Pimps do exist in the hobby. I've talked to some newer guys and even some ladies who were under the impression that eccie providers are somehow only independent ladies. It might be because the "Independent Provider Reviews" forum gives them that impression. It's not true, and even if eccie did try to let only let true independents be verified, there would be no way to enforce it.
Hopefully you won't encounter a pimp in your first few outings, and if you do you probably won't be aware of it. Clients have a lot of different points of view about pimps, who you will also see euphemistically called 'managers' or 'management' when discussed here.
Some clients don't care at all.
Some clients don't care as long as they believe the provider associated with the pimp is not being coerced or abused. There is a belief that there are good pimps ("sugar pimps") and bad pimps (sometimes also called 'gorilla pimps')
Some clients don't want anything to do with pimps and seek to see only truly independent providers. Reasons for this are varied. Clients may think having a pimp involved creates an extra security risk to them, either from the pimp himself or from the extra attention pimps draw from law enforcement. They may also avoid managed ladies because of the likelihood that they are being coerced or abused and not wanting to support that. Some clients may have the perspective of wanting all their donation going to the lady to support herself and her family; why should it go to a pimp that didn't do anything for them?
My personal perspective is that I was one of the "don't care as long as they aren't being coerced" camp when starting out, but as I've progressed in the hobby I believe less and less in the "good pimp" concept and think that a lot of the ladies who are managed do have some mental and/or physical abuse going on, and intimidation tactics used to prevent them from leaving if they want to.
I see a pimp as different than a boyfriend or husband helping a lady manage her business as a booker or something like that. But, the lines can be blurry. I think these are some questions that would determine whether someone is truly a pimp or just a helper:
Does she have exclusive authority over who her clients are, when she works, where she works, and what services are offered?
Is he* involved only in the administrative and promotional activities or does he have some involvement in the appointments themselves? (e.g., monitoring them in some way, "security", etc.)
Would there be harassment if she decided to do without those services or could she "fire" him at any time of her choosing?
What happens to the money? Does she control it and give him a commission (or do they share a household and benefit equally from the proceeds), or does he control it and give her an "allowance".
Is he physically and/or mentally abusive of her?
*I'm using the male pronoun above simply for convenience. There can be female pimps, though they are surely much rarer than the male ones.
(The questions above came from a poll I posted a while back that will give you a general idea of how clients view pimps:
https://www.eccie.net/showthread.php?t=2234734)
You might be wondering what's the difference between a pimp and an agency. Agencies take a lot of the donation from the ladies in their employ (around 30-50% from what I've heard), but typically the ladies are free to stop working for the agency at any time with no intimidation tactics used to prevent them from leaving. Also the owners of the agencies aren't as likely to be having sex with the ladies themselves, which is different than with a pimp.
So, as you grow in the hobby you will likely want to make a conscious decision on whether you want to see managed ladies or independents or both.
If you don't care, do nothing. Just book with ladies that appeal to you. If there is a pimp involved you'll likely not know it if he's competent and good at staying in the shadows.
If you'd rather see only independents, there are some signs you can look for that suggest a pimp MAY be involved. I hasten to add that none of these by themselves conclusively prove pimp involvement. They are clues, nothing more, and the more of them that exist the more you might start to suspect there's a pimp behind the scenes.
Getting what will surely be the most controversial one out of the way first:
CBJ (covered blowjob) only. Read this carefully: CBJ alone means NOTHING about whether a lady is managed. I AM NOT SAYING ALL LADIES WHO ARE CBJ-ONLY HAVE PIMPS. I think most ladies who are managed will be CBJ-only, but there are many other reasons ladies might choose this, such as prevention of STDs and client hygiene issues. Pimps want to prevent STDs also, because down time for treatment reduces earning potential, and also I've been told by providers that pimps like to keep something special for their own enjoyment (i.e., BBBJ). Once again, to make sure this is crystal clear: I am not saying that CBJ = pimp. I know and enjoy ladies who have CBJ-only policies for their own reasons, and I respect their rules like I do with any other providers' rules. I don't think they should be given a hard time about CBJ; guys that don't like it should simply find others that give them what they want.
Managed ladies may not kiss or may only allow closed-mouth kissing, while still trying to capitalize on the cachet of "GFE" by calling their services "GFE lite" or something similar. This is much like CBJ in that some independent providers also don't do it for their own reasons, and again I don't think they should be hassled for their choices and I'm also NOT saying that no kissing = pimp. It is simply another clue that doesn't mean much all by itself.
Written communications (text, PM, email) in differing writing styles that seem like a different person was the author, or that conflict with other messages, indicating that one sender wasn't aware of something the other said.
Garish, over-hyped ads that look like an explosion at a dingbat font factory occurred.
Also likely to be controversial: Posting ads on Backpage. OK, I personally know ladies who post on Backpage who are most certainly independent. So I'm not saying anyone who advertises on Backpage is managed, but it is undeniable that Backpage is a haven for pimps, so this can be another clue when takin in consideration combined with the others here.
Adjoining rooms. The pimp may be waiting in the next room during the appointment. Of course an independent provider can't help it if she's given an adjoining room so this isn't a sure-fire sign either.
One bit of advice for those who don't really have a concern about seeing someone under management: Be careful what you say during the date.You never know who might be listening in remotely, and you don't want to reveal too much about yourself. Of course that's good advice for all hobby encounters.
If you have premium access and have a concern about someone being managed, you can always ask in the Men's Lounge to see if other guys have a perspective. Just keep in mind that there, as everywhere, one person's opinion doesn't necessarily make it so, so take everything with a large grain of salt.
So there it is. Probably more than you want to know about pimps but I think it is good to be informed about about all of this early on so that you can make an informed choice about whether you will see managed providers or not. My own personal choice is that I try not to, but as with most things here, I don't claim my way is the best way for everyone, just the way that works for me.
Other resources: Reddit
