Selfridges - a psychic reading.

Selfridges have decided to employ self-professed psychics, the so-called Psychic Sisters, in their Oxford Street store. Despite the fact that this has led to much criticism, and that they are almost certainly operating in breach of the Fraudulent Mediums Act (1951), Selfridges have decided to ignore all concerns regarding the ethics or morality, as well as the legality, of providing this 'service' and have decided to continue with it regardless.

UK skeptic 'Mark' went for a reading on 17^th April 2006. The reading was a Tarot reading given by Psychic Sister Sarah Jayne who specialises in: "Tarot & Clairvoyant, Psychometry & Mediumship".

There is a full transcript of the reading here: http://www.skeptics.org.uk/documents/selfridges_psychic_reading.pdf (PDF 91Kb). Comments (in blue) are added by Mark, the rest is the transcript of the tape recording of the reading.

NOTE: Mark is a skeptic and is aware of how Cold Reading works and how much psychics rely on the feedback they get from their clients in such readings. Mark did not offer any false feedback (a sure way of ascertaining whether the psychic is responding to feedback) nor did he use blocking techniques (such as refusing to answer questions), he provided honest feedback albeit without the embellishment that many non-skeptics unwittingly provide.

A summary of the reading.

It is quite obvious right from the start that this reading is anything but accurate. Here is a summary of some of the things that the 'psychic' came up with:

• Mark is a singer or musician.
  
  After being asked the question, "Do you play now?" Mark told the psychic that he was learning the guitar.
  
  NOTE: Mark has had to give guitar playing up due to arthritis in his hands.
  
  
• I’ve seen you on a bike, you haven’t been on ..... A pedal bike. I feel it’s something you need to dust down and just get on.
  
  Mark has not owned a pedal bike for at least 10 years.
  
  
• I’m seeing like Australia and New Zealand for you. Erm, keep these options open as I feel that you will be going there. You been there in the past?
  
  Long-distance travel is a common feature in readings. The USA, Africa and Australia get the most hits. Mark had been to Australia the previous year. This may look like a 'hit' for the psychic. The reference to the past however, was a question. She also asked Mark if he went before he was sixteen - he didn't.
  
  
• I’m getting you designing something as well, on paper. You a bit of a graphic designer?
  
  Again, the psychic is asking a question. The answer is, No. Mark later tells the psychic that he's a web designer after the psychic asks yet another question, "What do you do now?"
  
  
• And I feel as well that you’re going to meet a girl before you know it. It’s going to happen very soon. I feel it’s before this summer ..... I’m hearing the name Sheryl as well, I don’t know who Sheryl is. Sherry or Sheryl. You don’t know? ..... I see children for you within the next three years.
  
  Here the psychic 'feels' that Mark will meet a girl and she 'feels' it's going to be before the summer, she 'hears' the name Sheryl (or similar) but doesn't know who Sheryl is (neither does Mark) and she 'sees' children.
  
  This is the "tall, dark stranger" prediction (named as such as it's normally given to women), and comes under the heading of Peter Pan predictions: telling the client what they want to hear. It's a simple and blatantly obvious ruse, but it works on many people.
  
  It's not unlikely that Mark will meet someone soon; however, it is unlikely that the psychic's predictions will prove accurate except in the most superficial way.
  
  
• Yeah. I’m getting the name Jackie around you. Who’s Jackie? [Mark states that he doesn't know a Jackie]. If you don’t, that’s someone who’s going to come in, into your life.
  
  This is known as the "I'm right, you just don't know it yet" technique. The psychic makes a statement that is wrong, but claims that whatever they have said will come true in the future. It's a "win-win" technique with the purpose of turning failure into (potential) success. It's used several times in this reading.
  
  
• I’m getting something to do with a dad as well. You and your dad quite close? ..... I feel that you’re going to be going to him, asking him for advice. ..... So I’m picking up that you’re quite close to your dad ..... I feel that he’s a wonderful man, got a heart of gold, lot of kindness pouring out of his pores. ..... So, erm, spend a lot of time with him, build on the relationship.
  
  Mark's dad died five years ago.
  
  This psychic includes mediumship as one of her abilities! The truth is that psychics do not tune into 'spirit guides' or are led by 'the Tarot'; what they do is do their act which is based on responding to the sitter's feedback. In this case the psychic cut Mark off before he had the chance to say that his father had died, and went on with the reading as if he were still alive.

Psychic readings are normally done to a formula; Tarot cards and other such props are simply used to break the reading up into sections where the 'psychic' can concentrate on different tried and tested routines which focus mainly on: love; relationships; money; career; health; travel; and ambitions.

When done correctly, psychic readings (a form of Cold Reading) can be quite convincing. What we've seen here, however, is a very poor attempt at a reading. If anyone can find anything in that reading that even resembles anything approaching true psychic ability, please contact us and let us know what it is: Contact us.

Selfridges' responsibilities.

Remember that Selfridges are not only endorsing this 'psychic service' they are actually employing the Psychic Sisters in their Oxford Street store. Their defence so far has been that this service is 'for entertainment purposes'. Nowhere in Selfridges' store or at anytime during Mark's reading was any sign or mention of this being an entertainment service.

There is no disclaimer shown anywhere or given at any time that informs the customer that this is an entertainment service.

The payment for this 'service' is not made to the psychics, the payment goes through Selfridges' tills. The Selfridges receipt clearly states "If you are not entirely satisfied with your purchase" you can get a refund within 28 days (discretionary). As this 'psychic service' is purchased through their tills and this is printed on the receipt then the money-back guarantee should also apply to this psychic service.

Mark emailed Selfridges and asked for a refund due to the fact that his psychic reading was clearly nothing of the kind; the part of the reading referring to his father being particularly offensive. As no mention of this being an entertainment service was made anywhere at any time, Selfridges should undoubtedly give a refund due to the lack of quality of their service.

Mark's email to Selfridges went unanswered by them (customer service?) so Mark went into the store on Saturday 22^nd April 2006 and demanded a refund stating the fact that the reading was wholly inaccurate and the part where they mentioned his father was also hurtful.

Before issuing a refund, the staff member consulted the Psychic Sisters to see if the refund would be OK. She did this stating that the Psychic Sisters were not part of Selfridges and therefore not part of their refund policy. This is an odd claim to make considering that the payment for the 'service' went through Selfridges' tills. See the receipt here: Selfridges' receipt.

Selfridges refund policy is a discretionary one. If they think an unreasonable request is being made for a refund they would surely defend themselves. In this case, they clearly would have been foolish to try to defend their 'service' as being a quality one when it was abysmal.

Perhaps Selfridges were taken in by the Psychic Sisters' claim on their website:

All of our readers are of the highest quality and their reputations are unbeatable within their own specialist fields.

If the reading Mark was given was of the highest quality, it doesn't say much for those psychics who are less gifted than Sarah Jayne!

The more this issue develops the more it becomes clear that Selfridges' use of self-professed psychics is nothing more than a money-making scheme. They clearly cannot guarantee the quality of this 'service' and when challenged on the issue, they have been forced to give a refund.