On-line Readings - advice please

[Armi Shanks]

I'm a vociferous contributer to a forum here in the UK called 'Most Haunted' - it's a spin off from the TV series of the same name(supposed investigations into haunted houses etc). Lately, we have had a chap posting on there giving 'readings' - and I have managed to find out that this chap is a long-time member posting under a different name which is providing him with the odd 'hit' when reading regular users - quelle surprise.

Amazingly, his tribe of followers refuse to believe that he would do this, despite the gentleman in question actually admitting to posting under a different name. (Words fail me......)

Now, not only are these readings the worst pile of generalised tripe you'll ever come across, I also suspect this user to be acting illegally, as there is no disclaimer posted on the forum that such activities are for 'entertainment purposes only' as there are usually with this sort of thing. The forum has no age limit, many of our contributers are under 16 and a judging from some posts, there are a number of very vulnerable and exceedingly gullible people posting on there as well.

Can any of you sensible people help me out here? Is it illegal, as well as being completely annoying? I have contacted the Mods in charge of the site, but I think they're having trouble comprehending my point - well, their only reference book appears to be a Fisher Price dictionary, so it's to be expected, I suppose.....

[TruthSeeker]

does he charge for these readings?

[Armi Shanks]

Not at the moment, although he is siphoning people off to communicate via email, so who knows. That's not really the point, the point is whether or not it's legal for him to be doing this without a disclaimer.

[TruthSeeker]

I'm not a lawyer, so I may be completely wrong, but if someone is giving free readings online or via email, I doubt a disclaimer is needed.

It seems comparable to a friend reading my cards in her kitchen.

Do paid psychics usually have disclaimers? Not the people on TV, but just the regular-Joe psychics? There is a woman about a block away from me who has a "psychic readings" sign in her window but no disclaimer.

As I think about it, when John Edward et al appear on Larry King or Montel is there a disclaimer?

Sorry I can't be more helpful.

[Armi Shanks]

Thanks, Truthseeker, but I think there's a difference between people giving readings at their kitchen tables to consenting adults, and posting them randomly on a forum for people who are possibly 12 years old and highly vulnerable, especially when the forum hasn't been set up for that purpose.

And then there's the fact that they're a load of tripe to consider as well.......

[Hazelip]

Illegal? I don't know. Why don't you ask an attorney?

[Armi Shanks]

Originally posted by Hazelip
Illegal? I don't know. Why don't you ask an attorney?

*Smacks forehead onto desk* Now why didn't I think of that????:D

I just wondered if anyone around these parts might have any knowledge about this or know of any similar situations. My mistake....

I will resume lurking forthwith.

[SquishyDave]

Don't lurk, we need all the posters we can get, ignore Hazelip, I am sure we have some law talking guys around here somewhere who will answer.

Hazelip, so how do you ask an attorney? What if I don't know any, can I just walk into their office and ask their free advice? :p :)

[ImpyTimpy]

Originally posted by SquishyDave
Don't lurk, we need all the posters we can get, ignore Hazelip, I am sure we have some law talking guys around here somewhere who will answer.

Hazelip, so how do you ask an attorney? What if I don't know any, can I just walk into their office and ask their free advice? :p :)

You find an attorney that advertises first visit free. Then you go in and make up a story about how you got a reading online from someone and it turned out all wrong and now you're nearly in financial ruins. You ask if it's illegal etc, all the questions you need all the while the attorney is thinking of how to make this case as long as possible :p

In the end you say you'll call back and leave.

[Armi Shanks]

Thanks, chaps. Tell me, while I'm visiting this attorney to discuss this 'reading' do you think it would be advisible to wear plenty of limp cotton, drape a lot of crystals around my neck, henna my hair, spray myself with patchouly and break off now and then for a spot of chanting? And can I fling myself on his/her desk sobbing, 'And he told me I have psychic powers myself, the scoundrel - now I just feel soiled!!' ;)

Have finally heard back from one of the Mods on the site - the only one not playing with his Etch-a-Sketch - they're 'looking into it'. If I don't hear anything back today I shall commence adorning myself with wooden jewellery and pop into my local legal advisor.

[geni]

UK? Don't we still have some old witchcraft laws on the books (I know we did back during WW2 but I don't know if they have been removed since then)?

