Faqs
New FAQ's
General / Company
1. What is Spy Geeks? Spy Geeks is a Central Florida based spy store and security specialist. We sell professional grade video security systems, hidden cameras, GPS trackers, bug detection equipment, and personal security products, and we back every product with real world expertise, not gimmicks.
2. Is Spy Geeks connected to Surveillance Plus? Yes. Spy Geeks is a division of Surveillance Plus, LLC. Surveillance Plus handles licensed video security system installations, and Spy Geeks focuses on retail products, consulting, and technical support.
3. Do you have a physical store I can visit? Yes. We operate a physical location in the Metro Orlando area in addition to our online store. Call us first at 407-877-3500 to check stock before visiting.
4. Do you only serve Central Florida, or can I order from anywhere? Our online store ships nationwide. Local deliveries and in home services are available in the Metro Orlando area for certain products upon request.
5. Why should I buy from Spy Geeks instead of a big box store? When you call us you speak directly with someone who understands the technology, not a call center. Our team has hands on experience with video security and surveillance equipment, so you get honest guidance on the right product for your situation instead of guesswork.
6. Do you offer training on the products I buy? Yes. We offer in store training on your own laptop, tablet, or smartphone for the products we sell, so you leave knowing exactly how to use your equipment.
Ordering, Shipping & Delivery
7. How do I place an order? You can order directly through our website at spygeeks.com, or call us at 407-877-3500 to order over the phone and ask questions before you buy.
8. How quickly will my order ship? We make every attempt to ship within 24 hours of your order. Items that require assembly may take up to 72 hours to ship, and items that do not require assembly typically ship the next business day.
9. What shipping carriers do you use? Orders generally ship via UPS Ground or an available USPS method up to Priority Mail. We primarily use UPS, but may use the Postal Service for customers with PO Box addresses.
10. Will I need to sign for my delivery? A signature is required for deliveries to a home or business by default. If you prefer delivery without a signature, contact us by phone or email in advance, though Spy Geeks is not responsible for packages lost or stolen once delivered without signature verification.
11. Can you ship to a PO Box? Yes, though please note that if a shipment to a PO Box is lost, reshipment can be delayed by at least 30 days due to how the Postal Service handles claims.
12. Do you offer local delivery in the Orlando area? Yes. Local Metro Orlando deliveries are available for some products upon request. Call ahead to confirm availability for your item.
Returns & Warranty
13. What is your return policy? All sales are final and we do not issue cash or charge refunds. If a product is not working and is still within its warranty period, we will repair or replace it.
14. What is covered under warranty? All electronics come with a one year warranty, with the exception of pinhole, board, and wireless cameras, which carry a 90 day warranty.
15. What if my product has been discontinued and needs a warranty replacement? If the exact product has been discontinued, we will provide a similar product of equal or greater value in its place.
16. Do I need a receipt to make a warranty claim? Yes. All warranty claims must be accompanied by a receipt from the original buyer.
17. Will wireless cameras always work perfectly in my home? All wireless products can be subject to interference from other wireless devices nearby. We cannot guarantee a wireless product will be interference free in every setting, which is why we help you choose the right equipment for your specific environment.
GPS Trackers
18. What GPS trackers do you carry? We carry professional grade GPS vehicle tracking devices designed for real time and historical location tracking, including models like the GPS Tracker Optimus.
19. Can I legally put a GPS tracker on any vehicle? No. You may only use a GPS tracker on a vehicle you legally own or lease. It is illegal to track a vehicle that is not yours, and buyers are responsible for knowing and following the laws in their jurisdiction.
20. How do I know if there is a GPS tracker on my vehicle? A thorough physical inspection is the most reliable method, since many modern trackers include movement sensors and do not transmit while parked. Common hiding spots include the OBD port under the dash and magnetically mounted units underneath the vehicle.
21. Do cheap bug detectors work for finding a GPS tracker? Not reliably. Inexpensive detectors often fail because most trackers only transmit briefly and stop transmitting once the vehicle is stationary, so a careful physical sweep is far more effective than a low cost detector.
