Backpage Rules

[Guest032514-1]

Originally Posted by Lookin4

I have a few rules for using backpage.

1)if there is no number and a contact by email or Yahoo,pass.If she can't give a number she isn't serious about her trade.
2)if the number is not local and you cannot verify she is a local provider.Pass.

Do you really find it so in LR?

I never post my number on BP. Why post a number when all I'm gonna do is tell them to go to my site? Just read the ad and go to my site. (Be surprised at how difficult that is for some). Not putting my number up - esp on BP - saves me from a lot of BS. A lot.

Every time I travel, I post on BP. If I came to LR and posted on BP, but opted out of getting a LR area code tracfone or whatever, I'd be a No? Because I advertised on BP in 501 and kept my 901 number? One of my tags is "Memphis' Ultimate". I put that on a travelling ad but post a local number how'd that look? Just saying. Google the girl. Google the phone. tineye the pix. I'd say @ 75% of legit providers use BP. It'd suck to miss out on a traveler just because she used BP. And a lot of girls are travelling south and east right now.

You'd be surprised @ how many hobbyists just don't know about any other board than T E R. And how many providers still rely on only one board and/or don't know the regional boards. Everybody knows BP.

[MrGiz]

The only real problem I have with using BP is.... the lack of being able to verify if the girl is legit or not... and not being able to see previous reviews to give me a sense of whether her and I are compatible!

I would encourage all legit girls who use BP to also join sites like ASPD, ECCIE, Escorts.com, TER, P411, etc.....

Babee.... how do you typically screen clients that contact you thru BP? Do you ask for the hobby standard of "Two Recent Legit References"? If given references.... how do you verify that they are legit and safe? Do you hope to verify them thru sites like ECCIE , TER , P411 , etc... ?

Bottomline.... there is nothing wrong with a girl, just because she advertises on BP..... but if that is the only place she's found.... it takes a tremendous "Leap of Faith" or "Roll of the Dice" to see her! ESPECIALLY , in a place like Little Rock!!

Giz

[bluffcityguy]

Originally Posted by babee

Do you really find it so in LR?

In my experience a BP/CL ad with no phone number which says "Email me for further information" will 99 out of 100 times be a come on for some kind of pay website or some "verification service" which requires you to cough up your credit card number to get "verified". Make that 100 out of 100 times if they don't give a separate email, but rely on you to use BP's or CL's email reply function to get back at them. And in my experience an ad which gives a Yahoo or AOL IM handle and says "Message me for further information" will 100 out of 100 times be a come on for a webcam site. That's not to say that there aren't legit providers who might use either method, but I didn't run into any of them back when I was using BP/CL regularly.

As for non-local numbers, I'd expect a visitor to have a non-local number, and a provider visiting Memphis who has a 901 number would raise my eyebrows. Granted that it's easy to get a prepaid phone with a local number (and a traveling lady who visits certain cities regularly might get one in each of the area codes she visits), but that still doesn't look right to me.

Just my €0.014.

Cheers,

bcg

[charlestudor2005]

Originally Posted by babee

Do you really find it so in LR?

I never post my number on BP. Why post a number when all I'm gonna do is tell them to go to my site? Just read the ad and go to my site. (Be surprised at how difficult that is for some). Not putting my number up - esp on BP - saves me from a lot of BS. A lot.

Every time I travel, I post on BP. If I came to LR and posted on BP, but opted out of getting a LR area code tracfone or whatever, I'd be a No? Because I advertised on BP in 501 and kept my 901 number? One of my tags is "Memphis' Ultimate". I put that on a travelling ad but post a local number how'd that look? Just saying. Google the girl. Google the phone. tineye the pix. I'd say @ 75% of legit providers use BP. It'd suck to miss out on a traveler just because she used BP. And a lot of girls are travelling south and east right now.

You'd be surprised @ how many hobbyists just don't know about any other board than T E R. And how many providers still rely on only one board and/or don't know the regional boards. Everybody knows BP.

Interesting observations. Do I cruise the CL/BP listings? Yes. I've called one BP lady w/ fairly disastrous results. Let me stick w/ just the BP listings. Most every listing tends to be a self-promotion. I'm not interested in TOFTT on a "cold call" based on the pic and self-promotion alone. If I can independently verify reviews, then I will take the plunge. Most ladies w/ their own pages put links to reviews there. Babee, you don't list reviews there, but you do list them on your P411 page.

