Question 1

How much does it cost to find someone?

Accepted Answer

Each case does vary in cost because our fee will depend on a few factors:
How old is the data that you have?
How much data do you have?
What are the circumstances that you have lost touch?
 
We offer a free 30 minute consultation by phone and will then provide you with a written NO-OBLIGATION quotation which is valid for 30 days. Most cases of this type are offered on a no-find, no-fee basis.

Question 2

I can't see that you offer the service that I require

Accepted Answer

We offer such a wide range of services that it is not possible to list them all here. Please do not hesitate to contact us to ask. We are very often able to help when the client believes it is not possible.

Question 3

Is this confidential?

Accepted Answer

In every case we undertake we will only give out information about you if we have a duty to do so by law. Otherwise you can be assured than any information you give us will be kept completely confidential.
 
We will not keep your information for any longer than is necessary and will take steps to ensure that it is kept up to date. You have a right under the Data Protection Act 1998 to ask what information we hold about you.

Your confidentiality is guaranteed to be the highest priority of your Private Investigator throughout the duration of the case.

Question 4

Will the person I am investigating know that I am looking for them?

Accepted Answer

Nobody should ever be able tell that they are being investigated by our Private Detectives. Our services are completely private, discreet and confidential.
 
If you investigating someone close to you, we advise that you create a new email account to communicate with us; furthermore, you should delete messages, call logs and any other trace of our communications. We provide payment methods that leave not trace on your statements.

We never give out information if someone calls us and asks about our clients.

Question 5

Is it legal?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Private Detectives Corporation has access to tens of thousands of records, be they financial, property records, criminal records and more. None of the resources you will access through our service are illegal nor will any Private Investigator working for us commit any illegal acts.
 
We are licensed under the Data Protection Act 2018.

Question 6

How long will my investigation take?

Accepted Answer

This really does depend on the service required. We always give a rough estimate of the timings involved during our initial consultation.
 
If your case is time critical, please inform us before proceeding; we will give it priority.

Question 7

What are the payment terms and methods?

Accepted Answer

We are happy to accept payments via Credit Card, Cheque, Bank Transfer, PayPal and other Online Payment methods.

As a matter of discretion all payments, whether Credit Card, Cheque, Bank Transfer or Online Payment, will be made payable to Zookx Limited - so our trading style of Private Detective Corporation will NOT appear on any statements. Please contact us for quotations regards our rates and costs - these vary, dependant on the case and its details, so we are unable to quote fees online.

Question 8

What guarantee is there?

Accepted Answer

In most cases, we are happy to provide a 100% written guarantee before proceeding. 
 
Our goal with each case is to meet and exceed our clients stated objectives through an accurate, professional, thorough and cost effective investigation.

We do our best to provide the highest quality investigative resources, however sometimes it may simply not be possible find the results that you are looking for, if the results do not exist. An example of this would be surveillance; if the subject that we are following doesn't leave home, we are unable to follow him/her.

Question 9

How do you find people?

Accepted Answer

In addition to using the regular data base services available to most private investigators and information providers, we have developed our own proprietary databases and sources.

We also, whenever possible, attempt to contact associates, friends, neighbours, employers, creditors and others that may have knowledge of the subject, if this is appropriate in your case.

Question 10

What do you need from me to get started?

Accepted Answer

This depends on the service that is required.

For example, if we were being asked to locate a missing person we would like to know any or all of the following:
Full name
Last known address
National Insurance number
Date of birth
The names of relatives, previous employers and friends
We specialise in taking on cases with very limited or old information, so don't worry if you don't have much of the above data.
 
If we were providing surveillance services to you, the following is typically requested, but again, not necessary:
Recent photos
Addresses
Car registration numbers
Intelligence relating to the subject of the enquiry
Any other info.

Question 11

How soon can you start?

Accepted Answer

We endeavor to start work on your case soon as you contact us and we have received your instructions. Of course, this will depend on the service required and the specific circumstances of your case.

