Ombudsman Terms of Service

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Members of the AIRR
Ombudsman Team
The Ombudsman ensures fair and friendly communication between Clients and AIRR Practitioners

The Association of Independent Readers and Rootworkers (AIRR) is a working committee of the Association of Independent Spiritual Churches (AISC), an organization whose members are dedicated to serving the fortune telling and folk magic community with ethical and traditional services. Each AIRR member is an independent business-owner, not a employee or contract-worker. For a yearly fee, AIRR provides each member with a paid listing, a biography page, and a booking page on our well-known and highly regarded Readers and Rootworkers web site. These pages are filled with free information on conjure, spirituality, spell-casting, and divination -- primarily in the African American hoodoo tradition, as well as according to the methods and beliefs of people of many cultures and religious faiths.

We hope that our members' ethical code of conduct and our list of suggested questions to ask your psychic reader, spirit medium, spell-caster, spiritual advisor, or hoodoo rootworker will help you have a pleasant and successful experience with AIRR. If you should have any problem in working with one of our members, we will provide free Ombudsman services for mediation of your complaint.

Contents

Building Great Client-Practitioner Relationships

Sometimes, despite the best of intentions, two people disagree; at times like these, a mediator can help
The Ombudsman offers free mediation services between Clients and AIRR Practitioners and also among the members of AIRR
When presenting a dispute for mediation, have your paperwork and digital documentation ready, because the Ombudsman will want to determine a timeline of events
One of the most common complaints brought before the Ombudsman is "failure of contact" because either the Client or the Practitioner failed to keep an appointment; both you and your reader should be on time for your reading appointment, but as a client, you should be aware of your chosen reader's policies regarding late calls or no-shows
The second-most-common complaint seen by the Ombudsman is a request for refund owing to a lack of success in the rootwork; as a client, it is your obligation to understand that a guarantee of satisfaction is not a guarantee of success; prayer, prophecy, and hoodoo spells cannot be guaranteed to "work" or to "produce results" for the Client; what is guaranteed is that the Practitioner's readings, prayers, root doctoring, candle setting, spell-crafting, or altar work will be sincerely performed in a timely manner according to traditional conjure methods
When members of AIRR disagree with one another, they can call upon the Ombudsman for mediation
Contracts prevent Practitioner-Client problems; you do not need to have signed a contract to make use of AIRR's Ombudsman services, but if a significant sum of money is involved in an agreement for spell-casting, we recommend that you and your root doctor draw up a simple contract in advance of the work, and we supply samples of common contract language for your use
If you agree to a price for your reading or rootwork before you begin, you will be far less likely to need the services of the Ombudsman
Set a time limit for the work; if the Practitioner does not finish the job, seek out the Ombudsman, but do not expect the work to continue beyond the date agreed upon, unless you have a contract in which you pay a regular monthly fee for continuous altar work
Pre-plan follow-up contact dates and times with your reader or rootworker; do not expect your Practitioner to be "on call" for you unless you have pre-arranged an "on-call" contract, and do not expect free readings after the rootwork or spell-casting is finished
Refund and rescheduling policies are clearly stated on each member's booking page; be sure to read your chosen Practitioner's refund and rescheduling terms before making a payment because AIRR associates are independent business people, and these terms will vary from one Practitioner to another
Mediation, arbitration, or negotiation may sometimes result in better outcomes than seeking victory in court
Practitioners may send conjure photos to Clients as proof that the work is being done; this is not required by AIRR, but it is negotiated between the Client and Practitioner before any money changes hands and it may be part of a contract that the Client's photos be seen on the Practitioner's altar as proof-of-work
The Ombudsman cannot guarantee that the parties to a dispute will accept a resolution, but it is the goal of mediation to see both parties satisfied with the outcome

We want Clients to be happy with the services they receive through AIRR, whether for psychic readings, fortune-telling, soothsaying, the setting of candles or lamps, altar work and prayers, spell-casting, magical coaching and rootwork advice, or |the purchase of custom-made spiritual supplies or tools of divination anf conjure. We also expect all verbal and physical contacts and meetings between Clients and Practitioners to be carried out according to the Code of Ethics of AIRR.

