The Commonplace Expectation of $100 Massage/$200 Escort?

[TallMuscl37]

I ask because, there seems to be this unspoken dynamic out there that $150/$200 or even the dreaded: $100, is supposed to be “a good price” to pay and do whatever. Like, the client wins because that’s all he says he can afford, but the escort might not have enough to cover their expenses in the process. 
 

I’m just getting tired and fatigued of feeling like guys are calling a collections agency. “I can only afford $100/$200”. I am not a past due bill, for fucks sake. I’m a single man devoting my livelihood to giving people relaxation and companionship. It’s amusing, that a guy will take his dog to the vet, spend $700, $800, $1,000 and not think twice. Yet tell them its $400 for an hour of everything under the sun: suddenly I’m “too expensive or they can’t afford it”. 

The more I hear guys saying something is out of their budget, or they can’t afford it, blah blah etc etc: it just makes me wonder if I should put my rates up even higher: $500 minimum. Not out of greed, but because #1: there are guys out there who are willing to pay it, and #2: I don’t want to get into petty quarrels over $50 and $100. Or have to compromise between $300 and $200. Either way, $200 or $300 is still NOT ENOUGH for all I need to do. So why argue over it in the first place. I feel: if $300 is too much, let’s just do $500…that way if other clients feel the same and only 1 person shows up for the day, I’ll still be okay. But why take $200 and still only one person shows up? 
 

It just has to stop. I’ve even gotten to where, I decided I no longer want to do hookup apps at this time nor do freebie meets. I’ve been “burned” time and again, essentially giving “free services” to people who don’t appreciate my time or effort. Hooking up for free has made me miss clients, spend more money than I planned, or end up costing me more money indirectly: unnecessarily. So right now I’m breaking on that unless it’s just someone I meet in person or thru friends. But no more app stuff.
 

My hookups and “boyfriends” are going to be clients, because more and more I’m seeing it’s clients who really seem to care about helping me achieve goals, whether that be monetary or something that requires monetary to get (for example, last year I wanted to go to a private event in Washington DC to see my favorite r@b singer.) Guys on apps would NEVER make that happen. Instead it took only 2 clients, to make it happen. 

So, when someone comes along and says a particular price is too high: I want to ask them, high for whom? Is it too high because you don’t think you have to or should, or is the price the escort is setting because he has hotels, fuel, beauty/gym, attire, hygiene, bills, car maintenance: all the things to pay that ensure being able to see clients can happen. So why, would someone even try to insinuate that someone is too expensive? It’s not a jar of spaghetti. This is a whole person, that you’re getting intimate with, and that person is either inviting you to their space, or they’re taking time out of their schedule going to your space: There should be 0 question or doubt about the price a reputable escort asks.

I remember there was a thing going on called “tip the bill”, where people were tipping the waitress whatever the cost of the bill was, versus the standard percentage. Now me personally: I can’t keep up with that because I already deal with my income being compromised every single week by no shows, flakes, and ghosts and of course spam and scams. I can barely afford a sit down meal much at all lately, let alone tip a bill. But if people can raise that awareness, when do we ever get “tipped our rate?” 

Edited September 25, 2024 by Jarrod_Uncut

[Becket]

You must be very frustrated. Not sure what you expect to change with this rant. You're probably a nice fellow in real life. Can't imagine that this will help your business. I've asked you this before, but why do you continue in a business that seems to bring you such unhappiness?

[jmichaeliii]

Before I hire anywhere, I make it a point to know what the market in that area will bear.  In Philly you can find some great guys in the $150-$250 range and most top out at $300.  The ones that are way over and are outliers, I just don't hire.

But I never ask anyone to negotiate their rate.  If I really want to hire them, I pay what they are asking.

[marylander1940]

1 hour ago, Becket said:

You must be very frustrated. Not sure what you expect to change with this rant. You're probably a nice fellow in real life. Can't imagine that this will help your business. I've asked you this before, but why do you continue in a business that seems to bring you such unhappiness?

I think @Jarrod_Uncut is using this site (mostly) for venting.

Back to subject, there are cheap assholes in all human activities, it's a fact of life.

Tell them to go to a 3rd world country but here in the wealthiest country in the world things are likely to be more expensive. 

[Shawn Monroe]

Definitely makes the business tough. Also hard when RM took the rates off the site, so no one (providers or clients) know what anyone’s going rate is without invasive investigation. It’s tough out there. 

[+ sync]

If you are being factual with "I can barely afford a sit down meal much at all lately, let alone tip a bill," an alternate career path merits consideration.

