Western Investigations

I retained the services of Western Investigations in order to determine or prove co-​habitation of my ex-​wife and her current boyfriend. Although they were unable to do so, this review has to do with their responsiveness and general customer service, not the final result.
During the intake process, Patrick at Western Investigations was very energetic, open, and expressed enthusiasm for the job. I provided him with as many details as I could — current address for my ex-​wife, phone numbers, work information, etc. as well as various pictures of her with her new boyfriend. I was told that I would receive regular and frequent updates as to the status of the investigation. I received an invoice (very promptly, I might add) prior to the work commencing, which I paid. I was also promised the work would be completed by July 25^th, as I had a court appointment the following week and my attorney would need time to review the findings and determine if it could be used.
During the coming days and weeks I made multiple phone calls and sent multiple emails requesting updates. When I received questions, I replied to them immediately only to learn that the emails were not reviewed or were full on ignored. From all of my requests for updates (totaling around 12– including phone and email), I received three, however one was an error as it referenced a case different than mine. Not only did they bring up my hopes and tell me that they found a number of things related to my case, but it had turned out to be false and inflated.
In addition, I did not receive my final report until late July 31^st, a week after promised, even after repeated calls and emails requesting the report. Given how late I received it, I could not have used it even if it had been successful, as my court appearance was the following business day. One of the things that Patrick stated was that I had not provided them with an accurate address for my ex-​wife and that they were unable to prove anything because of my inaccurate records. This is an excuse on their end to provide the end customer with nothing, and then turn around and blame the customer. Post Script– All of the information I provided to the private investigator was accurate and did not change throughout the course of the «investigation,» nor has changed since.
I would not recommend this company’s services based simply on their lack of organization, unresponsiveness, and meager customer service. They are unprofessional, and while Patrick initially seemed very charismatic and eager for the business, once they got their $ 1,000 to do 10 hours of work, they fell off the map. I asked for a breakdown of how the hours were spent and that was hastily put together in the 11^th hour. Again, I would like to reiterate that this review is based on the lack of communication entirely or the miscommunication that ensued. When I was able to get Patrick on the phone, he was continuously «in the field» and therefore unable to respond. He habitually promised that the would get me an update, and did not follow through on his empty promises.
Do not use this service, as it is a waste of money and will only service you with aggravation and ineptitude. Another one of the reviews referred to Patrick as a used car salesman. There is nothing more accurate that I can use to express my feelings toward Patrick than to describe him so aptly, as the used car salesman that he is.

This firm is incredibly slow and unresponsive to queries. Even when they did perform, it was after numerous phone calls and numerous emails inquiring about when my work would be performed. Despite my indication of the urgency in certain matters, they were generally unresponsive. I will never use them again.

Patrick and his staff were very helpful during a very troubling time in my life. They were able to uncover some very valuable information for me. I don’t know what I would have done without them. They really seemed to care and worked with me in my situation. I give them my highest recommendation.