22. What should I do if I find a tracking device on my vehicle? Do not touch it. Put on gloves, take photos, and contact the police or a trusted private investigator so the device can be safely removed and evaluated.
23. Can Spy Geeks help me if I suspect I am being tracked? Yes. Call us and ask for guidance, or reference our detailed vehicle sweep tips on our FAQ page. We can also refer you to a licensed private investigator through our partner network for a professional bug sweep.
Hidden Cameras & Surveillance Equipment
24. What types of hidden cameras do you sell? We carry a range of hidden and covert cameras, including pinhole, board, and Wi-Fi enabled models, along with DIY spy camera kits for do it yourself installation.
25. Are hidden cameras legal to use? Laws vary by state and situation. As a general rule, you may not place a hidden camera or microphone anywhere a person would reasonably expect privacy, such as a bathroom or bedroom that is not your own. Buyers are responsible for knowing and following applicable laws.
26. Can I record audio with my hidden camera? Audio recording laws are stricter than video recording laws in many states, including Florida's two party consent requirement. Buyers must consult applicable law before recording any audio, and equipment may not be used for surreptitious or illegal interception of oral communications.
27. Do you sell voice activated audio recorders? Yes. We carry voice activated digital audio recorders, including compact magnetic models, for personal and professional use within the bounds of the law.
28. Can hidden cameras connect to my phone? Many of our Wi-Fi and IP based hidden cameras support remote viewing on a smartphone, tablet, or computer. We can help you configure your device for secure remote access.
29. Do you install hidden cameras for customers? Spy Geeks provides referrals to licensed installation professionals for video security installations, including through our sister company Surveillance Plus. We also offer free in home video site surveys and technical support for our customers.
Spy Hunter / Bug & Signal Detection
30. What is Spy Hunter equipment used for? Our Spy Hunter line includes RF and bug detection equipment used to sweep vehicles, homes, and offices for hidden GPS trackers, listening devices, and wireless cameras.
31. Can I train with you on how to use a bug detector? Yes. We offer training on how to scan your home, vehicle, or business for GPS trackers, listening devices, and hidden cameras.
32. Should I sweep a parked vehicle or a moving vehicle for trackers? A moving vehicle sweep is far more effective. Most trackers include movement sensors and will not transmit a detectable signal while the vehicle is parked.
33. Why do detector sweeps sometimes miss a tracker? Passive GPS trackers may never emit a signal a detector can pick up, since they store data internally and must be physically retrieved to be read. That is why a physical inspection is just as important as an electronic sweep.
34. Where are the best places to search during a physical sweep? Common areas include underneath the dashboard, near the OBD port, and underneath the vehicle in small magnetic housings. Areas with weak cell signal, like under metal seats, are unlikely to hold a working tracker.
35. Can Spy Geeks perform a professional sweep for me? We can refer you to a licensed private investigator through our partner network, E.M. Investigations, for professional bug sweeps and private investigation services.
Video Security Systems & Installation Services
36. Do you install video security systems yourselves? Video security installations are handled through our sister company, Surveillance Plus, LLC, and our network of licensed installation professionals.
37. What brand of camera systems do you install? Our installation partner works with Uniview brand video security solutions, covering cameras, recorders, and access control systems.
38. Do you offer a free site survey before I buy? Yes. We provide free in home video site surveys and hands on consulting to determine the right camera placement and equipment for your property.
39. What does the estimate process look like? Following your site survey, you receive a competitive estimate that outlines the recommended cameras and coverage for your property, so you know exactly what you are getting before you commit.
40. Can you set up my DVR or NVR for remote viewing on my phone? Yes. We can configure your DVR or NVR and network settings for secure remote viewing on your phone, tablet, or computer.
41. Do I need port forwarding for a new DVR system? Our newer DVR systems do not require port forwarding and are designed to work as plug and play systems that are easier for non technical users to manage. Older systems may still require port forwarding, and we can walk you through that process.
