RM Removal of Prices in Ads

[Kevin Slater]

Pro tip:

 

Type “xxxrates” and have your cell phone automatically fill in your rate structure - on iOS, this is a simple

(Settings -> General -> keyboard -> text replacement -> +)

 

Saves a bit of time - I use this format to hotkey the questions most asked of me

 

I do that, but the text from the guy looking to spend $17 still wakes you up.

 

I don't want to touch my ad for fear that'll put it on top of the edit pile, but once they do remove my rates I'll add the blurb about checking out my website for rates. That'll cut down on the literate lookieloos.

 

Kevin Slater

[+ tassojunior]

RM has several countries' laws on prostitution to comply with.

 

Also, prosecutors are not supposed to be going after gay hook-up sites. The one thing (besides the term escort) that distinguishes between the two types of sites is sex for money and a price.

[+ VictorPowers]

Looks like a number of people near me have been able to snake their rates back into their ads but I can't seem to I guess it doesn't really matter. I shouldn't be fussing over this haha. If they're really taking them out of everyone's then it's only a matter of time until those people get them pulled again anyways.

Change is imminent. May as well play along and make the best of the situation. Read Who moved my Cheese?

[Kevin Slater]

RM has several countries' laws on prostitution to comply with.

 

Also, prosecutors are not supposed to be going after gay hook-up sites. The one thing (besides the term escort) that distinguishes between the two types of sites is sex for money and a price.

 

Good point. Hook-up sites tend not to offer phone numbers, reviews or have rent in their names, but one could argue that removing prices simply makes rentmen a hookup site.

 

Kevin Slater

[instudiocity]

So all that is left is "ask me?" Holy crap!! The boys aren't going to like that.

Maybe some text like "Hourly appointments at prevailing rates" could end some of the 47 calls a day to ask.

 

And, of course, "Only premium clients will be entertained."

[instudiocity]

If I understand what you are saying, I do something similar in a different way. When I used to have an Android I would use an App called Sticky Notes, in my iPhone I use Notes. I write my standard message for a first contact, or if I am doing an specific search I do it with that specific message, and keep it saved. When I am hunting I copy the message and just paste it in the messages for the guys I am researching.

I do the same when I am hitting guys in IG or Twitter looking for models.

You can message directly from iPhone's Notes.app. Just press the box with the up arrow sticking out of it... shouldn't be too hard to remember when you already know the circle with the arrow sticking out of it.

[Kevin Slater]

You can message directly from iPhone's Notes.app. Just press the box with the up arrow sticking out of it... shouldn't be too hard to remember when you already know the circle with the arrow sticking out of it.

 

But then you'd have to memorize the phone number, yes? (There should be a feature send to last text thread.)

 

Kevin Slater

[gallahadesquire]

You could try "Two Benjamins and a Jefferson" ...

[Nickf66]

You could try "Two Benjamins and a Jefferson" ...

Or use Roman numerals ... “have a great time with me CCL”

[+ VictorPowers]

Or use Roman numerals ... “have a great time with me CCL”

My Clients aren't THAT OLD

[rickp]

I honestly have come to prefer not having rates posted in the ad. It gives me a reason to bring it up on the phone instead of just hoping the person read it correctly and has the appropriate amount on hand.

[+ StLouisOct]

RM has several countries' laws on prostitution to comply with.

 

Also, prosecutors are not supposed to be going after gay hook-up sites. The one thing (besides the term escort) that distinguishes between the two types of sites is sex for money and a price.

I know the big emphasis is on male/female hookups, especially if any sites have links to underage sexual encounters, but upon what do you base the statement that “prosecutors are not supposed to be going after gay hook-up sites”? That wasn’t the case with RentBoy, although I always wondered if one reason for that was the amount of publicity the owner generated with related activities.

[MikeyGMin]

I know the big emphasis is on male/female hookups, especially if any sites have links to underage sexual encounters, but upon what do you base the statement that “prosecutors are not supposed to be going after gay hook-up sites”?

I've been wondering the same thing. I don't think the sky is falling, but I think it's foolhardy to think that gay sites are somehow going to be exempted from whatever crackdowns are going to take place. There's a big difference between being "singled out" and "swept up." We were swept up with both Craigslist and Backpage. I don't see why the same won't happen in this situation.

[+ tassojunior]

I know the big emphasis is on male/female hookups, especially if any sites have links to underage sexual encounters, but upon what do you base the statement that “prosecutors are not supposed to be going after gay hook-up sites”? That wasn’t the case with RentBoy, although I always wondered if one reason for that was the amount of publicity the owner generated with related activities.

No, no. Not what I meant. They will certainly go after gay sites just as much. Probably much more. They are supposed to be not going after hookup sites like Grindr or Tinder where its just sex, not for money.

 

But its hard to distinguish with blocking filters and some escorts slip onto both.

 

Both Rentboy and RentMen were just escorts/prostitution. RentMen is toast. It'll be blocked early.

[MikeyGMin]

No, no. Not what I meant. They will certainly go after gay sites just as much. Probably much more. They are supposed to be not going after hookup sites like Grindr or Tinder where its just sex, not for money.

 

But its hard to distinguish with blocking filters and some escorts slip onto both.

 

Both Rentboy and RentMen were just escorts/prostitution. RentMen is toast. It'll be blocked early.

Ahhh... that makes sense. Grindr already does its best to police such activities. It would be a real reach for the ISPs to block them and the backlash would be much more significant.

[instudiocity]

But then you'd have to memorize the phone number, yes? (There should be a feature send to last text thread.)

 

Kevin Slater

You just need 1 digit to open a list of numbers with that digit in it.