[+ DynamicUno]

[+ Jamie21]

Unfortunately there will always be chancers. When I get someone asking for a discount I just say no and don’t engage in any debate or negotiation because it’s very draining negotiating that on top of the other arrangements that need to be decided (like the day/time/duration/content/location details). You pay my rate or you find someone else. Got to be really strict about that. 

[+ DrownedBoy]

10 hours ago, jmichaeliii said:

Before I hire anywhere, I make it a point to know what the market in that area will bear.  In Philly you can find some great guys in the $150-$250 range and most top out at $300.  The ones that are way over and are outliers, I just don't hire.

But I never ask anyone to negotiate their rate.  If I really want to hire them, I pay what they are asking.

That's it. Both sides need to follow the local market.

You can pay as low as 100/150 an hour and make both sides happy. In my experience, that limits your choices to:

- white trash in middle-of-nowhere rural areas

- escorts in economically depressed urban areas with little means of transportation 

- older and less attractive escorts

- refugees who can't speak English 

 

If you're willing to settle for that, have at it. But don't expect much better.

Edited September 24, 2024 by DrownedBoy

[soloyo215]

As a client, I would never come to a provider (of this quality) telling him that I'm willing to pay only a much smaller amount for services. If I cannot afford him, especially if he's upfront about his charges, I don't even bother contacting him.

Just ignore, time you spend entertaining that nonsense is time that you can use in better clients.

10 hours ago, jmichaeliii said:

Before I hire anywhere, I make it a point to know what the market in that area will bear.  In Philly you can find some great guys in the $150-$250 range and most top out at $300.  The ones that are way over and are outliers, I just don't hire.

But I never ask anyone to negotiate their rate.  If I really want to hire them, I pay what they are asking.

Where exactly in Philly do you get service for that price?

[+ jessmapex]

There is also competition from the guys 'visiting' from abroad - primarily from Brazil and Columbia. 

[jmichaeliii]

51 minutes ago, soloyo215 said:

As a client, I would never come to a provider (of this quality) telling him that I'm willing to pay only a much smaller amount for services. If I cannot afford him, especially if he's upfront about his charges, I don't even bother contacting him.

Just ignore, time you spend entertaining that nonsense is time that you can use in better clients.

Where exactly in Philly do you get service for that 

 

Edited September 24, 2024 by jmichaeliii

[jmichaeliii]

52 minutes ago, soloyo215 said:

As a client, I would never come to a provider (of this quality) telling him that I'm willing to pay only a much smaller amount for services. If I cannot afford him, especially if he's upfront about his charges, I don't even bother contacting him.

Just ignore, time you spend entertaining that nonsense is time that you can use in better clients.

Where exactly in Philly do you get service for that price?

I see 3 guys in Philly in that range.   And they are all excellent.

[rvwnsd]

@Jarrod_Uncut: "What will it take for guys to stop expecting $150/$200?"

@rvwnsd "There are some guys who will NEVER get it. You might as well piss into the wind while banging your head against the wall as you attempt to tilt a windmill."

But seriously, some people have wildly unrealistic expectations and others are just A-holes who like to mess with people. Nothing you can do about them.

[Thelatin]

I’ve been at this a while.  There is no magical formula, no right or wrong answer, no correct business model.  I only ever see extremely fit Latin men under 30.  The rate is all over the board depending on all sorts of factors.   Day of the week, time of day, what else is included, if they find me attractive etc.

Every situation is unique. 

[TallMuscl37]

16 hours ago, Shawn Monroe said:

Definitely makes the business tough. Also hard when RM took the rates off the site, so no one (providers or clients) know what anyone’s going rate is without invasive investigation. It’s tough out there. 

That was a driving factor from the start

I’ll also add: this isn’t just coming from RentMen but especially RentMasseur. I understand that technically people may be going to RentMasseur expecting “just a massage”. But I also wonder if it’s more to do with the venue. It seems the “general” (not all) RentMasseur clients expect a certain price point of the $150/$200 range or less. However, RentMasseur does not make any claims to be ONLY massages. Thats why there’s erotic, therapeutic and sensual options. Thats why there are private nude galleries. 

The lines are very blurred, and I wonder if that contributes to the misunderstandings of some.
 

16 hours ago, sync said:

If you are being factual with "I can barely afford a sit down meal much at all lately, let alone tip a bill," an alternate career path merits consideration.

 

I was moreso using an exaggeration. When I said that, I meant: “I don’t want to spend my money eating out, everyday”. But I actually do eat out a fair amount, and if you see my body: I’m definitely not starving by any means 💪🏾 But I don’t always have the funds to allocate towards a sit down restaurant meal, especially since I’m trying to relocate, and a $75 meal: I rather spend $90 on a couple shirts: which I did couple weeks ago when I was in Minneapolis of America.

