“hello, how much do you charge?”
Private investigators work in totally a dynamic industry where two cases are very, very rarely the same and the ability to box up any type of enquiry and label it with a price tag is impossible.
Sometimes clients have a clear image of what they want the investigator to do but in some cases their “method” is either illegal or, at best, not cost effective. Watching “Spooks” every evening doesn’t really give you a clear understanding of the resource’s available to the PI industry in this country.
Let’s take tracing missing persons for an example, these types of enquiries can take anything from minutes to years and offering a fixed fee would be impossible. A good PI would quote on a trace after hearing the full details that are known about the missing person and then make an hourly/daily rate or block payment to commence investigations.
Our experience will allow us to offer alternatives to clients that they may well not have been aware existed. And therefore, in some cases, bring the cost down.
“I want my husband followed for a week” is not always the best plan to uncover his activities but would be the only method that comes to a clients mind.
And don’t be shocked at the price, we are professionals and run a business and we are realistic with costs. Would you really expect a Plummer or carpenter to work all week in your house for £50?
