Investigations, To Charge Or Not To Charge?

[Bracket]

(08-14-2009 06:10 PM)UglyNRude Wrote:  I don't know anyone that does it for a living except your television teams. Most teams do one or two investigations a week if they have time. You figure they have 400-500 pictures to review, if they run 8 cameras pleus two hand helds they will have 30 to 50 hours of video to review. Voice recorders 2- 3 so 6-12 hours of voice to review. depending on the size of the place 4-10 investigators. The amount of time shows if they did it for a living not many could afford them.

There are 100 teams or more per state and 98% are free and do it on the side.

Actually, atleast for Ghost Hunters, they don't get paid for their work either from clients or the network. The only money they get is from conventions.

[UglyNRude]

(08-14-2009 06:14 PM)scarygirl67 Wrote:  I know some don't charge............but how many have another agenda? Like promoting themselves....a certain investigative couple that based their career on hoaxes come to mind. How would one avoid another Ed and Lorraine Warren?

Well ed warren is dead now so he is easy to avoid. lorraine on the other hand is into promoting herself. TV shows, paranormal She does talks at colleges and a host of other places that will pay her.

[Haunted Lady]

Fabulous UNR, I need a new camera...I think a fundraiser is in order. Bake sale anyone?

(08-14-2009 02:09 PM)UglyNRude Wrote:  

(08-14-2009 01:57 PM)Bracket Wrote:  Some teams use alot of expensive equipment so i can see why they might charge, so i'm not sure what to think.

You do fundraisers to buy equipment, shows, ghost hunts etc.

Most teams start out with a few cameras, some sony video cameras with night shot some olympus digital recorders. You can get started for under $1000.00 even $500.00 if you shop around. As you do more fund raisers you upgrade. Some teams the founder owns the equipment and other teams will chip in and buy equipment. $100. a person will give you a nice 4- 8 camera dvr/

One very important thing you need to remember, if your charging you can be sued. You are now getting paid for a service. If you don't deliver what you promised your liable.

If a person thinks they were being visited by a demon, you go in charge them and that person dies and it turns out it was a medical or mental issue your liable. Negligent homicide doesn't sound good to anyone.

[Haunted Lady]

I know, I tend to be a wee bit on the sarcastic side. (Maybe that's what I like about UNR.) Seriously though, the point of this thread was to make people really think about this on a deep level, and it seems as though it certainly has. I do know there to be real professionals in the paranormal field. And, being professional has nothing to do with whether one accepts financial compensation. It does mean that a team or individual operates with a moral and ethical code. Those qualitites are either deeply ingrained within a persons character, or they are absent entirely. Plainly said, some have those values and some do not. It is the same as with all things in life.

Personally, I don't charge though do ask travel expense reimbursement. If my presence is requested by an individual, they reimburse. If it is requested by a team, the team is responsible. If the client lives within 200 miles I ask nothing.

I also don't do other things that some demonologists do. I don't promise to or attempt to rid anyone's home of demons, I am not an excorsist. It is my job to document activity through photographic and digital recording equipment, and personal (written) witness and then turn over my findings to the appropriate church authorities. My God given gifts of discernment and knowledge are helpful in my work, though I only base findings on facts and data. All files are strictly confidential.

As well, anyone looking to find a team should be certain they are bonded and insured. Anyone working in your home, whether to hang drywall, fix a leaky pipe, or hunt for ghosts should carry basic subcontractor insurance. Much of this work is done in the dark of night when sprits are sometimes most active...and 10 people wandering in the dark could accidentally break something. Insurance protects the client against those damages, as well as the team against wrongful or harrasing lawsuits (which does happen) and yes there are teams out there who carry this insurance, even teams who do not charge a fee for services.

There are times when a client needs to be referred for services other than paranormal in nature. Respectable paranormal workers will continue to work with a family sometimes for months or years to be certain the family has obtained and continues to obtain appropriate services. EMF issues can be electrical in nature, physical illness and headaches could be related to a heating problem, and of course psychological issues need to be addressed at times. This list is not all inclusive, just an example of some of the outcomes of investigations...and real people with real needs deserve to be guided toward the appropriate care.

