When hiring an "unreviewed" guy...

[RyanDean]

Recently had my first experience hiring someone w/o any reviews. Happily, everything went delightfully well (and my review has been submitted) *but* the experience got me to wondering... Aside from image & phone# searches, what 'rule of thumb' do you go by when considering taking such a plunge?

[Lewis H]

Recently had my first experience hiring someone w/o any reviews. Happily, everything went delightfully well (and my review has been submitted) *but* the experience got me to wondering... Aside from image & phone# searches, what 'rule of thumb' do you go by when considering taking such a plunge?

 

I always insist on a phone call as you can learn a lot about chemistry from a voice conversation. It's not guaranteed of course, but it certainly helps takes care of the small talk that may usually occur when you're already in the room with the hire, trying to gauge each other. Sadly a lot of escorts prefer just to text nowadays, and you really can't get a feel for people from texts. Online personalities, meaning the way they chat on text, can really be different from real life, I've found.

[+ azdr0710]

Online personalities, meaning the way they chat on text, can really be different from real life, I've found.

 

 

wow, ain't that the truth....terse two-word texts (even just a "k") seem not uncommon, then you meet the person and it's 180 degrees opposite......

[bigvalboy]

Ask them to skype. You can tell a lot from a face to face meet (so-to-speak). It's not 100% mind you, but it is a tool you can use.

[kaboom35]

you are all more brave then me. I will never take the plunge on an unreviewed guy....especially considering i've had two bad escort experiences with two guys who were well reviewed! And believe me, there are quite a few Los Angeles rentboy ads that really catch my eye but i'm too nervous to take the plunge if they aren't reviewed

[imrthr]

 

you are all more brave then me. I will never take the plunge on an unreviewed guy....especially considering i've had two bad escort experiences with two guys who were well reviewed! And believe me, there are quite a few Los Angeles rentboy ads that really catch my eye but i'm too nervous to take the plunge if they aren't reviewed

 

 

I can definitely related to how you feel.

 

Even a well reviewed escort can markedly disappoint a client. Well reviewed escorts might be compatible with many clients but not with all. Who really knows what it takes to set off an escort against a client?

 

Earlier this year, I had an awful situation with a well reviewed escort. I have "been" with the escort many times; initially at hotels then finally at my home. The escort became a "regular" as I saw him fairly often while I was in the U.S. I am in the U.S. only about half of the year due to my frequent travels.

 

During the last visit several months ago, the well reviewed escort arrogantly stated to me that I should take him with me on one of my frequent trips. He did not say this in a friendly way, rather, it was akin to a demand, given the tone of his voice and look on his face.

 

I responded to the escort that if I took him on a trip, we would have to discuss, before hand, details of where we would go, what we would do and how much he expected for his time. Instead of agreeing to discuss his demand and these items, he kept the angry look on his face then left my house without saying a word.

 

He later telephoned me many times but I never pick up the telephone to him.

 

Bottom line? Even well reviewed escorts can be a problem. A review is merely a guide of a past event of two other people. It does not tell you that you will have the same or similar experience with the escort being reviewed. Reviews are somewhat comforting but do not contain a guaranty of compatibility.

-

[nynakedtop]

How might I put this forward in an honest way but also a way which is not too indelicate - don't want to provoke anyone here.

 

My least wonderful experience(s) have been with extremely well-reviewed guys. Some guys are very gifted self-promoters... and if you surround yourself with enough people saying things about you that you want to hear, eventually you start believing that it is all true.

 

I tend now to pass by the guy with mega-positive numbers of reviews. It's that whole self-promotion thing.... kinda bothers me!

[+ DickyF]

The first time I hired someone not reviewed was a famous porn star that I was a big fan of. It was a little mechanical but fun. That was 8 yrs ago. The 2nd time was in October. He was pretty new to the biz and was visiting dc. Actually was staying just around the corner from my place. He also was priced below market so I'd figured I'd give it a chance. His ad pix were so cute! I agreed to meet him outside first, prepared to send him away if it was some scam. Well he sure wasn't a scam! I've seen him twice now and hope to see him again soon! I've sent in a review too. So it is a risk but it can pay off. But generally I like to see a review!

[+ WhamIAm]

wow, ain't that the truth....terse two-word texts (even just a "k") seem not uncommon, then you meet the person and it's 180 degrees opposite......

 

The flip side is true as well -- had some great banter via text with a guy (big name, well-reviewed) who doesn't take phone calls. When we got together, dude was an entirely different (unfrlendly, dull) guy.

 

No call, no deal.

[big-n-tall]

I've hired a decent number of reviewed and non-reviewed escorts (some did porn and some didn't). For the most part, the one's I've seen who had no reviews, did not want a review for one reason or another.

 

I know it can be an issue hiring anyone. Even the best reviewed escorts don't always click with the client. There just is no chemistry between the two no matter what. However, sometimes you just gotta' say "what the hell" and take a chance with the unreviewed. As everyone posted above... find out what you can, meet somewhere public, talk in advance, etc.

