maninsoma

I didn't watch all of the clips, but from what I saw it seems like a downgrade in customer experience for the diner but potential upgrade for the restaurant owner: The customers have to do more work for themselves (and hopefully don't get charged a "service fee" or mandatory tip as a result), and the business owner just needs to buy and maintain the machinery instead of paying people. I don't mind ordering food and picking it up at a counter at a casual restaurant, but if I'm at a traditional restaurant I don't really want to have to serve myself.

Sorry for the misunderstanding. While you clearly used the word "rent," I think I was thrown by the extraneous details. Describing his being victim of a scam just led me down the path of assuming he was looking for some sort of financial assistance or a break from someone who is in a position to offer that kindness. It sounds like the reality is that he is just looking for somewhere to live. The rest of the story isn't pertinent to him being on the lookout for a room to rent.

Agreed. Since I live somewhere so expensive, the rates here are on the high side. I've learned my lesson with higher than average rates, though, coupled with suggestive ads: Just because someone is charging a fee close to an escort rate and has plenty of nude photos available doesn't mean that the massage service will be anything more than a poorly executed therapeutic massage. It may be a great experience, but high cost guarantees nothing. That's why I generally avoid guys who price themselves more an escorts but are advertising only on massage websites. $400 for a massage just doesn't make sense unless that massage lasts over two hours.

I think I understand your statement, but on the other hand wouldn't one want to know who is moving into one's house/apartment for a month? I'd want more than just a photo if I had a spare room to offer for a month. And I hope that in addition to a free room for a month that someone can educate this poor man on how to avoid being taken advantage of financially in the future. Paying a security deposit to someone he never met and a place he never looked at is very reckless. I know some people end up getting scammed this way after looking at an apartment with someone claiming to be the landlord of said place when, in fact, they just happen to have access to an empty space, and falling victim to a scam like that is more understandable. Sending money sight unseen just doesn't make sense.

The ad already appears to be down, so unfortunately your warning won't help anyone today.

Well, my HMO (Kaiser) won't work with a Concierge Physician, and that's definitely something that increases the cost for me. I could have dual coverage -- the luxury of longer visits and more immediate care with a concierge plan and then Kaiser benefits for more expensive things or routine coverage -- and, in fact, that's the way some concierge plans have been marketed to me. But you have to remember I live in a place where a lot of people are making a whole lot of money, so I suppose some people might actually be willing to pay for a concierge plan even though the doctor isn't part of their HMO network.

Before I switched to Kaiser several years ago, I was aware of its not so stellar reputation. My experience has been quite the opposite, though. No, my doctor doesn't spend a half hour with me every visit but I do feel like he spends enough time to address my needs. He's typically available within a day or two. I have had to wait for some specialist visits, but when I get to those visits I feel like I receive excellent care -- not the revolving door approach that some allege. I also like that many routine issues that don't require an in person visit don't cost me anything extra since routine matters can be addressed via phone or email. I suppose that I could choose to buy into a concierge service, but at this point I don't feel the need to do so. It would also certainly cost me a lot more than an extra $150 per month.

I think that most people using fake photos aren't using porn models' photos since those photos would be so recognizable to the advertisers' target audience. Instead they grab photos of other types of models (and having an escort ad might, in fact, negatively impact a mainstream model's career) or just hot guys they've found online. But even if the photos stolen are of a porn model, it still doesn't excuse someone using that model's photos without his permission. There really isn't any justification for this behavior, though I understand why some guys might do it just like I understand why some people engage in other unethical behavior.

Correction: They made the right decision to serve their own interests. We have no knowledge what the impact was on the men whose photos were used without their knowledge and consent. Maybe their reputations were negatively impacted which caused relationship, housing, or employment problems. I have a difficult time calling the decision "right" when the con men's only concern was themselves. Whatever potential problems they didn't want to have by using their own photos are the very same problems they could have caused other people to have. I find that reprehensible.

How odd that more than one client had a provider email him a list of other clients' information. How careless does one need to be to do that?! I do occasionally get a spam email that appears to come from a guy I hired off Craigslist over 15 years ago, and the recipients of the email are all listed in plain view. I suppose I could assume that all of those other email addresses belong to clients, but maybe the guy used the same email address for other purposes. Still, it's kind of odd knowing that I guy I hired is either sending out spam in this way or, more likely, his email address has been hacked and is being used to send spam showing everyone's email info.

I've definitely seen ads where guys blur out what could be identifying markings, particularly tatoos. Why any professional (escort or masseur) would think it's okay to use someone else's photos because they don't want to be identified is beyond comprehension. If one is worried about being identified based on a photo, what about the person whose photo was used without permission? I call b.s. on the notion that anyone really does this for reasons of discretion. I think there is always some "grade inflation" at work -- in other words, they use photos that depict a slightly (or significantly) better version of themselves.

I'd say that if you're that curious and can afford it, just try it out. It seems like no one else who participates in these forums has. Based on the website, however, I'd expect a therapeutic only massage at a cost higher than one could pay elsewhere for the same service. If that's what you're looking for and you want your massage to take place in a spa location, then go for it. I personally would rather just hire someone well reviewed off another website and go to his place.

I'm confused. This looks like a client profile to me. It says "client info" and the reviews are headed "submitted reviews."

But the problem with your point is that that is not the kind of person this thread is about. It's about a kid from a financially secure family who feels entitled to handouts into his adulthood. If Benjamin (or I or anyone else) had posted similar comments in a thread about a poor former foster youth who was using GoFundMe to try to attend college, your critique would be warranted. Here -- not so much.

