A Debate on Agencies - Good or Bad?

[Guest TowelBoy]

Greetings,

 

My question has probably come up before, though, in my quick looking around the forum I didn't see any such mention.

 

At least as it pertains to major cities like Los Angeles, I'm wondering about the credibility of agencies. I've read some unflattering reviews on this site about escorts dispatched from agencies who "hustled" the client. (When a client attempted to follow up with the agency after being "taken", the agency typically became unresponsive.)

 

Should a client be wary of (and avoid) agencies as a general rule? Or, are *some* agencies categorically "bad news" while others are OK? Are there points to remember when dealing with agencies as opposed to dealing with escorts directly?

 

I would like to hear from both clients and escorts on this topic.

 

My hunch is that most escorts would prefer to negotiate directly with clients and leave out any kind of "middle man", but perhaps that's not the case. (?) Are there advantages for an escort to work through an agency (besides steady work)? Do some agencies require thier escorts work only through that agency and not "free lance"?

 

Thanks in advance for your insights and opinions.

Towel Boy

 

About Me: I am 40 years old and brand new to this forum (be gentle with me! :9); I have not yet contracted an "escort" in the formal sense. My experience with escorts and sex workers is limited to having dealt occasionally with masseurs (for whom I got referrals through friends). These guys did include sex (to varying degrees) in the massage experience, but were primarily accomplished (trained) masseurs. I've also used non-sexual ("legit") trained masseurs, so I can tell when a "massage" is merely improvised. I have a close buddy who is about to have his first romp in the hay with an escort this weekend, and this promts me to I ask about agencies -- the question came up between us. For what it's worth, my friend found his escort on this website per my suggestion to read reviews and make an informed decision, and he dealt with the escort directly (no agency).

[marc anthony]

Towelboy: YOu are right... it has been discussed many times before. If you want to read all about it, do a search through the message center archives.

 

My take on the matter is that like anything else, there are good agencies and bad ones. The good agencies (from personal experience) are Campus in NYC and Man to Man escorts in LA/SD. I have never used Premier in Philly, but they have a long history and their share of satisfied customers.

 

Most agency fees tend to be slightly higher, because they take a commission for each appointment. But some really good escorts sell through agencies because they don't want the hassle of dealing with the day to day grind of emails, phone calls, and appointment setting. It is also a little harder to be stalked.

 

Anyway, my advice has always been that you should hire the guy who turns you on... regardless of whether he is from an agency or an independent. There will be good and bad of both types. Just make sure the agency has some established reputation so they don't pull the bait and switch on you (send someone else than the hot pic you see).

[Guest TowelBoy]

Well, I did a search for "agencies OR agency" in the messages and older threads and didn't come up with very much discussion on the specific topic of good or bad agencies in L.A. Quite a few messages came up that were interesting, but didn't necessarily go into what I'm asking.

 

Thanks for your input, though. :-)

[LovesYng]

I have agencies in the past, from NY Campus. Campus has a good crop of young guys and the owner does care if a problem comes up. In Philly I used Premier, only once in all the time I used Premier did I have a problem, Nick tried to fix the problem but I was a dick about it, they also have a good crop of guys. Good picks from both. I don't like using street escorts, had to many problems with them. I'll stick with the agencies.

[Losgatan]

You'd probably do much better if you search by the agencies' names. Some of the ones that have been written about here include:

 

Premier (Philadelphia)

Campus (New York)

Chelseaguys (New York)

Maximum (New York)

Man-to-Man (Southern California)

Rainboy Boys (Atlanta)

 

I've temporarily forgotten the name of the agency in Chicago. Maybe someone else can add it to this list (along with any others that should be mentioned).

[Barry]

>I've temporarily forgotten the name of the agency in

>Chicago. Maybe someone else can add it to this list (along

>with any others that should be mentioned).

 

LOL No wonder you forgot the name Log. It's "The AGENCY Chicago"

 

:7 Barry

[Rick Munroe]

The major benefit of hiring an independent escort is that you can get a feeling for his personality either through email or phone conversation. On the phone, you'd know if he's masculine or not (if that matters to you). When dealing with an agency, you can only rely on their perceptions and not your own.