42. What if I am still having trouble viewing my cameras remotely after setup? This is usually caused by a router change, an ISP change, or a reset router. Give us a call and we can help troubleshoot your network settings and reconfirm your ports are properly forwarded.
Cell Phone & Digital Privacy
43. Can you check my phone for spyware? Yes. We can check Android devices for potential spyware threats. Apple devices are generally harder to compromise, though certain non jailbroken monitoring tools do exist.
44. How can someone install spyware on my phone? In most cases spyware requires physical access to an unlocked phone for a short period of time. Keeping your phone locked with a passcode, thumbprint, or face recognition is the best defense against this.
45. How do I know if my calls are being forwarded without my knowledge? There are dial code checks you can run directly from your phone to see the status of call forwarding. Call us and we can walk you through the process and explain what the results mean.
46. Should I use a spy app or a GPS tracker to monitor a vehicle in real time? A dedicated GPS tracking device is generally more reliable than a phone based spy app for real time vehicle location, since trackers are purpose built for that use.
Legal, Privacy & Buyer Responsibility
47. Do I need to be a certain age to buy from Spy Geeks? Yes. All buyers must be over the age of 18 and must agree to our buyer responsibility terms before purchasing.
48. Am I responsible for knowing the laws in my area? Yes. It is the buyer's sole responsibility to research and comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws regarding the purchase, possession, and use of any product we sell, including federal wiretapping law under 18 U.S.C. 2511.
49. Can I buy locksmith tools or self defense products from Spy Geeks? Locksmith devices are intended for members of the locksmith industry for lawful use only, and self defense items may never be used to threaten or harm others. All buyers agree to these terms at checkout.
Contact & Support
50. How do I get in touch with a real person for help? Call us directly at 407-877-3500 to speak with a knowledgeable Spy Geek, or email sales@surveillanceplus.com. You are never routed to a call center. You speak with someone who actually knows the equipment.
Updated for 2026. We have confirmed that you have to be within 6 inches of a GPS Tracker while it is transmitting to detect it.. In my opinion, if you're within 6 inches you can see it! For the best results with a GPS Detector, you have to take a drive down a country street and get away from houses and other vehicles that have Radio Frequency coming from them. Also put your cell phones in airplane mode while conducting your sweep with the vehicle moving. You will find many articles online on how to find a GPS Tracker in your car. I find it amusing that most of them have as their last step, to get a professional to find it for you. Now here is where I am going to save you money. Do not buy a cheap Bug Detector to find a tracker. They do not work. In this day and age, all trackers have movement sensors inside and do not emit a signal while being parked, therefore it is impossible for one person to sweep a vehicle with a detector while the vehicle is moving. Movement sensors usually kick in around 11 MPH. So just shaking the vehicle does not work anymore. Read these words carefully. “IF you are sweeping your vehicle with a bug/GPS detector while it’s parked you’re wasting your time.” Most trackers only transmit or update to a website every 2 minutes or less to save on battery life. So if you’re trying to scan for it, even while in motion; you may not get a reading unless you held your RF/GSM Detector in every area for more than 2 minutes at a time. Believe me, no one is that thorough. Nor has that amount of patience. People who try finding trackers themselves often get more frustrated and spend more money than if they would have just called us for hints to begin with. A rolling sweep for RF/GSM/GPS is required. This is the only way my friends.. The physical inspection can take a while depending on how many accessible areas someone could hide a GPS/Bug in a particular vehicle; and whether or not that suspect has inside access. Remember whoever may be tracking you has to retrieve this device to either charge it or remove it after they are done with it. So it’s not going to be in an inaccessible area. Many times a Tracker can be found just by laying down with a flash light in your garage and looking underneath your vehicle for anything in a small black magnetic box. It will not look like part of the vehicle on the outside. Now inside the vehicle the most common areas to place a GPS Tracker is into the OBD Port under the driver’s side dash, usually near your