Preferred411

[Vachon]

I had a provider tell me she only uses Preferred411 to verify new clients and will not see someone that is not a part of that system. So I went to their website. I get that security is a real issue and frankly I would like a few assurances too. So I had no problem with the idea and was willing to pay the fee. However, when I got on their site I discovered that they:

1.) Are not in the US
2.) Want to verify who I am through my EMPLOYER.
3.) Want me to provide copies of various forms of ID that, in the wrong hands, will easily lead to identity theft. In fact, the amount of ID they ask you to copy and send to them is the perfect amount to get you subjected to identity theft.

They make the claim that they destroy all of that information as soon as they have verified your ID. OK, I know others have used them without incident. I am sure they, as a business, are sincere. However, as a business they likely employee other people. It would be my luck that the employee who gets my details will be unscrupulous enough to copy it, take it home and rip me off. Then what are you going to do? Complain to a company that isn't even based in the US? Raise a stink that will surely gain the attention of people back in the US that you preferred not know about it? All in all, let the "buyer beware". In this day and age when people can steal your ID with very little information it is unwise to deliberately give someone more than enough information to do so willingly. I would sooner give up the hobby altogether. I'm also a government employee who has had so many background checks run on me due to the nature of my work that my employer would be suspicious of someone else doing checks on me (yes, the identity of someone else running checks on you is recorded) and want to know who they are and why. That is the last thing I need my employer poking around in and they would.

There should be other ways and the only local independent provider on the coast that I ever enjoyed using no longer lives on the coast so she cannot serve as a personal reference. At any rate, I am not dumb enough to use Preferred411. That would be suicide. I can't believe a business in 2015 has the balls to ask someone to willingly surrender that much information and expose themselves to such a potential threat. It's absurd.

[Nicolet]

I've been a member of Preferred 411 for almost as long as I have been a member here. Out of my own curiosity, I checked the members role.
There are 34,174 male members, and 12,318 female members for a total of 46,492.
They must be doing something right to have that many people.
Just some food for thought.

[AdamBomB]

Lol , Ashley Madison had way more on the rolls than that .I've never been on 411 and never will be . I've never been refused on here for no 411 but if I should be refused then I would just move on .I only see active ECCIE providers who can and will refer me . I don't use spa's or backpage only ladies who are unable and or impossible to get a referral from. I see people on this site with lot's of reviews on ladies from backpage which are worthless to our fine eccie ladies . Time may cost a little more here but well worth the benefits .

I also would give up the hobby before I'd provide all of that info . It's no issue really for single guys but for me as a long time married man I'd have to say , no way Jose

[JustaGuyinMS]

Like Nicolet, I've been a member for years with no problems. That doesn't mean that it can't happen, but I've been happy with their service. Being an ECCIE member is probably more of a risk than P411.

JaG

[Vachon]

Originally Posted by Nicolet

I've been a member of Preferred 411 for almost as long as I have been a member here. Out of my own curiosity, I checked the members role.
There are 34,174 male members, and 12,318 female members for a total of 46,492.
They must be doing something right to have that many people.
Just some food for thought.

Like I said, I am sure the business itself probably does not bare any ill intent towards it's customers. But again, I am sure they also have employees who have access to our personal data. There is no way that the business can promise the security of your data. If at some point they hire an employee that turns out to be not so trustworthy - you lose. The same thing happened to a well known bank in the US about 2 years ago. The bank was trustworthy but a bank employee was not and your bank has access to less personal data than Preferred411 is asking for. Nope, not taking that chance. I get (and agree) that a provider needs some way to assure her safety and the men want that same assurance. Preffered411, as long as nothing goes wrong, offers that. But there really should be a way to do it without the risk factor inherent in P411's method.

[Vachon]

Originally Posted by Boomer_MS

Lol , Ashley Madison had way more on the rolls than that .I've never been on 411 and never will be . I've never been refused on here for no 411 but if I should be refused then I would just move on .I only see active ECCIE providers who can and will refer me . I don't use spa's or backpage only ladies who are unable and or impossible to get a referral from. I see people on this site with lot's of reviews on ladies from backpage which are worthless to our fine eccie ladies . Time may cost a little more here but well worth the benefits .

I also would give up the hobby before I'd provide all of that info . It's no issue really for single guys but for me as a long time married man I'd have to say , no way Jose

Agreed. That Ashley Madison incident was a fiasco indeed and they didn't even ask for all the personal information that P411 asks for. That probably saved a few people's personal lives from being exposed publicly. I have never had a problem using a spa. As long as you are not actually in the spa when LE decides to storm the doors you are OK but the same could be said of any other provider. LOL

[Vachon]

Originally Posted by JustaGuyinMS

Like Nicolet, I've been a member for years with no problems. That doesn't mean that it can't happen, but I've been happy with their service. Being an ECCIE member is probably more of a risk than P411.

JaG

Good point. I do not agree that single guys are safer on P411 than married ones though. They are safer as far as losing a family after exposure but a single man's financial security (identity theft issue) is just as important to him. Someone could use that information to establish credit in someone's name, get new credit cards run up debt like crazy etc.

ECCIE is a good source of information but as you said, there is risk here too. LE could setup an account here and begin investigating the providers here as well as the members if they like.