Besides, where do you come off talking about needing a different career path? I didn’t say: “I don’t have any money to go out to eat”. I said afford, but I have known people who make 3x what I make, driving BMWs and living in luxury apartments who go to Taco Bell and barely have anything in the fridge.

I’ve known people in the military: who do meal prep because they can’t afford to eat out but once a week. Does that warrant a career change?

Sometimes it takes a bit of cognitive thinking to understand what someone is saying, versus just blurting out whatever you think is the reason for the statement made.
 

7 hours ago, DrownedBoy said:

That's it. Both sides need to follow the local market.

You can pay as low as 100/150 an hour and make both sides happy. In my experience, that limits your choices to:

- white trash in middle-of-nowhere rural areas

- escorts in economically depressed urban areas with little means of transportation 

- older and less attractive escorts

- refugees who can't speak English 

 

If you're willing to settle for that, have at it. But don't expect much better.

And don’t get me wrong: I’m not saying there’s anything WRONG with $150/$200. I actually took a $100 booking earlier this month: the dude looked like Usher. He was sexy AF, but he was just an easy going client and only wanted a massage. I wasn’t mad at him for it.

My thing is moreso on a general big scale. I rather someone say they have $100 and just need a massage, versus someone asking for my rates and then saying it’s too much. Well, you asked? If a client is willing to contact a provider to ask what a rate is: they should be willing to compromise and give. To shoot them down and say otherwise: ESPECIALLY when I have my own website that lists my rates, is where the annoyance comes in.

And the other thing: if a client is going to say a rate is too much or they can’t afford: I feel if they really wanted to make it happen they can counteroffer. That way I can say yes or no or give a reason why I can’t do that price point: but can be willing to do a different price point similar.

 

18 hours ago, Becket said:

You must be very frustrated. Not sure what you expect to change with this rant. You're probably a nice fellow in real life. Can't imagine that this will help your business. I've asked you this before, but why do you continue in a business that seems to bring you such unhappiness?

I know you got a lot of “reactions” to that, but I’ll explain to you and anyone else who cheered you on, why. Read very carefully:

#1: I’m not unhappy with the Business. I’m unhappy if I’m NOT getting the business, in cases where I should or have before.

#2: It’s nothing to do with being unhappy. It’s simply discussing a common scenario and asking how it could be changed

#3: I’m happier dealing with SERIOUS clients who are willing to compromise, versus using hookup apps and being caught up in an endless string of meaningless hookups with guys who don’t care to contribute anything going on in my life.

#4: Guys I’ve met through advertising on RM: are a different breed than many of the gay dudes I come across in bars, apps, or via friends. Like “someone” said during a press interview earlier this month: I love my clients and they love me 🤣 

#5: I don’t always have to haggle on my rates because most of my bookings are $250+ anyway, however: again, just talking in general. 

Edited September 25, 2024 by Jarrod_Uncut

[viewing ownly]

So that "easy going client who looked like Usher" was someone you were perfectly willing to give a massage to for $100, but your very long-winded rant was complaining about guys who only want to donate $150 to $200. Let me guess - who DON'T look like Usher?

Jarrod, you work very hard to look great, and that takes work. Detailing the minute details of your day-to-day cost of everything involved is entirely not necessary. I'm an older unattractive in the face man with a perky butt and a small thick cock (+ a gut, and bald spots). It's why I hire!

I feel for ALL providers who are "bargained down" for no valid reason. This shouldn't happen. You aren't running a garage sale. At the same time, APPRECIATE those that take the time to see you, and sometimes even see you more than once. The reason guys want to pay less than you would desire is because there are men out there who ask for the lower rate, and if they've been around for a long time, it's because their lower rate is WORKING. He's now moved on to a different career, but I saw a guy with a big tummy and a small dick (but a terrific ass and a buff chest) who was $110 for YEARS - and was frequently booked. 

[TallMuscl37]

32 minutes ago, viewing ownly said:

So that "easy going client who looked like Usher" was someone you were perfectly willing to give a massage to for $100, but your very long-winded rant was complaining about guys who only want to donate $150 to $200. Let me guess - who DON'T look like Usher?

Jarrod, you work very hard to look great, and that takes work. Detailing the minute details of your day-to-day cost of everything involved is entirely not necessary. I'm an older unattractive in the face man with a perky butt and a small thick cock (+ a gut, and bald spots). It's why I hire!

I feel for ALL providers who are "bargained down" for no valid reason. This shouldn't happen. You aren't running a garage sale. At the same time, APPRECIATE those that take the time to see you, and sometimes even see you more than once. The reason guys want to pay less than you would desire is because there are men out there who ask for the lower rate, and if they've been around for a long time, it's because their lower rate is WORKING. He's now moved on to a different career, but I saw a guy with a big tummy and a small dick (but a terrific ass and a buff chest) who was $110 for YEARS - and was frequently booked. 

