People often feel they must accept whatever a practitioner tells them. You do not. Asking direct questions is reasonable, and how someone responds to them tells you almost everything.
The questions
- What exactly will you do, in plain language?
- What is the complete cost, including anything that might be added later?
- What outcomes can you not promise me?
- What happens if nothing changes?
- Do you work on other people without their knowledge?
- How is my information stored, and who else sees it?
- Can I take a few days to think about it?
- What would make you tell me you cannot help?
- How do I stop, if I want to stop?
Reading the answers
Honest answers are specific, unhurried and often slightly disappointing — a real practitioner will happily list what they cannot do. Evasive answers escalate: urgency appears, the price becomes conditional, or the question is turned back on you as a lack of faith.
Warning signs worth leaving over
Guaranteed results. A quoted success percentage. A promised timeframe such as twenty-four or forty-eight hours. An unprompted claim that you are cursed. Pressure to pay today. Requests for further payment once work has started. Refusal to put the fee in writing.
Ask for clear written terms and do not agree to a service you do not understand. These are practical cautions, not allegations about a particular provider.