I will typically search for a phone number when an ad catches my eye, but most of the time I get nothing of substance. It only takes a few seconds to search, though. If I get an old match from a completely different escort, I don't pay it much mind. But if there is a recent ad posted elsewhere for someone else with the same phone number, I figure one of two things is going on: Either the ad is a fake or the phone number is that of a booking agent, not the escort. In neither case do I proceed -- although there has been one exception and that was because the guy was also discussed here so I knew he was legit.

I didn't get a dime of support from my parents after I moved out to attend college. I had a very small scholarship my first year, took out loans, and worked part time while going to school full time. Unless there is some written contract that the parents are to pay for education (like a divorce decree between the parents that indicate this support will be provided), I think it's wrong that adolescents expect things they do as adults to be paid for. It's wonderful for those from affluent enough families that the parents frequently pay for their children's education, but it isn't a legal obligation. And a young adult who is going to beg online for money from strangers doesn't seem to be mature enough to go to college anyway. Maybe he needs to face the reality of supporting himself for a bit to figure out how to proceed in life.

Is it the private photos that are causing some to believe that Joaohung is the same as FrancoSFO? The public photos that can be compared (close up hard cock shots) don't seem to be of the same cock.

Today with no ads on Craigslist and the like? Less likely, I think. But many years ago I definitely ran into some odd things when hiring off Craigslist. On one occasion, I reached someone who proceeded to lecture me and then warn me that I could end up being arrested by contacting men running ads like his. On another occasion (and I'm still not sure how the guy managed this), the number I called was answered by my local non-emergency local police dispatch call center. Maybe someone placed an ad and forwarded the number listed to the police department? It freaked me out a bit but I simply hung up, saying I called the wrong number.

I had the same thought. Why are they wearing what look like women's bikinis when they don't appear to be trying to appear feminine in any other way? Some cute guys, but the bikini tops were a definite turn off.

Just a couple of observations, for what they are worth: 1. In any kind of business, it's the job of the salesperson to close a sale with a prospective buyer. I know of no business where 100% of inquiries result in sales. You write as if you expect every single inquiry to result in a booking and that just isn't a reasonable expectation. If your rate of success isn't where it needs to be (which appears to be the case based on what you've posted), I suggest looking at what you can do to improve that. I think that threatening to post names and phone numbers (or actually following through with that threat) is not a smart tact for a variety of reasons. 2. Ask your fellow escorts which strategies they use to cut down on time wasting. There are some very successful escorts on this site. I don't know whether any of them will be willing to offer you business advice -- and I don't even know if you're open to advice from others that doesn't already confirm what you think -- but if I were in your shoes I would want to know what positive actions others are taking that lead to their success. Going down a rabbit hole of negativity is not going to yield positive results. Focus on success, not failure; focus on proactive steps, not reactions to problems. 3. Take your venting off line. I understand the need to vent. I vent about what I don't like about my job, but I don't put those in writing and send them to everyone I work with. I vent in person with people I know who are willing to listen (and obviously I don't let those relationships become consumed with my negativity; it's just part of what occurs). I think it's particularly dangerous for a business owner to vent about customers (or potential customers) in public since you can turn off potential customers, alienate existing customers, and incite people who might otherwise not even know about your business to start a negative campaign against it. There are always people who like a good fight, and if you appear to be starting one then you'll surely find people who will be more than willing to spend time trying to get what they perceive as the upper hand. For this reason alone, I think your online presence here is destructive to your business. My general impression of you, never having met you, is that you are unhappy with this profession and I just don't think that's a wise image to project on a site where the majority of members are potential customers.

I didn't think Mike would be my "type" either (mostly because of the facial hair, which I generally dislike) but I saw him at a cafe once and he just exuded sex appeal, even though I didn't interact with him (was with a bunch of coworkers).

Mark Consuelos is such a handsome man. I like their acceptance speech.

Yes, lots of these "free" promotions just aren't worth it. How much does one value one's time? If I am right by an establishment giving away something and the wait is minimal (and I have even a remote interest in taking what they are giving), I'll bite. Otherwise, no thanks -- particularly when there are strings attached such as a two hour window or limited to the first X customers.

Your reply isn't fair. If you look at all of my posts on this site, you'll see I don't have a problem discussing topics with people -- though I don't post often here. I just think that quoting select excerpts from my post and then making a snarky comment is rude and not worth my time. And it's really curious that you would comment on a simple exchange between two other people from over four months ago that has not elicited further comments in the interim. Not sure what your intent is, but beyond this reply I have no interest in going tit-for-tat with you, either. This thread is about Rafael Alencar, not you or me. And speaking of Rafael, I decided to subscribe to his Just For Fans channel after seeing a few of his videos. I still find him incredibly alluring, but the videos have already begun to get tiresome for me. I'm not sure if he posts the other parts of videos on yet other pay sites, but he'll sometimes post a "part 2" for which no other parts are available. Even stuff that isn't labeled as being just a portion of a longer video frequently lacks cum shots. He is fun to watch since he's such an aggressive top, but even there after three months of watching him ram his cock into a variety of men in basically the same way I am finding myself thinking about the song, "Is That All There Is?"

$ale of the Century isn't a show I watched during its run in the 1980s, but I have watched some reruns recently and was surprised to find the two hot male models in Speedos on occasion. The blond guy is especially yummy. I'm not sure I've seen another game show where the male models ever wear tight swimsuits, but James O'Halloran wearing swim trunks on The Price is Right is always a welcome sight.