Caveat Emptor

Which psychic should I use? How do I know if they are legit? These are some questions you may find yourself asking when you are looking for a reading, especially if you are looking on the online sites that have hundreds if not thousands of them to pick from. It can become overwhelming especially when you are not aware of different things to look for or have not been recommended to one by a friend.

The first thing you may do is go to the price range you are able to afford which will help narrow it down. You then might have a preference and be more comfortable with a certain sex reader, that will also help lower the list of choices. The next thing you may do is look to see who has the most ratings, comments/feedbacks or the highest rank percentage. Those things would tell you who the best ones are after all right? Wrong, that rule of thumb would work if we lived in a perfect world, but this is life and we don’t. And now you are scratching your head wondering why wouldn’t the highest ranked or most comments not mean they are the best. Let me explain for you so you get a better understanding of how it works and also what to look for. Remember things are not always as they appear and unfortunately this business is no exception. Let me clarify that I know of all this firsthand because not only do I have my own website and do parties and events I also work on some of these sites as well. So I am able to write about this truthfully and honestly as I see what goes on firsthand.

As with everything in life cheapest is not always the worst and expensive is not always the best but we all have a budget that stipulates the price range and amount we can spend on anything. No matter what price range you are in there are tips to identify some of the scammers and con artists in this business. Unfortunately there are a lot of those and you know I am all about ethics and helping people to not get scammed.

Let’s start with the comments/ratings and reviews since most of the information about this can be found there just by taking a little extra time to investigate. Let’s say you are looking for a male reader to get that male perspective of a relationship. You go through the experts that are available and a few attract your attention. Are they really male? Believe it or not there are a lot of readers out there that have switched from being a male to a female to a male and vice versa. Looking at older comments that have been left by other clients will let you know if the reader you are considering giving your money to has always been who they say they are. You will see that the “male” reader you are considering has old comments saying she was wonderful etc. Ok could be a typo you are thinking to yourself and yes that could be true in some cases. If you keep randomly checking comments and you see that they say she more then that one time it is NOT a typo. You also see some comments where the readers name is mentioned even if there has been no change of sex. Does the past name in the comments match the expert’s current name or are they being called Ralph when they are presently being called Larry or maybe even Loretta? Does the name remain the same throughout the history of comments? Are they being addressed as Ralph in the older ones and Ralph on the current comments left?

While going through the feedback and comments that have been left you will find a lot more out as well. Are there remarks that mention wanted to sell me spells or curse removals or any type of additional service?

(For information regarding those types of things read my article “Are You Being Scammed? Found on my website).

Seeing the same client leaving reviews over and over again is a sign of what we experts call “padding” in order to raise up in the ranks. This would not just increase the amount of ratings they have but also their ranking percentage. Believe it or not there are some out there with page after page of comments that are only from one client. Having a few back to back from the same client however is not alarming as clients tend to wait and rate multiple sessions at the same time.

Really looking at comments current and from long ago reveals a lot about the reader you are considering. It pays to spend some extra time being your own investigator when deciding not only who you are turning your money over too but who you are trusting. Keep mind as well that some sites charge the readers for placement, so the highest ranked may very well be there because they bought that spot. One last final tip with this and anything else in life: if it feels off in any way, shape or form listen to that and stay away.

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A very common question when someone wants to start doing readings professionally. How do I start? There are many answers and ways in which to start out. Some depends on whether you have access to do the things where you are located. This will talk about some of the things that not many people think about doing when getting started.

One of the very first things you want to do is get a business card made. It doesn’t have to be elaborate, just something to give out with some form of contact information on it. Give them to your friends and relatives who can pass them out to their friends. Businesses may have bulletin boards up where you can post them. A business card can be left almost anywhere you go. Inside books at the library or bookstore, at restaurants with the tip.

Know what you are going to charge. This is something that you have to decide before you do anything. You can’t wait until you have someone wanting a reading to decide. You need to know what you are going to sell (mini readings, 1/2hour etc) and how much you will charge.

Setting up at a flea market and charging a small fee is something lots of people don’t think of doing. People at flea markets are there to get bargains not spend lots of money on one thing. So short mini readings at a low cost can be done and people will take a break from shopping to have it done. The small fee, at times gets the curious people, those who have never had it done but always wondered about trying it out.

