StopSylvia Email: Disappointing Reading

[RSLancastr]

Received this email today at StopSylvia, with the subject "Disappointing Reading with Chris DuFresne":

Dear Robert,
I am a former fan of Sylvia Browne's who recently discovered your site. When it was announced this past week that Osama Bin Laden was killed by Navy Seals my first thought was 'But Sylvia Browne said he was dead several years ago on Montel!'. Since that announcement, I did some google searching on Sylvia and have found evidence (such as your site) that leads me to believe she is a fraud.

I should have come to this conclusion back in 2006 when I had a disappointing phone reading with her son, Chris. At that time I was stuck in a job that I hated and was depressed all around. I was desperate for answers and hope, so I scheduled a reading with Chris since he was cheaper and had a shorter wait list than Sylvia. I had to wait 3 months for the reading, then a scheduling conflict came up on my end so I called his secretary to reschedule. I politely asked if it was possible for Chris to call me at a later time on the scheduled day. She was extremely nasty to me (in fact I've never had anyone be so mean to me in my life) and basically said how dare I ask for such a thing from Chris when he was so busy, etc. In spite of the nasty attitude from the secretary, I was able to reschedule. The day before the reading his secretary called and said he needed to reschedule. I desperately wanted this reading so I agreed to it instead of accepting her offer to refund me (stupid me). When I finally got my reading everything he said about me was wrong. For example, he said I'd have two kids. I was shocked by this because I have no desire to ever have children. I didn't say that to him but he said 'No, you're not too old to have kids', like he thought my age was the reason I was shocked by this prediction. At that time I was 26 years old, so my age was not a factor at all.

It is now 5 years later and not one of his predictions has come true. I wasted $450 but at least I wasn't financially strapped at the time so it didn't hurt me to lose the money. I do feel badly for anyone who lost money to Sylvia or her son when they couldn't really afford it, and that is why I give you my permission to post this email should you wish to do so. I do ask that you remove my name and email before posting. I hope my story prevents other people from putting their faith and money in these phonies.

I saw on your site that you have been struggling with health problems. I sincerely hope that you get better and wish you well. Thank you for your site.

--

[name]

I hope to use this email, along with a number of others about Dufresne (a couple of positive ones, but mostly like this one) in an upcoming article about him.

Don't hold your breath, though.

 

[ExMinister]

Nice email. I wonder who the secretary was.

This reminds me. I found a notebook the other day where I had re-listened to the tape of my first reading with Sylvia from way back when. I had noted down anything she said that could have counted as a prediction. There were 32 predictions/psychic statements total. 20 were wrong. 7 were right. 5 were either vague or unknown.

 

[RSLancastr]

Nice email. I wonder who the secretary was.

This reminds me. I found a notebook the other day where I had re-listened to the tape of my first reading with Sylvia from way back when. I had noted down anything she said that could have counted as a prediction. There were 32 predictions/psychic statements total. 20 were wrong. 7 were right. 5 were either vague or unknown.

I think that would make for interesting reading! Send me an email with it, and an article around it will go on my To Do List

 

[bencg]

It constantly amazes me when I read how rude sylvia and her staff are to people. It's just bad business!

Of course we know they have nothing but contempt for their customers, you'd just think they'd try to hide it a bit better. We should probably be thankful, if they were smarter they might be more successful.

 

[RSLancastr]

It constantly amazes me when I read how rude sylvia and her staff are to people. It's just bad business!

I guess they take their cue from Browne, whose rude, callous treatment of people who ask her questions is almost a trademark of hers.

 

[philkensebben]

I still dont understand why or how they justify Chris being cheaper. $450 worth of innaccurate statements vs $750 worth of innaccurate statements. Someone needs to price them out of the market, its the only way! I'll provide this service for $10!

 

[rjh01]

I guess they take their cue from Browne, whose rude, callous treatment of people who ask her questions is almost a trademark of hers.

Also if they do not get repeat business then why worry about being polite? Just exploit the customers when they do ring. Any problems, blame the customer. If they accept the blame then they keep quiet.

