TxMaxx

What you don't understand is that this board is a community. Everyone here is entitled to an opinion, and sometimes we agree and sometimes we disagree. I like some practitioners that other guys hate, and I hate some that other guys like. That's fine. Sometimes we exchange private messages with like-minded posters and choose to share additional details, and sometimes we get irritated and decide to block each other. Sometimes we even find ourselves blessed with the presence and insights of a few practitioners themselves. Sometimes they are gracious and sometimes they get defensive. That's fine too. We're all human.
None of us takes anything we read here as gospel, and none of us has to be "warned" about anything. We certainly don't need lectures from newbies about taking things with grains of salt. We're a pretty salty bunch without you.
Your choice of subject line is melodramatic and, frankly, insulting and offensive. I suggest you lurk a little--and learn.

I wouldn't say don't trust reviews on this site. If you've been on this site long enough you can see the posters who have an agenda and the ones generally trying to help others.
From long standing posters who frequently contribute information, I'm more apt to believe the review. New one time posters, who make one review and disappear... far less so.
As others have said take every review with a grain of salt. For one, just because one person has a great time with the provider, doesn't mean another will have the same experience. Second, I know some people on here post stuff I know not to be true. You just have to be able to discern what is useful and what is not... take a chance or let sleeping dogs lie.
So to speak directly to @Tomsell if this post about review trust is in reference to your issues you posted about your encounter with stonefruitnyc... again just because someone has a great time with a provider doesn't mean someone else will. Because you had a negative experience doesn't mean the other reviews aren't true. This site is useful but it can't guarantee you'll have a great or horrible encounter with a provider. It'll just give you a better idea of what could happen and who might be better fit with your desires.

I also prefer clean-shaven men or a nice, tight beard or goatee. If a provider has a lot of looks in his profile, you can simply say, "I find you very attractive, but I prefer clean-shaven men. Since your profile includes photos of you clean-shaven and with facial hair, I'm curious if you're currently sporting facial hair." 

I like a well-groomed beard on a provider, especially if he rubs it against me during our session.

I have very sexually responsive nipples, totally wired to my dick, so I always ask my guys to softly play with them, lick them abundantly, suck them lovingly, gently tease them with their teeth. They always oblige, and they appreciate how turned on I get. 
Flipping the coin, I have met guys that love it when I take care of their nipples, guys that are ok with it, and guys that are totally indifferent and unresponsive, but I have yet to meet a guy who refuses to play with mine or who asks me to not touch his. 

I’ve had that experience with a few providers. I usually presume it’s the result of steroid use making them sensitive or painful 

I love men's chests so it's hard not to want to flick that nipple with the end of your tongue or gently rake your nails across it... I think I need a cigarette now. So yea, anyone with a "no nips" policy I'd probably pass on. 

Had a TX based provider for whom nipple touching was a complete non-starter. He also had a bad attitude for the whole meeting. His bad attitude maligned all no-nips men for me. 🤣 
I now ask up front before we meet. 
It’s not even a specifically strong kink for me. 😅

I have done  worksops on consent and desire, and talk about this  subject with  clients, providers, and also guys in relationships.   
When looking at an agreement between two guys to participate in any given activity, there is a spectrum of consent that can be given.   This applies to both a cliaent-provider relationship and an unpaid connection between two partners.
Ranges of Consent
    -Enduring, allowing,tolerating   ---     willing, wanting, enjoying
The person proposing the activity is presumably proposing something that he is going to enjoy and wants (like playing with the provider's nipples.)     The recipeint of the action can give consent, but can have varying degrees of enthusiasm about the activity.      
In a relationship between two guys where it is not a client-provider situation, it is always great if both guys are on the willing, wanting, and enjoying side of consent.     
There may be times in a non-paid partner relationship where a partner tolerates or allows something because  he knows his partner wants do to, but he is not really getting a lot of enjoyment out of it.    "Enduring" something  implies that it does not cross into non-consent, but gets to the bottom of the partner's level of alllowability and will create tension or worse in the relationship.   
Now, in a client-provider situation,  the provider is not in this for his own enjoyment, but for the pleasure of the client.   A good provider should be willing to slip down into the tolerating, allowing, and even sometimes enduring levels  to do something that pleases a client.   This is where our job of turning on our acting skills comes into play to appear that we are really enjoying what we are doing    Now even the best of client-actors can't pull off a situation if we are in the "enduring" stage for too long.
So in summary, if an activity is not hurting me as a  provider,  is inside of my spectrum of consent, and even though it may not be on the top of my list for enjoyment, I think it is my job to allow it.  
Now many times, a client also gets pleasure from knowing (or believing) that the provider is also enjoying the activity together.    That is an entirely different angle on the wheel of consent for another day.
 

Absolutely. Communication is everything when trying to negotiate pleasure. If the service provider isn't into what you are into, you need to know that. Mentioning don'ts in an ad can be a counter-productive marketing strategy. It is far better to ask these things in private conversation.

