@CuddleWho "the large majority of pros don't ask for deposits. It happens but is relatively rare."
Exactly. I'm puzzled why some think it's common.
@SweetiSammi "The fact is that it’s common to ask for deposit and there are some very well established pro’s commenting very valid reasons as to why. To say they’re scamming is a slap in the face."
Asking for a deposit isn't common.
I agreed with your other comments. Why are you so defensive? I never said all all pros do these things.
@MrMarkAndrew "the difference with those examples you listed is that you have a physical address/paper trail by which to seek compensation if they somehow scammed or otherwise mischarged you. You have built-in customer protections. There is not the same mechanism through Cuddle Comfort (other than asking your credit card provider to contest the charge, which is not guaranteed). That is the crux of the issue, and it's not a blanket statement against pros."
THis x100!!!!
Like I said, it goes both ways. A client has everything to lose when they send a deposit. A pro, not so much.
Those pros who are behaving professionally are not the scammers. It’s the scammers who are the scammers.
As others have said, it’s a free market. No one is required to patronize any particular pro. I don’t understand why some folks try to haggle with them. If you don’t like one’s terms move on to someone else. No big deal.
CC pretty much stays out of it. The pros don’t work for CC and CC is not a collection agency. However, if there are reports of a pro scamming clients those pros get banned, just as clients who repeatedly no-show and waste the pros’ time get banned.
I haven't seen anybody on here saying they haggled any pros. If a pro insists that I pay a deposit vs. paying the full amount in person, then I move on.
I've been scammed many times, so I think pros who ask for deposits are scammers. Obviously it's not all pros, but I've been taken advantage of too many times to think otherwise.
"CC pretty much stays out of it. However, if there are reports of a pro scamming clients those pros get banned"
And this is why we are saying it's extremely risky to send a deposit. Many women come on here and make fake accounts, steal money, and get banned. Then they come back again and again.
@tucsonaz we have had "haggled" (or bargain, negotiate, reach an agreement, etc.) threads here including some recent ones. Some kindly pros even mention they will negotiate prices with clients under certain circumstances.
@OhioMike
Ok, I thought @Babichev was referencing this thread.
And there's nothing wrong with bargaining, because this is a free market. Every dollar a pro loses is lost revenue.
@tucsonaz welcome to Cuddle Comfort. Wishing you success here. 😊👍
Thanks @OhioMike!
I agree with everyone lol..its a free market free world u can require deposit if u wish and you don't have to accept it and yes you can ask for discounts nothing wrong with that either you get a bargain or you don't simple..or go elsewhere and get the same needs as cheaper price .just depends what you look for..as for me if your not affectionate cuddler like I am we are not a match thats for sure.and if you say you are and then you show your true colors when it comes to meet for the session and just lay there arms around me I will ask for my money back which I have gotten back for telling me something that wasn't true been there done it
Shouldn't this thread be in the professional cuddling forum? Anyways I would only give a deposit if the pro cuddler had some karma and isn't new. most likely in that case she isn't scamming people or she'd probably be banned. In general though, I don't really like deposits so it would be a negative...
I've done all of my pro sessions without a deposit, I would not advise playing into this. This is a pro's business and you do not need to manage their risk for them.
@skyhighsugar "Hair stylists, for women especially, do typically charge deposits for specialty services such as hair extensions, fashion colors, etc."
You should find another hair stylist, I get my hair re-dyed all the time in the $200 range and have never had any of my stylists ask for a deposit or have issues with cancelling.
I will require a deposit if you book me for more than 3hrs and you're a new client with no karma. Especially if you're far away.
I only require a deposit if I am traveling to them, especially long distance. If they're coming to me, I don't. 🤷🏻♀️
How the argument, "I don't do the bad thing(s) so there doesn't need to be precautions against the bad thing(s) and those precautions are suspicious because I would never ..." comes up in various ways here is somewhat concerning.
It's nice that some are nice, but many also aren't. And the degrees to which one's niceness can be faked and the receiver of niceties can be harmed, I just find the, "Well I don't..." to be void of empathy/concern/understanding for others and paints those who claim as much as selfish narcissists who believe they are good people, perhaps even good cuddle candidates. But from my POV I just see red flag city.
If you don't like someone's protection policies/practices then move on. To instead choose rallying against them really says more about you, and IMO isn't a good look.
@quixotic_life 👏👏👏👏 I immediately thought of other various arguments with that thought process.
When booking hair, lashes, or other appointments the pro 9/10 will ask for a deposit, to ensure I will come. And if I don't show they don't miss out on as much money when they could have booked someone who actually showed up or planned something else in that time, and not have it be wasted. Time is irreplaceable. Deposits are sometimes necessary to ensure people are serious.
I am a pro who requires a deposit. Today I had a session, he didn't show. Even with his deposit I am still coming out of pocket having to pay for the cost of the hotel (which wasnt fully covered by the deposit) and time that I could used productively.
If you pay a deposit and are in turn taken for your money REPORT that person immediately. Leave them a review so the cuddling world knows they're shady.
