HoleTrainer

My experience reflects this 100% Another issue with "setting up shop" in Dubai that I've observed: agencies control the local escort landscape and do not appreciate competition, and will go out of their way to harass, frustrate, or even report an independent visiting escort to the authorities if they feel like you may be a threat to their business. If you are there on vacation or being flown in by a client, this is much less likely to be an issue than if you "set up shop" locally. There are definitely ways to work around this, but it can definitely be nerve-wracking to be messed with in a country whose legal environment and culture you don't fully understand. I'd happily go back to Dubai but it's not a great place to just casually tour and expect it to be quite like anywhere else.

Yeah I don't even think we can really have this conversation without acknowledging the fact that Ubers and Lyfts are WAY more expensive right now and public transportation is WAY less convenient/available and also less SAFE than 1.5 years ago. Both of these factors are MAJOR causes of the uptick in escorts asking for Uber fare (even on top of an Outcall fee).

I never tour a city for multiple weeks so maybe that's why I don't experience this "drying up" effect as much. Hotels are expensive so I am generally trying to maximize the bang for my buck, which usually means staying 5 days or less. Sometimes 10 days max in a place like NYC where I have a lot of history/friends and regulars who will book me twice in one visit. I agree that there's a limited number of clients who will book you in any given place in one month. So I personally try to get most of those clients to book me during a 2-5 day visit period. Then I make a mailing or text list for everyone who wanted to see me but couldn't work it out schedule-wise. Schedule follow-up visit for 6-8 weeks from now to see most of the guys I saw the 1st visit a 2nd time and add on a few more of the guys who couldn't make it work on my first visit. Keep adding to my contact list and schedule another visit for 6-8 weeks after that. Rinse and repeat. Usually leads to more business over time for me, not less.

Yes it's definitely true that which cities work for any given person might change over time. I find that the more niche one's service is, the less likely for the well to "dry up" tho, unless you move out of your niche or change price points drastically. Super niche service offerings tend to garner loyalty and longevity among client base, especially if your niche is an area in which you really excel and stand out among your peers. This is why I'm always encouraging people to get more specific about what they are into, cuz I noticed a drastic increase in my retention rate to the point where sometimes I'm actually shocked how many years later my clients are still trying to see me again. But it's usually *specifically* the ones that came to me for niche interests that have this kind of long-term retention. But I've *definitely* experienced this phenomenon as well a lot over the years, especially since the earlier years of my career, where certain cities that used to make me bank suddenly weren't even profitable anymore. And funnily, some of those same cities came around again for me and started being worth my while again. LA is a great example of this for me personally. LA: Years 1-3 of my career: never visited cuz I was working on the East Coast primarily Years 4-6 of my career: GREAT city for me to tour, always filled my pockets, and sometimes I was fully booked (3X/day) before arrival Years 7-10 of my career: doesn't really respond to my ads well, get a few bookings every visit but it's breakeven at best Year 10-present: great city for me to visit, responds well to my ads, clients fly me there for extended bookings, lots of inquiries for future bookings My brand was definitely the most niche in the time periods where I've done well in LA (including now) so I assume that has played a huge role in the difference for me. I think in big flooded markets, being super niche is the easiest way to stand out and carve your own space out in a huge market.

In the US at least, Paypal can pull money out of your linked bank account to cover any refunds they decide to issue against your account, even if you do not have an active balance in your Paypal account. To be extra safe, some people have a separate bank account that is only used to receive funds from Paypal, which they then transfer elsewhere, so in case Paypal ever decided to pull funds from their linked bank account, there would be nothing there to pull. You might ultimately still end up owing the bank money under those circumstances, but for people who can't afford to risk losing a chunk of their rent money out of their checking account, for example, this can be an extra additional layer of protection that helps them feel ok with this risk. Not sure if it's the same in the UK but just FYI. And yeah I agree, their customer service in general is really hit or miss, and can often be quite terrible.

