This is likely to be your first time looking for a Private Investigator and we need to make you feel as comfortable and confident as possible.  We do this by offering a free telephone consultation to a) gain the best understanding of your situation and b) explain how we may be able to help and exactly what would be involved.

Once we understand your situation and have explained what is likely to be involved, the decision is yours to make, with no further pressure from us.  However, your individual case, or set of circumstances could be time sensitive.

No, you are not breaking the law by instructing a Private Investigator. However, to expect to hire one for the purpose of asking them to do something which is illegal is not sensible.  A proficient and professional investigator would refuse your instruction should you ask them to do something illegal.

The short answer is NO.  In addition; during the consultation, we will arrange the best contact method’s and will never send anything to your postal address without your prior consent.

Unlike Security Guards, currently there is no legal requirement for a Private Investigator to be licenced in the UK.  There are however Associations which do promote the licencing of Private Investigators and follow a strict code of ethics to which the members adhere.  One of those associations is The Association of British Investigators, which is endorsed by the Law Society of England & Wales and included in the Law Society of Scotland’s approved Supplier Scheme.  Speak to us about our memberships.

Do they have any Private Investigation qualifications from a recognised education body? Have they been Disclosure & Barring Service checked (formerly known as CRB – Criminal Records Bureau)?  Are they registered with the ICO (Information Commissioner’s Office) and data protection compliant?

If you have a vision of a male in a trench coat, donning a fedora hat and glasses, then you may need to think again.  Due to the varying nature of assignments that Private Investigators will work on, there is no typical ‘look’ or outfit style.  The trick is to be flexible to any type of changing situation on any given day. Even Investigators may not know what is just around the next corner.

In a digital world it’s vital you check the URL (the address in the bar at the top of the website). If it begins with “https” instead of “http” it means the site is secured using an SSL Certificate (the ‘S’ stands for secure). SSL Certificates secure all of your data as it is passed from your browser to the website’s server.  You will see the Fox Robinson Investigations site has https and consequently is secured using an SSL Certificate.

Each case is completely different and needs to be tailored to the clients’ individual requirements. Therefore, at the consultation stage when we have an understanding of your needs and how we can help, we can advise you of our fees.  You can be confident the agreed fee for the service will be put in writing, unless of course you have already explained you do not wish this to happen.

The simplest and most commonly used method is to pay by bank transfer.

No. To facilitate complete peace of mind in this area, our ‘Investigations’ trading name will not show up on any statements.

This is where your due diligence, homework, questioning, background checks, whatever you wish to call it will work in your favour.  Is the Investigator bound by the terms of membership to an Association, one with a strict code of ethics? An Association that is endorsed by the Law Society of England & Wales and included in the Law Society of Scotland’s Approved Supplier Scheme?

Reputation is everything in business, speak to us about our memberships AND our resolutions process.

No, but it could place you in an unfortunate situation to hire an Investigator that is not insured.  In line with all UK industry standards, and as part of our Association memberships, Fox Robinson Investigations have the required insurance policies in place.

No. Although our Police and other ex-forces are highly trained in certain areas which can be helpful, Investigators come from all walks of life and career backgrounds.  Again, there is no such thing as ‘typical’ when it comes to a Private Investigator.

It’s a rare occurrence, but never say “never” A conflict of interests could be something as simple as an Investigator has already accepted instructions from a party or person involved in a new instruction. The Investigator may know the party or person you wish to be investigated.  If a conflict of interest does occur, a professional, ethical Investigator would explain the need to decline an instruction.