While the outcome of a reading or a job of root work cannot be guaranteed, AIRR stands behind the training and good reputations of our members. In keeping with AIRR's policy of ethical transparency, we encourage Clients who have problems with anyone listed in the AIRR directory to contact the AIRR Ombudsman for mediation and resolution of the problem, and we will do our best to resolve the issue, if we can.

Remember, AIRR members are not employees, and the AIRR Ombudsman is not the "customer service desk" or the "complaints and refunds department" of AIRR -- so before filing a complaint, please read the following Ombudsman Terms of Service below.

What is an Ombudsman?

An Ombudsman is an official who investigates and attempts to resolve the conflicts or concerns raised by private citizens against businesses or governmental agencies, as well as among individuals who are working within a formal organization or public entity. There are Ombudsmen in all sectors of society, including corporate, academic, governmental, non-governmental, and non-profit organizations, and an Ombudsman may serve both internal constituencies (mediating disputes among members) and external constituencies (mediating complaints against members).

The primary role of the Ombudsman is to settle disputes through mediation in a manner that is impartial, fair, and confidential. An Ombudsman has the power to conduct investigations into cases, but is not a judge or a jury and cannot enforce legally binding judgements. Instead, having assumed the role of mediator, the Ombudsman questions and summarizes the positions taken by disputing parties, and provides guidance as they select the criteria by which they will negotiate, state their preferred outcomes, and accept a resolution of the dispute.

In addition to mediating cases of dispute, an Ombudsman is also given authority to hold individual members or the organization accountable, to collaborate with individual members or the organization to make programs better, and to advocate for changes within the membership or organization.

Mediation Service is Available to All Clients and Practitioners

Traditionally, agreements between Clients and Practitioners of divination and folk magic are made on sight or by a hand-shake; however, if pre-paying a significant sum of money to an unknown Practitioner at a distance from you via the internet is a cause for concern, you may request that the Practitioner agree to a simple Assurance of Performance contract before you send your money.

  • You don't need a contract to seek mediation: It is not necessary that Clients and Practitioners have signed a contract in order for the Client to seek mediation from the Ombudsman; however, AIRR does provide guidelines for contract text that can be copied and adapted by anyone who wishes an Assurance of Performance that sets forth what both parties agree to do, and for how long.
  • You will need to fill out some paperwork to set the mediation process in motion: In order for the Ombudsman to mediate a case, you will need to fill out a form stating your name, contact information, the nature of your complaint, and your desires for a resolution. You will also need to agree to abide by the Ombudsman's facilitated negotiation of a satisfactory resolution.
  • You will need to file your complaint in a timely manner: In order for the Ombudsman to mediate a case, you will need to file your complaint within one (1) year of the original agreement for services.

We Mediate Practitioner Failures of Contact

The AIRR Ombudsman can mediate a complaint based on a failure of contact BEFORE or AFTER your payment was made:

  • Failure to return your call or email: Please allow three attempts at contact before opening a case with the Ombudsman; if you do open a case, you will be required to provide full details of contact dates and methods of attempted communication.
  • Failure to acknowledge receipt of your payment: Please allow three attempts at contact before opening a case with the Ombudsman; if you do open a case, you will be required to provide full details of transaction dates and methods of payment.
  • Failure to schedule your appointment: Please allow three attempts at contact before opening a case with the Ombudsman; if you do open a case, you will be required to provide full details of contact dates and methods of attempted scheduling.

