Horoscope Review: SpiritNow.com Psychic-Hotline is Sylvia Browne's Hideout

Negative reviews of Sylvia Browne, former media psychic and convict, span the Internet and she is famous for false psychic readings, so her latest online business venture SpiritNow.com barely mentions her. Instead, SpiritNow.com's ads and home page feature a huge array of other psychics offering first-timers a free 5-minute psychic reading. Despite Browne's bad reputation, despite YouTube video of her disastrous readings, and despite the cheesy SpiritNow homepage photo of a model with a "gypsy" headscarf and glowing crystal ball, I had to try it. So I entered my question, email address and birthdate.

The input generated a 1-888 phone number and an activation code for my free phone reading "with an amazing psychic who will answer your question honestly." It added, "As seen on Fox TV," and everybody knows what a fountain of truth and honesty Fox TV is! So I called.

Before I got to speak with anyone, the SpiritNow answering machine required me to "press 1" to agree to the Terms and Conditions posted on the website. You should always read Terms and Conditions, but to save you reading 5500 words of thorny legalese, I will summarize: You must agree never to bring a class-action lawsuit against SpiritNow's parent company Preston Media; must agree that the readings are for entertainment only and if you take the reading seriously, Preston Media is not responsible for what happens; and any comments you make on the site's blog or forums are theirs forever and so is their right to identify you.

After this I was not so eager to call again, but I called, pressed 1, and after 12 recorded "sorry to keep you waiting" cycles, the service rep answered. Before connecting me with a psychic he spent 7 minutes presenting me with reasons why this was not a con, never once mentioning the famous Sylvia Browne. He said SpiritNow employs 250 psychics, all thoroughly tested. "We guarantee you'll get an accurate reading," were his actual words. He added that SpiritNow is accredited by the Better Business Bureau. Unfortunately that is untrue, as it is not in the Bureau's database and its parent company Preston Media is unrated.

I'd sent my question via the Web so I thought the service rep would have it already, but he made me repeat it and then gave me the extension for Patsy, a "third-generation psychic" and "clairvoyant channel" who could contact my spirit guide. If Patsy's extension was busy, I should try Maria Christina, a very "down-to-earth" and honest psychic who was "not going to sugarcoat anything." Both are 5-star psychics with many satisfied clients, he said.

I said I was ready for my free 5-minute reading. He said I could get it, but if I was "like most people" I would want to listen beyond the 5-minute signal, and each minute after that cost a whopping $6.99. "That could really add up," he said, and did the math: 20 minutes at $6.99 is $140. But as a special offer he could knock off $100 and I'd get a 20-minute reading for only $40. I said I wanted my promised free 5-minute reading.

Then the wicket got sticky. He said I must give my credit-card information in case I wanted to listen beyond the 5 free minutes. I replied that I fully intended to hang up at the 5-minute mark. He said I couldn't have the 5 minutes unless I first gave my credit-card information. Because only shady businesses offer a freebie and then try to coerce the customer into giving credit-card information for something she doesn't want or intend to buy, I finally said, "Thanks, but no thanks," and hung up.

Eleven minutes had gone by...and no free reading! For my efforts, all I got was Browne's weekly horoscope in my email and two identical "free psychic Tarot readings" although I had entered two different birth dates. Since 1974 Browne, a U.S. resident, has been carving for herself a dark niche in the Hall of Shame, telling parents their missing children were dead when they weren't, or doing appalling "readings" as Las Vegas and cruise line stage entertainment. Her business SpiritNow.com downplays her involvement, but its spirit is just as unsavory.

Sylvia Sky, experienced astrologer, monitors online horoscope and psychic sites for quality and accuracy. See her review of Psychic Power Network. Copyright 2011 by Sylvia Sky.