The Pitfalls of Free Psychic Readings

There is an old saying, you get what you pay for. This unfortunately rings true in so many areas of life, including of course, the psychic industry. Free is not always as free as you would be had to believe, and there are some things you should look out for, if ever you are cruising the web for a free reading.

The Bait and Switch
Think back to the days of Miss Cleo and the famous Psychic Readers Network. Though they were by no means the only ones to employ this technique, they were certainly the most notorious. They ran half hour long infomercials and advertisements during late night time slots “Call me now for your free reading!” their spokesman proclaimed, time and time again.

But problems often began after the “free” reading. Only the first three minutes were to be free, and this was not usually clearly explained. Many clients were mislead into thinking they would receive the entire call free. Many others still were not aware that the time being eaten up on the phone when the “psychic” requested personal details such as their home addresses and telephone numbers, counted toward their free 3 minutes. Thousands of people were billed $5.99 a minute for premium readings they thought would be free, because of advertisements that were specifically done to create this impression.

Though the Psychic Readers Network is no longer in business, the technique is still used widely to lure clients looking for a freebie, in hopes of convincing them to purchase premium services. Though this is not always done in a manipulative or misleading way, it's important to understand that the free reading is not without strings. There is a hope, an expectation that a client seeking freebies, will soon become a paying client.

Getting Their Foot in the Door
What better way for a con to attract unsuspecting victims, than promising them a free service, where they have nothing to lose. Sadly, many unethical, scam artist psychics will use free readings and spells as a way to get their foot in the door. I have heard of experiences ranging from one poor woman, who responded to an ad in a tabloid newspaper about a free psychic reading, only to be told that her husband was cheating on her with a woman who was putting curses on her. She was told by this fraud that the only way to fight the hold this woman had on the husband was to pay $500 for a counter spell to break the curse. The woman, frantic, gathered as much money as she could, believing this woman's words to be true. She paid, desperate to save her marriage, only to be served more lies about the evil and negativity in her life that needed to be lifted, and the thousands of dollars the con would need to remove it. To another woman, who got a free reading in an online chat room, only to be told that she had a severe streak of bad luck that could only be cleansed and changed by this psychic, but it would cost several hundred dollars and require many treatments.

The freebie gives potential clients a sense of safety, and encourages them to choose lightly, not to investigate or research a psychic as much as they would if they were plunking down some hard earned cash... but the fact remains, getting a reading from anyone, opens your life to them, brings them into your circle, and while the freebie could offer you some valuable insight, or a risk free chance to check out a psychic, it could just as easily be another smokescreen to get your guard down.

Evaluate any free offer first with the same approach you would a premium one. Know what to look for in cons and scam artists, and protect yourself from manipulation or deceptive advertising. If you haven't already, please have a look at my article on psychic scams.

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