[BaronArtz]

How might I put this forward in an honest way but also a way which is not too indelicate - don't want to provoke anyone here.

 

My least wonderful experience(s) have been with extremely well-reviewed guys. Some guys are very gifted self-promoters... and if you surround yourself with enough people saying things about you that you want to hear, eventually you start believing that it is all true.

 

I tend now to pass by the guy with mega-positive numbers of reviews. It's that whole self-promotion thing.... kinda bothers me!

 

Could not agree more. I entirely stay away from 'well reviewed' guys. 'Well reviewed' is a scam. 'Well reviewed' = tired. old, worn out guys with a nasty attitude. No, thanks. Which is why I like this site so much - it shows me who to avoid.

[rvwnsd]

How might I put this forward in an honest way but also a way which is not too indelicate - don't want to provoke anyone here.

 

My least wonderful experience(s) have been with extremely well-reviewed guys. Some guys are very gifted self-promoters... and if you surround yourself with enough people saying things about you that you want to hear, eventually you start believing that it is all true.

 

I tend now to pass by the guy with mega-positive numbers of reviews. It's that whole self-promotion thing.... kinda bothers me!

 

Although I do not deliberately pass on escorts who have been well-reviewed, I tend to hire guys who haven't been reviewed. A guy who used to be one of the Forum "it" boys was pretty much "meh" in my book. Conversely, two escorts who had been roundly criticized because they did not have several reviews were very fun to play with.

 

Recently had my first experience hiring someone w/o any reviews. Happily, everything went delightfully well (and my review has been submitted) *but* the experience got me to wondering... Aside from image & phone# searches, what 'rule of thumb' do you go by when considering taking such a plunge?

 

I go by this rule of thumb called "my gut," also known as "instinct." Regardless how attractive the pictures or ad text, if my inner voice tells me to take a pass, I take a pass. I didn't listen to my inner voice twice. Once was with a former Forum "it boy" who, to me, was more "meh" than "marvelous." The other time was a guy who had stellar pictures and a very nice ad. He was a nice guy, looked just like his pictures, and would be great for someone who wanted a "boyfriend experience." Problem was, he didn't deliver what I thought was a boyfriend experience, despite discussing my likes/dislikes on the phone. I think it was the universe's way of hiring him instead of a guy I usually hire who lives in the same neighborhood. HE delivers my boyfriend experience.

 

Finally, I've hired more than a few escorts who would rather not be reviewed, but delivered a great experience. Had I relied solely on reviews I would never have found them. That would have been a shame because they are great guys.

[Guest boiworship08]

I've rarely hired a "well-reviewed" guy. I've only been scammed a few times. Generally, I've found guys who have become regulars, until they retire. Over the years I've developed an excellent sense of discernment. Certain ads, with nuanced language, are warnings for me. The old CL ads, in particular, yielded some great finds. M4rentnow has also proved productive.

 

Another rule is that I MUST have a phone conversation, an interview if you like, with a prospect before engaging him. That's a key part of the triage process.

[LookingAround]

My two worst experiences with guys were with "board darlings" from here. I thought it was just me! :-)

[Lewis H]

My two worst experiences with guys were with "board darlings" from here. I thought it was just me! :-)

 

Yeah, I totally agree: when an escort is highly reviewed with tons of raves on the board, I've often ended up with 'meh' sessions which then become viewed more negatively in hindsight because of the high expectations from the reviews. I have had this experience with at least 4 or 5 guys. So I tend to shy away from the crowd-pleasers now.

[Nvr2Thick]

I do best with guys who are willing to speak explicitly over the phone. I can understand why escorts are unwilling to do so, but the ones that do are more often than not the ones that deliver. An escort may give you a clear opening for a discussion ("what type of scene are you looking for") or might at least not maneuver away from the topic. I'll put it all out there - "I'm looking for a top. I like a lot of kissing, but I don't need any versatility. I'm looking to get fucked, but you've got to be the one to make that happen. You should be aggressive, but it shouldn't be an abusive dom scene. We should both have fun, and that usually happens for me when you're getting what you want as a top." At the minimum the escort will respond with some enthusiasm that the scene is right up his alley. Ideally he'll ask some questions and provide some detail about what he likes to do along those lines. The best escorts I've met have been comfortable giving me a good idea of what to expect.

 

The men that don't get into those details over the phone are a crapshoot. Some turn out to be excellent escorts who are avoiding entrapment scenarios. Most seem like they don't want to commit to scenes or acts that they either have no intention of getting into, or reserve judgment until they meet you.

[Phil_musc]

Well this has turned out to be a surprisingly interesting and informative thread. I always thought people preferred the well-reviewed guys but now it seems that that is not so much the case. I can understand the "your mileage may vary" explanation or the "past performance is no guarantee of future success" scenario, but still, a lot of us (maybe most?) come here to find what others have experienced. At the very least it seems to me that an unreviewed guy probably shouldn't be asking top dollar for his services, and when I've seen an unreviewed escort asking over $250 I generally would take a pass as too much risk. I too think the phone conversation is a good idea, although I'm terribly uncomfortable talking about what I would like to do - just prefer for things to evolve naturally (silly me, right?)

