Most Haunted

[sleepz]

ok ... This is a bit of a strange one, but bear with me

 

Im sure most of you have heard of or seen Most Haunted and know generally what it's about. For those that don't, it's basically a load of people going to haunted places and filming, loking for proof of ghosts and stuff. (Very entertaining by the way, you should chck it out! ).

 

I don't really have an issue with this at all, I take it all with a pinch of salt and have watched it for entertainment purposes only really. But, here's the thing.

Just about every episode they claim that nothing has been faked, however the host and producer Yvette Fielding has claimed publicly that the "Psychic" they used, Derek Acorah, in the early seasons was a fake and was researching information before filming the show. There's also various video clips of different members of the team (includng Yvette) faking the purposed activity, yet they still claim this to be real.

They show these shows, and sell DVD's of these shows pertaining to be real haunted activity, yet there are video's, and public quotes from the producer and host, proving this to be untrue. At no point is there any mention of this being fictional, or for "entertainment purposes only".

 

So, what I was wondering ... if you've bought a dvd, or even Dvd's (there are literally about 20 of them out now), are you entitled to return these DVD's and claim your money back, since they are not what they claim to be?

 

I was wondering if there was a being mis-sold goods or something clause which might force them to refund your money as the DVD's are not what they claim to be, and in fact are just a big stage show?

 

Cheers, long question, sorry. I doubt I'll look for a refund 'cause I actually do like watching it, but I was just wondering what the legal stand point on this was.

[telewest]

edited

[sleepz]

There are videos that they themselves have filmed which prove that a lot of the things they claim to be true are in fact faked by them. So I guess you can use that as proof. There is also plenty of interviews in newspapers and things where they specifically say that the psychic was fired because he was "a fake".

 

There isn't a disclaimer on any of the DVD's or TV shows, like you get on other such programs where it states "This program is meant for entertainment purposes only*). They claim in every episode that nothing has been faked.

 

Everything purports to be true and a real, there isn't any small print on the dvd's, or in the credits.

 

* - I know a lot of programs state that the program is intended for entertainment purposes only, as I believe, it's not allowed to broadcast a TV program that would change the course of someone's life(I think that's the deal).

[telewest]

edited

[Sandy483]

yet there are video's, and public quotes from the producer and host, proving this to be untrue. At no point is there any mention of this being fictional, or for "entertainment purposes only".

 

Are these films quotes etc: provided as extras on the DVD's you actually have?

[sleepz]

Well, the original "Psychic" was in the the program untill series 6 or 7.

 

Since then, behind the scenes footage has materialised on certian websites (Of the presenter / producer and other members of the crew faking the evidence ).

 

It's been going for a while now, only recently has the footage been available ( was posted on YouTube, and has now been removed by request of Antix Productions, the company formed by the Most Haunted producers).

 

So, it's only recently that it's been proven to be "not what it appears to be".

[sleepz]

Are these films quotes etc: provided as extras on the DVD's you actually have?

 

No, they're as "leaked" videos on the net, and "errors" made in the Most Haunted Live programs.

 

The quotes were made in newspaper interviews etc.

A sample of this can be found on the Metro website :

"So why did Derek really leave?

Unbeknown to us, Ciaran O’Keeffe [the show’s resident sceptic] had suspicions about Derek and decided to plant some information to see if it would be repeated. He left a piece of paper around with the name ‘Kreed Kafer’ on it and said, within earshot of Derek, that he was a nasty South African jailor. When we started filming, Derek decided to get possessed by this fake person. The name is actually an anagram of Derek Faker. We tell people everything is real, then it turns out he was a fake, so he had to go."

 

60 SECONDS: Yvette Fielding | Metro.co.uk

 

She says that, then fakes evidence herself :

[telewest]

edited

[sleepz]

Cheers man.

Im not sure if your taking the ****, but as I said at the start of this post I take it with a pinch of salt ... it is a legitimate consumer issue if you've spent money on these DVD's believing your being sold something which in fact you are not.

 

As far as I can see, a lot of people have been mis-sold a product.

Compare it to an endownment mortgage, or an nPower electricity contract that didn't match the agreement you signed up for ... wether you think it's trivial or not, it's a consumer issue. This is the consumer issues forum.

 

Im a member of a forum where people have spent literally hundeds of pounds on these DVD's ... Im a member here, so I figured I'd check out what the deal is with it. ( I know that sounds like one of those "I have a friend...." type conversations, but I do intend to keep my dvds, as I said I think it's great!.

