what to ask and look for in a private investigator.
 

Hello.
Anyone have experience in hiring a private Investigator?
Besides the obvious, how do you actually find out their credibility and competance?

Look for a guy with a dank office in a bad part of town that wears a fedora.

Yes yes expected this.

Waiting for.......Chief Inspector Jacques Clouseau to chime in as well.

Clouseau was a policeman....

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1368166216.jpg

My neighbor is a PI. He seem to enjoy his job a lot and always busy.

It's a bit like hiring a lawyer. You'll know they're "right" for you when you meet him or her.

IME... The most competent PIs are women. I know this is a very general comment but I really think it's true.

For various reasons over the years I've hired PIs on 4 different occasions.

The first time was over ten years ago when I hired and very "Ditsy" looking blond to follow my ex interstate.
She was based in the other state and I never saw what she looked like until she had delivered the info.
Imagine a very young looking version of Pamela Anderson with big hair but without the bolt-ons.
And she got the job done. She provided incredible detail and info on what my ex was doing on her weekend interstate trips.
Things like what my ex ordered for dinner and the names and details of the people she was meeting up with including their home addresses and contact details.
To this day I still don't know how she did all of that and not get discovered.

The other three times was do with real estate deals and investigating neighbours prior to making an offer on a property.
All three were men and although competent lacked the detail the first lady did.

Glass eye and a trench coat are good qualifiers.

Seriously.

:)

Look for bunny ears and a sidearm

I would think a list of 6 recent customers. see what they had to say

Don't waste your money. Seriously.

[QUOTE=sc_rufctr;7433737]It's a bit like hiring a lawyer. You'll know they're "right" for you when you meet him or her.

IME... The most competent PIs are women. I know this is a very general comment but I really think it's true.

For various reasons over the years I've hired PIs on 4 different occasions.

The first time was over ten years ago when I hired and very "Ditsy" looking blond to follow my ex interstate.
She was based in the other state and I never saw what she looked like until she had delivered the info.

This suggestion makes good sense. Who would suspect a woman of being a PI?
Good luck Mike!

To some of the humorous responders on this thread if I was looking for a clown or comedian I know where to find one......:)

If this is regarding your custody battle, have you discussed this with your lawyer, and discussed the specific legal goal you're looking for?

_

Because the PI I hired was in a city 500 miles from me I went through the yellow pages, got some names, checked with the BBB, looked at years in business, etc and that narrowed it down to three. I called them all talked for a minute or so, and I found one I liked.

Licensed, insured and take a look at the resume. Having a career as an LEO doesn't mean they are the best. Sometimes the better PI is the maverick that doesn't think like a cop.

"What to ask and look for in a private investigator?"

Does your dog bite?