Local New Jersey Private Investigator
Part 1
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Often when people have a need to hire a New Jersey Private investigator they simply initiate a Google Search. Upon doing so the screen is inundated with links to all
sorts of Big Name National Private Investigator Advertising Platforms. During your review of the information contained within these private investigator advertising platforms you find that cleverly marketed private investigation services. Deceptively the advertiser will sell their service by representing they have “thousands” of Private Investigators spread throughout the United States. Among the claims include New Jersey Private Investigators.
I do not doubt the claim of these national advertisers as having “thousands” of Private Investigators. How well do you think these advertising firms will actually service you? Do you really believe these national private investigation-advertisers have a real, true, and close rapport with “thousands” of private investigators? Private Investigators that are spread out across fifty states? Think again, the relationship existing between the national advertiser and the New Jersey Private Investigator begins and ends with the New Jersey Private Investigator having emailed his New Jersey Private Investigator License to the advertiser.
After having provided the New Jersey Private Investigator License there was an “interview” which lasted for seven or eight minutes over the phone. The interview was conducted by a representative of the Private Investigator Advertising Firm. I know this because as part of my undercover investigation for this article it is what I personally discovered.
On another note, how familiar do you think these large out of state private investigator advertising platforms service New Jersey Clients. The staff who answer their switchboards are not familiar with the geography of New Jersey, let alone the applicable laws. Laws which govern both criminal and civil codes that a New Jersey Private Investigator would need to know. This knowledge is very important in order to competently provide clients Private Investigator Services?
These National Private Investigator advertisers promise you the world in terms of pricing. In fact the out of state private investigator firms are significantly more expensive then a New Jersey Private Investigator. These unscrupulous national private investigator firms are currently in-taking and outsourcing voluminous amounts of private investigation work. These national Private Investigator Firms improperly operating in New Jersey are trying to push New Jersey Investigators into accepting the advertisers exorbitant fees for acting as a “Go-Between” for New Jersey Clients and the New Jersey Investigator.
these national private investigator firms are really nothing more than the “UBER” of the private investigator business. There is a slight difference though; UBER offers a cheap service while only screwing their workers, but at least the cars are clean and the drivers are polite. With respect to these National Private Investigator Advertisers, they offer a service that is substantially more expensive then what most New Jersey Private Investigators charge. The client retaining one of these private investigator firms not only gets screwed, but the Investigator also gets worked over (in a financial sense). At least with the UBER platform it is only the driver who gets a financial raw deal.
These nationally based Private Investigator advertisers are able to in-take large amounts of Private Investigation work through highly efficient, attractive and effective advertising. Upon obtaining a client in New Jersey these national advertising firms will simply outsource the assignment to a “Licensed and Insured New Jersey Private Investigator”. The National Private Investigator Advertiser will retain up to 67% of all fees as their “management cut” for handling the case and its outsourcing. The New Jersey Private investigator is only paid 33% of the hourly rate that the client is actually paying, and in most instances your New Jersey Private Investigator is “sub-qualified and that is the reason the investigator is willing to work for 33% of what qualified New Jersey Private Investigators actually earn. When these National Private Investigator firms assign a New Jersey Private Investigator you have no choice as to who is assigned your case
Quick question, while the “Licensed and Insured New Jersey Private Investigator” is only making 33% of an hourly rate, do you honestly believe the New Jersey Private Investigator is going to provide you with good services? If you believe you will receive proper attention from this under-paid Investigator, I have a bridge to sell you; hold that thought, more on this further in Part 2. Don’t retain the wrong New Jersey Private Investigator that turns out to be a dog!!!
Has anyone yet noticed that I make a point (perhaps to the level of annoyance) of using the terms “New Jersey Licensed Private Investigator” and “National Advertising Firm”? Of course you noticed, the reason is that these flashy national advertising firms who are in-taking large amounts of New Jersey Private Investigator work through massive advertising spending and flashy ad campaigns are not Licensed to conduct business in New Jersey as Private Investigators. By the laws in New Jersey which apply to the Private Investigation Business (see below) it is illegal to advertise in New Jersey for Private Investigation Services unless you are licensed to provide those Services. However, these large unscrupulous advertisers selling Private Investigation Services as an “intermediary” are not licensed through the New Jersey State Police as a Private Investigation firm. How do you think that will work out for you if something goes wrong with your case and you are civilly sued by the subject of the investigation that had been initiated by you?
Applicable law:
N.J.S.A. 45:19-10: License to conduct business, violation of Section as a misdemeanor
https://www.state.nj.us/dca/divisions/dlgs/resources/attorney_docs/ag_11-1978.pdf
No person, firm, association or corporation shall engage in the private detective business or as a private detective or investigator or advertise his or its business to be a private detective business or that of a detective agency or investigator without having first obtained from the superintendent a license to conduct such business, as hereinafter provided. Any person, firm, association or corporation who shall violate any of the provisions of this Section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.
When a client contracts a New Jersey Private Investigator through an out-of-state private investigator advertising firm, you only talk to the initial representative of the advertiser who is essentially a salesperson. After entrusting this unlicensed person with your confidential information you will be told that you will have the (advertising) firms expertise in managing your case during the course of the investigation. However, the real purpose is to separate you from your money and to prevent you from choosing your own New Jersey Private Investigator. Once the unlicensed private investigator advertising agency representative gets the clients case, details of the case are sent out by text message to ALL New Jersey Private Investigators on the advertising platform. The text message informs that the first private investigator to text back gets the case!!! Do really want to pick your New Jersey Private Investigator in this manner?
For this investigative article I contacted one of these “MAJOR” providers of National Private Investigator Services that currently advertises heavily in New Jersey. This is a summary of what I found out by calling the firm with the pretext of retaining a New Jersey Private Investigator for an infidelity case:
It is so very important you perform your due diligence in the selection of your New Jersey Private Investigator, one of the best methods is to obtain a New Jersey Private Investigator with references.
When a person needs a New Jersey Private Investigator it is usually for a very serious issue, do not leave such an important decision to some advertiser who is skimming 67% off the top of fees you pay them to “manage your case”. It is essential to do your own research. New Jersey has many qualified licensed and fully insured Private Investigators with websites which will provide you information to assist you in deciding which Licensed New Jersey Private Investigator is the right fit for you and the problem you need addressed.
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In Part 2 of this article I will continue the discussion on how the client gets “screwed” when he or she makes the decision to hire a private investigator through a national advertiser who promises to “connect” you with a Licensed New Jersey Private Investigator.
About the author: Bob Cowan is the owner of Cowan Investigations a full-service New Jersey Private Investigations Firm, Bob is the former Chief of the Jersey City Police Department and has 35 years of experience as a police officer in New Jersey’s second-largest municipality.
If you wish to speak with me regarding this article, or if you need a consultation regarding it’s contents please do not hesitate to call me at 732-837-8444, seven days a week 8:00am to 8:00pm.