I've been at this for 10 years and I know a lot of escorts who have no problems for many years until suddenly they have a proble, and it's extremely upsetting to them and causes them significant inconvenience or worse. So in my experience it is just luck even if you go many years without a problem. But I am definitely speaking from a US perspective here. Things may certainly be different in Canada and the UK. I definitely have no experience with working in either country. Pretty sure Paypal has the same terms of service everywhere tho. But I could be wrong about that too. I also definitely know that there is a difference between taking payments by payment apps and credit cards in terms of the logistics. People in this thread have been discussing both tho, and in the US at least, and for US-based financial companies, in both cases it is against the TOS to use all of these products to accept payment for any adult services. It is absolutely a step forward if escorts can accept these payments safely and securely. But if not, then it is a step backward, from a secure and reliable payment method to one that subjects the escort to ongoing risk even after the appointment has concluded successfully. The problem definitely isn't individuals who choose to accept it- that's anyone's right of course. The problem is if clients come to expect that this should be an option and don't understand that they're demanding something from an escort that puts our finances at risk. It totally makes sense that we have very different perspectives on financial systems coming from completely different countries. I hadn't thought of that in my earlier posts and I should have. Americans often make the mistake of assuming the entire internet is talking about America and I guess I made that mistake here. Sorry!

So basically, you've gotten lucky so far. You haven't had this problem YET. And I hope you never do. But I see escorts crying literally every week about having their transactions reversed, apps frozen, and balances confiscated by private payment app companies (who are not banks and have no legal obligation to return your money). But since you admit we can never tell which type of client might do this, it's not that this couldn't happen to you based on your operating procedure but that it just thankfully HASN'T. And I'm happy for you about that. FYI, if you are in the US, the police will not do a damn thing to help you if you go to them about something like this. Accepting payment for escort services is against the TOS of every credit card and every payment app in existence. These payment apps and cc processors have every right to reverse the transactions and keep your money, and you agreed to this when you signed up for their service and checked that little "I accept the TOS" box. I am not saying I disagree with you that there is nothing wrong with being paid for sex and that we SHOULD be free to use these services. But everyone needs to be aware of the risks involved under the current financial system. Clients need to understand that when we turn these payment methods down, it is simply because they are NOT safe for us, and not because we are trying to be difficult or be a bad sport. It sounds like you are OK with the risk that someone might reverse a payment someday or that an app like Paypal might freeze your balance indefinitely and ban you for life, or reach into your bank account and take money back from a transaction months down the line someday. If you have enough financial stability in your life and view the finances in a detached enough way to chalk this up to an operating expense rather than feeling like someone violated your consent by stealing the money back, then I totally support your choice to do so. You have every right to choose to accept the risk.

The rate cap for what most clients consider to be reasonable is frankly way too low to factor in every possible operating expense into a base rate. It would be one thing if a client included the outcall address in his initial inquiry before requesting a price quote, but in most cases that's simply not how it happens. If clients were more accepting of higher rates across the board, I'm sure more escorts would not itemize expenses like uber fees. I charge around 300-400 in an attempt to compromise between an accessible market rate and the rates I'd prefer to be charging ($1K and up for multihour meetings), but even guys in very high cost-of-living areas consistently balk at paying $300. Now I have over a decade of experience in the industry and my marketing draws a lot of attention, so I have the perspective to just move onto the next client who IS willing to pay. But most escorts without my experience level probably feel they cannot charge as much as they want to cover every possible expense. I definitely understand the clients' desire for an all-inclusive price, but when rates do not rise with inflation, this is simply not practical. I am glad to see that 300+ is a number clients are getting more comfortable with now. I remember even 5-10 years ago, it was seen as a lot more wild to be asking even that much. So the rates have risen a little. Just not enough for all the bells and whistles to be "included". And as I mentioned above, a lot of times the direct Uber request is also a screening mechanism to weed the real bookings from the flakes.

I always try to charge enough so that I can afford to host out of the cost of my fee. Sure, some guys will balk at the higher price, but I find that I have a better success rate with simply using the price point as the filter than with itemizing the cost of hosting. If guys try to talk me down on the price then I will break down the cost of hosting to them to explain why I have to charge so much... if I'm in a patient mood.