@quixotic_life
I just find the, "Well I don't..." to be void of empathy/concern/understanding
📣📣📣📣📣
Yes indeed.
@grumpy_cat Thanks for the advice, but again, just because your experiences are different doesn’t mean that others are invalid, especially other business owners in different industries. I don’t pay a deposit because I’ve been seeing the same hair stylist for years, but in my same post I mentioned they have a card on file for cancellations/rescheduling made last minute or no shows. However when I had COVID, I had to reschedule last minute, had never done that before, and I was not charged because of my long time loyalty. But I digress 😅 This argument can go round and round, but frankly the facts remain the same - it’s a free market. I personally don’t ask for a deposit with clients who have an established account with karma and longevity, but I do ask for a 10% deposit from clients with bad / no karma history and or new CC accounts. Which, to be frank, 10% is usually only around $20 for a two hour session. I have had no issues receiving or retaining clients, so I have absolutely no need to deviate from what works for me. It’s not a catchall, if it doesn’t float the boat of someone else, that’s more than acceptable.
Right, its a free market, no one is advocating that those who take deposits stop (at least I am certainly not). Everyone understands the reasoning involved, those of us who disagree with the logic however are advocating that clients/customers look elsewhere. As we state over and over in these forums, this is a business decision not emotional. We are choosing a service provider.
Pushing the risk of the business onto the consumer, in my personal opinion, is bad practice that I wouldn't stand for in any industry.
i've paid deposits and have not been scammed. It's just a way to make sure the client is serious about meeting and will up for the session. The scammers are basically non - pros. and you can spot them pretty quickly.
Enthusiasts- Y’all are wild for digging your toes into this one. Live and let live ✌🏼
Pros- stop entertaining this nonsense. You don’t owe anyone an explanation other than your actual booking clients. ❣️
Couldn't have said it better @SweetiSammi lol
@SweetiSammi For President 2024 🇺🇸
@SweetiSammi For President 2024
I'd vote for her!
Thank you! Thank you! Bows out
If the pro has to assume all financial risk for the transaction, I would think they would have to raise their prices so the good customers make up for the bad ones.
Against my better judgement I am going to weigh in. I think the enthusiasts aren’t bashing pros here, they are voicing their distaste of deposits. And I think most of the pros are articulating why some do charge deposits and many of the reasons are logical (like getting a hotel room and being stuck if they canceled). But just as bad as enthusiasts who attack pros for charging to cuddle (different issue that I do not understand the complaint by enthusiasts about), when enthusiasts do discuss something civilly and are told basically to give it a rest or it is a bad look I think it is a particularly bad look for those pros saying that. The thread was started by an enthusiast and was a topic point. I never saw a point where pros were being attacked. If anything I saw a few pros who didn’t much care to listen to a group that hires them. Just food for thought. Not putting blame on anyone just saying a forum should be a place for dialogue on cuddling and this is germane to cuddling.
With that said, I do not pay deposits because it isn’t a common practice on CC. I have seen them and I just go to someone else. Simple. However, I would NEVER say never and here is why. If I really wanted to hire someone and they were 100 miles away I would most certainly pay a deposit for travel and as a commitment, because I do understand time is valuable and I would hope others do as well. And I would never expect a pro to get a hotel. If it says guest, to me that means they come to me and many pros offer a discount if someone has to get a hotel. I travel so this is never an issue, as I already have a suite or a room. However, a couple of times pros have listed “Host” and when you inquire further, she wants me to pay a portion of the hotel. That is not hosting. Hosting is having your own place or office. To say the client needs to pay for half of the hotel is sharing and possibly scamming if they have someone else booked for the same place. So I guess what I am saying is deposits are situational, and a rational enthusiast would consider deposits accordingly. I would hope that pros would listen to enthusiasts as listening to your customers is a good business practice. And to any enthusiast who says a pro is wrong to charge a deposit—that is their decision and just get someone else, but you might want to ask why they require a deposit first before dismissing it outright if it bothers you that much.
I hope this is balanced because I see both sides and there are nuances to both sides.
I've never paid a deposit so far and would be hesitant to do so. To me it would be a red flag, but I would consider it on a case-by-case basis.
@FunCartel, I agree and you have summed it up.
You make a good point @FunCartel, thank you for sharing your point of view 🙂
@FunCartel ~ I don't know if you're including me in the 'basher' column, but just in case...
All my thoughts on this come from my being on the outside of the situation looking in. And whatever way people lean it doesn't actually impact me personally (because I'm neither a pro nor a client). Also my thoughts on this subject come from multiple viewings of other's opinions on the matter (and those I see as similar in nature) over time - not from this thread alone. In fact, this has been fairly civilized.
In rereading what I wrote though, I'll admit that, 'I just find the, "Well I don't..." to be void of empathy/concern/understanding for others and paints those who claim as much as selfish narcissists who believe they are good people, perhaps even good cuddle candidates. But from my POV I just see red flag city.' is a bit harsh. And again, it's not so much based on the comments within this thread, but those made on the whole around these topics.
Anyway, I appreciate you forgoing your better judgment and sharing your balanced capturing of some of the nuances for both sides who are actually involved/impacted.