Answering frequently asked questions

Why should I hire a private investigator and what can they do that I can’t?

At Private Detective Manchester we often get asked what a private investigator does, and why a professional private detective is a better bet than doing your own investigations. Here are some of the questions we answer regularly for our investigation clients.

 

How do private detectives find out information I can’t find myself?

There are a number of ways this can be done. There are subscription databases not available to the general public, there is the private detective’s own network and contacts who may share information with him or her that they wouldn’t give to others and there is the large role that on-the-ground investigation plays in uncovering facts and exploring leads.  Above all though, private investigators have the training and experience to look at information and see a pattern that can be pursued to a successful conclusion.

Why should I hire a private investigator and what can they do that I can’t

Why is it better to use a recognised private detective agency?

A professional private investigator with a substantial track record in successful cases will be a real advantage in a number of ways. First, that detective’s evidence-gathering, and if necessary court testimony, will be invaluable. Their reputation will back up your case and support you arguments. Second, a top-class private detective will have a huge network of contacts and colleagues they can call on to support your case. These two reasons alone make it vital to know who is handling your case – inferior agencies outsource their work to private detectives who have little or no training or experience, leading to inadmissible evidence and no ability to investigate your concerns on a professional level. We only work with our in-house team, whose skills are high and whose probity is unmatched.

 

What can’t my private detective do?

Although we may have the ability to access information not available to the average person and although our surveillance and counter-surveillance skills are exceptional, there are still things we can’t do, even though TV detectives do them all the time!

We can’t:

  • Pretend to be policemen or members of the emergency services
  • Tap phones 
  • Obtain phone, bank or computer records by lying or hacking
  • Trespass on private property.

 

Will my investigator just repeat the police investigation?

No. The police have one way of working and private detectives have another. Police officers, for example, may have a number of cases at a time and must divide their hours between them all. An experienced private detective will be working on your case with focus and commitment, not side-tracked to do paperwork or even forced to take annual leave in the middle of a complex investigation or surveillance!

 

Will my private detective be legal?

Absolutely yes.We ensure that all our investigations comply with the law in every regard in whatever country and jurisdiction our private detectives find themselves in.