[taylorky]

so they don't pull the bait and switch on you

>(send someone else than the hot pic you see).

i'll be the first to admit (before somebody else does) that i have no experiance with any of this.that being said, if they try to hustle you by not providing what you requested;...........WHY can't you just tell the guy to take a hike.after all it's your dinero......

[CT Dick]

>The major benefit of hiring an independent escort is that

>you can get a feeling for his personality

 

On the other hand, in a strange city without the time to email or chat with various escorts, OR to read their review on this site, a reliable agency serves its purpose.

 

I was just in Montreal. There are not that many guys reviewed and many are expensive Gaeity dancers who found out about NYC prices.

 

This is my third call - all very good experiences - to Adonis Agency. I've had the same experience with Premier in Phila.

 

Dick

[Huey]

>

>Premier (Philadelphia)

>Campus (New York)

>Chelseaguys (New York)

>Maximum (New York)

>Man-to-Man (Southern California)

>Rainboy Boys (Atlanta)

>

With the exception of Maximum I have used every agency at least once and all were negative experiences except Campus, New York. From Dave to Gerry to Nick and so forth I have had nothing but bad experiences .

 

Using an agency is also more expensive and if you read the reviews of the guys who work for agencies the majority of writers have had negative experiences. Ageencies have selective emeory about these reviews, as they don't include the guys who no longer work for them .

 

I now only hire independents. Doing so gives me control over the situation, instead of hoping some 3rd party will communicate my needs correctly and represent their escort properly .

-----------

WAR IS OVER

if you want it

GIVE PEACE A CHANCE

[ad rian]

>But some really

>good escorts sell through agencies because they don't want

>the hassle of dealing with the day to day grind of emails,

>phone calls, and appointment setting.

 

Yes, but some just do it as a form of efficient price discrimination. Isn't Taino on Rentboy the same as Adrian on Alist? Or Ryan on Rentboy the same as Angel on Campus? I thought Agencies precluded this, but you have to wonder?

[Guest alanm]

I prefer to hire escorts directly, but Premier is a decent agency.

I have called them and asked advice about particular escorts; they

want you back as a client so will give you decent information. Also,

some guys with full time real jobs do not want the stress that comes from booking their own clients. One of the best escorts I ever hired was "Doug" from WOW in NY. I hired him a number of times several years ago, do not know if "Doug" or WOW are still in business. He was a personal trainer at a SoHo Health Club and liked making money on the side. By the way, his personality and every thing else about him was just fine. Essentially, Premier and WOW are putting their reputations on the line, so hiring from an agency can be great.

[+ Charlie]

Agencies are like escorts: the ones that are serious get reviewed a lot, and there is a mix of positive and negative reviews. In some cities the escort scene is monopolized by established agencies (as in Philadelphia or Amsterdam), whereas in other cities there are many free-lancers and the agencies seem to come and go. In a place like New York, I would use free-lancers, because there are so many good ones reviewed on this site, and I always prefer to deal directly with the escort rather than a middleman, who may or may not know what he is doing or have my best interests in mind. If you use an agency, try to choose one that has been around for awhile and has a reputation to protect. Remember that agencies are usually more expensive (except Premier, which is still cheaper than almost any free-lancer on the East Coast), they don't really have any control over the escort other than their ability to stop using him, and you cannot negotiate rates or go over the time limit as often happens with a free-lancer. My impression of escorts who work for agencies is that they are generally younger and more transient than established free-lancers, who are more likely to see escorting as a business rather than a lark to score some extra cash for minimal effort. Remember that agency escorts get only part of the fee, and often expect a tip from you in addition.

[BuckyXTC]

To date, I've used agencies exclusively, and all my experiences have been positive. I realize there's probably a fair amount of luck in that. I used Premier in Philly for the first time this week, and have no complaints whatsoever. The escort was great, and I'm seeing another escort there later today. I'm sure it's just a matter of time before I eventually run up against a problem, but so far, all has been a good experience. The agency I used to use in my area is now out of business, hence my move to Premier. The folks at Premier have been very helpful in connecting me with the types of escorts I like to spend time with, and I think their price structure is reasonable. Others here have noted problems, but so far, so good for me. Good luck with your quest.

[Guest Kalifornia]

Whay the "debate" word in your subject? Why not just ask for feedback, suggestions and so on? Sounds as if you have another adgenda.

 

I use independents whenever possible, therefore, nothing to "debate" about.

 

Mark -Kalifornia