Are Agencies Better (i.e. safer) ?

[Rick Munroe]

Hiring someone who's well-reviewed is the safest way to go. Take advantage of what this site has to offer.

[+ Lucky]

Or use the Munroe Agency; they only have Charmin guys!

[Huey]

I have thought a lot about this question as it comes up every so often here. I have tried to read everything people post, plus be aware of the reviews of escorts who work for agencies and based on my experience here is what I feel.

 

An agency is quicker, it is easier though it is not safer nor a guarantee that the escort visit will go well. If you're the type who doesn't like to do his homework then I think an agency is a realistic option. If you don't mind reseaching an escort before hiring him then you probably will have better results with an independent guy.

 

Another concern is escort agencies are very visable and law enforcement seem to enjoy visiting them from time to time. That sometimes means that an agency has their records reviewed so if confidentially is important to you keep that in mind.

 

Finally there are good agencies out there that have been around for a while and continue to thrive. The answer to your question really lies with your own comfort level.

[AaronScottDC]

I totally agree with Rick, use the guys who have lots of reviews on this site from many different reviewers - first timers as well as guys who have made lots of other reviews. That way you can unsure safety as well as know exactly what you are getting for your money. Agencies often make it quite difficult to know what you are getting ahead of time. Of course, I guess if you like surprises, then go with an agency and then you won't know who or what you are getting until he walks through the door.

 

Aaron Scott DC

http://www.erados.com/AaronScottDC

http://www.male4malescorts.com/reviews/aaronscottdc.html

[+ Charlie]

Agencies are not per se any safer than independent escorts. The worst escort experience I ever had was from someone sent to me by a New York agency that is no longer in business: he was high on drugs and actually assaulted another resident in my building, then came back later to try to harrass me. (It was because of this experience that I no longer have first-time escorts come to me.) You really need to investigate an agency just as seriously as you would an independent escort.

[Rick Munroe]

>Or use the Munroe Agency; they only have Charmin guys!

 

Is that why Mr. Wipple is always squeezing my butt? :+

[LovesYng]

Depends on the agencies but I feel a little safer with them if I know the guys that are running it. I'll see independents but only if they have reviews on here and more than one;). I'll NEVER see a independent with only one review or a lot of reviews from frist time reviews unless I know the reviewer. That is why I wish some reviewers would use their message center handles instead of their review handles:+.

[Troyster]

Thanks guys some good pointers.

 

I agree that independents require a lot of research and sometimes it is easy to have someone else make the recommendation. Even still I like to research what the agency is offering -- look at the pictures and read the reviews.

 

I have to tell you I have not done much with independents on the believe that the agency would boot someone who is bad while an independent can get by on his own. My only bad experience with an agency was with one of the very well known ones in New York City. You have talked about it many times. I went to their web page and while most of what they were offerings was younger than my tastes, one appealed. I called and they said they would check on him. I was prebooking for the next night. They said they wanted an alternate name just in case. The primary choice was actually one who had not been reviewed here but the alternate I selected was very nicely reviewed, in fact many times, here.

 

Well the agency is question never really answered my request for the first guy saying something about his schedule was difficult and I felt they pushed me to the other guy. I knew that was not a good feeling but the reviews were so good. Well he arrived the next night at my hotel and I thought the moment he arrived he was on something or else he was a bit odd. Once we got started he kept giggling and he became a bit more aggressive. I went along with him and sort of went through the motions. It was the only time I have ever booked where I found myself wanting just finish the event. We finished, he left and I was not sorry.

 

I have never ever used that agency again even though you still give its guys good reviews. Well different strokes for different folks I guess. I will keep your comments in mind when next I book.

[VaHawk]

I've never used an agency, and have always felt more comfortable with going with independents. I feel that maybe, but don't know, that it would be easier for the younger, in it for a short haul for the money, pnp type guys, to float along with an agency than it would be for them to work as an independent before getting a "bad rep" whether that is due to the agency protecting/covering for their personnel or due to less tendency on the part of the client to complain to the agency. I compare it to being an "employee" versus "owning your own company". Those in business for themselves, regardless of the business, tend to devote more effort and time in delivering a quality product and are more focused on customer satisfaction, in order to build a loyal customer base, than an employee performing the same service for a set fee plus tips. Just MHO.

[guyinsf]

I think that reading some reviews and hiring someone well regarded is "safest."

 

I'm sure that many agencies are reputable but there certainly have been some negative reviews of escorts working through an agency (and, as I recall, at least one that involved "bait and switch" -- a different escort showing up than the one promised).

