Knowing as much as possible about a company before doing business with them online is a wise precaution to take, since you may be about to divulge some of your most private and sensitive information about your situation.
When engaging a private investigator, we recommend speaking to the detective face-to-face and asking these questions:
Whether or not the detective is seasoned
When interviewing a private investigator, inquire about their professional training and experience. Many investigators come from backgrounds in law enforcement or the military, so they bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table.
Do they have a particular area of expertise?
For example, surveillance, people tracking, or fraud investigations may need hiring a detective with specialised training. Other people may have more experience with divorce, personal injury, and absences from work than you have. Take a moment to consider your circumstance and the abilities you will need. If the job will be done entirely in-house or by third parties, you should know who will have access to your private information.
Is the detective in your area?
Many private investigators seem to be able to provide nationwide service. It is possible to make free or low-cost calls to 0800 and 0845 numbers but they may also be used to hide a company’s real address from you. Look for a physical location on the investigator’s website and, if possible, check other directories for the same address to make sure the investigator is who they say they are. As a follow-up, ask to meet with the detective.
Do they have the right insurance coverage?
Ask your investigator whether they have professional indemnity insurance, which is standard practise for any respectable firm.
Making a wise choice in terms of your investigator
Ask whether the investigator you’re dealing with will be directly responsible for your case. Many investigative agencies are regarded as “facilitators” in the industry. This is a crucial fact to remember. Companies or people posing as investigators might emerge all over the nation as facilitators.
To provide this national service, facilitators subcontract their investigations to local private investigators. Sub-contracting or handing over sensitive information to a third party means you will no longer be in charge of your activities.
Private investigators in the United Kingdom are not needed to be licenced at this point in time. If you don’t know anything about the person who will be in charge of your delicate issue, then you must do everything you can to find out.
