How to compare a BaZi report before paying
A paid report should make its calculation assumptions, scope, delivery and privacy boundaries clear. Price and confident language are not evidence that a prediction is accurate.
Short answer: score six disclosure criteria from 0 to 2, for a maximum of 12. A score of 10–12 means the offer can be compared with another disclosed offer; it does not prove predictive accuracy. Any guaranteed-outcome or fear-based sales claim overrides the score.
A 12-point disclosure score
Use the same six criteria for every offer. Give 0 when the information is absent, 1 when it is partial, and 2 when it is stated clearly before payment. Save the page or terms that support each score; do not infer a missing rule.
| Criterion | 0 points | 1 point | 2 points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calculation rules | No convention disclosed. | Some inputs named; a relevant boundary is missing. | Calendar, time zone and relevant boundary rules stated. |
| Uncertainty handling | Unknown values silently guessed. | Uncertainty mentioned without affected claims. | Unknown values and affected claims identified. |
| Deliverable scope | Only broad promises. | Topics or format stated; exclusions unclear. | Topics, format, review status and exclusions stated. |
| Delivery and refund | No delivery or refund boundary. | Delivery estimate only; failure handling incomplete. | Delivery, support and applicable refund conditions stated. |
| Privacy and data | No private path or data explanation. | Private path exists; retention or deletion unclear. | Submission, access, retention and deletion explained. |
| Claims and boundaries | Guaranteed outcomes or professional substitution. | Disclaimer conflicts with prominent sales claims. | Claims and limitations are consistent. |
Interpret the total
- 10–12: comparable. The offer is sufficiently disclosed for side-by-side review, not proven accurate.
- 6–9: incomplete. Ask for the missing evidence before paying.
- 0–5: not comparable. There is not enough disclosure for a meaningful comparison.
Red-flag override: do not use a high total to offset guaranteed medical, legal, investment, relationship or career outcomes; fear-based remedy sales; public requests for complete birth details; or hidden renewal and charges.
Worked comparison with synthetic offers
| Offer | Six scores | Total | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Provider A | 2 + 1 + 2 + 2 + 1 + 2 | 10/12 | Comparable after asking two follow-up questions. |
| Provider B | 0 + 0 + 1 + 0 + 0 + 0 | 1/12 | Not comparable. |
Both providers are synthetic examples, not rankings or customer records. The complete scoring definitions are available as the machine-readable rubric (JSON) under CC BY 4.0.
Check the calculation before the prose
Two reports can sound different because the underlying pillars were calculated differently. Ask for the assumptions in writing before comparing interpretations.
| Calendar input | Is the date entered as Gregorian/solar or converted from a lunar date? |
|---|---|
| Time and place | Does the service state the time zone, historical daylight-saving rule and whether birthplace changes the calculation? |
| Boundaries | Which Li Chun, solar-term and late Zi-hour day-boundary conventions are used? |
| Unknown hour | Is the hour left unknown, or is a guessed hour inserted without clear consent? |
Use the calculator rules checklist when two outputs disagree. A transparent limitation is more useful than a universal accuracy claim.
Compare the actual deliverable
| Scope | Does the page say which topics are covered, how much interpretation is included and what is excluded? |
|---|---|
| Method | Can you see the input rules, calculation convention and uncertainty handling before purchase? |
| Delivery | Is the format, expected delivery window and support channel stated in plain language? |
| Refunds | Are delivery failure, duplicate payment and refund conditions stated before checkout? |
| Privacy | Is the submission path private and does it request only the information needed for the service? |
For Xiao Bazi's stated delivery and refund boundaries, see purchase and delivery information. Read the terms before submitting personal data or paying.
Build one comparison record before choosing
Put each offer into the same five-column record. Leave a field blank when the seller does not disclose it; do not fill the gap with an assumption.
| Field | Evidence to save |
|---|---|
| Calculation | The entered date and time, time zone, calendar type, solar-term boundary, late Zi-hour convention and unknown-hour handling. |
| Output | The promised topics, page or word range, file format, human-review status and examples of what is excluded. |
| Service | The named delivery window, support channel, revision boundary and what happens if the deadline is missed. |
| Data | Where birth details are submitted, what is retained, who can access it and how deletion can be requested. |
| Payment | The final price, currency, renewal status, refund conditions and a receipt identifying the purchased scope. |
A report with a shorter scope but complete evidence can be compared. An offer with no stated rules, no defined output and only a confidence claim cannot be meaningfully compared, regardless of price.
Price is not an accuracy test
A higher price may reflect a longer report, human review, support or a different service scope. It does not prove that the underlying interpretation is more accurate.
Be cautious when a service promises a guaranteed outcome, uses fear to sell a remedy, hides its calculation rules, or treats a broad statement as a precise forecast. Medical, legal, investment and major career decisions need the relevant evidence and qualified professionals.
Red flags before checkout
- Guaranteed accuracy, guaranteed timing or guaranteed relationship, career, health or financial results.
- Pressure to buy a remedy because a chart supposedly proves imminent harm.
- No stated calculation convention, no delivery window or no refund boundary.
- Requests to post a complete birth date, exact time and birthplace in a public thread.
- Automatic renewal or extra charges that are not visible before payment.
Be especially careful when one auxiliary label is sold as proof of a relationship outcome. The Peach Blossom boundary guide shows how to separate a chart label from a real-world claim.
A five-minute pre-purchase checklist
- Save the page that states the price, scope, delivery and refund terms.
- Write down the calculation rules and the exact data the service requests.
- Remove unnecessary public identifiers and use the private submission path.
- Decide what question you want the report to help you reflect on; do not ask it to replace professional advice.
- Keep the receipt and the delivered report so the service can be checked against its stated scope.
Before interpreting a report, compare its pillars with the calculation audit guide. To test broad claims without hindsight, use the reading calibration protocol.