Website review

In the words of Dire Straits, private investigations involve “checking out the report, digging up the dirt … For the usual fee – plus expenses”. This month, the web review goes to work tracking down private investigators online…

Institute of Professional Investigators www.ipi.org.uk

The Institute of Professional Investigators is an international membership body which aims to “assist, regulate or control those engaged in investigation”. It has a code of ethics to which members are required to adhere.

The website is well designed and laid out and is a good place to visit if you wish to become a member – courses and events are advertised here as well as a guide for those who are thinking of becoming a private investigator.

If on the other hand you are looking for an investigator, the online directory allows you to search by geographical area (there are plenty of Scottish members), name or area of expertise. I was amused to note that you can ask for a firm that specialises in blackmail and extortion – although I assume that it is the detection of such criminal practices which is offered and not their commission!

Association of British Investigators

www.theabi.org.uk

Run along similar lines, with a less impressive-looking website, is the ABI. Again there are a series of courses available for budding private investigators as well as those involved in related pursuits.

Usefully, the ABI site provides a series of articles which focus on various legal aspects of the investigations trade, e.g. data protection, money laundering,

and whether a “pretext enquiry” is permissible following changes to the law.

The directory (again with options for UK and overseas investigators) is well stocked, but allows the user to search only by location and not by specialism. There are a goodly number of members based in Scotland, and the display does provide (for some) details of their Disclosure Scotland certificates.

Grant & McMurtrie

www.grantec.co.uk

Never having had cause to instruct an investigator in my professional (or private) life, I was pleased to see that this compact but well designed website spelled out exactly the sort of services the firm offers.

I was surprised to see such a range of activities, and enjoyed the coy use of language in the matrimonial section where they offer to “obtain the relevant evidence by means of a direct approach” and state that matrimonial surveillance is also on a “peace of mind” basis.

The site offers a lot of detail about the qualifications and experience of the investigators as well as details of the spy equipment they use. There is also a contact form if you wish to make an enquiry.

Nor-West Caledonian

www.norwestcal.co.uk

While this site has a slightly more professional feel to it, I did not like it as much. First of all the colour scheme (light blue on dark blue) made me squint, and was difficult to read. Secondly there was very little in the way of detail. For example, the firm offers computer forensics, but does not offer any explanation of what this involves or why it might be useful. The whole site also seems strangely anonymous – but then maybe that’s what people hiring a private investigator are looking for?

Enquire International

www.enquire.biz

This is a pretty horrible little website. It looks like it’s been designed by an eight year old in 1999 and not updated since. All of the text is actually one big picture of some text, with no alt tag, which means that the entire content is practically invisible to anyone with a visual impairment, anyone trying to view the site on a mobile phone, and Google herself (other search engines will also search in vain for this site).

I’m pretty sure this is not just some ironic game that private investigators play where you have to track them down before they will help you track someone else down. And if it’s not that, it’s really bad instead.

Lewis Investigation Services

www.lewisgroup.co.uk

Lewis Investigation Services do much of the standard repertoire of the commercial private investigator, including tracing debtors etc. Their website is part of the larger Lewis Group site and is very attractive and modern – easily the most inviting of those reviewed today. While the section on investigative services is relatively brief, it does a good job of explaining itself and the links used serve to reassure the browser rather than to confuse (as with some others).

Most impressive of all, however, is the availability of a web-based service called LIS-Online which enables existing clients to submit new instructions, view progress and access all reporting requirements. So now you can harry your debtors without even having to leave the comfort of your laptop and hot chocolate!

Who writes this column?

The website review column is written by Iain A Nisbet of Govan Law Centre e: iain@wordjam.org
All of these links and hundreds more can be found at www.absolvitor.com