We Mediate Practitioner Failures of Delivery

The AIRR Ombudsman can mediate a complaint based on a failure of delivery of services or goods AFTER your payment was made:

  • Failure to attend a scheduled appointment with you: Please allow three attempts at contact before opening a case with the Ombudsman; if you do open a case, you will be required to provide full details of contact dates and methods of attempted communication. If the Practitioner has failed to keep a scheduled electronic, telephonic, or in-person appointment for a reading, a consultation, a spiritual bathing, or a cleansing of the premises, you may file a complaint with the Ombudsman; if you do open a case, you will be required to provide full details of transaction dates, methods of payment, and messages relating to the scheduled appointment.
  • Failure to ship spiritual supplies that you purchased: If supplies such as candles, oils, washes, incense, powders, curios, herbs, amulets, seals, mojo bags, doll-babies, or petition-papers were paid for and but never shipped, you may file a complaint with the Ombudsman; if you do open a case, you will be required to provide full details of transaction dates, methods of payment, and messages relating to the shipment.
  • Failure to replace lost or damaged spiritual supplies: If supplies were paid for and shipped but never received or were received damaged or broken in transit, you may file a complaint with the Ombudsman; if you do open a case, you will be required to provide full details of transaction dates, methods of payment, and messages relating to the shipment.
  • Failure to supply photos of altar work if altar photos were agreed to in a contract: If altar photos were paid for as part of the work and but never received, you may file a complaint with the Ombudsman; if you do open a case, you will be required to provide full details of transaction dates, methods of payment, and messages supporting your claim that altar photos were part of the original contract.
  • Failure to return your personal photos, concerns, or objects, if their return was agreed to in a contract: If personal photos, concerns, or objects were used in the work and they were to be returned to you, but were never received, you may file a complaint with the Ombudsman; if you do open a case, you will be required to provide full details of transaction dates, methods of payment, and messages supporting your claim that the return of these items were part of the original contract.

We Mediate Inter-Membership Disputes

If any AIRR member has a dispute with another AIRR member and asks for Ombudsman mediation, we will provide it. In these cases the Ombudsman has the power to conduct an investigation and request documentation as part of the mediation services. If an Ombudsman is a party to the dispute, he or she must be recused and another Ombudsman will mediate the matter.

We Don't Mediate Between Extraneous Parties

The AIRR Ombudsman can only mediate between AIRR Practitioners and Clients for whom they have agreed to provide services or goods.

  • Complaint about other Clients: The AIRR Ombudsman cannot mediate a complaint or dispute between you and another Client of an AIRR Practitioner.
  • Complaint about refusal of service: The AIRR Ombudsman cannot mediate a complaint based upon an AIRR Practitioner's refusal of service to you before payment was made, as each Reader and Rootworker can refuse to serve any individual; if you are refused service by an AIRR Practitioner, you may attempt to contact another AIRR Practitioner for service.
  • Complaint about an AIRR Practitioner's other business ventures: The AIRR Ombudsman cannot mediate a complaint you have about an occult shop, whether or not it is owned by or employs a Practitioner who is listed at AIRR; the reason for this is that AIRR does vouch for the other services provided by its members.
  • Complaint about a non-AIRR Practitioner: The AIRR Ombudsman cannot mediate a complaint you have about a non-AIRR or former-AIRR psychic service, fortune teller, spiritual advisor, or rootworker.

When You Can Ask for a Refund

Most mediations are successful and result in satisfaction to both parties. In some cases, mediation is not successful and the best recourse is for both parties to even up the financial score and go their separate ways. If mediation fails to satisfy either party, then the Ombudsman may request that the parties agree to part ways, with no refund, with a partial refund, or with a full refund being made by the Practitioner to the Client.

Before you ask the Ombudsman to help you get a refund, check the Practitioner's refund policy. Many Practitioners schedule their readings and consultations by the hour. If the Client misses an appointment, the reader cannot give that time to another Client on short notice, and may refuse to give the absent Client a refund for the missed appointment. However, some readers will allow a Client to reschedule an appointment once, with 24 hour notice. To avoid confusion, ask your Practitioner about his or her refund and rescheduling policies before you make a payment.