Strangely enough, I used to love nipple clamp play, but over the past 5 years that fetish has faded. Many providers love me to gently bite on their nipples. I haven’t ever found nipple play to be an issue with them.

I’ve had a couple experiences with providers on Rentmasseur who won’t let me touch their nipples, which is a huge turnoff for me.
Anyone else has had a similar experience? Should you ask a provider in advance if he is “a nipple guy”? I wish these two providers had mentioned that in their profiles.

Sounds similar to my experience. One thing I noticed he does is he doesn’t advertise his travel dates in advance. He just updates his location on RM, so by the time you notice he’s in town it might be too late to book him — or at least get an answer from him.

Probably the latter? I don’t have any information on my RM profile, so there was no way he could check me out.

Wow, when he was in my city, last week, he only ran a rentmasseur ad.   I saw him.   I would hire him for anything again -- for full service, massage, just to accompany me to dinner, etc.   He is one of the sexiest, intelligent, masculine men I've ever had the pleasure to meet.   We talked about a ton of stuff during the massage.   We've texted since with book suggestions, podcasts, etc. re subjects we discussed.   I'm introducing him to a professional he wanted to meet.   I felt like I made a new, great friend and he is sexy as hell.    We played around but not full service.   Now that I know that is an option, Columbus here I come!
He's lost 20 or 25 lbs recently so is slimmer than in his rent.men pics.   He is very thick bodied.   He felt wonderful and, more importantly, he made me feel like a million bucks.

I reached out to him via Rentmasseur message and didn't reply. Then I tried text. He replied after a while saying the date I suggested didn't work because by then he'd be on his way to Dallas. I replied suggesting an earlier date and he never replied. A whole-ass day later he replied to my message on RM saying essentially the same as in his text response. Seems like just communicating with him is a pain in the ass. I don't think I'll try to contact him again next time he's in town.

Whenever I see a new client for the first time, I always share that I am open to however he would like to spend our time together, and that I respect both his limits and desires.    I ask him to be sure to speak up and let me know if I am moving in a direction that he does not want.   I then also share that I am open to pretty much however he would like to touch and connect with me in return.   
If I have a client who is a little timid and starting to slightly touch my leg or get near my cock but not sure if he should or not, I gently embrace his hand connecting it to my body and/or my cock to let him know it is more than fine and welcome.  
I love the exchange of energy and sexuality that mutual touch creates.   It enhances my connection with a client far more that a uni-directional massage from me to him.  

I always prep and pre-lube for each client....just in case....then when he feels my pre-lubed hole, he knows I am ready for him if that is what he would like

I never wear deodorant when meeting a client.  
Though I don't ask clients not to wear deodorant, I find that most clients are not wearing it.      As someone pointed out, not wearing it facilitates tongue exploration.  
Pete
 

Thanks @la_connor I think I’ll try what you suggested and see what happens. Will report back.

I find it hard to believe very many guys posting on RentMasseur are offering therapeutic only.    But there probably are a few.    I would suggest checking reviews to see what box clients check off for therapeutic vs sensual vs other in their reviews.     That will be a good indicator. 

He doesn't care whether you're gay. And he doesn't care whether you're attractive. He knows the score. Just contact him outside of work. "I saw your ad in rentmasseur.  Great pictures. Do you offer any sensual options when you see private clients outside the spa?" Be polite, friendly, respectful, and appreciative. I promise he won't dump you as a client (at the spa) for asking for an erotic massage. He is paying for that ad. 

If paying for bodywork at a nice day spa, part of your fee goes toward all the spa-menities you may or may not use, operational overhead, mgmt, and a legal department. Casual nudity in wet areas may occur, but modesty is the rule, and your assigned masseur will absolutely be fully dressed, and you'll absolutely remain draped on the table and your groin area will not be engaged with in any way. At the spa I've used (Burke Williams), a 90m Swedish/DT combo is $345+tip. The worker gets the tip plus their hourly wage, and possibly access to health insurance. All workers have been educated, licensed by the state, and certified to the facility's standards for health and safety (and liability) But the actual level of talent and the tableside manner are individual. 
As a client, if you don't care about steam/sauna/jacuzzi🦠and definitely want a gay man attending, and are agnostic about draping, you can put more of your dollars directly into his pocket, and get (if you do research) a trained, skilled 90m massage of similar caliber. And it might even take place in your home, or at least closer to it. If you love the mystery of will he/won't he, there is a chance. And you might even save a few bucks. 
 

Of course it's fine to ask him. He's a hot gay man who touches naked men for a living. He has been hit on hundreds of times at work and is expert at avoiding or encouraging roving hands.  Be friendly and don't make a big deal about it. Simply respect his preference for discretion. Ask in person or call rather than texting. 

I've seen him a couple times, very sexy guy if you're into hairy daddies. DM for more details.