When I see area codes from another state, I try to find the provider on P411 or look for reviews on that provider. Sometimes it's hard. The provider fails to put a name in the ad. Googling the phone (at least for me) has rarely turned up useful information. If I am enticed by an ad, I will try and find some information. But for the most part, I have been unsuccessful.

Because of the common use of cell phones, the area code doesn't always tell the story. For instance, there is a provider in this area, who has an area code residing in Washington state. If I search Eccie for her under Washington, am I going to find any (or at least recent) reviews? In my experience, no.

I guess the point I am trying to make is: if a lady has a review (or a few), no matter where, she should provide the link on the BP ad. That would make it easier for us hobbyists to discern whether or not companionship would be appropriate.

[charlestudor2005]

Originally Posted by bluffcityguy

Just my €0.014.

Cheers,

bcg

Really, really cool!!! Hope you don't mind if I steal it.

[Sorry if this is off-thread.]

[bluffcityguy]

Originally Posted by charlestudor2005

Really, really cool!!! Hope you don't mind if I steal it.

[Sorry if this is off-thread.]

Be my guest; I'm sure everyone will notice that I used it first. (To be honest, I think I lifted it from someone else, though I think he was fond of converting into yen or lira when he did it.)

Though to be really geeky like me you have to look up the actual conversion every time you use it (the rate of exchange between the Euro and Dollar does fluctuate, of course).

Cheers,

bcg

[Guest032112]

Lookin, Giz and Chas all make good points about having rules and verifying.

My guess is BP and CL generates a lot of "volume" for those providers getting their start there. The inherent danger in "volume" is that it attracts lots of unwanted attention - including LE, new guys to the hobby (not all bad), and some of the fringe unstable characters in the trade (not that I haven't been accused of being unstable from time to time). The issues with each are obvious.

The influx of recent legit providers and BP or CL hobbiest to the more established review sites has created the illusion of "premier established providers" (ladies, no offense intended here, but some are riding a wave of enthusiasm from newbies) as Lookin indicated when the reality has been the introduction of multiple reviews of legit providers who are relatively new to the market.

The big advantage being over the last 60 days there has been an improvement in the quality of information presented in reviews and that is what is necessary for providers to build repeat business and obtain new biz. Its also critical for hobbiest's research to determine where to allocate limited resources.

Thanks Lookn for making everyone think about establishing rules for themselves to play safe and improve the hobby community.

[willro]

Area codes that are not local don't bother me. My personal phone and hobby phone have different area codes because I have lived in different area codes. Plus, many providers like to travel a lot.

I also will not consider an ad without a phone number... the exception would be providing a link to a personal website like Babee says she does. I would just never do the "send me an IM" or "reply to this posting". Like BCG wrote, I have found that sort of ad is 99.99% BS and scam posting.

[Guest022210]

Lots of good advice,and much appreciated.One question raised more than once and perhaps should be a whole thread is,Why use BP at all.Since we are all or most all members of this site,I think the reasons are these.

1.Newbies roll in and out all the time.They use BP because it was the most direct line from A to B, they will continue to use it because they are comfortable with it albeit with varying degrees of sucess and the community as a whole will be benefited by the discover of new talent.
2.Entry level pricing is getting higher and higher around here and unless I find less expensive alternatives I will soon be out of the hobby business.And the best place to find a bargain is in the willing to please providers who have not made it to the bigtime.
3.I like the hunt.

I hope no one takes offense about that statement about the high cost of loving.Didn't mean you aren't worth every penny ladies,but I am just looking for ladies whose expectations match my limitations

[Guest022210]

[quote=babee;65023]Do you really find it so in LR?

I never post my number on BP. Why post a number when all I'm gonna do is tell them to go to my site? Just read the ad and go to my site. (Be surprised at how difficult that is for some). Not putting my number up - esp on BP - saves me from a lot of BS. A lot.

Every time I travel, I post on BP. If I came to LR and posted on BP, but opted out of getting a LR area code tracfone or whatever, I'd be a No? Because I advertised on BP in 501 and kept my 901 number? One of my tags is "Memphis' Ultimate". I put that on a travelling ad but post a local number how'd that look? Just saying. Google the girl. Google the phone. tineye the pix. I'd say @ 75% of legit providers use BP. It'd suck to miss out on a traveler just because she used BP. And a lot of girls are travelling south and east right now.


Good point and I am certain I have missed out on some great experiences, but then I have managed to not get taken in a couple years now.If I made contact with an out of towner it would be on here, or somewhere like it.

