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Costs of Hiring a Private Detective
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Hiring someone for such a task should be considered an important investment. This is because handing over the task to the wrong person can cause:
● You, the client, to spend even more as you have to outsource to another person.
● Time wasting, which could lead to you not getting the desired results, even if you outsource to the right person afterwards.
● The most dreaded failure will be for the person you’re following to discover he/she’s been tailed.
Hiring someone for such a task should be considered an important investment. This is because handing over the task to the wrong person can cause:
● You, the client, to spend even more as you have to outsource to another person.
● Time wasting, which could lead to you not getting the desired results, even if you outsource to the right person afterwards.
● The most dreaded failure will be for the person you’re following to discover he/she’s been tailed.
Factors to Consider When Looking For A Private Investigator
To avoid such problems as those above, you must make your findings well before hiring anyone for the job. Here are some factors you should consider before you employ any private investigator:
1. Licensure
In most areas, private investigators have to be licensed before they can practice. For example, private investigators in Ontario have to be licensed either personally or as an agency or work with their agency themselves. Hence, before dealing with any investigator, request to see their licenses or certifications. \
Some states also allow you to check for the licenses of investigators personally. This helps to scan out counterfeits from your choice. For example, in Ontario, every agency or private investigator has to be registered on the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services (MCSCS) database. These registrations are valid for a year.
To verify the license of a private investigator, you can simply check the online Private Security and Investigative Services Licence Registry. You can also verify the license of an agency or the business name of an agency.
2. Is the Private Investigator Professional?
Sometimes being registered is not enough. You have to ensure that the individual organization has a certain level of professionalism that shows they can succeed with your case. Some simple ways of confirming this include checking if they have a website and if their customer care lines are responsive. Also, you can try to find reviews about them online to see the experiences of those who have worked with them in the past.
3. Does the Private Investigator Offer the Type of Service You Need?
Most private investigators or agencies have the scope of services that they offer. Examples of such services include infidelity cases, child paternity cases, fraud investigation, finding missing persons, etc.
How Much Does a Private Investigator Cost?
In most cases, the costs of hiring a private detective are not fixed. It can range from hundreds to thousands of dollars. Basically, the factors that are considered can be divided into three:
1. Hourly or Flate Rate
In most cases, private investigators charge for their services by the hour. They usually use this type of rate for cases that may include surveillance. In this type of cases, the number of hours that will be involved might not be known. Hence, the hourly rate is more appropriate. However, for some more basic, time-bound cases, they use flat rates. Examples include criminal record search or vehicle registration searches.
2. Consumable or Non-Consumable Retainers
In most hourly rate jobs, investigators charge retainer fees which could be divided into types: consumable or non-consumable retainer fees. The consumable retainer fees involve paying the private investigator a fee upfront to use for the course of the job. This fee might not need any additional payments depending on the complexity of the job. On the other hand, the non-consumable fee is just like an agreement for the private investigator to take on the job. The hourly-rate fees will still be paid afterwards. The fees for retainers will depend on the complexity of the job, e.g. the fee for detecting fraud will differ from investigating child paternity cases.
3. Additional Expenses
Apart from both fees mentioned earlier, there are some additional fees private investigators do charge for their services. This may include hotel expenses, transportation costs, etc. Depending on the geographical location and the complexity of the job, the additional expenses could also be on the high side. Inquire from your private investigator about any additional fees before committing.
Some other additional factors that may be required include the number of investigators that might be required, the level of experience required on the job, the urgency with which the job is to be executed.
Whatever choice you do make, ensure there’s are clear lines of communication between you and your private investigator. This will ensure you are not surprised by any additional fees after the job is completed.
