- Q: Is it safe to use my credit card on your site?
A: Shopping at uspystore.com is safe. The U-Spy Store backs every credit card purchase you make at uspystore.com as our site is protected by SSL encryption technology. - Q: Is it safe to use my debit card online?
A: Yes, it is totally safe. And please note: If you choose to pay by debit card, the amount you charge will be put on "hold", meaning it will not be available to you once you place your order. Once your transaction is processed, the amount of the transaction will be withdrawn from your account and the original "hold" will be voided. - Q: What is the status of my order?
A: Your order status will be available 24 hours after your order has been placed, by simply emailing us for a status. We will email you a tracking number to the email address you provided. From there, you will be able to view information about your order. - Q: I want to return my purchase! What do I do?
A: Due to the nature of our product line, some of our products may not be eligible for return.
Your returned product must be in "Like New" condition and returned with the original box and all accessories, packaging and equipment. Once your return is received and inspected by our warehouse staff (usually within 72 hours of receipt), we will process a credit to your account and either send you your store credit voucher or the new product you desire. Please request a return or exchange through email by sending a request to returns@uspystore.com. - Q: How long will it be before I receive my order?
A: For standard ground shipping, you should receive your order within 4-5 business days. Please allow additional time for shipments to APO/FPO addresses. - Q: Can I expedite my shipping?
A: The following shipping options are available when you check out. Expedited orders placed before 3 PM Central time on a business day will be shipped out the same day. All other orders will be shipped out the next business day. - Q: What forms of payment do you accept?
A: We currently accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, and PayPal for all orders. - Q: Do you ship to addresses outside the United States?
A: We ship to all US States, US Territories as well as most International locations. - Q: Do you ship to PO boxes or Military APO/FPO addresses?
A: Yes! We use USPS to ship to PO Boxes and APO/FPO addresses. - Q: What are the shipping charges for returning an order?
A: Shipping charges for returned orders are the sole responsibility of the customer. It is your responsibility to use a safe method of returning your purchase for whatever reason. - Q: Are there any shipping restrictions that I should know about?
A: As regulated by the Department of Transportation, pepper spray, aerosol products and other items considered to be hazardous materials cannot be shipped to Alaska, Hawaii, US territories (i.e. Guam, Puerto Rico)or outside the USA. Our policy is to ship these items via UPS Ground service. These items will be shipped separately from the balance of your order. Some products may not be exported by law or may be illegal in your state. It is your responsibility to investigate and have knowledge of all state laws, laws in your country, duty charges and any other restrictions concerning a product. Please check your laws concerning pepper spray, lock picks, self defense products and all other products before ordering. - Q: When placing an order I get an error message stating that there has been an authorization failure. What went wrong?
A: Please double check the credit card number and expiration date on your card. Also, please be aware that we currently accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express for credit card payment. - Q: I want to know if you carry a specific product?
- A: Check by typing the name of the product you are searching for in the Search window and then click on the Search button and you will be taken to a page where you can enter multiple search criteria and you will be shown a list of all items on our site that meet this criteria.
- Q: Do you do back orders?
A: If an item is out of stock we will notify you as soon as possible and ask if you would like a replacement item or advise you of the time it will take to deliver the product. Out of stock orders may be cancelled unless a replacement item is requested or the time to deliver is acceptable to you. - Q: Do you have a catalog?
A: Currently, we have a 'virtual' catalog. Most of our product line is online; we do not have a physical catalog. Although we are able to sell you any item that available, please alert us by email at info@uspystore.com if there is a product you do not see on our site. You may also call us at (773)529-2SPY (2779) to see if the product is available. - Q: What are cookies? Do I need to enable cookies on my browser to shop at UspyStore.com?
A: A cookie is a small amount of data that is sent to your browser from a web site and is stored on your computer's hard drive. If your browser's preferences allow it (most browsers are installed with cookies enabled), each web site can send its own cookie to your browser. To protect your privacy, cookies do not store personal information but instead use anonymous unique identifiers. Each web site can only access the cookie they have sent to your hard drive, not the cookies sent by other web sites. You need to enable cookies on your browser to enjoy all the shopping features at UspyStore.com.Cookies need to be enabled on your browser so you can add products to your shopping cart and to access your UspyStore.com account information. If you share your computer with others and you do not want them to have access to your account information, be sure to log out of the browser before leaving your computer unattended. You can log out by closing your browser.
For more information about how UspyStore.com uses cookies, see our privacy policy.
- Q: Do you charge sales tax on any item?
We are required by law to collect sales tax on orders shipped to Illinois. If you are shipping to an address within this state, the appropriate charges will be added to your merchandise total and displayed on your final order confirmation. - Q: How do I know my security needs?
If you are unsure of your security needs, please call us at (773)529-2779 and ask for a free consultation. - Q: Do you match your own prices if an item goes on sale after my purchase?
A: Yes, if an item you order from U-Spy Store goes on sale within 15 days of your original purchase we will refund the difference.
