Using MassageBook to schedule

[Guest]

I contact a provider to schedule a massage. He directed me to use MassageBook, which wants me to prepay. Is this common? I’m hesitant, since I don’t want to get scammed. Advice?

[+ JamesB]

I have a very strict rule: No Deposits, No pre-pay. It has worked for me.

[Mark_fl]

Easy pass. I pay cash.  If he wants to send part of the massage in advance, I'll prepay for part.

[Guest]

Thank you for confirming my intuition. Just wanted to confirm that I was not being excessively cautious or paranoid.

[DunwoodyGuy]

No deposit, no pre-pay, not ever. Walk away.

[Elite_XL]

It depends on where you found the guy. I have ran into scammers on places like grindr that say they do massages but in reality they just want to rip you off.

[maninsoma]

I hadn't previously heard of "MassageBook," but it turns out it's a specific site where some people advertise.  Interestingly, in my area at least, it isn't the same providers who advertise on other massage sites.  It very well may be a legit provider and that's just how the site MassageBook works (collecting $$$ upfront and a percentage goes to the site?), but I don't see anything on the site which would cause me to think that every provider there is necessarily honest and thus can be trusted.  By that I mean it seems to me a complete scammer could use that site just like he could any other.  Since I also have a no-deposit rule, I wouldn't book through that site.

[Guest]

14 minutes ago, maninsoma said:

I hadn't previously heard of "MassageBook," but it turns out it's a specific site where some people advertise.  Interestingly, in my area at least, it isn't the same providers who advertise on other massage sites.  It very well may be a legit provider and that's just how the site MassageBook works (collecting $$$ upfront and a percentage goes to the site?), but I don't see anything on the site which would cause me to think that every provider there is necessarily honest and thus can be trusted.  By that I mean it seems to me a complete scammer could use that site just like he could any other.  Since I also have a no-deposit rule, I wouldn't book through that site.

I agree the site itself seems very legitimate, but the requirement to prepay is what raised my concern.