a great place to find contact information for businesses or the employee contact information of certain individuals. Simply log into LinkedIn, search for the person or business you are trying to contact and view their profile. If they have a phone number or email publicly listed, you will be able to see it by viewing their information.
Keep in mind that LinkedIn does inform users when others have viewed their profile, and individuals that pay for premium on LinkedIn can see the identity of every individual that has viewed their profile. If you are trying to keep your search more subtle, you may want to avoid this method.
Conduct Internet Searches
Internet searches are an easy way to find contact information about a person or a business. Utilize your favorite internet browser for this method, and type the name of the person or business into the search bar. You can further direct your search by adding a location or employment information about a person. Run the search and review the results, but keep in mind that the further back in search pages you navigate, the less likely your search results are to be completely accurate.
Speak to Mutual Friends and Family
Mutual friends and family often provide an easy way to locate the contact information of a person you may have lost contact with over the years. Ask around at your next family or friend gathering and see if anyone present has the contact information you need. However, you should be prepared for news of you asking about someone’s contact information to get back to them, so make sure you are okay with the person knowing that you wish to reach out.
Visit In Person
With many businesses, you may be able to visit a corporate or branch office in person and find the contact information you need. Speak to a staff member that works at reception or any other staff member willing to help and see if they can direct you toward finding the contact information you need.
Access Public Records
Public records often hold vital information about someone’s mailing address, email address, or phone number. You may be able to access the public records you need via an online portal for a county records office or through a property tax office, as the proper mailing address and names of owners are typically listed on these records. From there, you can conduct further searches with the information you learned or use the contact information to reach out to the person in question.
FAQs About Finding Contact Information
The following answers to the most frequently asked questions about finding contact information will help you put to rest any remaining concerns or worries about this process.
Is It Legal To Search for Contact Information?
It is legal to search for contact information, though some individuals may feel strange about doing so. However, as long as you are using legal search methods to find the information you need and only using the contact information you find for your own personal needs, it is legal to locate publicly available contact information. Make sure you keep in mind that using the contact information you have found to plan or commit crimes will land you in legal trouble.
Is Finding a Business’s Contact Information Different?
Finding a business’s contact information isn’t that different from finding an individual’s contact information. Both search methods involve using what you know about the business or person to locate their online presence or presence in public records. However, with businesses, you may be able to visit a location in person to ask about contact information for the person you are trying to reach or the general corporate contact information.
You can use address lookup tools, reverse business searches, and phone number lookups to accurately find contact information for a business as needed.
What if I Can’t Find Accurate Contact Information?
If you are having trouble finding accurate contact information, the problem might be that you are utilizing a name or location for a business or person that is incorrect. Check your search for typos or other errors, and contact friends and family members when possible to confirm the name of the person you are searching for.
Keep in mind that a person might have changed their name in the months or years since you have contacted them, which does make it more difficult to find accurate contact information about them. In cases like this, you might want to consider more intensive search methods, such as hiring a private investigator.
Should I Hire a Private Investigator?
Hiring a private investigator is often one of the last search methods to try when you are attempting to find contact information. A private investigator is best used to find the contact information of a person, and you will need to pay a private investigator around $50 to $150 an hour for their services—though this could be more. Private investigators can be helpful when it comes to locating a person quickly and helping you find contact information, such as addresses or places of employment.
You may want to consider hiring a private investigator when circumstances that require a quick, accurate search, such as collecting debt or serving court documents, call for it.
Is It Normal To Pay Fees To Access Contact Information?
In general, you should expect to pay nominal fees when accessing contact information if you are doing so through a federal or government public records portal. You may also need to pay fees to access historical or archived records, but you should always double-check the website to ensure it’s legitimate.
Avoid scams and paying astronomical fees by checking the legitimacy of a website before inputting your payment information. Never download software or give away bank information, social security information, or credit card details without ensuring you are using a verified website that will provide the services it claims to give.
What if Someone Doesn’t Respond to My Contact?
If you’ve obtained someone’s contact information and reached out to them, you must be prepared for the eventuality that they will not respond to your contact. Just finding someone’s contact information and reaching out to them doesn’t mean that they are obligated to respond, and if the person you are looking for no longer wants to maintain a relationship with you, you will need to accept that. Do not push the matter, continue contact, or attempt to harass the individual into responding, as this may create legal issues.
If you have contacted a business and they don’t respond, you may need to escalate it to someone higher up in the company to obtain the response you are looking for. And if you are trying to contact someone for legal matters, make sure to direct all contact through the court system or your legal representation to ensure that all correspondence is on record and legal.
Accessing the Contact Information You Need
Accessing the contact information you need to know shouldn’t be a difficult process, and when you start your search using the methods on our list, you can easily track down all the contact details you might want to know.
Make sure that you take your time to investigate all of the applicable search methods we suggest, as you never know which will provide you with the best contact information, and always be cautious when utilizing online websites to conduct research. Never hand out your own personal information without scrutiny, and always be prepared for the person you find contact information for not to respond. Keeping these items in mind will allow you to conduct your contact information search easily and realistically.