Video Privacy Law
Q- I have a question about a video camera that records your own property. I have a client that is having problems with a neighbor and are constantly calling the police and filing reports. No abuse has happened yet but my client wants to put a camera that records the front of the property that of their neighbor's house. Are there any problems recording the neighbor's property or do I have to aim the camera so the neighbor's property is not in view? The front of the house has a public sidewalk. Is there an issue if this sidewalk was in the picture?
A - In most situations, attorneys have advised me that you can have a camera view your neighbor's property as long as you are not viewing an area where the neighbor would have a reasonable expectation of privacy. The front yard is not a private area. A fenced in back yard or sun deck might be areas that would be off limits.
The side walk is another place where privacy is not expected and your cameras can view the sidewalks. Definitely do not shoot into a window or door of a neighbor. Looking into their home, even a kitchen is a big NO! Remember, video surveillance on a public area is permitted but never audio. Audio requires all party consent according to the laws as we read them.
Note that U-Spy is not offering any legal advice here and advises strongly to obtain professional legal counseling before making any decisions.
Illinois Audio Recording Law
Note: This page covers information specific to Illinois. For general information concerning the use of recording devices see the Recording Phone Calls, Conversations, Meetings and Hearings section of this guide.
Illinois's wiretapping law is a "two-party consent" law. Illinois makes it a crime to use an "eavesdropping device" to overhear or record a phone call or conversation without the consent of all parties to the conversation. The law defines an "eavesdropping device" as "any device capable of being used to hear or record oral conversation or intercept, retain, or transcribe electronic communication whether such conversation or electronic communication is conducted in person, by telephone, or by any other means." 720 Ill. Comp. Stat. 5/14-1, -2. If you are operating in Illinois, you should always get the consent of all parties before recording an in-person conversation or telephone call. In addition to subjecting you to criminal prosecution, violating the Illinois wiretapping statute can expose you to a civil lawsuit for damages by an injured party.
While you generally are permitted to photograph or record video of people without permission in most public places, it is illegal in Illinois to "videotape, photograph, or film" people without their consent in "a restroom, tanning bed, or tanning salon, locker room, changing room or hotel bedroom." 720 Ill. Comp. Stat. 5/26-4(a).
Consult The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press's Can We Tape?: Illinois for more information on Illinois wiretapping lawyer.
Illinois Law on Recording Court Hearings and Public Meetings
Court Hearings
In Illinois state trial courts, the use of sound and video recording devices is prohibited except by an order of the Illinois Supreme Court. Use of recording devices is permitted in hearings of the state appellate courts, but you must notify the clerk of the court at least five days in advance, and the appellate court may choose to prohibit recording. If media coverage is permitted, only one television and one still camera will be allowed at any given time.
Federal courts in Illinois, both at the trial and appellate level, prohibit the use of sound and video recording devices in the courtroom.
For information on your right of access to court proceedings, please consult the Access to Government Information section of the guide.
Public Meetings
A provision of the Illinois open meetings law states that "any person may record the proceedings at meetings required to be open by this Act by tape, film or other means." The statute goes on, however, to say that the authority holding the meeting shall make "reasonable rules to govern the right to make such recordings." 5 Ill Comp. Stat. 120/2.05.
For information on your right of access to public meetings, please consult the Access to Government Information section of the guide and The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press's Open Government Guide: Illinois.
Latest Illinois Eavesdropping Law Rulings
A federal appeals court in Chicago ruled today that Illinois’ eavesdropping law “likely violates” the First Amendment and ordered that authorities be banned from enforcing the law.
The ruling from the 7th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Chicago is the largest blow yet to the law, known as one of the strictest in the country. The current law makes it illegal for people to audio record police officers in public without their consent.
The ruling follows last month’s announcement by Chicago officials that they would not enforce the law during the May 20-21 NATO Summit when thousands of people equipped with phones that take video or other video cameras are expected to demonstrate in the city.
The ruling from the appeals court stems from a lawsuit filed in 2010 by the ACLU of Illinois. The law suit sought a preliminary injunction barring Cook County prosecutors from enforcing the law.
A federal judge denied that request, prompting the ACLU to appeal their ruling. In its ruling, the appeals court agreed with the ACLU, saying, “The Illinois eavesdropping statute restricts far more speech than necessary to protect legitimate privacy interests.”
Legal director Harvey Grossman, said “widespread accessibility of new technologies make the recording and dissemination of pictures and sound inexpensive, efficient and easy to accomplish.”
“In order to make the rights of free expression and petition effective, individuals and organizations must be able to freely gather and record information about the conduct of government and their agents – especially the police,” Grossman said in his statement.
Debate over Illinois’ law has been a hot topic since August when a Cook County jury acquitted a woman who had been charged for recording Chicago police internal affairs investigators she believed were trying to dissuade her from filing a sexual harassment complaint against a patrol officer.
Judges in Cook and Crawford counties later declared the law unconstitutional, and the McLean County state's attorney cited flaws in the law when he dropped charges in February against a man accused of recording a police officer during a traffic stop.
The Cook County state’s attorney’s office is still reviewing the 66-page ruling and did not comment on it. Meanwhile, state legislators are considering a bill that would allow people to record police officers working in public.