I feel like the best cities to tour are the ones you can visit on a regular schedule. You can "court" a city over the years and gradually develop a very solid roster of regulars to the point where you don't even need to publicly advertise tours anymore. A lot of clients have a hiring "rhythm" you can tap into for how often they'll book you- for example every 2 months or every 6 weeks. If you can find a few regulars that'll book you every 6-8 weeks, use those appointments as anchors, and create a good text or mailing list of all the other guys who inquire (with their consent to be added of course), you can build a really solid clientele almost anywhere. Big cities with thriving escort/client scenes can definitely be profitable choices, especially if your brand really stands out amongst the crowd and you invest heavily in your marketing. But sometimes being a big fish in a small pond can be very valuable as well. That small midwestern city that no big name porn stars EVER visit may fill your pockets every six weeks if you play your cards right. You can pick a handful of cities that you'd like to develop these kinds of business relationships with and invest in them as a long-term project for good long-term outcomes. Been touring the US for 10 years and it's always worked out great for me, even (especially) when my brand has been really niche and you'd think it would not have widespread appeal in small cities etc.

I have heard rumors that Seattle clients tend to be really loyal to their local escorts. And that traveling escorts can build regulars there, but that it's really challenging for most people who just try to visit without building a solid relationship with the city. Not sure if it's true, but it's something I've heard from some Seattle folks before.

Asking a client to pay for transportation fees is normal if they are outside the scope of what is built into an escort's business model. For example, most of my business is incall at my place in SF, which is in the leather district, or outcall to clients who live within 20 minutes or less from me by car. I do charge an extra 100 for Outcall to cover my travel time and expense when I go to a client's place, because my Incall rate doesn't factor in that time or expense. But let's say that a client asks me to do an Outcall to a place that's 45-55 minutes away from me by car. Suddenly my $100 Outcall fee doesn't really feel like it covers almost 2 hours of travel time in addition to the appointment plus the cost of the Uber anymore. I'm definitely going to ask the client to pay for my transportation if they want me to travel that far to visit them. This "business model" factor is obviously going to be subjective to every escort, but it's nothing to take personally or get offended about if someone asks you to cover transportation costs. It only means that this additional cost hasn't been factored into their pricing structure already. Besides this, if this is a client I have *never* met before and have no way of verifying as real/serious, it's very difficult to justify spending so much time and money out of my pocket to go find out. Frankly, most of us who have been escorting for more than a few months or years have had clients send us on wild goose chases to appointments that didn't exist. You only do that once or a few times before you become skeptical of traveling far for someone who you don't know. Asking a client to book an uber is a good guarantee that the appointment on the other end is likely real. Bored guys making fake appointments with escorts to entertain themselves aren't going to invest any money into their prank. And clients who agree to send an uber tend to be respectful, considerate clients who value my service. Some clients even enjoy sending ubers because at least that way they know the escort is going to show up, and exactly when! There was definitely a time when I was less likely to ask for uber fare. Back when uber was really cheap and it was easier to eat the cost in my Outcall fee. Back when public transportation didn't feel like a petri dish for infectious diseases. But we're not living in those times. These days I've started asking most NEW clients who want Outcall to book my Uber/Lyft or send an advance deposit. But I generally also tell them that if they plan to repeat with me that I will handle my own transportation in the future, since we will already know each other. I generally prefer to arrange my own transportation anyway and the entire reason I ever ask anyone to book it for me is purely as a test to ensure that I am not being sent on a wild goose chase with a new/unknown client.

In my world it's cash only for service and warn others about the risks inherent in anti-sex payment processors. If other people want to plug their ears and pretend this isn't the reality, that's up to you. Lot of clients seem to feel that payment apps should be the standard now and that is not okay.