[RyanDean]

Agreed, philmusc. I didn't anticipate this direction for the conversation when I posted the question, but I'm finding everyone's input to be interesting and quite instructive. And it has confirmed my own experience that, for guys with reviews, I don't so much read for thumbs-up/down but mostly for points of consistency as perhaps another way to check my "gut" before a potential outing. I do shy away from the phone call though (except as confirmation)...not sure why.

[BaronArtz]

I sort of thought I was alone in my skepticism of 'well reviewed' guys. I am actually surprised to read all the comments here. Could it be that once an escort becomes 'well-reviewed', the phone rings incessantly, the guys tend to over-book themselves to capture the money and the overall experience begins to suffer? I remember specifically an extremely 'well reviewed' guy here in NY who advertised solo and in addition was represented by an agency. I saw him a few times in March/April 2014 - he was vivacious, fun and amazing in bed. By October 2014 it became next to impossible to get an appointment with him (even with the help of the agency) and he turned out a total dud. I had to stop seeing him. The burn-out rate in this business is high and sudden popularity is not something everybody can handle ...

 

I don't want to be entirely cynical. I have gotten very valuable feedback from various posters here on this site, when I inquired specifically about certain escorts through PM. The privacy of PM allows people to speak their mind more openly and I recommend it highly as a tool to find out what somebody REALLY thinks about an encounter they had.

[Bluray2]

Hasn't it been put forward several times that some outstanding reviews

are written by some escorts themselves? And in addition, some escorts under aliases discuss or praise themselves in the forums in surprisingly nimble ways?

 

BR2

[+ azdr0710]

I'm also glad to see that many here are not always drawn to well-reviewed escorts......the marketing machine sometimes appears with some escorts and I daresay some clients even like to proudly proclaim their meeting with some celebrity escort with frequent gushing posts......as always, communication between escort and client is most important (BEFORE the meeting)....a plan and expectations need to be agreed upon by both.....yes, I know this doesn't always guarantee a successful meet

[bigvalboy]

Hasn't it been put forward several times that some outstanding reviews

are written by some escorts themselves? And in addition, some escorts under aliases discuss or praise themselves in the forums in surprisingly nimble ways?

 

BR2

 

Yes this does happen, in fact it happened just recently on another site. Navigating the games is often not easy and full of "land mines"

[Nvr2Thick]

At the very least it seems to me that an unreviewed guy probably shouldn't be asking top dollar for his services, and when I've seen an unreviewed escort asking over $250 I generally would take a pass as too much risk. I too think the phone conversation is a good idea, although I'm terribly uncomfortable talking about what I would like to do - just prefer for things to evolve naturally (silly me, right?)

 

For me, talking about what I want is important to set expectations. Some escorts advertise as tops but then say "I never said I'd fuck you" when you're naked in bed. In their eyes they're not lying if it was never discussed. Some guys select kissing from among the list of activities on a Rentboy ad, but it's dry, infrequent kissing or it means "you can kiss my biceps."

 

I don't agree that an unreviewed escort should not charge top dollar. A man should charge what he thinks he's worth. I don't think that escort reviews are really dominant in the profession. There are a lot of men hiring that have never seen this site or similar review sites. Also, this thread illustrates that escort reviews don't have the value some might assume they have.

[tom1980]

Hasn't it been put forward several times that some outstanding reviews

are written by some escorts themselves? And in addition, some escorts under aliases discuss or praise themselves in the forums in surprisingly nimble ways?

 

BR2

 

You caught me . . . wait till you see what I write about my three current identities when the escort of the year thread comes around.

 

Seriously though, I read every positive review/forum comment with a healthy degree of skepticism. While I like to give people the benefit of the doubt, I recognize that certain reviews are written (or ghost written) by the escorts themselves. I find it very helpful when forum members submit reviews under their forum IDs because that allows me to judge the review based on what I've learned about the person from participating here over the last few years. I also find PMs to be a helpful tool and will PM a member who has submitted a review to ask specific questions about an escort. However, I do not actively avoid guys with stellar reviews. For me, that would be like refusing to buy a top-rated car because I think the manufacturer's advertisements are too persuasive. I'll resist the urge to add several archaic cliches here (like "Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater!").

 

Read the reviews, figure out what information you believe and what info you think is false/exaggerated, and make a decision. The way I look at it, the reason certain escorts have excellent reviews is because they made guys like me and you happy. Even if a guy is just really good at self promotion, unless he wants to lose the reputation he's worked so hard to build, he has to keep clients happy.

[+ poolboy48220]

It's gratifying to hear the skepticism of the 'well-reviewed', count me in the growing crowd of people who had a 'meh' to unpleasant experience with one of the most well-reviewed guys on the board. Wish I'd written a review at that point, but it was over two years ago.