 

[P.J. Denyer]

I still dont understand why or how they justify Chris being cheaper. $450 worth of innaccurate statements vs $750 worth of innaccurate statements. Someone needs to price them out of the market, its the only way! I'll provide this service for $10!

No, it's like the placebo effect, cost implies value therefore you should price them out by charging $1,000.

 

[P.J. Denyer]

Nice email. I wonder who the secretary was.

This reminds me. I found a notebook the other day where I had re-listened to the tape of my first reading with Sylvia from way back when. I had noted down anything she said that could have counted as a prediction. There were 32 predictions/psychic statements total. 20 were wrong. 7 were right. 5 were either vague or unknown.

This sounds really interesting, if it's not too personal how about posting it as a new thread along with your circumstances at the time and what information you fed her?

 

[RSLancastr]

Also if they do not get repeat business then why worry about being polite? Just exploit the customers when they do ring. Any problems, blame the customer. If they accept the blame then they keep quiet.

Also, they may wish to discourage repeat business because they don't want customer complaints like "Last month Sylvia told me that I have five guardian angels, that my Spirit Guide's name is Eduardo, that my Life Themes are Seeker and Teacher, and that I would meet my Soul Mate, whose name is Jack, in two years. Today, she told me that I have only TWO guardian angels, my Spirit Guide's name is Emily, that my Life Themes are Builder and Plumber, and that I will meet my Soul Mate, whose name is Sarah, in six months - what gives?"

I believe it was ExMinister who once told us that Browne used to give free "readings" to her ministers, until they started noticing discrepancies like these when they had multiple readings, so she instituted a "one reading per person" rule among the ministers and others in the office. Come to think of it, I seem to recall reading that customers are limited to one reading with Browne per year. Whether this is in hopes that they would forget what she said in the first one within the subsequent year, or it gives her some excuse about their "chart" having changed in the past year, or something else, is anyone's guess.

 

[headscratcher4]

Does the son make claims a'la Sylvia about his accuracy? E.G. is he 85% accurate? If not, that could explain his lower rate...But, if he is less accurate, why would you want to pay him? Isn't you risk of loss factor higher?

 

[ExMinister]

I think that would make for interesting reading! Send me an email with it, and an article around it will go on my To Do List

This sounds really interesting, if it's not too personal how about posting it as a new thread along with your circumstances at the time and what information you fed her?

Twenty years ago readings lasted 30-45 minutes, in person with Sylvia. Mine was closer to 45 minutes and transcribed is 10 double-spaced pages. So much too lengthy for a thread, and probably too lengthy for an article.

I'll might be able to put together a summary. It might be too long, though, even as a summary. I'll see.

Also, they may wish to discourage repeat business because they don't want customer complaints like "Last month Sylvia told me that I have five guardian angels, that my Spirit Guide's name is Eduardo, that my Life Themes are Seeker and Teacher, and that I would meet my Soul Mate, whose name is Jack, in two years. Today, she told me that I have only TWO guardian angels, my Spirit Guide's name is Emily, that my Life Themes are Builder and Plumber, and that I will meet my Soul Mate, whose name is Sarah, in six months - what gives?"

I believe it was ExMinister who once told us that Browne used to give free "readings" to her ministers, until they started noticing discrepancies like these when they had multiple readings, so she instituted a "one reading per person" rule among the ministers and others in the office. Come to think of it, I seem to recall reading that customers are limited to one reading with Browne per year. Whether this is in hopes that they would forget what she said in the first one within the subsequent year, or it gives her some excuse about their "chart" having changed in the past year, or something else, is anyone's guess.

I forgot about that. Yes, a minister friend told that to me.

Sylvia used to say that she had a hard time reading for people close to her, though, anyway.

I don't think it was me who said the thing about one reading per customer per year, though. I met someone while I was a minister who'd paid to attend several salons with her. Maybe that didn't apply to salons, I don't know.

 

[Nursefoxfire]

Does the son make claims a'la Sylvia about his accuracy? E.G. is he 85% accurate? If not, that could explain his lower rate...But, if he is less accurate, why would you want to pay him? Isn't you risk of loss factor higher?

