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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To never want to phone one of these 'psychic lines' again

51 replies

Bishopston · 01/06/2015 18:35

I phoned one of these on Saturday and they basically ripped me off for £25. I know I was stupid to do it in the first place - learned my lesson the hard way. They are very sneaky.

OP posts:
Iliveinalighthousewiththeghost · 01/06/2015 18:54

I Can't believe that people still actually fall that crap! I can tell you if was phsycic I would be hitting the jack pot every week. It really is utter bull shit.
They aught to be damn well embarrassed and ashamed of themselves. They prey on the vulnerable.

Gilrack · 01/06/2015 18:55

Oh, love, most people do daft things when they're down & distressed. Some folks buy designer handbags they don't need, some (I) spend money we haven't got on booze that makes us feel worse the next day, some go out and shag some loser, there's no end to the possibilities!

Perhaps this £25 has been worth it, in the sense that it helped you get rid of the idea your future was out of your hands Brew

SurlyCue · 01/06/2015 18:56

Of course theyre a con!! There are no such thing as psychics.

SurlyCue · 01/06/2015 18:57

And why are you only posting this now if you phoned on saturday?

BertrandRussell · 01/06/2015 18:58

You don't have to be suicidal to phone the Samaritans. A lot of people don't know that.

Original poster
Bishopston · 01/06/2015 19:00

I agree they prey on the vulnerable. And thanks for your supportive comments. I will definitely come to mumsnet next time as its a distraction as someone has said even if you don't happen to post anything. Its just that a woman who 'befriended' me passed personal details about me to a stalker. The consequences were disastrous but I'm luckily still alive! At one point I thought I'd be a goner.

OP posts:
Original poster
Bishopston · 01/06/2015 19:03

SurlyCue - cos only this afternoon/evening it struck me that it might be interesting to post on Mumsnet - wondering if other people had done something similar.

OP posts:
SurlyCue · 01/06/2015 19:09

This reply has been deleted

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specialsubject · 01/06/2015 19:13

their charges should be very clearly stated. If they aren't, then you might have a case.

otherwise, I'm afraid you got what you paid for. All psychics are either conmen or deluded; at least you know which ones these are!

move on.

MrsHathaway · 01/06/2015 19:15

I think we've all done daft things when desperate - tbh £25 is a pretty cheap mistake. Missing the last bus and having to take a taxi costs more than that.

If you've had such a terrible six months as you describe then it stands to reason the next year or two will be better. You're older and wiser for a start, and the authorities are involved if I understand correctly.

I have the greatest faith that things will improve for you. Someone you know already will turn out to be a real source of comfort. I can say this with confidence because it's how life tends to turn out. If I called myself Mystic Sally and told you the same things, they'd be just as true.

Take comfort in whatever calms you today. I agree with pps though that there's a lot better things to spend £25 on than a phone call, and better calming methods too. I love a nice silly thread in Classics good for passing the time. Something like Cutted Up Pear or Mexican House Guest.

Hope things look brighter for you soon Brew

KurriKurri · 01/06/2015 19:15

I think rather than worrying about the future (and actually I don;t think you are entirely in control of that, things can always come along and disturb our lives, what we can control to some extent is how we deal with these unpleasant events) you should find some way of talking over the nasty thing that has happened to you, and it does sound very scary and horrible - I'm not surprised it has shaken your confidence and left you looking for answers. Things like counselling can help with trying to make sense of things that have happened and help us to move on from them.

I am very anti 'psychic' type of things, but not anti the people who feel desperate enough to use them, that is why they are so dreadful they take advantage of people's vulnerability and unhappiness. As others have suggested, I have found the samaritans very helpful when I;ve been at rock bottom, and you can also go into a samaritans centre and talk to someone face to face of you prefer (though I would guess you have to make an appointment), you can also access help through your GP and sometimes through the police - victim support and other organisations (don;t know whether the stalking was handled by the police, but even if it wasn;t they might be able to put you in touch with centres that help victims of that sort of thing - ring the non emergency number)

Original poster
Bishopston · 01/06/2015 19:20

hesterton was spot on in mentioning 'wanting answers'. And as a few of you have mentioned, £25 is not a fortune to lose in the grand scheme of things. Thanks for all your messages of support - much appreciated. :)

OP posts:
TTWK · 01/06/2015 19:21

Even if there was such a thing as a genuine psychic, which there isn't, why would you want to know your future. About 7 people in the UK will die in a road accident tomorrow, do I really want to know about it in advance if it's me?

geekymommy · 01/06/2015 19:28

Just watch out if someone who claims to be psychic tries to tell you there is a curse on you. That's a well-known scam, and people get taken for a lot of money that way. In fact, if any psychic mentions curses, they're probably trying to scam you.

Original poster
Bishopston · 01/06/2015 19:33

TTWK - yes I did think about that - believe me I'll never do this again

OP posts:
SurlyCue · 01/06/2015 19:39

In fact, if any psychic mentions curses, they're probably trying to scam you.

Not probably, definitely. Because theyre claiming to be psychic!

AntiHop · 01/06/2015 20:04

I've been in that situation OP. When I was a young adult many many years ago and I wanted some answers. These days I know that there's no such thing as being psychic. I was gullible back then.

snowglobemouse · 01/06/2015 20:06

how is it sneaky? Confused

TTWK · 01/06/2015 20:07

Just watch out if someone who claims to be psychic tries to tell you there is a curse on you. That's a well-known scam,

Forget about the bloody curse, if anyone says they're psychic, they are trying to scam you. The curse is an optional extra.

Andrewofgg · 01/06/2015 20:17

There is a good case for legislation to protect the vulnerable.

No there isn't. Unless you can find a way to apply it to the whole world.

In any event, that's a slippery slope, isn't it?

Betting tipsters?

Share tipsters?

Slightly o/t: the best scam of all ran in the late Fifties. It was an advert in the press for a book. What every young bride needs to know. Profusely illustrated in colour. Sent under plain, sealed cover. Price £2 10s 0d.

£2.50 was a lot of money for a book in those days. And what did the men (mostly, although it takes all sorts) who sent in their money get? They got a cookery book, price 7s 6d, 38p to you youngsters.

Setting apart what we would now call the rampant sexism of it, what a masterpiece! Who was every going to complain and admit that he wanted to buy a dirty book?

Original poster
Bishopston · 01/06/2015 20:50

snowglobemouse - it was sneaky because they said 10 min reading for £1. After some time into the convo a buzzer sounded, which looking back would've denoted the 10 mins was up, and instead of drawing my attention to the fact that the cheap 10 min reading was over, after which it got MUCH more expensive, the 'psychic' said, we'll just carry on a few more minutes...

OP posts:
Andrewofgg · 01/06/2015 20:51

Bishopston They saw you coming, didn't they?

Original poster
Bishopston · 01/06/2015 20:52

YEP.

OP posts:
SurlyCue · 01/06/2015 20:56

Bishopston They saw you coming, didn't they?

Cause they're psychic innit? Wink

whothehellknows · 01/06/2015 21:06

Heck, that's pretty mild, OP. I've known people to spend a great deal more on psychics in times of stress and uncertainty.

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