 

The main reason I would not consider an agency "safe" is that they presumably keep records. I don't want my name in a database of johns in the event some agency gets raided (for "pandering," drug reasons, or something else). I think the likelihood of an independent escort getting raided like this is much lower; and even if my name is in someone's little black book, because it's someone's personal address book it's more of a stretch to argue that everyone listed there is likely a client.

 

The main reason I would never use an agency, however, is that I do not "believe" in them. I don't want to pay a pimp. I want the guy who is giving me pleasure to get all of the money I am paying to be with him. I don't want someone skimming money off the top for taking my phone call and suggesting a certain guy to me. Particularly with this website as a resource, it's very easy to find an attractive escort with good reviews. One does need to have a little skepticism in relying on reviews (for example, if someone has 10 reviews but they are all from guys who have only reviewed that escort and/or the reviews are written in a very similar manner), but someone with multiple positive reviews from a variety of reviewers (first time reviewers, guys who have reviewed a lot of escorts) not only lets you know the guy is professional but also will give you an idea of what the guy is like with different people. If, for example, you want an affectionate guy and a number of clients comment that the escort loves to kiss, that enhances the likelihood that you would have a good encounter with him. I don't believe that the employees/owners of an agency would be as honest (or knowledgeable) about an escort's actual "performance" with clients; they not only have a mercenary interest but they may not have had sex with the guy.

[Guest DC4Fur]

I have to agree Aaron. Contacting someone as I did from the Blade, was a naive leap of blind faith, which taught me the lesson you just set out. The details are too pathetic, if not sad, to discuss. As a result, though, I am gun shy. More to your point, that particular "escort" did not have a history of reviews. (I missed that big clue!) Prior to contacting him, I had contacted an agency, but they were really vague - at least I picked up on the likely downside of that option. Someone like yourself with history of established reviews makes a lot more sense - especially to a beginner like me - a fellow DC resident.

[+ deej]

Umm ... can we leave this one at "it depends"?

 

Some of the agency escorts reviewed here are fantastic.

 

Some of the independent escorts reviewed here are fantastic.

 

If you're traveling and find yourself in a city you don't know, a good agency can be a real find! If you're traveling to a city you know and you sorta have a feel for which escorts you want to meet, well, an agency might just get in the way.

 

An agency is absolutely not safer. Neither is an independent escort.

 

Safety is not an issue. If safety is an issue for you, you shouldn't be hiring.

 

Given that, play the field you've got. If an agency has a town locked (Philly), then go there. If there are a ton of independents and poorly reviewed agencies (Denver, Vegas), then go with an independent.

 

This is truly a "Your mileage may vary" issue.

[axebahia]

Right on the mark. I totally agree. There are good agencies and bad. Good escorts and bad escorts at good agencies. Good escorts and bad escorts at bad agencies. As for independents, my feeling is that the reviews are much better for spotting problems rather than finding gems. I think problems tend to be generic whereas as a "great" experience probably depends highly on the two (or more?) individuals involved. If I stuck just to reviews, I would have missed some real gems out there, and where I have had a problem on rare occasion, after the fact, I almost always see that yes there was a bad review.

[FrancoDiSantisxxx]

Good and Bad Experiences

 

The two escorts whom I have met personally and work through agencies are, at least IMHO, quality professionals: Matt Sizemore and Erik Hunter. As Los Angeles does not have very many agency men, the larger percentage of escorts I meet are independents and as these two clients here commented, you can have a positive or negative experience either way.

 

> As for independents,

>my feeling is that the reviews are much better for spotting

>problems rather than finding gems. I think problems tend to

>be generic whereas as a "great" experience probably depends

>highly on the two (or more?) individuals involved. If I stuck

>just to reviews, I would have missed some real gems out there,

>and where I have had a problem on rare occasion, after the

>fact, I almost always see that yes there was a bad review.

 

One thing which I think makes an independent worthwhile is that you are contacting the escort directly. You can have your specific questions answered: how recent are your pictures? this is what I am interested in, are you OK with that? One of your reviewers said _______ and _____, can you please explain this to me?

 

In other words, what I believe we have all agreed upon, over and over on this site, is that communication is key to a positive and enjoyable experience for both the escort and the client, and it may be easier to deal directly with your escort than through a third party, if he is an independent.

[Troyster]

RE: Good and Bad Experiences

 

Good points all the way around.

 

This is as much as anything for HooBoy -- why not start an area for agency reviews. Rate them on things like did they handle the call professionally, did they deliver what they promised, were they helpful in recommendations or pushing today's "special" on you, etc?

