When I try to locate friends  or family to find out where they live,
if they are still alive etc, all  I find are expensive web sites that
want $9.00 or more for the information.  I can't believe that these
web sites such as detective etc don't have access to free information
from various government agencies such as births, deaths locations etc.
I am 73 now & I can not afford to go paying for every bit of
information I may want. Any ideas? Thank you

Hi there,

In general, software like Net Detective will not provide you with any
information you cannot find for free online. They are more like a
directory that makes it a bit easier, but ultimately many of the
things they claim you can find require extra fees.

In general any web service, like US Search, that you find for less
than $50 is automated, and wil provide addresses that are typically a
few years old. They are only of use if the relatives haven't changed
address for a while, and are not listed in the phone book. Nine times
out of ten you can find the same information elsewhere for free

It is possible to locate people using the Internet, for free. I am
well practised in this area and it typically takes me several hours.
It can get very confusing, with no set or linear path to follow.

These are the free information resources I recommend: 

- use http://www.AnyBirthday.com to get a location if you know their
birth date.

- use US Search, Intelius and DogPile People Finder to search for
them, but don't pay, just look at the preliminary information they
provide. By combining all three you should be able to narrow down
where they lived recently. Intelius is great because it shows who they
were living with, and dates the details.

http://www.ussearch.com
http://www.intelius.com
http://www.people-finders.ws/Processor.asp?site=8&from=1016

- use http://www.SearchSystems.net at state and county level for all
the free public records that might locate them. Especially useful are
property records, if there is a chance your relatives own their own
home.

- use the free software from http://www.Argali.com to search all the
phone directories. It is ad-supported but otherwise very friendly,
safe, fast and reliable.

- for death records, use the free service at
http://ssdi.genealogy.rootsweb.com/

If I cannot find anyone using the above, I then use the paid service
at:
http://locateme.com/member.htm
The $199 annual fee is good value if you are trying to locate a large
number of people.



Best wishes,
robertskelton-ga