Private Investigations Frequently Asked Questions

A Message From the Owner:

“ I would like to take the opportunity to introduce myself and explain why you should consider Magnum Investigations, LLC to assist you with your matter. This agency is owned and operated by me- Christopher Halscheid. We are a mid-sized company; small enough to provide you with customized attention yet large enough to handle multiple investigations simultaneously. Unlike our competitors, you will deal directly with me, the owner, from the onset; I will personally provide you with your free consultation and will personally be involved with your investigation. If you have any questions and/or concerns you will speak directly with me; you will never deal with anyone else.

When it comes to the Investigative Industry, I learned that there are either really large companies or companies who are one-man operations. I found that the problem with the large companies is that they lose focus…they prefer to advertise what TV shows that they appeared on rather than to concentrate their energy on understanding your case via listening to your needs. More importantly, you will simply be viewed as “just another client” and will not receive genuine personalized attention; often if you have a question and/or concern you will deal with multiple individuals throughout the agency thus causing a breakdown in communication. The problem with the single-license holder is the fact that he does not have a staff to effectively and successfully accomplish the goal of the investigation. A single license holder cannot conceivably have success and will likely jeopardize your investigation at your expense. Any good investigator will tell you that you are doomed for disaster if you attempt to conduct mobile surveillance utilizing one-investigator.

Therefore; I made a conscious decision to form a mid-sized company; I take pride in providing my clients with personalized attention as well as the opportunity to get to understand each and every client’s situation and goals. I have more passion for this profession than any other investigator in this industry; when it comes to Domestic Investigations this agency is the best in the industry especially when it comes to providing results without getting caught. Our reputation speaks for itself. Not only do attorneys refer their clients to our agency but other Private Investigative Agencies do as well; that in of itself should tell you something.

Feel free to call me anytime to discuss your investigative needs.”

Will you provide me with a Free Consultation?

Yes we do provide a Free no-obligation telephone consultation and will dedicate the needed time to understand your needs. During the consultation we will explain our services and discuss our rates. We do not discuss investigations or rates via email therefore you must either call us from a non-blocked number or provide us a number where we can call you from a “Restricted” number.

Is my Confidential even if I decide not to hire you?

Absolutely every phone call, including your consultation is confidential and remember that there is no obligation for the consultation; it is free. There is no way someone will learn from us that you contacted our agency unless you confessed to a crime. We do not sell or share our customer or potential customer information to anyone. Your identity will be safeguarded. Other agencies might sell your personal information; we do not!

What should I know before calling you?

You certainly don’t want your spouse to know that you called an Investigative Agency therefore you will need to take precautions. After calling us via your cellular phone make certain to erase the call log. If you call us from your home phone then be certain to erase the phone number so someone can’t push the redial button. Our Toll-free number- (800) 688-9230, will not show up on your home telephone bill! If you request that we call you you will see a “Restricted” number on your caller id.

What is your areas of Specialization?

Too many investigation companies try to “do it all” and our theory is that you can’t be great at one area if you are trying to do everything. With that being said, we are Great at surveillance because that is all we do; we specialize in Video Surveillance as it pertains to Domestic Investigations which include Cheating Investigations, Child Custody Investigations, and Alimony Investigations. Like anything else, if you are doing the same thing day in and day out you will likely become very good at it. There is no question about it…we are the best in the industry; we are second to none because we provide results where other agencies get caught. We are the only agency that provides a High Profile Service as well as Business-trip surveillance. We are known for handling difficult surveillance investigations especially for those instances where the client is concerned due the alert nature of the Cheater.

What is the difference between you and your competition?

Compassion and Understanding coupled with Accessibility. Unlike our competitors we make every effort to really have a sound understanding of your unique situation and then customize a strategy that will enable us to achieve our goals. We understand that this is a very emotional time for you and you may be stressed to the max. If you just need to “vent” or talk to someone because you just need to get an unbiased opinion we are there for you. We are very accessible when you need us. From a performance standpoint we are different from our competitors because we do not take a “cowboy approach” but instead exercise extreme caution when conducting surveillance and in 99% of our cases we will provide results without the target ever knowing we were there. Another important difference is with Magnum you will deal with the owner of the company from the initial telephone consultation until the job is completed.

Do you provide Cell Phone Records?

We do not provide or sell cellular telephone records; selling or obtaining such records is a Federal Criminal Offense. On January 12, 2007 President Bush signed a bill known as H.R. 4709 Telephone Records & Privacy Protection Act of 2006; it became public law 109-476. The long and short of it is it is totally illegal, not only for someone to sell telephone records, but it is also illegal for someone to purchase telephone records. You can be arrested and charged criminally, not to mention any civil repercussions. In an effort to save money many people seek cellular phone records as a means to avoid learning of an affair the correct way and that being Video-surveillance; however it is illegal. Even if you did have cell phone records, your spouse will still deny an affair. The only way to prove an affair is with video proof; besides do you really think that if you find a suspicious phone number that he or she would admit to an affair?

Is Magnum Investigations licensed and insured?

Yes, we are one of the only Investigative Agencies that are Licensed, Bonded, and Fully Insured in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as well as the state of New Jersey.

What is the next step?

You need to call us to obtain a free consultation or provide us with a number that we can call you. You can also complete one of our online Request Forms and the owner will call you. After assessing your situation we will determine a course of action and then prepare a contract for service. After signing the contractual agreement you may email, fax, or mail the contract. Depending on the form of payment for the retainer, it might be required for an investigator to meet with you in person.

You mentioned a retainer; what is a retainer?

A retainer is an up front deposit that we bill against; in other words we draw from the retainer. We do not require the entire amount, of the estimated cost of the job, up front; we require a portion of the anticipated cost in the form of a retainer. We bill against the retainer and when the retainer is exhausted we will often continue to perform our service with the agreement that any outstanding balances will be satisfied, in full, immediately upon completion of the investigation and prior to the release of any investigative finding.

How much does an investigation cost?

Knowing exactly how much an investigation will cost before commencement is impossible however after having a clear understanding of your situation we can estimate how much an investigation could possibly cost. During the Free consultation we will better estimate the approximate cost. Some determining factors of cost will be the nature of the investigation, the duration of the investigation, as well as the difficulty level of the investigation. Our goal is to provide you with an affordable service; although we are not the cheapest agency, we are also not the most expensive either; as you probably already know- you truly will get what you pay for and you will not get a second chance. Therefore, if you are “price shopping” and looking for the cheapest agency then we probably are not the company for you. However, if you are looking for an agency that has affordable rates but more importantly has a high success rate without getting caught then we are absolutely the company for your situation- We have greater than a 98% success rate.

How long will the investigation last?

Each situation and each case is different and until we get started we can only estimate the duration of an investigation. Take advantage of our no-obligation consultation at which time we can better assess the duration.

What forms of payment do you accept?

We accept Certified Checks, Cashiers Checks, Money Orders, Personal Checks, Wire Transfers, and Cash. We also accept Visa, MasterCard and Discover; we do not accept American Express.

Is your Investigative proof admissible in court?

Our investigative evidence is admissible in a court of law or any legal proceedings because our agency is licensed and bonded in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Despite the fact that you hired us, because we are licensed and bonded, the courts view us a neutral party. We also provide Expert Testimony Service..