[Armi Shanks]

There's the 1951 Fraudulent Mediums Act, but this chap isn't charging for his 'services' so he can't really be slapped with that. Although I have displayed it for him. ;)

[Demigorgon]

Linkage?

[Armi Shanks]

http://www.livingtv.co.uk/ubb/Forum18/HTML/024906-21.html

Unfortunately the thread on which a rather heated debate was carried out has been removed. The Mods have now closed the 'readings' thread.

[Demigorgon]

Lol, he's not even good at it. He's just someone out for attention. If he really thinks he's as good as he is, send him this way. ;)

[Armi Shanks]

Exactly - that's what's so annoying about him!!!!! He's complete pants at it, yet, please note the queue of desperate fools lining up for readings....

It's enough to make one turn to drink. ;)

[Hazelip]

Originally posted by SquishyDave
Don't lurk, we need all the posters we can get, ignore Hazelip, I am sure we have some law talking guys around here somewhere who will answer.It is just plain stupid to ask an Internet message board full of anonymous strangers about legal issues. Particularly when the situation is as poorly described as it is. Nobody has asked if the message board itself has a disclaimer pertaining to all posted content, for example.

Random strangers, known only by the digital equivalent of CB handles, are the worst source of any and all legal advice that will be used to guide one's actions.
Hazelip, so how do you ask an attorney? What if I don't know any, can I just walk into their office and ask their free advice? :p :) With some, you can indeed do this. The best place to find an attorney is through your local bar association. Even if there is a fee involved, however, I would strongly suspect that it would be considerably less than the fees of full-fledged courtroom representation in a trial, and...less than the cost of being sued.

[Armi Shanks]

Originally posted by Hazelip
It is just plain stupid to ask an Internet message board full of anonymous strangers about legal issues. Particularly when the situation is as poorly described as it is. Nobody has asked if the message board itself has a disclaimer pertaining to all posted content, for example.

Random strangers, known only by the digital equivalent of CB handles, are the worst source of any and all legal advice that will be used to guide one's actions.



Hazelip, I did state quite clearly that there was no disclaimer attached to the site. Please, if you're going to be disdainful, at least get your facts straight.

Contrary to what you obviously believe, I am more than capable of making an informed decision, and would never act solely on what was advised by 'random strangers', and certainly not those with your lack of social graces.

The question was posted as a means of finding out if anyone knew of similar cases or could provide any indication of where one would start to research such an issue.

[SquishyDave]

Originally posted by Hazelip
It is just plain stupid to ask an Internet message board full of anonymous strangers about legal issues. Particularly when the situation is as poorly described as it is. Nobody has asked if the message board itself has a disclaimer pertaining to all posted content, for example.

Random strangers, known only by the digital equivalent of CB handles, are the worst source of any and all legal advice that will be used to guide one's actions.
With some, you can indeed do this. The best place to find an attorney is through your local bar association. Even if there is a fee involved, however, I would strongly suspect that it would be considerably less than the fees of full-fledged courtroom representation in a trial, and...less than the cost of being sued. OK fair enough, but what if you are lazy, and the legal issue isn't even close to important, you just want some rudimentary knowledge to ***** stir on another forum? Seems a lot easier just to ask here, all this walking around and contacting bar associations, whatever they are, and actually PAYING someone real money for this when it clearly is not important at all. You make sound like Armi is about to lose their house and asking advice legal advice here, that would be stupid. This isn't.

Relax, take a load off, and remember, always take the easy way out. :)

[Hazelip]

Originally posted by Armi Shanks
Hazelip, I did state quite clearly that there was no disclaimer attached to the site. Please, if you're going to be disdainful, at least get your facts straight.I stand corrected. Thank you.

Now, call a lawyer for your legal questions.

[UnrepentantSinner]

Originally posted by Armi Shanks
Exactly - that's what's so annoying about him!!!!! He's complete pants at it, yet, please note the queue of desperate fools lining up for readings....

It's enough to make one turn to drink. ;)

Sadly these poor deluded fools don't even notice their nose has been chopped off their face when you hold it in front of their eyes.

Some months ago I was in a Medium chat room with my longer ID - UnrepentantSinnerAtheist, and one of these intellectual street urchins joins the room and PMs me asking if I did readings. It actually should not have shocked me though.