Okay, thanks? I guess…

I wasn’t complaining or saying I perfectly willingly took the Usher looking guy. In fact, I wasn’t going to see him at all for $100. In that particular case, it was a very quiet Saturday, I was out of town and it was getting later in the day and I had already checked out of my hotel earlier that day. But I didn’t feel like commuting to the next city: so the donation was enough to cover the cost of my expenses. However, it wasn’t necessarily something I “profited” on. 

I also made sure the funds were settled upfront, before the session even stared. If and when I agree to a discount, I make sure to do so.

As far as the guy who charged $110 for years; good for him. But there’s no guarantee a rate that amount will get the number of bookings needed. Also at the price, a person will have to be seeing a lot of clients in order to get to $500. Lots of clients doesn’t always equate to win: that’s more bodies, more exposure, more traffic to our home or hotel and/or more running around for outcalls. 
 

I know getting a lot of clients sounds like a reasonable goal, but for some: it’s having fewer clients for a higher rate. That may be the preferred model for a provider who can’t always be available last minute, or take multiple clients round the clock

Edited September 25, 2024 by Jarrod_Uncut

[MaybeMaybeNot]

Maybe they are not just expecting, only hoping? Maybe these are people not worth responding to. 

I do not have a hiring fund, and when the massage guy in my area who was in budget moved away,  I respected the profession too much to try offering someone less than they list. I do feel, as clearly you do, that it is disrespectful to negotiate with someone who gives so much of their body and risks their safety to make others feel good. What you offer people deserves to be respected with your asking price. I am sorry people don't respect that.

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

When someone attempts to set my rate for me, I just ignore them.

A client doesn't determine what my time is worth:  I do.  

You just have to be comfortable/stable enough to stick to your guns and not accept less than you want.

Personally, I'd rather see far fewer people at a higher rate.

Edited September 25, 2024 by BenjaminNicholas

[pubic_assistance]

6 hours ago, Jarrod_Uncut said:

It seems the “general” (not all) RentMasseur clients expect a certain price point of the $150/$200 range or less. However, RentMasseur does not make any claims to be ONLY massages.

I'm definitely not paying more than $150 an hour for a massage. So yeah...expectations on Massage sites are gonna be in that range.

If a provider offers add-ons to a massage session then OBVIOUSLY it's add-on fees too.

Anyone offering  the $300 😉 wink-wink "massage" gets passed by with me. It's too open for interpretation and misrepresentation.

I much prefer to pay someone for a massage. See if I like them..and then ask about more at the end of a session or book a second session specifically for additional escort services for additional fees.

I'm sure you run across cheap-ass customers trying to get an all-in-one session for the cost of a massage but most people are at least knowledgeable that escorting is not set up with all-you-can-eat buffet pricing.

Edited September 25, 2024 by pubic_assistance
spelling

[jmichaeliii]

5 hours ago, MaybeMaybeNot said:

Maybe they are not just expecting, only hoping? Maybe these are people not worth responding to. 

I do not have a hiring fund, and when the massage guy in my area who was in budget moved away,  I respected the profession too much to try offering someone less than they list. I do feel, as clearly you do, that it is disrespectful to negotiate with someone who gives so much of their body and risks their safety to make others feel good. What you offer people deserves to be respected with your asking price. I am sorry people don't respect that.

I had a situation a couple weeks ago where the provider tried to negotiate his rate lower to get me to agree to a session.  His rate was nearly double the average of the guys I see and just politely said that I appreciated his time but this is outside my budget.  He then cut $100/hr off his rate to sweeten the pot, but I politely declined.  I simply said I don't ask providers to negotiate their rate because if you are charging that, you obviously can get it.  I finished it by saying I think it wrecks the vibe of the whole experience if you are unhappy giving up your fee.  Again I thanked him but I don't think he was happy with me.  

[soloyo215]

13 hours ago, jmichaeliii said:

I see 3 guys in Philly in that range.   And they are all excellent.

Please send the link.

[pubic_assistance]

2 hours ago, jmichaeliii said:

I think it wrecks the vibe of the whole experience if you are unhappy giving up your fee.

Totally agree.

I would never negotiate a rate downward.

It gives a VERY bad impression of me and that will definitely affect the relationship with a provider.

I don't understand why certain people can't understand that. All you have to do is THINK in reverse roles. Put YOURSELF in the provider's position and ask yourself if YOU would want people tell you "you're not worth it" ?

[jmichaeliii]

2 hours ago, soloyo215 said:

Please send the link.

I DMd you