[telewest]

edited

[sleepz]

Sorry, I was editing that post as you replied.

 

Im not bothered about getting a refund, I love watching it, it's great entertainment ... I was just wondering legally what the deal is about that kinda thing.

 

If I was an avid spiritualist, or not ... would you have the right to take them back based on the reasons explained above?

[Sandy483]

then it turns out he was a fake, so he had to go."

 

 

Then get your money back for the ones with him in it.

If she states it was not how it was suppossed to be, then you have not purchased what you thought you had.

 

But then again she also did not do it intentionally.

 

It does open an interesting question.

 

If you belive in something and someone takes your money providing you with something you believe in, when they know full well its not correct, then are thier actions wrong?

 

As you belive it is correct and so purchase in happiness of your own belief.

[sleepz]

 

It does open an interesting question.

 

It does indeed, hence I posted it here

 

It doesn't matter if I believe in what they are doing or not, it matters not if I believe in ghosts, and ghouls, or God, or Life on Mars, Aliens, Martians, the Bigfoot.

 

If someone sells a video for £1 million claiming it to be a geniune Alien Autopsy, which you later find out to be fabricated .... could you sueue them? ... or get your money back because they sold you something, telling you it was something that it's not?

[Sandy483]

Yeap there is definately something in the basis that you were sold it and you hold an object different to what you belived you where buying and you also have proof.

 

It makes me wonder now about selling on your beliefs

I have my cards read some of it happens some of it doesnt, is it real,i have no ideal sometimes i like to think so when ive given up hope

 

I would have to prove she was a fake to request moneys back, wonder where the law sits on that one.

 

But its going to be very interesting to see what replys you get tomorrow:-)

 

I shall be subscribe now:D

[sleepz]

Yeah, I may be reading into it wrongly, but by getting your cards read or something like that, your basically paying for what they choose to say. I doubt you'd get a refund for that.

 

However, with this, you're purchasing a physical object, ie, a DVD ... so I guess it stands up more because you have the physical object you've been sold.

 

Who knows

It's been an interesting topic already, with a lot of replies ... im liking it

 

As bob Hoskins used to say ... It's good to talk:lol:

[demon_x_slash]

Ohhh, don't say bad things about Dewwik, he'll get his Sam on you...

 

I love Most Haunted!

 

Mostly because I spend the entire show rolling on the carpet with tears running down my cheeks, drumming my heels and cackling [No, not 'cos I'm possessed!]. Ooooh, the look on Dewwicks face when he gets ridden by 'a spirit'...

 

and "He says his name's [long pause] what's that Sam? What? Speak up, I can't hear you...getting some interference, psychic interference...the name's John! No, wait, Paul. Stephen! He's tall - no, stooped! Stooped and hunched over; a monk - a caretaker! an evil man; [loooong pause] an evil man who used black magic; I see children running, running in fear from this man..."

 

Almost as bad as Colin Fry - at least Dewwick doesn't try and convince audience members that their dead relatives are in the room (although Fry seems to have the same 'psychic interference' a lot of the time that Dewwick experiences - y'know, that difficult bit when it comes to pulling back the Veil that is getting the damn spirit's name right... "We've got a Richard, No, a Dean, ginger, no, no, blond...he had a head. He definitely had a head. Does this mean anything to you?" Funny, that. )

 

I tentatively believe in all this stuff, but cannot believe that anyone with genuine abilities would go on television and tout themselves for it. If you could See Dead People (or Hear Dead People), wouldn't you be under your blue fluffy bunny blanket, with your fingers in your ears, singing Black Sabbath until They go away??

[rosiecotton]

Gordon Smith on the other hand has always seemed very genuine when I have seen him on TV, though I have not seen him on Most Haunted.

 

Derek Acorah always seemed like a giant fake though, it was pretty obvious to me! I can't imagine that anyone could seriously argue that they were buying it in the belief that they were seeing genuine psychic activity. When I have watched the programme I assumed it was a spoof at first.

 

I'm sure they would say it was an entertainment DVD and there's no way you could return it on the grounds that it was misdescribed.

[Sandy483]

Gordon Smith on the other hand has always seemed very genuine when I have seen him on TV, though I have not seen him on Most Haunted.

 

Isnt he an MP, or is that Gordon "Brown"?

Well add a few pounds and hey presto, Easy mistake:rolleyes:

Unless of course you take into account that he doesn't seem genuine on TV.

