Since when did naming a price become popular?

[JoeyBryant]

Okay, I understand companies like Priceline and Progressive are getting off with the whole name your own price feature, while other companies are jumping in on it too. But I just cant help but wonder why all of a sudden there seems to be this influx of clients who call or email me asking if I will see them for X amount instead of what I have up?

 

Now, I understand that occasionally I will have 1 or 2 who asks for a lesser rate; thats understandable. Perhaps they weren't prepared to spend the amount at that moment. But lately it has been a weekly occurence! And when I went to Chicago and had a similar question; I knew something was up.

 

The way I see it, is if a client wants the best possible results from me; then we have to go along with the posted rate. Its a reason why I just dont accept lesser offers. To recieve a paycut (however small) before I even meet the guy seems a bit unfair. Not to mention it isnt fair to another client if they got it for cheaper than the last one. And I tell them that too, and almost always they go along with the previous offer. Afterall I make my rates reasonable, but likewise I recognize they aren't cheap either.

 

Anyone else get similar requests? With it being asked so often; I'd think there must be some allowance in this trend going on from somewhere.

[Guest greatness]

well

 

I think your rates are reasonable. I guess due to the economy people want to shop around. Even luxury hotels sometimes accept haggled rates these days so don't feel bad. Oh btw I am not comparing a precious person like you to an object or a product. Just wanted to mention that the economy is bad.

 

Okay, I understand companies like Priceline and Progressive are getting off with the whole name your own price feature, while other companies are jumping in on it too. But I just cant help but wonder why all of a sudden there seems to be this influx of clients who call or email me asking if I will see them for X amount instead of what I have up?

 

Now, I understand that occasionally I will have 1 or 2 who asks for a lesser rate; thats understandable. Perhaps they weren't prepared to spend the amount at that moment. But lately it has been a weekly occurence! And when I went to Chicago and had a similar question; I knew something was up.

 

The way I see it, is if a client wants the best possible results from me; then we have to go along with the posted rate. Its a reason why I just dont accept lesser offers. To recieve a paycut (however small) before I even meet the guy seems a bit unfair. Not to mention it isnt fair to another client if they got it for cheaper than the last one. And I tell them that too, and almost always they go along with the previous offer. Afterall I make my rates reasonable, but likewise I recognize they aren't cheap either.

 

Anyone else get similar requests? With it being asked so often; I'd think there must be some allowance in this trend going on from somewhere.

[Zapped]

I said in another thread that I love to negotiate--but not with an escort. I don't want someone having sex with me to feel resentful at being underpaid. I want him happily into his work, undistracted, focused on making me orgasmically happy.

 

So I see your point, Joey. (In that other thread I was saying I hate it when rates aren't posted.)

 

On the other hand, business is business and not (necessarily) about being fair. When you fly on an airplane, people have paid vastly different sums, because of when they purchased, the airline's needs, etc. That said I really like that you want to be fair. But if you need to offer occasional discounts to get enough business, lots of other professionals and businesses are doing it all the time. Different rates may be unfair, but I don't think they are unethical. If you discount, it's important that your service be so great that clients will want to come back to you so much they'll pay the full price.

 

On still another hand, to keep your prices from collapsing, you don't want word getting out that your rates are negotiable and you're giving discounts, or everyone will want a bargain. And you can't keep that sort of thing quiet when your work gets reviewed and discussed on this and other sites. No real advice or insight here, just blather from me. Sounds like you're handling it perfectly, anyway.

 

At Shapiro's deli in Indy, they have signs up that say, "cook good, price moderately, people will come." If you have good service and fair prices, the clients will . . . cum. (Sorry, couldn't resist.)

 

Z

[Guest MasculineCute]

Oh yeah ...

I have not Escorted in Chicago... Just Dallas and from time to time i get asked if i can lower my rates. I ALWAYS say NO. The Price is clearly posted.

 

And like a smart Business man... You need to understand that you bring value and performance to the deal. So, stick with your rates. Always!

[+ Charlie]

A lot of escort ads say "ask me" under "rates", so I suspect some clients read that as meaning "ask me if I will accept X amount."

[GoodFella69]

You get what you pay for...

 

I said in another thread that I love to negotiate--but not with an escort. I don't want someone having sex with me to feel resentful at being underpaid. I want him happily into his work, undistracted, focused on making me orgasmically happy.

 

So I see your point, Joey. (In that other thread I was saying I hate it when rates aren't posted.)

 

On the other hand, business is business and not (necessarily) about being fair. When you fly on an airplane, people have paid vastly different sums, because of when they purchased, the airline's needs, etc. That said I really like that you want to be fair. But if you need to offer occasional discounts to get enough business, lots of other professionals and businesses are doing it all the time. Different rates may be unfair, but I don't think they are unethical. If you discount, it's important that your service be so great that clients will want to come back to you so much they'll pay the full price.

