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What does it cost to hire a private detective?

The short answer: whatever your budget is! The long answer? You get what you pay for. In all seriousness, it can be hard to understand the way a quote for a private investigator works. You’re not buying a pair of shoes, you’re buying a complex service. Read below to see what you get with a quote for private investigation.

You’re get all the proper licences

The first thing we have to say is that you definitely get what you pay for. The worst case scenario is a full scam. Someone could lie about all sorts of things, but the biggest on is lying about being a qualified private investigator. There’s so much that can go wrong in this scenario, it’s not even funny. If someone runs a private investigation and isn’t licensed, they put themselves (and you!) at risk of being found guilty of multiple crimes, including stalking and invasion of privacy. They can also aggravate a situation. If your unqualified detective botches an investigation and gets caught, suddenly you’re left having to deal with the aftermath of what’s likely a very angry investigatee.

You get a fully legal and insured set-up

Being a private investigator is not cheap. There are expensive licences and insurances like public liability that every private investigator needs to have to cover the risks of the investigation. If you get a super cheap quote, chances are your PI doesn’t have these insurance. And if something goes wrong, it’s likely that it will be you who has to foot the bill!

You’re getting the proper equipment

If you want good quality footage, photos and documentation of your investigation, you want someone with the proper equipment. For example, night vision goggles are not cheap. Neither are high definition/ high frame rate cameras, or bag cams (for discreet indoor surveillance), night vision lenses, high quality audio recording devices, and then the many hundreds of terabytes needed to store all this high quality footage. Plus, a lot of this equipments needs replacing every 6 – 12 months. If your private investigator is cutting costs on equipment, you may pay less, but all you’ll get is a blurry photo and a shrug as they give an excuse as to why they couldn’t get the footage. What’s the point in paying for an investigator if they can’t get you the proof you need?

You’re getting years of experience

It’s the hardest one to spot, but arguable the most important; skill set. Just like you’re a better driver now than you were when you were 18, experience and skill plays a big part in an investigation. When you hire a private investigator with the proper qualification, experience and knowledge of a seasoned professional, you can be confident that you’ll get the results you need. For example, a rookie who’s investigating a cheating partner might try to catch a moment of infidelity on camera. The odds of them catching the moment are slim to none. A skilled detective will know to film the entire exchange so that the vital evidence is videotaped. Then you can freeze frame on the exact moment. Voila! Theres your evidence.

You also get a thorough log of the subject’s movements, itemising and keeping an inventory of everything related to the case so that everything is accounted for. This means nothing will get lost, and that when the investigation comes to an end, you know exactly what your money has gone to. At elite investigations, we make sure you receive a thorough breakdown of everything related to your investigation. Our open book policy means there is full accountability of where your money is going.

So what’s an exact number?

Give us your budget, and we’ll see what we can do for you. Or give us your desired outcome, and we’ll tell you how much it’s likely to cost. But we can’t give you an exact number, because we don’t know your particular circumstances. You want a price tag? Go to target.

The detectives here at Elite Investigations have the highest degree of knowledge, experience and skill you could ever ask for. We know how to get the job done done in the most thorough and cost effective way so that you get what you’re after. If you need a detective you can trust, and results you can count on, give us a call on 1300 721 715 or email info@eliteinvestigations.com.au.