Why You Should Use a Private Investigator
Video transcript:
So you need to conduct a people search, but you’re not sure how to get started. You’ve probably run an internet search and found sites promising free access, billions of public records and accurate information. This seems like a great option, right? Not exactly. This probably isn’t the best option for you.
Here’s why: When you take a closer look at these websites, you’ll notice that there is a starting cost, that you are required to sign up for an account and that you are agreeing to be solicited for other services. That’s not the case with the private investigator.
Here: We’ll do a breakdown of how the information on these websites can be used, what information is available and how much of that information is accurate. When it comes to use of information, there are three things you should know.
First, information found on these sites cannot be shared with a third party including an attorney. Second, the results cannot be used to determine eligibility for things like employment and rental agreements. And third, the results cannot be copied or redistributed even for reports or presentations. If your needs fall under these limitations, you’ll already want to start working with the private investigator.
Next, let’s look at available information. Each of these websites appears to have a lot of information available but also say that results may be incomplete or inaccurate. A private investigator can access all of the same information and more. But how much of this information is helpful for a people search? And how do you know the information is accurate?
The reality is you probably don’t know what information is going to be helpful and it’s worth noting that all of the information on these websites is computer-generated and not screened for relevance or accuracy. This is why it makes more sense to work the private investigator instead.
A private investigator will focus on understanding the purpose of your search, finding and verifying information only relevant to the goal of your case, meeting any deadlines and requirements, and following all laws and regulations.
Private investigators also know how to verify information. But what about these websites? As a test, we ran a search on a member of our team. Here’s what we found: A home purchased five months before the search wasn’t listed on the website. The current address listed was the wrong one. That’s pretty crucial information for a people search. To compare, we ran the same search on databases only private investigators can access. The correct address was the first one to come up every time. The accuracy of these websites is always going to be one big question mark.
Let’s take one more look at cost. You have the cost for the website search, the cost to have the information verified, hundreds of dollars in extra hassle if bad information causes court delays, and up to a thousand dollars in fines if you’re accessing information without a license.
So why not hire a private investigator? If you’re looking for verified information that meets your needs without additional cost, the solution is simple. Hire a private investigator for your people search.