fuse box. Just Google your make and model of your vehicle and “OBD Port” and there will be a diagram where yours is. Having physical access to your car means your stalker could have wired a tracker to the battery under your hood. Being the oldest method and unlikely. However, doing a good car sweep should also include checking for any non-stock wires connected to your vehicles 12 volt battery leading to the tracker itself. Hint: The reason the Physical Inspection is so important. Many Passive GPS Trackers never emit any signal that can be measured by a RF Detector. They must be retrieved and played back. These can be placed anywhere inside with Velcro under your dash and be quite hard to find to the untrained eye. With limited access the person tracking you will have to magnetically place their tracker on the outside of your vehicle within arm’s reach, to be sure they can retrieve it to charge the battery. So limiting who has physical access to your vehicle will make it easier to find a tracker on the outside. It’s checking every nook and cranny on the inside on your vehicle that takes the most time. It would be wise to remember that all GPS needs a way to get a signal to the satellite or cell phone tower. So it will not work in places where you lose all your signal strength on your own cell phone. Example: Under your car seat is a big metal plate that usually blocks most GPS signals. The easiest way to tell where a tracker will Not be is just slowly scan around your car with your cell phone looking at your signal strength bar and when it fades to nothing, Stop and note that a tracker will not work here. Then scan around more until you find all the dead zones in your vehicle. By process of elimination you will now know all the areas in your car that a tracker will never work. From my personal experience I find most trackers somewhere deep hidden underneath the dash area; either attached by double stick tape or Velcro. Again while down there check your OBD Port. All these areas near and around the front dash board of any vehicle GPS/Cell phone signals always work. Then underneath any vehicle GPS signals can bounce off the pavement to reach the sky. Be diligent about checking all these areas first in your Car Sweep for GPS Trackers. If you do everything stated above you will be doing as good as us in checking your vehicle for any surreptitious GPS or Bugging devices. Now if you find something. Do Not Touch it. Get gloves and take photos of it then call the police or a trusted private investigator for removal so they can take prints off of it. Disclaimer: It is illegal to track a vehicle that is not yours. Simple. Contact Bobby Brown for hints Call 407-877-3500 Bobby Brown Sales Consultant/Spy Geek
With our DVR’s, if the box was already checked under Obtain an IP Automatically in the network settings of the DVR, just uncheck the box and click apply. Then leave the menu and come back and re-check it hitting apply on the bottom again. It might generate a new IP Address. If not then it likes the one it is using.
Having your ISP forward the ports will be a process. Don't talk to the nicest fellow. Talk to the smartest one.
The first question to ask whoever picks up is "Are you an expert at port forwarding?" If they say no, then ask for their supervisor and ask them the same question until you get an expert on the phone. They will always tell you that the ports are forwarded on their end. But on your end it will not be the case. So power cycle your router after they said they forwarded ports. Sometimes your router will not accept new changes from the home office until you Power Cycle. Then go to the website I gave you below to check and see if they are doing their job correctly.
You can type your port in the box on the Port Forward Checker and it should say "Your Port is OPEN" on 88 and 6036. If it says CLOSED, then your ISP didn't do something right. The App for our older DVR’s is Guarding Vision, Hik-Connect, IVMS-4500, Broview or SuperLivePro. Either one will work. When you buy a new DVR it will be SuperLivePlus. All found in your App Store.
A smart IT person will be able to Port Map all your devices using all the IP addresses being transmitted from your devices and be able to tell you the Mac ID for each device. Be sure not to have your iPad, tablets, computers, or printers on when trying to Port Map.
Then you can narrow down which IP Address the DVR is really using. If you find the DVR prefers 192.168.1.154, you can manually punch that in the fields on the DVR. Just make sure the ports are pointing to that IP when you find the IP you're going to use.
Make sure the box is unchecked in the Network Settings of the DVR and you click apply before leaving the screen always. Or you will be assigning a new IP every time you enter the screen.