[Nicolet]

To each his or her own level of safety.

Boomer, you won't have problems with references, especially from me. You sexy beast!

[AdamBomB]

Thanks Nic , your too kind and sexy too .

[dj8rocks]

I have been a member of 411 for about 18 months. When I joined, I did not have to provide any of the info you stated, if I'm not mistaken, that info is for a last ditch effort to verify you. When I joined, I had 5 provider referrals that were a members there, and they vouched for me. Double check to see if that is still an option. Good luck. dj8

[turbo-dog]

I have been hobbying for over 20 years and have never been a P411 member. I've never had problems being verified, but if a provider wouldn't see me because I wasn't a P411 member... I'd be OK with it and keep shopping.

[Vachon]

Originally Posted by dj8rocks

I have been a member of 411 for about 18 months. When I joined, I did not have to provide any of the info you stated, if I'm not mistaken, that info is for a last ditch effort to verify you. When I joined, I had 5 provider referrals that were a members there, and they vouched for me. Double check to see if that is still an option. Good luck. dj8

You are a lucky man. You had local providers who were members. I did not even apply. I pressed the "apply" button and was given a list of items they claimed I would need to provide. It was a longer list of personal ID data than I had to provide to get a mortgage or buy a car. LOL

At that point I navigated away from the site and didn't even apply. I made that decision based upon the list the told me I would need to provide. If they had said it was, as you said, a last resort I might have continued. When it said I would need to provide my employers contact details for a background check I basically said, "not a chance in Hell". These guys are not getting copies of my ID documents or calling my employer.

Again, I am sure the business (P411) themselves are trustworthy or they would not have been around for so long. But I am also sure they have employees that might become "disgruntled" at some point. They have not concluded but strongly suspect that is how all the Ashley Madison details got out. They say it was hacked but the investigators claim they suspect a small handful of employees/former employees did it. Considering that all Ashley Madison had was a list of email addresses - not much damage could really occur. They don't ask for much more than that. But based on what P411 claimed they would need if I applied - they would basically know your whole life. Again, that would be OK until an employee decides they are "disgruntled" and abuses those details or worst - applies for credit using those details and basically destroys your life.

[Smile Guy 69]

I don't mean to stir anything up here, but I do feel compelled to offer a different perspective. Please keep in mind that pretty much everything we do in this hobby has some amount of risk associated with it. However, it's a calculated risk, and the question becomes simply whether or not a particular risk is reasonable and acceptable.

I respectfully disagree with the position that P411 membership is too risky. The combination of that verification service along with the reviews and other information shared here on ECCIE are the only reasons I ever felt comfortable participating in this hobby. I personally believe that P411 is very safe and secure. I've been a member for years, and it's an extremely valuable and much-needed service. Obviously, you can get by without it, but I wouldn't want to try. It's so convenient and trustworthy.

That being said, I must admit that the Ashley Madison debacle was disturbing to say the least, and it made me a bit apprehensive about being a member of any site that could potentially expose me to some embarrassment should it be hacked. However, I must not be worried enough about it to do anything differently. I'm certainly not going to quit the hobby or subject myself to any significant inconvenience to avoid that risk. Hope it's a relatively small risk and that I don't live to regret that choice some day.

But more than anything I hope that the miserable shitheads who exposed all of those people on Ashley Madison have some bad karma coming their way. So ridiculous for them to do that! Yes, Ashley Madison should have done a better job with the way they handled and stored people's information, but that whole situation was so unnecessary. The mere fact that there are people in this world who were so bothered by that website that they resorted to that is mind-boggling to me.

Also, I think there are some possible alternative ways to be verified on P411, such as provider references and well-established membership on ECCIE and/or other sites. I don't know the details, but the info on P411 certainly leads me to believe that you might be able to get by without providing employment info or risking the (remote) possibility of identity theft.

Of course, we all have to make our own choices about the risks we're willing to take. I don't mean to sound like I'm shilling for P411. I just think it's a great service and don't want people to be scared away from it unnecessarily. I believe it's perfectly safe...or at least as safe as anything else in the hobby.

Just trying to do my part to help everyone have lots of fun and always stay safe.

[Nicolet]

Excellent post! ^^^

[vicinms]

When I first attempted to get into the hobby as an evolution from fun in Strip Clubs, I had a few bad experiences from Agency bait-and-switch tactics in NOLA. I swore off agencies then and after a little research found an appealing independent girl (Isabella), who said she couldn't see me without references, unless I was a member of P411. I was a little hesitant but I was the only one at work that day, so when they called the office to verify employment I answered the phone with the business name, told them I worked there and that was fine. As far as an ID, they only required that I give a partial DL # and never had to send an actual copy if that's why you're saying is required now. Once my P411 account was created, I had a very happy PSE appt with Isabella and her OK was all the reference I needed for other girls on P411 and I've rarely seen an agency girl since then. I did the annual renewal a few times and I now have a lifetime membership, though I'm sure I have enough reviews that I wouldn't have a problem getting an appt without it, LOL.

Btw, I'm moving this thread to the more appropriate Coed Discussion forum, since it's not any kind of review or about any type of provider experience.