 

On still another hand, to keep your prices from collapsing, you don't want word getting out that your rates are negotiable and you're giving discounts, or everyone will want a bargain. And you can't keep that sort of thing quiet when your work gets reviewed and discussed on this and other sites. No real advice or insight here, just blather from me. Sounds like you're handling it perfectly, anyway.

 

At Shapiro's deli in Indy, they have signs up that say, "cook good, price moderately, people will come." If you have good service and fair prices, the clients will . . . cum. (Sorry, couldn't resist.)

 

Z

 

 

Well said "Zapped." I concur. If you ask an escort to reduce his fee, he will probably feel disrespected and less enthusiastic about you and not want to perform 100 percent...and I couldn't blame him one bit. It de-values the escort (and the overall experience he provides) when a client seeks to negotiate a discounted fee. I've always tried to show appreciation and great respect for the escorts I've hired and without exception, I've felt they reciprocated with respect.

[jasoncarter_dfw]

A lot of escort ads say "ask me" under "rates", so I suspect some clients read that as meaning "ask me if I will accept X amount."

 

On rentboy, for example...you can't put more than one rate in outcall. I charge different outcall rates based on the distance I have to travel...so my only option is to select "ask me". It is most certainly not an invitation to negotiate.

[Guest greatness]

oh my

 

I didn't know that. Thanks for verifying an important piece of information!

 

On rentboy, for example...you can't put more than one rate in outcall. I charge different outcall rates based on the distance I have to travel...so my only option is to select "ask me". It is most certainly not an invitation to negotiate.

[Kevin Slater]

On rentboy, for example...you can't put more than one rate in outcall.

 

Actually, I think you can. The fields for in rate and out rate are just text entry fields, so you can type anything you want in there. There may be some limitation on characters and it may not display well, but I think you can say "$250 plus cab" or "$200 Lauderdale $300 Miami" for example. I don't believe this is a searchable field, so there's no convention on how data has to be entered. Hope this helps!

 

Kevin Slater

[Guest countryboywny]

I have never asked an escort to lower his rate. When I'm with an escort, I want him to be happy with the arrangement because it makes for better "chemistry". I'm a big believer in, "YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR".

[+ Oliver]

I almost always engage an escort for multiple hours and, therefore, ask for his rate for the proposed time in my initial contact (email). Of course, I don't contact someone, in the first place, whose hourly rate is over what I'm willing to pay. I have never received an answer where I've had to say "Sorry ...". I do NOT negotiate. I do my "research".

[uwsman2]

The bad experience

 

The only time I bargained with an escort about a rate it turned out badly. Normally I just call escorts who have posted rates that are within my range at the time I am looking to make an appointment. But one time I was really tempted by a photo and called an escort who just posted "ask me." He quoted a rate on the phone that was above my budget, so I told him that was more than I was looking to pay so we should probably forget about it. I guess he was having a slow time so he offered to meet me for less, I agreed and went to his place. I could tell he was resentful at not making his normal rate and the session was merely routine - all about making money, unlike the best escorts who -- at least in my experience - at least give the illusion of being "into it". So I vowed never again. No negotiating on rates. And as a general rule, no calling people who post "ask me" as their rate.

[Guest Merlin]

"Ask me" in an add seems to imply that the escort does not have set rates, but thinks up a rate on the spur of the moment. It can be taken as an invitation for the client to make an offer.

I do not like to negotiate with an escort for the reasons stated above. Several years ago in Las Vegas I contacted an agency. They said their rate was $100, about the going rate then, payable up front, but the escort would expect a tip. When he showed up I gave him the 100 as agreed. Then he announced that expected a $500 tip. I showed him the door and as he was going out, he said "you could have had me for $200."

 

Purchasers who like to negotiate are, in my experience, cheap. If you have advertised a rate and the client wants to negotiate, I would drop him. On the other hand, as a client I would feel free to negotiate for a weekend or travel, but not for a short term.

[josephga]

I agree Purchasers who like to negotiate are cheap. I use to have guys call me up asking if id take less for a massage. I was charging 75.00 for a nude massage with a free release, certified and state licensed which i felt was more than a fair price. guys would call asking if id take 50.00 because they knew a guy 10 years ago that would do it for that price..

[JoeyBryant]

Ok, Im going to try this again as for some reason when I tried doing this few hours ago I got signed out and lost what I wrote

 

The only time I bargained with an escort about a rate it turned out badly.