[gallahadesquire]

No, no. Not what I meant. They will certainly go after gay sites just as much. Probably much more. They are supposed to be not going after hookup sites like Grindr or Tinder where its just sex, not for money.

 

But its hard to distinguish with blocking filters and some escorts slip onto both.

 

Both Rentboy and RentMen were just escorts/prostitution. RentMen is toast. It'll be blocked early.

I wonder what will happen to Seeking Arrangements? Just the opposite of Grinder, Scruff, and Tinder: Reportedly not having sex for money …?

[+ José Soplanucas]

I can confirm they are reading the ads and the clients profiles one by one and making manual editions. I just got this in my RM mail:

 

"Hello latforblk,

 

We would like to inform you that due to some recently introduced legal requirements in your region, your About Me text was reviewed and may be modified.

 

Be aware, that any text that may be considered as promotion of prostitution is strictly forbidden, as well any information about rates or donations. Also, it is not allowed to publish phone numbers, email addresses or external links.

 

If you need any clarifications, please contact us!

Thank you for your understanding!

 

Your RentMen team"

[+ tassojunior]

I can confirm they are reading the ads and the clients profiles one by one and making manual editions. I just got this in my RM mail:

 

"Hello latforblk,

 

We would like to inform you that due to some recently introduced legal requirements in your region, your About Me text was reviewed and may be modified.

 

Be aware, that any text that may be considered as promotion of prostitution is strictly forbidden, as well any information about rates or donations. Also, it is not allowed to publish phone numbers, email addresses or external links.

 

If you need any clarifications, please contact us!

Thank you for your understanding!

 

Your RentMen team"

 

lol- As if removing set prices is all RM will need to do to get the connection with rent off their site.

[+ Tarte Gogo]

lol- As if removing set prices is all RM will need to do to get the connection with rent off their site.

Indeed, they are officially advertising pornstars. Surely porn stars don’t make movies for free? So necessarily these pornstars will have sex (officially, on set only) for money.

 

Unless they remove the “pornstar” label, their entire site is for “sex against money” people.

So removing the fees doesn’t change anything about the nature of their site.

It just makes a movie producer less able to have all the information he needs for hiring an actor.

[FTM Zachary Prince]

I agree about this being insufficient to protect them from anything. Plus... people can still discuss rates via RM’s internal messaging system. Which makes them JUST as liable for the conversation in the eyes of the newly-passed law.

 

I think their lawyers told them, either you have to get rid of explicit sexual content or you have to get rid of the rates. The owners know that explicit photos of hard-ons and free porn videos bring all the boys to the yard... so they chose to get rid of the rates. More work for the escorts, but not enough of a deterrent to stop clients from using their site.

 

It’s really not going to protect them tho.

 

I really do think that Rentboy’s related attention-drawing activities were what got them targeted tho. They were extremely bold. There are no female escort ad malls that are ever so bold as to do the type of stuff that they did. All the female escort ad venues are acutely aware that it’s dangerous to behave in such a manner. I really think Rentboy got overly-confident precisely because the government doesn’t typically target male escorts in its vice operations. Now that Rentboy has gotten so much negative attention from them, tho, I wouldn’t be surprised if RentMen or any other public site that’s obviously copied Rentboy’s business model could be targeted.

 

The gay sex industry needs something like Preferred411 on the straight side of things. It’s a private network where escorts and clients both need to be verified before joining, including being vouched for by existing members of the site who have established their own reputation already. Clients can book escorts internally thru the site, and escorts give clients a thumbs up to display on their profile after the session if everything went well. When a client books an escort thru the site, the escort can view that page full of thumbs up from other escorts and feel confident that the guy is probably a decent client. At the same time, escorts who are scammers or who OUT a clients personal info will get kicked off the site by the administration, so clients can book with a little more confidence that the provider is a professional. The fact that the ad venue is gatekept by the administration makes it a little safer and easier for everyone involved. Guys find out by word of mouth from their favourite escorts and by participating in forums such as this one. Something like that, being so much less public, can survive for a longer time without becoming a political target.

[+ José Soplanucas]

lol- As if removing set prices is all RM will need to do to get the connection with rent off their site.

 

Indeed, but removing the price tags is not the only thing they are doing when they edit content. They are removing third party links. I had no prices in my client profile, but a link to my blog that is now vanished.

I just checked one of my boys profiles, he is publishing a link to his review in my blog in his RentMen ad. The link is still there, probably no editor got to check his ad yet.

[+ tassojunior]

The owners know that explicit photos of hard-ons and free porn videos bring all the boys to the yard... so they chose to get rid of the rates. More work for the escorts, but not enough of a deterrent to stop clients from using their site.

 

From what I'm hearing from my close friends who only advertise on MassuerFinder, you are right. Banning shirtless photos has them about to leave the business for stripping. Their customers have dropped a lot since the change last week.

 

I think this is a temporary thing. Once the law is signed I doubt RM is going to survive even the mildest blocking and if MF somehow does, the market is going to move to "masseurs". Of course the straight market discovered that ploy years ago. I'm not sure how much it helped.

[+ Keith30309]

Are the rates being removed manually or in some automated fashion? Has there been a communication from RM about rates not being permissible?

 

Are there some clever means by which a rate can be included like the hashtags or written as words?

[+ VictorPowers]

Are the rates being removed manually or in some automated fashion? Has there been a communication from RM about rates not being permissible?

 

Are there some clever means by which a rate can be included like the hashtags or written as words?

I'm sure there are workarounds, but why fight the inevitable? If the owners of the site are filtering, going against the grain can end you up with no ad at all.