Hiring a private investigator can reap you a lot of benefits, but finding the right one can seem impossible. For whatever reason you need a PI, you should definitely do some research to avoid the most common mistakes people do when they want to hire one. You do not want someone inexperienced to ruin your chances of finding the truth. You might be close to finding the right evidence and the wrong private investigator might make the wrong choices.

So, to help you make your decision easier, we have made a list of the worst mistakes people make when hiring a PI. But, before we get into the details about this subject, you should first understand in which circumstances you should consider hiring one.

Why would you need one?

In these modern times, finding a job that pays well to keep you and your family sustainable is a bit difficult. Many companies require you to have a lot of previous experience, various diplomas and knowledge just to get hired even for the most basic position.

Naturally, in these times, to provide for yourself and for your family you will probably have to work a lot more than usual. You might get stuck working overtime for more than the usual average of eight hours a day. Sometimes it is going to be ten, sometimes twelve or even fourteen hours. Working overtime to bring food at the table while taking care of your children can seem impossible which is why you probably have considered hiring a nanny, maid or a cook. These kinds of services can be very useful, especially if you regularly leave your children at home alone.

However, as you probably already know, humans are not always reliable and trustworthy. You do not want to leave your children alone with just any stranger. Just because you have hired them from a reliable agency does not mean that they are a reliable person. How can you know if the agency has done a proper background check on this new maid you have hired?

Well, if you want to do extensive research on this person, your only option is to hire a private investigator who will be able to find out everything you want to know. All information they gather will be from a reliable source and accurate, unlike the information the agency provided you with. A good and experienced PI does not get emotionally attached or does not care about higher morals. He/she will do the job, no matter what it is. Of course, only if it is within the law and not something illegal.

So, how can you find an expert investigator if you do not have any experience in this area? Well, to help you, here is our list of the biggest mistakes you should avoid.

1. Forget to ask the PI about his/her previous cases

Every single PI has had some kind of background with other investigation cases whether they have been in the police force previously or had some other experience. But, since every experience is different, that means they are specialized in different areas. Some might be good at finding a missing person and others might be skilled in discovering the deepest secrets of a company. Some would prefer to work throughout the night to go unnoticed while others like to hide in plain sight throughout the day.

So, if you relate with our nanny/maid example, then you probably need a PI that feels more comfortable working through the day since they need to spy on your nanny while she is working nine to five.

However, do not believe a private investigator everything that tells you. How will you know if they are truthful or not? They might tell you they have had hundreds of cases in the past while in reality, they haven’t had a single one. This is why you must not make the mistake of not asking for proof of their previous work. If you are looking for an experienced PI agency, check out Robison Legal Services.

2. Not meeting them in person

Another huge mistake that a lot of people do is that they fail to meet up with their private investigator in person. You simply cannot come to a decision whether you should trust someone with your money if you do not meet them in person, especially when it comes to a private investigator. You need to see them in their eyes to determine whether they are lying to you or not and analyze their body language to understand whether they will be able to handle the work you give them.

3. Look for cheap PI

This is one is also something that a lot of people are wrong about. Many people believe that every private investigator is equal, so paying for someone that has much more expensive fees does not make any sense. This couldn’t be more wrong. There is a good reason why some of those PIs charge such a low fee. They probably do not have any kind of guarantee and experience. There is a high risk that they won’t be able to find any kind of information about the investigation you have started and that they may even ruin your chances of finding anything.

So, make sure that you do not make your pick based on the price.

4. Forget about refund guarantee

Many successful private investigators will offer their clients a full payback guarantee if they fail to make any progress in the investigation. They give you this offer because most of their investigations are successful, so they won’t have to worry about giving the money back.

However, inexperienced PIs have no confidence in their investigation abilities which is probably why they won’t offer you such a service. So, if you are determined to hire a PI you should definitely find one that lists refund guarantee as one of the features of their services.

5. Unlicensed PI

The single most important mistake you should never make is to hire someone who doesn’t have an official license. An unlicensed PI might ruin your investigations and might even get you in legal trouble which is not something you want.