ALL payment apps consider accepting payment for sex work to be against their TOS and will reverse transactions after service has been delivered, sometimes pulling money out of a sex worker's personal bank account (even when it has already been spent, resulting in a negative balance) to cover the refund. There is nothing a sex worker can do to stop a client from helping himself to a full refund weeks or months after service has been delivered. In addition to this, any sex worker whose work is discovered by these payment apps will be permanently banned for life from ever using the payment app again. A payment that is fully reversible to the client at his request, made thru an institution that explicitly forbids us to use it for our line of work, is incredibly risky and not worth the risk in my opinion. Cash. Postal money orders or cash between the pages of a magazine in the mail. Bitcoin. All fully anonymous (protecting both client & escort's privacy) and 100% irreversible transactions.

I don't care what my clients look like, so when someone sends me pics, I assume that they lack an understanding of the nature of our service relationship. Sometimes this is simply due to being blinded by insecurity and needing to feel assured that they won't experience rejection for their body upon arrival. This is understandable. I don't therefore, simply write everyone off who sends me photos as a time waster. However, many inquiries begin with a confident showoffy photo that is offered as a sort of 'bargaining chip', almost, as mentioned above, like the person messaging me is trying to flirt with me and putting his physical appearance forward as the first indicator of what he has to offer. Again this feels like someone misunderstanding the fundamental nature of our service relationship. I can't pay my bills with your good looks. And although I enjoy my work immensely, that is ultimately what I am making my service publicly available in order to do- pay the bills, save for my future- not to meet attractive men. I tend to see the sending of pics in this type of vibe/context as a clear sign that someone is not a good match for me and usually don't engage much further or try to redirect someone into booking an appointment, which generally kills the inquiry since that's not what they actually want.

I don't segment clients by wealth- in terms of giving them a different level of service for the same session booked. However, my rate structure necessarily enforces a hierarchy of experiences according to what someone is willing and able to pay. Most of my clients can only afford a one, two, or three hour session. A good percentage can also afford more like 4-6 hour bookings. It's a bit rarer for me to get someone who books me for an overnight or a weekend- because my rates are high for these services. In this way, you could argue that wealthier clients who are able to afford $10K for a weekend are getting a much higher level of service from me. But a client who is not at ALL wealthy, who comes across a $10K windfall and chooses to spend it on a weekend with me, is getting just as good of a level of service from me throughout the weekend as the wealthier client who booked the same session. Likewise, a very wealthy client who chooses to book only an hour with me is not getting any better service than every other client who books an hour.

I personally don't charge any extra for couples. However, I always appreciate it when I receive a tip for excellent service. Giving really great service to two different people who may have different desires and needs while also navigating an interpersonal dynamic between two partners can definitely feel like a more demanding challenge that requires more energy and recovery time afterwards. So I completely understand why most people do charge extra. I'd personally like to encourage more couples to book me, and not charging any extra feels like one small step I can take to demonstrate my preference in this regard.

I personally don't charge any extra for couples. However, I always appreciate it when I receive a tip for excellent service. Giving really great service to two different people who may have different desires and needs while also navigating an interpersonal dynamic between two partners can definitely feel like a more demanding challenge that requires more energy and recovery time afterwards. So I completely understand why most people do charge extra. I'd personally like to encourage more couples to book me, and not charging any extra feels like one small step I can take to demonstrate my preference in this regard.

I have definitely seen an increase in bookings over the past two weeks. I have gotten my first dose of vaccine but not my 2nd. I communicate this in my ad. A lot of my clients have already had both of their vaccine doses at this point. You should definitely not let anyone pressure you into meeting before you feel ready. I also get a lot of guys who inquire with me about meeting, ask a lot of questions, take up a bunch of my time and then don't follow thru with a booking. Although this is always an issue for escorts, I feel less annoyed about it these days then I usually would. People are (understandably) not quite sure if they're ready to meet up or not. But a LOT of people are out there trying to figure out if they are comfortable or not. The CDC says that two vaccinated people can safely meet in private without wearing masks if they've both waited long enough to enjoy maximum immunity from the 2nd dose (at least two weeks). I feel *absolutely* comfortable meeting clients who have been fully vaccinated. I am not using the vaccine as an excuse to behave recklessly, but it has increased my willingness to meet new clients and seemingly increased the willingness of many clients to consider making an appointment.