[Infowarrior] - Raw Deal: The fee for 411

[Richard Forno]

Raw Deal: The fee for 411
Tuesday October 23, 10:25 am ET
By Jessica Dickler, CNNMoney.com staff writer
http://biz.yahoo.com/cnnm/071023/102207_raw_deal_411.html?.v=4

Can't remember the number of the restaurant you wanted to go to for dinner,
or the name of that movie theater around the corner? Before you dial
directory assistance from your cell phone, think for a minute about what it
will cost you.

Wireless carriers such as Verizon Wireless, Sprint and AT&T charge $1.49 to
$1.79 a pop, plus air time, roaming, long distance charges and state and
local taxes. All that adds up to a hefty sum at the end of the month, and a
steep annual expense.

Indeed, Americans paid about $7.9 billion in 411 charges in 2006, according
to industry analyst Kathleen Pierz -- a lot of money for just a little
information.

And fees for directory assistance calls are actually on the rise. Earlier
this year, Sprint raised its 411 fee to $1.79 from $1.49. Last year, AT&T
upped its fee to $1.79 and in 2005, Verizon Wireless boosted its charge to
$1.49 from $1.25.

Wireless carriers often justify these steep charges by pointing to the
additional information their directory assistance may provide, like a
reverse number look-up, movie show times and driving directions. But who
really uses those? Chances are you are just looking for the stuff that's
found in the yellow pages.

In fact, many consumers still expect a simple number look-up to be free.
"You would be surprised by how many people don't realize that they are
getting charged [for wireless directory assistance]," said Lynn Chitow
Oakes, senior vice president of marketing of Jingle Networks. Her company
operates 1-800-FREE-411, which looks up over 20 million numbers a month for
callers willing to listen to advertisements.

So how can you scale down your surcharges?

In the competitive world of wireless carriers, some outfits offer less
expensive options for 411. "If 411 is important to you, there may be a
carrier out there with a competitive package," offered Joseph Farren, a
spokesman for CTIA-The Wireless Association, a trade group representing the
wireless telecommunications industry. For example, T-Mobile and Verizon
Wireless currently offer the least expensive options of all the major
carriers.

But nothing is as cheap as free. There are a number of competitors, like
1-800-FREE-411, that have popped up in recent years hoping to take a bite
out of the directory assistance market. There are trade-offs however.

To use 1-800-FREE-411, information seekers must listen to an advertisement
before and after submitting their request to find a phone number -- and they
have to speak to an automated system instead of live operators. And FREE-411
won't automatically connect callers to the number they're trying to reach -
so have a pen handy.

Google also launched a free 411 service, 1-800-GOOG-411, earlier this year.
Again, it can take a while for the automated assistant to understand your
inquiry. But on the plus side, you can get connected automatically or have
the information texted directly to your cell - no No. 2 pencil necessary.

And don't forget pay phones. Sure, they may be antiquated, but they're still
the best 411 deal around -- dialing 1, plus the area code, plus 555-1212
gets you free directory assistance. Just pack some Purell.

Ticketmaster, ATM fees, cable charges...consumers get ripped off everyday.
Do you think you've been the victim of another raw deal? Email your stories
and suggestions to rawdeal at cnnmoney.com.