[demon_x_slash]

None of 'em do. But I think PMQs would be a lot more interesting if TB started head-spinning and pea-souping...

[der11uk]

Gordon Smith did appear on Most Haunted for one series and did seem to be good as does David Wells.Derek Acorah was a bit theatrical,especially when "possessed"(man of a thousand voices ,every one the same!!!).

Wouldn't have thought you would have much chance in getting your money back on the DVDs though,I suppose you could always write to Antix and ask them,you never know!!

[quisling]

Hmmmmmmmmm................

I had similar thoughts about Jade Goody's fitness dvd after she admitted to having liposuction.

 

I wouldn't have bought it in a million years, but it certainly didn't come with a free £3k fat sucking session.

[Sandy483]

Hmmmmmmmmm................

I had similar thoughts about Jade Goody's fitness dvd after she admitted to having liposuction.

 

I wouldn't have bought it in a million years, but it certainly didn't come with a free £3k fat sucking session.

 

No it came with a free knitting kneedle and dyson

[seylectric]

Actually I believe there is a case here. If Most Haunted are duping the public via their TV shows into believing this stuff is real, (and selling their DVDs on the same basis), regardless of whether you believe in this nonsense (in my opinion) or not, the fact that they are touting it as the real thing is surely an offence of some sort? Obtaining money by deception springs to mind.

[Mark_Blackpool]

I thought everyone realised it was all nonsense, a bit like magic. (by this I mean these programmes, by these particular presenters, not the entire concept of spirits or ghosts)

 

You can't get a refund on the (was it David Copperfield?) DVD because he didn't *really* get an elephant to walk through the Great Wall of China.

 

The ones I've seen involve a group of people convinced that their modern build terraced house is haunted who then proceed to sit in the dark at the top of the stairs for two hours who then exhibit the sort of symptoms you might expect if you sat in the dark at the top of the stairs for two hours.

 

It is funny; just entertainment, nothing has actually been staged as such, but there aren't any spirits either - not that make it into the footage, anyway, but then I've only seen it a couple of times. If indeed there really is footage of apparent spirits, and they were genuine, I'd have thought that there would be a lot more interest in the work of these people; if the packaging says it's all authentic, then perhaps there would be a case for deception here; even the Alien Autopsy video had something like 'Fact or fiction? You decide" printed on it.

[jaybee1960]

ok ... This is a bit of a strange one, but bear with me

 

Im sure most of you have heard of or seen Most Haunted and know generally what it's about. For those that don't, it's basically a load of people going to haunted places and filming, loking for proof of ghosts and stuff. (Very entertaining by the way, you should chck it out! ).

 

I don't really have an issue with this at all, I take it all with a pinch of salt and have watched it for entertainment purposes only really. But, here's the thing.

Just about every episode they claim that nothing has been faked, however the host and producer Yvette Fielding has claimed publicly that the "Psychic" they used, Derek Acorah, in the early seasons was a fake and was researching information before filming the show. There's also various video clips of different members of the team (includng Yvette) faking the purposed activity, yet they still claim this to be real.

They show these shows, and sell DVD's of these shows pertaining to be real haunted activity, yet there are video's, and public quotes from the producer and host, proving this to be untrue. At no point is there any mention of this being fictional, or for "entertainment purposes only".

 

So, what I was wondering ... if you've bought a dvd, or even Dvd's (there are literally about 20 of them out now), are you entitled to return these DVD's and claim your money back, since they are not what they claim to be?

 

I was wondering if there was a being mis-sold goods or something clause which might force them to refund your money as the DVD's are not what they claim to be, and in fact are just a big stage show?

 

Cheers, long question, sorry. I doubt I'll look for a refund 'cause I actually do like watching it, but I was just wondering what the legal stand point on this was.

 

I am a Spiritualist and a Clairvoyant, i do see ghosts and I have in the past met some great mediums including Colin Fry.

Regards the works of Derek Acorah, I am obviously aware of him and have seen him on Most Haunted.

I do admit that he goes way over the top - mediumship in my opinion is nothing like that at all.

I think the great Mr Acorah is more of an entertainer than a medium, and while I do not doubt his mediumistic abilities, I do feel that he can fake what he says for the benefit of the camera.

As for anybody getting a refund on a DVD or any other product, I would expect this to be highly unlikely unless anybody could PROVE that this man was a fraud, and that would be very hard if not impossible to do