Turn on your key lock or thumb print whenever you lay your phone down for more than a minute. “If I had your phone in my hands for less than 3 minutes I could install a hidden spy app to tell me everything you do or say and where you go.” All I need to do this, is your phone unlocked, spyware app and a prepaid cash visa card. Android users can be compromised easier where, Apple products are slightly harder to spy on. Most spy software does not work on a non-jailbroken iPhone or iOS. However, there are a few programs that now offer non jailbroken alternatives of their app. Unlike before, you do not need physical access to the target device. If your iPhone is set to use the free iCloud back up – which the default setting is On; along with your Apple ID which is usually the main email address associated with the account, then you have just given your spy one way of capturing your data. Yes they might have to wait until your phone is being charged with Wifi nearby, and that is when iCloud does its auto back-up/sync daily. This would not be too helpful if you were using a spy app to GPS track someone in real-time. It is better to use a vehicle tracking device if you need up to the minute reports on where your child is going. Spy apps that say they can be installed remotely in most cases never work. New hints for 2018 To find out if your calls or messages and data is being diverted- Dial on your smartphone Star, Pound, 21, Pound and hit send. After 5 to 25 seconds, You should get a screen that comes up and says "Call Forwarding" with a bunch of titles that should all say NOT FORWARDED. Then you can click OK. Got this on one Android I did not hear anything during the call it went totally silent. On my other Android with a little older operating system version I got "MMI Started" then the Call Forwarding screen that said Voice: Not Forwarded. These are good things. If you see that is says "FORWARDED" then your phone could have been compromised. Call me from a secure line and I'll tell you what to do next. Go get a prepaid phone paid with cash make up a new gmail account while at the cell phone store and don't give anyone the number. Then call 407-877-3500 Spy Geeks Note: This is only one way to tell if your calls are being diverted. If there was Spyware installed on your phone then there are other ways to tell that we do not share for free. Calls being forwarded are usually done when you have a company phone.
Port Forwarding on Older DVR’s made easy: ARE YOU HAVING TROUBLE SEEING YOUR CAMERAS ON YOUR SMARTPHONE? 4 things that will keep you from viewing your cameras online: 1) Changing ISP's (Internet Service Providers) 2) Changing Routers /Modems 3) Upgrading or Downgrading Internet Service 4) Holding the Reset Button on your Router If you have done any of the 4 steps above, your ports will have to be forwarded again. So call your new ISP (Internet Service Provider) and tell them to forward the 2 ports listed in your Menu/Network Settings of the DVR under HTTP Port and Server Port. In the network settings menu, put a check box on [Obtain an IP Address Automatically], then click Apply. The local IP will change to whatever it needs to be. Then write that down. It will be a 192.168. type number. Note: You have to obtain it from the DVR while connected to your new router, then call your ISP and tell them to forward the 2 ports Example: Hello ISP person, please forward my HTTP Port and Server Port. They will say OK, what IP address would you like those ports to point to? Then you will say Point them both to 192.168.???.??? (the other number you wrote down after Obtaining it from the DVR) If your ISP forwarded your ports correctly, you will be able to see your cameras on the new EXTERNAL IP ADDRESS. (When Spy Geeks Port Forwards your DVR we use Port 88 because Hackers are not searching for open IP’s on that port number) To see your cameras from anywhere in the world you need to put the External IP Address with the HTTP Port at the end, using a colon: after the IP in the App. Example: 174.126.82.154:88 With your username and password. Then click Login. To get your External IP Address, go to www.yougetsignal.com and click Port Forwarding Tester and write that number down to put it in your App with the :88 at the end. (Only if Spy Geeks programmed your system) You must go to that website above using the internet service from that particular router. Again; I say it another way, You Must connect to the Internet that the DVR is plugged into for all this to work correctly. We say this because some people have multiple routers. So this is how you get your camera system back online for Free. OUR NEW DVR’s DO Not need to be Port Forwarded and will work with ANY older systems or technologies. Click here If you never want to Port Forward again. If we ever have to take control over your computer to do any of this for you. CALL 407-877-3500