Question 12

What areas do you cover?

Accepted Answer

We are headquartered in the UK, offering a full national service. When required, we will either travel abroad at short notice, or liaise with our international agents to cover almost all countries around the globe.

Question 13

What are your working hours?

Accepted Answer

Our office typically operates a five day, 9-6pm week. However the nature of our business often leads us to work whatever hours are required by the task in hand.

You can contact us via e-mail 24 hours a day or, please don't hesitate to call us outside office hours, on +44 (0)7976 444 444

Question 14

Surveillance - how does it work?

Accepted Answer

Covert surveillance is often crucial for both corporate and domestic clients and may be used for a variety of reasons. Some of the common uses would be for infidelity, employee absenteeism, theft and criminal activity. In most cases, the objective is to gather intelligence and evidence of an individual's activities. Surveillance is often the only way to gather a particular type of intelligence or evidence, such as a cheating partner or an employee that is claiming to be suffering from a bad back.

Surveillance is easy and simple to set up. Usually, in most domestic cases, two operatives are used to follow the subject. One operative is the 'driver' of a vehicle and the other operative is the 'footman'. The footman is also the cameraman. We nearly always advise using a vehicle, even if the subject that we are following is not driving; this is because it is always possible that the subject may be picked up by someone, take a taxi, or bus, and would need to be followed. Having a vehicle is necessary when our operatives need to wait nearby a property that the subject is in; it isn't practical to have operatives standing around on the pavement for sometimes hours.

Each case will vary due to the circumstances and the individual objectives. Therefore, the number of operatives required will also vary. In most domestic cases, we use two, but sometimes may advise using only one for cost reasons. We are always cost conscious and will offer the most efficient solution for the task.

Our operatives use the latest state of the art equipment to obtain high quality footage of the subject's activities.

Our reports are produced to court standards, and if necessary, we will come to court and give evidence. Our standard hourly rate applies.

Surveillance is charged by the hour. If a vehicle is provided, we charge a nominal fee per mile travelled. Any expenses incurred (in many cases there are none) are passed on at our cost price. Typical expenses may include sundry items, such as a drink or meal, if we have to follow the subject in to a bar or restaurant.

Electronic surveillance is the use of electronic devices to gather intelligence and evidence. This includes but is not limited to listening devices, tracking devices, and covert cameras.

Question 15

Tracing a debtor - how does it work?

Accepted Answer

Tracing debtors is usually more complex than tracing someone you have simply just lost touch with. Debtors are often evasive and may do their best to avoid being traced. They may attempt to cover their tracks by providing false information. We take this all in our stride. We specialise in finding debtors and use methods and techniques that nearly all debtors don't even think of. The vast majority of our debtor tracing cases are offered on a no-find, no-fee basis. That's how confident we are.

Question 16

Finding a missing person

Accepted Answer

Our definition of a missing person is an individual that has gone missing suddenly and is out of character for that person. This type of case is often quite complex because the fact that someone has recently disappeared usually means that there are no electronic records or paper trail for the subject. Naturally, we give priority to these cases over others.

Question 17

Tracing an individual

Accepted Answer

This category is for tracing a subject that does not fall into any of the other categories listed here. This type of search, on the face of it, is a relatively simple job compared to the other types of tracing work that we do. When you have simply just lost touch with someone and need to get back in contact, we can help find that person for you.

Question 18

Tracing a long lost friend/relative

Accepted Answer

This is one of the most rewarding parts of the job that we do. We specialise in tracing long lost friends/relatives, sometimes going back as far as one hundred years or more to find information. Apart from our experience in this type of case, we have access to millions of records which are not in the public domain. Many of our clients have told us that they have spent months or even years searching, only for us to find the subject within days.

Private Detectives Corporation FAQs

Below you’ll find answers to our most commonly asked questions. If you don’t find the answer you are looking for, please contact us or call our Customer Services team on +44 (0)800 043 6667.