I just got off the phone with a really nice gal from the Birmingham, Alabama area and am still shaking my head. Yet another new client called me, wanting to know my prices because she had been approached by a different "spiritual adviser" who quoted her some pretty out of this world rates.
Ms. Birmingham wanted to make sure she understood what I charged because a "psychic adviser" (who shall remain forever nameless) she and her sister had gone to see in their area told her in December that the two of them had old baggage hanging on from their childhood and immediately needed a $3000 spiritual cleansing! When the gal I spoke with on the phone balked at the price, the "adviser" asked if wasn't there some way she could take out a loan for the money? The "adviser" claimed that it was critical she receive the cleansing.
I suspect the only critical thing in this situation was the "adviser's" need for fast cash!
$3000! Holy smokes! $3000 for what, past family issues and baggage? Honestly I don't know anyone who doesn't have at least SOME baggage or hurt or frustration or "stuff" leftover from their growing up. If you honestly believe you need to pay $3000 for such a cleansing...I have a bridge for sale in Brooklyn you can buy as well...and I'll give you a really good deal on it too! Sheesh!
I explained to my caller that I would much rather teach her the simple techniques and ways that she can work within her own background, culture, faith and spiritual belief system to cleanse herself. She was surprised this was even possible. Of course it is! There are lots and lots of things that one can do to move forward beyond where we got stuck as kids, or even where our families got stuck emotionally, or physically or spiritually.
Time to spell out again how to spot a scam artist! All of the following examples are absolutely true, real stories my clients here in Iowa and around the country have relayed to me over the years.
Here's the top ten list of things to watch for in a metaphysical scammer:
1) If the individual is not advertising with their full, real name (first and last!) If they sport a title to make themselves appear more important, like Madam Mucky-Muck or Sister Soandso, Reverend Star Sun Moon, or even Mrs. Common Last Name.
2) If they can't quote you definite prices, keep changing or raising their rates, or have really high prices for their readings or anything else you might purchase from their business. Often the first reading is cheap...$10-20, and it keeps going up from there once the scam artist realizes the fears you have and how they can play it up to get more money from you.
3) If they make promises that no human can possibly make such as, "I promise I'll get your ex to come back to you!" One lovely little college gal who I know had her basketball star boyfriend dump her, and she paid the scammer more than $3000 over a six month period of time because she was promised that he would be coming back to her.
4) If they play on your fears..."You have negativity around you and for $ (anywhere from $100 to $10,000) I'll remove it." By the way, negativity can be substituted for dark energy, a spell, something evil that's attached to you, a curse that's been put on you, or just plain ole stuff in your aura. It can also be played up as, "Unless you do this thing that I tell you, you will lose your.... (farm, house, job, spouse, sig. other, etc.)" I talked to a farmer in the mid 90s who had a scam artist require him to pay $4000 for 4 medium sized quartz crystals, which he was to plant in the four corners of his property so he wouldn't lose his family's farm. Guess what...he lost the farm anyway.
5) If they fish for information and then feed it back to you..."Ah, you like blonds? I see a blond in your future!" This sort of line was reported at one of the local psychic fairs to the organizers as questionable tactics of psychic reader who was new to the fair. After checking the tarot readers out a bit more and hearing what she was really telling her clients, she was asked to leave the fair and not come back.
6) If they try to sell you blessed or anointed trinkets at astronomical prices.... "Yes, I know you can buy this small red bag with a piece of quartz in it for two dollars at the rock store, but this one has been anointed and blessed! That will be $800 please!" One nice local gal was really trying to find a boyfriend, and showed me just such a bag with a small tumbled piece of rose quartz, a fingerling clear quartz crystal, a teeny tiny bottle of essential oil all in a 4" drawstring red bag. Total, everything including the bag cost less than $5. She paid $800!
7) If they will ONLY take cash or a money order. Real businesses and real business people these days take debit cards or credit cards...and if they don't, it's probably because they can't (i.e., their own business credit sucks.) Remember, if you pay by cash or money order, you can't prove the transaction and have no way to get your money back. I talked to a gal just last week who had sent a $1500 money order and it was the third time she'd worked with the "adviser" who suddenly stopped taking her calls.
8) If they tell you to keep things a secret....."Don't tell anyone what I've said to you...then it (the blessing, the cleansing, the spell, the prayer, the working, etc.) won't work." This concept of secrecy I've heard several times...I suspect they only want to keep things hush hush from the IRS!
9) If they insist you keep coming back, that you need more work done on you. "You come back next week, these things take time." One poor local man was promised by the adviser that she could bring back his ex wife. He dutifully went to see her every week for 2 years paying anywhere from $20 to $200 per week (that ranges from $1040 to $10,400 per year!) He finally wised up the day he walked into her door and she shivered strongly and stated, "I'm cold! The spirit's are saying this means you need to buy me a new refrigerator!" That's what it took to make him finally wise up!
10) If they make excuses for their inaccuracy as a psychic. "Things have changed, and you need a new reading." Okay....here's where I say...If I'm wrong I'm wrong, I'll never be 100% accurate. I never, EVER make excuses or tell folks they need another reading. If I blew it, I'll admit it. In 20 years of doing this, I've often told folks, "Let me know sometime in a month or so how you're doing!" That's a far cry from, "You must come see me more! You must pay me more!"
Sigh...bottom line, don't get taken by those who just want to pray on you emotionally, physically and spiritually!
Call if you need clarification on any of these things. If you have your own story of how you got scammed, I'd love to hear it!
Remember, if in doubt, call the better business bureau in your area. For FREE you can see if your "adviser" has ever been reported as a phoney or a fraud!
No comments:
Post a Comment