And if he's equally or more accurate, why wait for, and pay, the higher Slyvia prices?

 

[wasapi]

I still dont understand why or how they justify Chris being cheaper. $450 worth of innaccurate statements vs $750 worth of innaccurate statements. Someone needs to price them out of the market, its the only way! I'll provide this service for $10!

I'll bet at $10 you would have far more hits per reading then SB or her son.

One of my best friends had an in-person reading with SB a few years ago when her husband died in a freak accident. The staff was rude, but Sylvia was just nasty. And wrong. I listened to the tape that was made of the reading. Not one single thing was accurate, nor did one prediction come true.

SB seemed incapable of even being original. She told my friend that the following year she would meet and marry a man who was "Tall, dark and handsome." It was so off the mark that my friend and I still joke about it.

 

[Rasmus]

Does the son make claims a'la Sylvia about his accuracy? E.G. is he 85% accurate? If not, that could explain his lower rate...But, if he is less accurate, why would you want to pay him? Isn't you risk of loss factor higher?

Even if he was at the same 85%, Sylvia has the longer - and thus presumably better - track record. He just doesn't have the same background or the same experience as she does.

Seeing how she is also the leader of her church, and he is "only" psychic, that might also play a role - certainly for the demand and that will help to shape the price.

 

[RSLancastr]

Also: Because they can. If the Believers unquestioningly accept it and shell out the money, why would they feel the need to "justify" it?

 

[Minarvia]

I also wonder why her staff can be so callous and mean to people. As a human being I don't have it in my nature to just treat people badly! Well, not unless extremely provoked! But to just be rude and snippy to people for no reason...I just don't get it.

Also, these people are paid employees, I assume. And to have a job these days, not to mention a probably fairly easy one...why BE mean at all? Doesn't being mean and nasty take more effort than just plain "common" courtesy, if such a thing exists any more?

 

[Rasmus]

I also wonder why her staff can be so callous and mean to people. As a human being I don't have it in my nature to just treat people badly! Well, not unless extremely provoked! But to just be rude and snippy to people for no reason...I just don't get it.

This is not a randomly selected sample of people. They are all making a living by defrauding their customers, after all.

Also, these people are paid employees, I assume. And to have a job these days, not to mention a probably fairly easy one...why BE mean at all?

Again: Frauds.

You can't just let anyone take that job, because they might *tell*. There is a good chance Sylvia is pretty much stuck with them.

Doesn't being mean and nasty take more effort than just plain "common" courtesy, if such a thing exists any more?

These are not average people.

 

[ExMinister]

I also wonder why her staff can be so callous and mean to people. As a human being I don't have it in my nature to just treat people badly! Well, not unless extremely provoked! But to just be rude and snippy to people for no reason...I just don't get it.

Also, these people are paid employees, I assume. And to have a job these days, not to mention a probably fairly easy one...why BE mean at all? Doesn't being mean and nasty take more effort than just plain "common" courtesy, if such a thing exists any more?

There are some very nice people working for Sylvia, but there are also some that are full of themselves. Some of them think that working for Sylvia gives them something akin to celebrity status, and they get snippy if not treated deferentially. They also get snippy if Sylvia is not treated deferentially.

This is not a randomly selected sample of people. They are all making a living by defrauding their customers, after all.



Again: Frauds.

You can't just let anyone take that job, because they might *tell*. There is a good chance Sylvia is pretty much stuck with them.



These are not average people.

This is true in some cases, I think, but many of the people around her seem to be able to overlook the lies and continue to believe she is the real thing.

 

[RSLancastr]

This is true in some cases, I think, but many of the people around her seem to be able to overlook the lies and continue to believe she is the real thing.

The human mind's ability to rationalize closely-held beliefs, even in the face of contrary evidence, should never be forgotten nor trivialized by skeptics.

It's one of the reasons I continue to be pleasantly amazed by the occasional SSB email I receive, which begin with something like "I used to be a huge fan of Sylvia Browne - then I found your web site."