 

I am sure the group here can recommend some more great points to review the agencies on.

 

A thought.

[Rick Munroe]

RE: Good and Bad Experiences

 

>The two escorts whom I have met personally and work through

>agencies are, at least IMHO, quality professionals: Matt

>Sizemore and ...

 

Matt Sizemore; what a great name. Matt Sighs More. I should change my name to Rick Moans Roe. (I know that made no sense...must be the Florida sun).

[Guest happyguy]

RE: Good and Bad Experiences

 

That is funny, but I would like to share my experience with agencies vs. independants. In NYC, a few years ago I did use an agency and they were fine. But finding reliable independants, with the help of reviews, is always better, as far as I am concerned.

 

In the Miami area, for years, I used a very reputable agency. I liked them very much, they provided consistently satisfactory and above-average people. Only once, over several years, did they not deliver what I had asked for (never anything beyond the usual).

 

Then, a few years ago, when the economy started to teeter, ever so slightly at first, they began increasing their rates, yet their advertisements in Hotspots and the other mags still showed their regular rates. Then everyone who I hired - all of a sudden - had a driver, and that added another forty dollars to the event.

 

I was annoyed because I tipped the guys really well, and their increase brought them up to what I tipped - and quite frankly, their new price with a tip, just seemed more than they were worth.

 

So now, I use independants, check the reviews and travel info - and I am really lucky so far.

 

hg

[BuckyXTC]

I think deej is definitely correct on this. I may be one of the few posters here who has only hired through agencies. I've never hired an independent, at least not yet.

 

The first agency I used was fine, in the beginning, then the owner got greedy and decided to put a photo section on the agency website where you could see and download photos of male models for a subscription fee. I wasn't really interested in that, and resented the fact that you couldn't see the escort's photos unless you paid a subscription. I hired two escorts from there, and had positive experiences with both. Then the shit hit the fan when the FBI investigated the agency and found he had photos of underage guys on his pay site. The agency folded, and I suspect clients had some nervous days and nights wondering if they might get questioned or worse. I know I worried about it.

 

The agency I use now is well established, and I really doubt they keep records on clients, since they never even contact me by email or phone unless I contact them first. My experience with this agency has been pretty positive. I'm not saying every escort I've met through them has exceeded all expectations, but several have been real keepers.

 

There is no such thing as "risk free hiring", anymore than there is risk free food shopping. You could be using a great supermarket, but end up getting tainted meat or something of that sort. If you choose to dance to the music, you just might have to pay the fiddler some day. That's life.

[Guest Pulsator]

I've done both at various times. Before this site became available, I had drifted into using agencies more, because the print advertisements were so unreliable. There was one agency in particular in NYC - Campus Guys - with whom I had some luck, before getting burned with one guy who was at least a decade older than they had told me on the phone and seriously out of shape (as well as probably being straight, given the limited repertory of what he would do, not at all as advertised to me on the phone). That stopped me from using Campus. But then this site made it unnecessary to use agencies, at least when I'm home in NYC.

I never used an agency while visiting SF - there were sufficient good guys who advertised in B.A.R. back in the days before this site. My last trip to SF, I met a guy after reading his reviews on this site and had a great time.

D.C. is the city I visit frequently for conventions. I had some bad experiences over the years with escorts who advertised in the Blade. The reviews there are too terse - maybe they are charging too much by the word. In desperation I used agencies once or twice and had decent experiences. But now I strictly book D.C. escorts after research on this site and have not had less than a high quality experience.

Finally - Philadelphia. Based on what I had read on this site, I figured the best way to go during a recent brief business trip was Premier Escorts, and I received satisfactory service, as evidenced by two reviews I posted.

[CeverDC]

Hi.

 

In response to the question regarding the relative safety of using a a service to meet an escort vs finding one on your own:

 

As an escort, I have learned two things that many (I hope) will never have to learn the same way: services tend to be self-serving, and few have insurance.

 

Just over one year ago, I contacted an man who had contacted my agency (one of Washington, DC's largest and most well-known). The conversation with the gentleman did not leave me with the best of feelings ... I can't put my finger on it, but something just didn't feel quite right. The client wanted me to visit his home, which is located in Foxhall, a (more than normally) affluent section of Washington., and my agency assured me that he was a regular with them.

 

To make a long story short, the gentleman had a violent streak when orgasming. His orgasm resulted in my jaw being broken by one single punch!

 

I later found out that this gentleman was not a regular client of the agency, and that he had paid the agency an extra $500 to send a black man for him to abuse! These details were emailed to me by the gentleman's lover, along with an offer to cover my medical expenses -- an offer that was never made by the agency that pocketed extra cash through my suffering.