So, should you pay for these services? Ultimately it's up the client to be sure they are working with a legitimate agency. It is unfortunate there are those paranormal workers out there who will take advatage of people, charge exhorbitant fees, or break confidentiality by using names or cases to obtain personal celebrity and fame and fortune.

Equipment does cost money, so the argument that those charging for their services still is a strong one...though UNR beautifully addressed this issue in another thread and I encourage all to read it. There are many resources available to purchase equipment, and again many investigative teams which as they upgrade will offer thier used, basic equipment for sale at a significant discount.

I hope that this has provided a little education for everyone, and encourage you all to continue to respond. I know I for one have learned much here through others in the forum sharing opinions and experiences.

Always, seek your own truth....

[aprofenno]

(08-14-2009 01:57 PM)Bracket Wrote:  Some teams use alot of expensive equipment so i can see why they might charge, so i'm not sure what to think.

Becomming a non profit group=donations

[bed bugs]

para - Investigations are services like every other service in the world so i think yes you can charge for it but not too much, other wise it will look suspistion.

[UglyNRude]

First let me say there is no such thing as a professional paranormal investigator. There is no expert in the field, how can there be when paranormal has never been proven. There may be experts in aspects of it, example a professional photographer. We may have professional sound people for evp's. But they aren't a professional paranormal photographer or professional evp specialist. 99.9% of the pictures presented are explainable, EVP's we have never proven this is coming from the otherside, lots of people think it is but we may learn more in the future. So that being said how can you charge when you can't prove anything. You may disprove or even THINK your client has paranormal activity.

Now lets look at the teams out there.... we have the TV teams which while entertaining, are very controversial in what they show being caught.
I just read an article from a team that has been around over 14 years bashing all the new teams abilities. They claimed they didn't know what they were doing so they should take around a 5 hour course offered by them for up to $150.00 a person. They would then be certified. What the hell does certified mean? You took a course and now you are as good as your instructors?

I then looked at the wonderful evidence collected by this 14 year team. I saw 6 camera straps, 1 finger presented as a vortex, I saw multiple orb pictures with the claim we know most orbs aren't paranormal, just the ones we catch are. I see lots of mist pictures,mist can show up because long exposures, breath, moisture from the ground or even smoke. Ok now I listen to EVP's I hear some I don't know what the hell was said .... but they make sure to tell you (being professional.) I don't think most people realize how explainable things can sound like a voice.

So now lets look at this, we have people who claim to be CERTIFIED paranormal investigators. They are teaching others how to be like them, the problem is they aren't qualified to teach a new team. So if they have been doing this for over 14 years and they present explainable things as paranormal do YOU want to pay them to come in and tell you your home is haunted?

Now lets look at liability if your getting paid. You hire a team and they come in and say your haunted. You are now scared and your family is scared, you move out of the home or worse yet pay someone thousands of dollars to cleanse your home of demons or ghosts. The problem is 6 months later you notice you still have the same things happening. You bring in another team and they discover its explainable (water pipes banging, high EMF's or an animal in an attic, lights from the street coming through your windows causing a shadow.) What happens, you got paid so your now liable for what they spent on you, the cleanser, damage by telling them your haunted.

I do this because I love what I do and I am searching for the truth. Should I be paid for it absolutely not.

If you want to make money from this do ghost tours, or invent the next piece of equipment to advance the field.

Now I will add I am disliked by some in the field because I tell it like it is. If I know its explainable from experience I will tell you.

I am respected by those that also do this though there isn't to many of us.

[Graveyard Hound]

I don't charge. Some I know have what might be fixed rates for time spent not what might/might not be discovered. I find it problematic for charging based on what might be found; say you find a demon and that is $50.00, a "ghost",$30.75, etc., charging for equippment used, then one gets into what has to be used, or not, brought along but not used, etc. I think it is a favor to investigate a home or whatever and charging might lead to prive varrying among groups which I see as something not good.

[jeff]

(08-14-2009 01:57 PM)Bracket Wrote:  Some teams use alot of expensive equipment so i can see why they might charge, so i'm not sure what to think.

I'll bite. What did paranormal investigators do before the age of electronics? How does one calculate a fee? What real risks were there, and what sort of proof was there that demonstrated the desired outcome was achieved?