Blog ~ Private Eye’s, Pros and Cons 👀
Introduction
The private eye. The shamus. The snoop. It's a profession that has been around for more than 150 years that is most often shrouded. While most relate PI's to TV shows like Charlie's Angels, Magnum PI, or books like Agatha Christie Orient Express, Sherlock Holmes, it all can be romanticized with mystery and intrigue. With all this mystery behind PI's, there are still many good reasons people hire private eyes today—from finding missing persons to catching cheating spouses to uncovering corporate fraud. Before hiring a PI, it's essential to understand what a PI can do for you, what they can't do, and how to ensure you get someone who will do quality work on your case. Let's take a closer look at the upsides and downsides of hiring a PI.:
The first step in good reporting is good snooping. ~ Author: Matt Drudge
Pros
You can find out a lot of information about someone, including their physical location and the people they associate with
You can verify whether or not a person is telling the truth
You can prove that a person has been cheating on you (if so)
You can verify whether or not a person has been lying about their past
You can uncover hidden assets
Cons
PIs can be expensive. It's not uncommon for a PI to charge $100 per hour or more, so if you have a case that takes months or years, the costs can add up very quickly.
PIs may not be able to help you, and some cases are beyond the scope of PIs if your problem is related to criminal defense. For example, it may require an attorney rather than a private investigator to handle it properly.
PIs may not be reliable. When you hire someone as an expert witness for your case (as some PIs are), there will be legal consequences if they provide false testimony under oath or fail to show up at trial. Certain Circumstances could arise and cause this to happen with your PI. Unfortunately, testimony is thrown out by the judge because it could be false or fabricated after-the-fact (or worse), then all that money and effort went down the drain!
Tips for finding an excellent private eye
Ask for credentials. An excellent private eye will be able to provide you with proof of their training, education, and experience. This will help you make sure that they are qualified to handle your case, and it will also let you know of any disciplinary actions taken against them that could affect their performance and integrity.
Ask for references. References from past clients can tell you how well a private investigator did on a given case and whether or not they were honest in his work and billing practices.
Get a fee schedule in writing. Most PIs charge by the hour, but some may charge by the day or even the project (for example, if you're paying them to find missing persons). The firm should clarify exactly all expenditures and what they are for so you're prepared for any unexpected charges later on down the road. When the PI Firm has finished up with all their investigations but still needs more time to put together everything they found during their searches—they should explain this in the contract, so you have no unnecessary charges.
Hiring a PI may or may not be suitable for you.
You should consider hiring a private investigator if you suspect someone has done something wrong or if you're worried about your safety.
Pros:
They can find out information that you need to know. Some examples include whether your spouse is cheating on you, who stole your car, what happened to your missing child, etc. PIs are trained in investigative techniques and have access to the resources necessary for such cases.
They will give you the facts straight up without any sugar coating. Some people don't want their personal life exposed or scrutinized by strangers—but when it comes down to it, sometimes we have no choice but to hire one in order not only because we need answers but also because our lives depend on them (for example if we suspect there's been fraud committed). In these situations where our lives are at stake, nothing else sometimes matters except getting those answers right away, even if their conclusions may not be what we wanted them to be!
Conclusion
In the end, hiring a PI is a personal choice. Not sure whether or not a PI is suitable for you; talk to someone you trust and see what they think. A private investigator can be invaluable in helping to solve your problem.
Pierce the Veil Investigations
www.piercetheveilinvestigations.com
757-535-9087
Check out these products, I am not an affiliate yet but here are some products that you can check out.
Disclaimer: Pierce the Veil Investigations is not responsible for misuse of any recommended products that are used illegally in the Commonwealth of Virginia, please check the laws to see if you're using the products legally.