Its essence is to oblige 'free traders' (which in the United Kingdom also include all kinds of 'prophets') to warn potential clients that they are using their services at their own risk. The law was adopted in accordance with the EU directive on unfair commercial practices and for the first time introduces legal restrictions into the 'gray area' of free trade, which has hitherto not been covered by law enforcement.
From now on, fortune-tellers and predictors, as well as healers, mediums, etc., are required to inform clients that they offer their services solely 'for entertainment' and that their abilities have 'not been experimentally proven'. This means, for example, that a predictor who sets up a stall at a fair must put up a sign with a disclaimer of liability. Similar instructions must be published on the websites of healers, psychics and mediums, as well as on invoices and in all printed agreements and contracts.
Violators of the new laws, prosecuted by the Office of Fair Trading or officials monitoring compliance with trading regulations, will be fined up to $10,000 if their case is heard in a magistrates' court, and up to two years' imprisonment if the case is heard in the Crown Court.
The new laws also contain a blacklist of 31 actions. Among them, for example: false claims of following an approved code of conduct; advertising a product at a low price; knowingly having insufficient stock to meet demand; so-called 'bait and switch' advertising; persuading consumers that they cannot leave without signing a contract; stating in advertising of children's products that if the customer does not buy the product, the child will suffer.
Mediums have already protested. For example, one of the most famous predictors in Britain, clairvoyant Lin Guest de Swarte, stated that the new law is 'an attempt to intrude into the affairs of God'. 'What we promise is no different from the church's promises of eternal life after death,' de Swarte believes, 'but no one forces churchmen to hang signs at the entrance saying "Entertainment here".'
The Association of Mediums issued a statement emphasizing: 'We do not consider that we are conducting a scientific experiment. Such statements would mean a denial of our beliefs. It turns out that we must tell people that we ourselves do not believe in what we do.'
However, as British consumer advocates believe, there are serious reasons to doubt the good faith of predictors. After all, they failed to predict the introduction of the new law.
Boris ALTNER. 