[bluffcityguy]

Originally Posted by Lookin4

3.I like the hunt.

I hope no one takes offense about that statement about the high cost of loving.Didn't mean you aren't worth every penny ladies,but I am just looking for ladies whose expectations match my limitations

Frankly, I look at BP/CL more for the pictures than anything else. I call it "window shopping" (ditto looking at featured showcases here).

I also do make a mental note when I see providers that I know are legit show up on BP, especially if their posted BP rate is significantly lower than their rate posted here or on their website (a lot more common than you realize).

Cheers,

bcg

[charlestudor2005]

Originally Posted by bluffcityguy

I also do make a mental note...

Cheers,

bcg

I have to do more. I've discovered that a mental note is only worth the paper it's written on...especially at my age. LOL

[bluffcityguy]

Originally Posted by charlestudor2005

I have to do more. I've discovered that a mental note is only worth the paper it's written on...especially at my age. LOL

When my mental scratch pad gets that unreliable, I'll have probably forgotten why I want to meet these ladies, and then I'll have retired from the hobby. Probably without remembering that I was ever in the hobby.

Cheers,

bcg

[Guest032514-1]

First, I am trying to learn how to work my site. I dunno the difference between href & url and all the little codey links for other sites. as well. Trust me, I tried to put the same stuff I have in my sig here on that BP ad and it didn't take. I was then confronted with loosing my temper and yelling at me or my laptop, possibly getting to the point of throwing one or the other across the room and the laptop is easier. So I just say oh frack it, I'll do it when I figure it out. For some reason I have issues "figuring it out" and don't have the time it seems to actually do it. And it really really pisses me off - at me. But I will eventually get it. Maybe. I hope.

Second, I screen through my site or p411 or DC. And yes, I check references through all 3. (If anyone can appreciate that LR people should)

In June of 08, I was on CL for some reason and I remembered something @ "erotic" and cl and I got to looking - cause I'm nosy. I don't ebay, I don't usually buy stuff off the internet for fear of getting ripped off (aint that funny as heck?) and I saw the adult ads.

Now, back then and now, I was not looking for a LTR and had been through all the casual "dating" sites and been burned all the way around. There I sat, single lady, horny as he//, not wanting to invest in an emotional relationship, didn't have the time for dating, did I mention horny??? Looked at the pics, looked at the $$ and thought Oh, I can do this. Easy. How naive! So there you go. I escort to "get mine too". The gifts help keep relationships from getting too "invested".

So I started on CL. Knew nothing about escorting (screening refs nuthin) until I got a call from a GOOD hobbyist who volunteered his refs & their numbers. Called them and one was one heckuva awesome lady who cautiously answered my dumb questions, pointed me in the right direction, taught me some basic "how-to's" and the rest is history.

I will always be grateful to Sarah of Memphis for being the pro that she is.

I quit advertising on CL long before they started charging for the very same reasons that so many do advert there. It's in the news. People hear about it. It's easy to join and low dollar to use. Yes there is bad stuff on these, but it (and BP)is the way in for many as well. I'm sure how I got from there to here is not that uncommon. Unfortunately, let's call them 'webscorts' find their way there too. And scammers and rip offs etc. Buyer beware. I think legit ladies post theior sites, reviews, have the "screening required", links to adult sites (TER, p411, eccie etc) shouldn't that be included in a BP guide?. I advert on BP but I include my "bona fides". (Try to - read 1st paragraph)

I started on CL, I still use BP so I have no leg to stand on bashing people who do. I will advert on any site that I can (except CL). I will not put my phone on them (am trying to remove my phone from everywhere that I can, even my own site) because I just can't tolerate the idiot BS calls. That's harsh, but that's the truth - my truth based on my personal experience. It may be different for others but that's what I have received. I will not "talk business" to people I haven't met yet who somehow got my number until I screen them.

When I travel I may choose to put my number on a BP ad - and I always end up getting aggravated. I do keep a BP because it is so well known, but no number plus a link to my site usually equals legit hobbyists - at least one a month which pays for the ad itself. THAT is how I judge where and how I advertise myself- do I get good clients? does it pay for itself? If it's yes to both, I will advert there.

After all, even ignorant (in the truest definition) schmucks deserve a lil heaven on earth. Who am I to deny them?

[Guest022210]

Well said Babee. I have tremendous respect for a woman who tries to make a lot of men happy instead of one man miserable.If I ever see your add on BP I will stop scrolling and follow your link