  • You can ask for a refund if the Practitioner fails to deliver goods or services: If your Practitioner promised to send something to you but did not do so or repeatedly failed to keep appointments with you despite your repeated attempts to reschedule appointments, you may use the AIRR Ombudsman service to ask for the work to be expedited or to ask for a partial or full refund on undelivered goods and services. You must make this claim within one (1) year of the original agreement in order to obtain the services of the Ombudsman.
  • You cannot ask for a refund because you missed your appointment: If your Practitioner set time aside for you, it is your duty to keep your appointment. Some Practitioners will not refund on appointments, but will reschedule them with 24 or 48 hours notice; some will only allow one rescheduled appointment per fee. Before opening an Ombudsman case and asking for a refund, be sure you clearly understood your Practitioner's rules regarding broken appointments.
  • You cannot ask for a refund because you changed your mind: If your Practitioner purchased materials or spent time preparing items for your use and you change your mind about wanting the work done, it is very unlikely that you will be able to negotiate a refund, due to the personal nature of the goods procured and time expended acquiring them on your behalf.
  • You cannot ask for a refund because the work did not succeed: As stated above, the AIRR Ombudsman cannot mediate a complaint and you cannot ask for a refund based on your expectation that folkloric arts and practices of divination and spell-casting will produce the outcome you requested; additionally, you should be aware that your results may vary from the results described in written testimonials posted on the Practitioner's AIRR page or personal web site.
  • You cannot ask for a refund if more than one (1) year has elapsed: As stated above, the AIRR Ombudsman cannot mediate "cold case" complaints concerning events that transpired more than one (1) year before the complaint was filed.

If a refund is agreed to by both parties, the Ombudsman will negotiate the terms of the refund. A full refund is appropriate in order to close out a complaint based on the Practitioner's failure of contact or failure of delivery; a partial refund is appropriate if services or delivery of goods were partially completed at the time the parties agreed to part ways. In some circumstances, no refund will be offered. Payment of the refund, if any, will be the sole responsibility of the Practitioner and is not the responsibility of AIRR or the AIRR Ombudsman.

Assurance of Performance is Not a Guarantee of Success

Divination, spiritual counselling, and the performance of magical spells are folkloric arts and practices in which the worker's best efforts are made, but it is understood that when engaging a Reader or Rootworker there are no guarantees of success tendered for these services.

  • AIRR cannot guarantee the success of your work: The AIRR Ombudsman cannot mediate a complaint and you cannot ask for a refund based on your expectation that folkloric arts and practices of divination and spell-casting will produce the outcome you requested; additionally, you should be aware that your results may vary from the results described in written testimonials posted on the Practitioner's AIRR page or personal web site.

The Ombudsman Remains Neutral

In order to preserve neutrality, there are rules that govern the Ombudsman's involvement with the Client and the Practitioner being assisted:

  • The Ombudsman may not take on any Clients who are currently filing complaints against other Practitioners: While the case is being negotiated, the Ombudsman cannot work with a Client on whose part he or she is engaging in mediation.
  • The Ombudsman may not negotiate a case in which he or she is directly involved: A complaint brought against an Ombudsman will be handled by another Ombudsman.
  • The Ombudsman may not negotiate a case to which he or she is a party: An Ombudsman may not negotiate a case concerning his or her lover, spouse, family member, employee, or business partner.

The Ombudsman Can Sanction AIRR Practitioners

The AIRR Ombudsman is a mediator whose role is reconciliation. However, as AIRR's first line of problem resolution with the public, the Ombudsman is also charged with the mission of dispute prevention. In order to prevent disputes, the Ombudsman can recommend that problem-causing Practitioners be removed from AIRR, with no refund of yearly fees previously paid. The reasons that the Ombudsman may request the removal of a Practitioner should be limited to the following issues:

  • Failure of contact: If a complaint is opened against an AIRR Practitioner and the Practitioner fails to respond to the Ombudsman, then after three failed attempts at contact, the Ombudsman may ask the Board of AISC to temporarily suspend the Practitioner's listing at AIRR.
  • False testimony: If, during the course of an Ombudsman mediation, an AIRR Practitioner is found to have provided false testimony of events, the Ombudsman may ask the Board of AISC to permanently suspend the Practitioner's listing at AIRR.
  • Failure to participate in the mediation and resolution process: If a Client opens an Ombudsman mediation and the Practitioner fails to participate in the mediation and resolution process, the Ombudsman may ask the Board of AISC to permanently suspend the Practitioner's listing at AIRR.
  • Failure to refund money after an agreement was reached: If a refund was agreed to by an AIRR Practitioner and a Client as the result of Ombudsman mediation and the Practitioner refuses to pay it, this will result in a further complaint against the AIRR Practitioner, with the possibility that the Practitioner's participation in AIRR will be terminated.

If an AIRR Practitioner has been sanctioned by the Ombudsman and wishes to re-open the case and apply for re-listing, a full report explaining the matter must be submitted, and the Ombudsman is then at liberty to bring the matter before the Board for discussion.

The Ombudsman Can Sanction Clients

The Ombudsman, after discussion with other AIRR Practitioners, may sanction Clients who have failed to pay for services or have violated terms of service set by the individual Readers and Rootworkers of AIRR.

  • Repeated trivial complaints: A Client who makes repeated, harassing, unproved, irrelevant, or unsubstantiated complaints against AIRR Practitioners may be brought to the attention of the Ombudsman by a Practitioner. If, in the opinion of the Ombudsman, the Client is a habitual bringer of complaints, the Ombudsman may warn other AIRR Practitioners that the Client has opened many cases against other Practitioners and to proceed with caution in dealing with the Client.
  • False claims for refunds or replacement of goods: AIRR Practitioners may report to the Ombudsman any claim of non-delivery or damaged delivery of supplies for which they made recompense or replacement, whether or not an Ombudsman mediation case was opened and whether or not they believe the claims to be false or exaggerated; if the Ombudsman receives repeated notices that a particular Client is making such claims, the Ombudsman may caution other AIRR Practitioners about the Client's repeated claims for refunds or replacements.
  • Failure to participate in the mediation and resolution process: If a Client opens an Ombudsman mediation but then fails to participate in the mediation and resolution process, the Ombudsman may caution other AIRR Practitioners about working with the Client until the outstanding case is resolved.
  • False testimony: If, during the course of an Ombudsman mediation, a Client is found to have provided false testimony of events, the Ombudsman may warn other AIRR Practitioners against working with the Client.

The Practitioners of AIRR remain at liberty to refuse service to any Client.

How to File a Complaint for Mediation

If you have a complaint, problem, or unresolved issue with any member of AIRR whom you have engaged as a reader or have paid for work, we have a mediator who will help resolve problems.

To have your case mediated, you must follow these three steps:

  • Read the AIRR Ombudsman Terms of Service and make sure that your case qualifies for mediation.
  • Open the Request for Mediation Form, copy it to your computer, and fill in all the data-fields.
  • Send your filled-out Request for Mediation Form to our mediator, the AIRR OMBUDSMAN, who will attempt to resolve all disputes in a mutually satisfactory manner. The email address is
    ombudsman@readersandrootworkers.org
    Please put the words "AIRR Ombudsman" in the subject line of your message to the Ombudsman.

See Also

About AIRR

These pages tell you all about how things work at the Association of Independent Readers and Rootworkers, AIRR:

  • Ombudsman Services: How AIRR Mediates Disputes between Clients and Practitioners

Client Outreach Services

These pages contain general information for the public about services that our members offer in addition to psychic reading, spell-casting, and candle services:

Public Education About Client Services

These pages contain general information for the public about dealing with psychic readers, engaging the services of root doctors and spell-casters, and how to keep yourself safe from spiritual and magical scams and frauds:

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