Start visiting your neighborhood shops, restaurants, cafes, coffeehouses, teashops, bookstores, holistic shops. Have your business cards with you and let them know what you do and maybe they would be interested in having a tarot night. Spiritual shops tend to keep readers available and allow you to do them at their store on a percentage fee arrangement. Some may even promote you once you are known by them. Not having any spiritual, new age type shops around I did not have this option available to me.

To expand your availability to others there are also plenty of options for that, the easiest is the internet. You can go to any of the online auction sites and sell readings. You can do them as phone readings, email readings, IM readings and see what ways you are and aren’t comfortable doing them. You can look at the many psychic sites that are available and sign up as an expert with one or more of them.

The options and opportunities available are endless. These are just some of the options that are overlooked and not thought of by so many. Opportunity is always there, keep your eyes open for them and be willing to try anything. We all started somewhere, someplace and so can you.

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This was written by me and originally published in the TCBA’s monthly newsletter. It is a very important topic because it happens to so many, so I want to start with it.

ARE YOU BEING SCAMMED?
This is a very aggravating subject for me. It is what kept me from doing what I do publicly for as long as it did. It is a question that so many ask, and so many in this field choose to do. Scam others.

Who tends to get scammed?

Though it can happen to any of us it is usually the very depressed, down and out people. Those that really need legit help and in a lot of cases needs professional counselors and psychologists, not readers.
How does it happen?

You pay for a reading and do in fact receive one, what happens afterward is the problem. Your depression is picked up on during the reading in a lot of cases almost immediately it is sensed and known. The “negatives” in your life are discussed, the depressing situation is discussed, etc. The reading is finished then comes the pitch. It usually goes something like this: All the negative things going on with you is because of a curse someone put on you. It could of even been put on you many generations back to a great great great great great….grandparent. Until you get yourself “cleansed” and the negative energy around cleared, you won’t have improvement. You continually keep taking one step forward and five steps backward in life. yada yada yada on and on it goes.

When you are upset to begin with, this can sound really convincing. Then they have you nodding your head and agreeing with them, they got you now they are thinking. So follows the next pitch: So let’s get started on “clearing you” immediately for just a small fee. (It will usually be no less then $100.00, which is cheap) They tell you what they will do for that money and make an appointment with you to come back. When you give the money and come back, guess what? You are told that they found out the cause but need to do more work. To continue more $ is needed. This does not yet even cover the “cleansing” work still needed. That is for yet another visit. Once you have returned believing them is easier and is also weighing down their wallets with your hard earned money.

What is really needed?

If you find yourself even a little bit starting to believe them please run like hell and go get therapy, a counselor, a psychiatrist someone other then this “reader” Never let anyone play with your emotions and make you think any of these things are true.
What should happen at a reading?

A set agreed price is paid along with knowing exactly what you are getting. Ex: a half hour reading, an hour reading etc. No additional charges, no spell work or cleansings and never should you become frightened before during or after a reading.

Why am I writing about this?

Because this happens way to often to people. Also because the site that I read on has posts from people stating they gave $1,000s to people that told them these things. Recently there was a post from someone saying they are suicidal and a whole thing about what is going on with them. What are a lot of the responses to that? Hire me and let’s do a reading. What is my response to that? What is the response from anyone that is a legitimate reader ? The suicide hotline number given along with other suggestions of calling 911 for immediate help. Also other suggestions for them to find a counselor, psychiatrist anyone near them that deals with this and go. Even a local priest, pastor or rabbi would have numbers for professionals in the persons immediate area.

NEVER EVER should money for a reading be offered or taken for situations as severe as this.

Someone else posted that they gave $9,000.00 to someone who said they had to start spell removal work. When they went back they gave them another $9,000.00 for a “special cloth” that they said they blessed and was needed in a ritual.

This kind of stuff makes me ill and is another reminder why I do what I do. If I can save just one person from bankruptcy and lots of pain that alone means more to me then any amount of money I could ever make doing readings.

If you or someone you know feels something is not right with a “reader” please do not continue going back. If you have a question about any experience you have had feel free and contact me. I will happily discuss it with you.

Know that there are things that can be done. Going to the local authorities is what does not even occur to people to do. You can and you should.

Too many people get conned into continuously needing to go back to their “psychic” . If you find yourself continuously returning, that should also be questioned.

Blessings,
Misha

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