 

And I assume thats the usual result. When I was very new, my first client from rentboy contacted me asking to meet him and another escort at his incall place. He then said, "so and so is going to do it for X amount, can you do that too?" Not realizing the implications of accepting such an offer, I said yes. It turned out bad. I couldn't figure out why until it happened again.

 

Another client who happened to be staying at a luxury hotel downtown called me and flat out said; "Your rate (which was posted) is too much. I have X amount". I said okay. Turned out bad again.

 

I believe that there is an exception to this though. Like some of you said, if its for a travel or multi-hour booking; its usually not posted. The deal doesn't need to be made on the spot, which is why emails are good for these type of things. And if its a phone call its okay to say, "holdon a moment so I can check on this". Being that this is a business deal, I dont think having a client discuss with an escort about how much will be paid as coming off as cheap or negotiating. Better to know what to expect before you show up!

[Txpaytoplay]

Well I have a different take on the "ask me". When I see this and I am interested I usually offer what I would like to pay and they can accept or not.....I usually like doing a 3hour session and I usually offer $500 for it. I like doing a light dinner and conversation before and fun after. Anyways....if they accept great.....and if not, oh well. So far I have only had one that ever came back with another amount. If I see a rate I have never tried negotiating...only when I see the ask me by the rate. And, I don't try to negotiate, I respect the price they set and wouldn't ask to lower for some of the same reasons that have already been stated.

 

Just my two cents.

[MiamiLooker]

No matter what's posted here in response to your original post as to how things should be, it doesn't change the reality that you're going to have to deal with requests to change your rate. You can choose to be insulted, or simply reply, as others would in a similar business situation, that your rates are not negotiable.

[KMEM]

When people ask me, do you mind if I make you an offer? I always say, I don't mind if you don't mind if I say no. This is on a product with a stated price but in a business that almost always has a negotiated price. Not only what is said but how it is said IS important. After we get those pleasantries out of the way, we often begin talking about what each might really offer/accept. In today's economy it seems more and more products and services fit into this kind of category. Rudeness and ultimatums are not approved or required.

 

Best regards,

KMEM

[justaguy]

"Not only what is said but how it is said IS important."

 

For me, that covers everything.

[JoeyBryant]

No matter what's posted here in response to your original post as to how things should be, it doesn't change the reality that you're going to have to deal with requests to change your rate. You can choose to be insulted, or simply reply, as others would in a similar business situation, that your rates are not negotiable.

 

Just to recap, I mentioned nothing about being insulted when it comes down to negotiating. I know there's people who don't; others who will. I don't expect people to all of a sudden stop asking for lesser fees. But if they do then they shouldn't be surprised if it doesn't turn out as well as expected.

 

I do think that what some of you said re: how rates used to be gave a good perspective on why the many requests for a lesser fee. Maybe there are still some people who expect to go by the rates from years ago.

 

What's been posted here does matter. Several people have already said why; I'm sure they aren't just making these things up.

[MiamiLooker]

I don't expect people to all of a sudden stop asking for lesser fees. But if they do then they shouldn't be surprised if it doesn't turn out as well as expected.

 

I suppose a lot depends on the professionalism (or lack of) of the escort. If he isn't going to perform up to his standard, then he shouldn't meet no matter what fee he's agreed to.

[JoeyBryant]

I suppose a lot depends on the professionalism (or lack of) of the escort. If he isn't going to perform up to his standard, then he shouldn't meet no matter what fee he's agreed to.

 

Unlike the dealership, talking down the price doesn't mean its still going to perform just as well as advertised.

[MiamiLooker]

Unlike the dealership, talking down the price doesn't mean its still going to perform just as well as advertised.

 

 

I totally agree that an unprofessional escort will do this. A professional escort wouldn't agree to a price such that he wouldn't perform as advertised.

[AdamSmith]

Entirely agree that haggling over a quoted rate never brings a good outcome.

 

But some clients' dislike of "Ask me" eludes me. If I see an ad that I like, and it says "Ask," I do. Then I either accept the rate and meet, or reject it and move on.

 

All the rest seems like pointless metaphysics.

[Lookin]

If "Ask me" really is as simple as hearing a number and saying "yes" or "no", I agree that it shouldn't be much of a problem. But I've always figured it's the opening of a more detailed discussion festooned with "tongue or no tongue", "real or simulated orgasm", "eyes open or closed", and the like. More than a whiff of dickering, and my fantasies and interest are in a race out the door.

 

Somewhere there's an "Ask me" ad I'd respond to, but I haven't found it yet. http://www.maleescortreview.com/forum/public/style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif

 

Once the rate is published, however, I wouldn't consider haggling, for all the reasons mentioned. Just as I hope to enjoy the escort's company with a smile on my face, I want the very same for him. :)