 

I must limit my comments on this matter at this point, as there is litigation pending against both the agency and the client.

 

I CAN, however, say that if it were not for the agency's support and recommendation, I would NOT have dealt with this client. I went against my gut feeling because I trusted my agency. I have never had anything other than pleasant encounters with clients because they do not choose me; I CHOOSE THEM!!! I think that this should be formost in the minds of all clients and escorts. There is nothing wrong with telling a client or your agency that you don't feel that a client/escort is a good match for you. Trust me, you may be saving yourself a lot of trouble.

 

Cever

Washington, DC

Cever@mindspring.com

CeverDC@aol.com

CeverDC on male4maleescorts

202-986-6710

[guyinsf]

What a disturbing tale. I hope you prevail in your lawsuit if the facts are as you present them. An agency is obviously only as "safe" as its owners/employees. If you absolutely KNOW that the agency has your best interests in mind, that's fine. As you say, however, both escorts and clients can be deceived by an agency whose owner is more interested in collecting a fee than arranging successful connections.

 

Though some might read arrogance into your comment about you selecting your clients, I think I understand where you are coming from: It isn't about being snobbish or prejudiced; it's about figuring out, based on your conversation, whether you think and feel you will be able to have a successful encounter with the client. If you feel creepy when talking with a potential client, better that you turn him away than go through with it. The client may be a jerk and may be dangerous -- or he may just happen to push certain "buttons" you have that won't faze a different escort.

 

>Hi.

>

>In response to the question regarding the relative safety of

>using a a service to meet an escort vs finding one on your

>own:

>

>As an escort, I have learned two things that many (I hope)

>will never have to learn the same way: services tend to be

>self-serving, and few have insurance.

>

>Just over one year ago, I contacted an man who had contacted

>my agency (one of Washington, DC's largest and most

>well-known). The conversation with the gentleman did not

>leave me with the best of feelings ... I can't put my finger

>on it, but something just didn't feel quite right. The client

>wanted me to visit his home, which is located in Foxhall, a

>(more than normally) affluent section of Washington., and my

>agency assured me that he was a regular with them.

>

>To make a long story short, the gentleman had a violent streak

>when orgasming. His orgasm resulted in my jaw being broken by

>one single punch!

>

>I later found out that this gentleman was not a regular client

>of the agency, and that he had paid the agency an extra $500

>to send a black man for him to abuse! These details were

>emailed to me by the gentleman's lover, along with an offer to

>cover my medical expenses -- an offer that was never made by

>the agency that pocketed extra cash through my suffering.

>

>I must limit my comments on this matter at this point, as

>there is litigation pending against both the agency and the

>client.

>

>I CAN, however, say that if it were not for the agency's

>support and recommendation, I would NOT have dealt with this

>client. I went against my gut feeling because I trusted my

>agency. I have never had anything other than pleasant

>encounters with clients because they do not choose me; I

>CHOOSE THEM!!! I think that this should be formost in the

>minds of all clients and escorts. There is nothing wrong with

>telling a client or your agency that you don't feel that a

>client/escort is a good match for you. Trust me, you may be

>saving yourself a lot of trouble.

>

>Cever

>Washington, DC

>Cever@mindspring.com

>CeverDC@aol.com

>CeverDC on male4maleescorts

>202-986-6710

[CeverDC]

Thanks for your response.

 

Thank you, also, for pointing out the possibility that one of my comments could be perceived as being "uppity". There is no "attitude" being displayed when I state that I trust myself to make wise selections of clients more than I trust an agency to make those decisions for me.

 

I think that most people have the ability to discern good people from bad people -- and even the ability to see a good person who is potentially bad, and vice-versa. When eliminating all external weights (such as greed and lust) from the equation, I simply trust my gut instinct (which helps protect my personal well-being and survival) more than I can trust the (perhaps compromised) promise of an agency.

 

I have managed to live to the "ripe old age" of 30 without ever encountering this type of situation when trusting this instinct. There are times in life when my late Grandfather's words come back to me with haunting clarity: "If it ain't broke, don't bother trying to fix it, boy!"

 

'Nuf said.

 

Cever

Washington, DC

Cever@mindspring.com

CeverDC@aol.com

CeverDC on male4maleescorts

202-986-6710

[Troyster]

I am always a bit scared when I go to hire and it somehow seems safer to go through an agency. Seems like they do some checking and there might be less chance of problems. Or is this just me being silly?

 

Opinions?