Just a suggestion:
I think it would be a helpful feature on here, for members to have the ability to pay for background checks, and have it featured on their profile, for protection of it's members, cuddle seekers and professionals.
The same way Facebook / Twitter / IG doesn’t do background checks to see peoples credentials when they post & share their thoughts is the same way CC doesn’t as well … all those mentioned (& cc) have their rules & t.o.s, but to assume liability will be devastating in every way imaginable … cc, (like the above mentioned) is a meeting point, hopefully this makes sense : )
I would like if there is a way to become verified to prove that I’m not a bot. Though unfortunately that would not do anything in the way of proving I have no criminal history.
I would love that
@Charlie_Bear there is no need to prove you are not a bot. Bots are rare on this site - I've never seen one. Somehow, they are kept at bay.
@cuddles_ndream is correct. This is a social networking site. If the big social sites don't do it, it's unlikely that CC will. Also, CC is a small business and resources are limited. There has to be a compelling and very tangible benefit for any major change or additional feature.
"Background checks" are different in different countries, so setting up something like that would be very complicated just on the legal side, never mind the coding.
@cuddles_ndream and @CuddleDuncan are correct.
I think foreground checks are very feasible as everything is right there in front of you.
@CuddleDuncan oh ok that’s good. I guess I could have better phrased it that wouldn’t want to be seen as a catfish. Though why I would use my profile photo on a catfish account makes zero sense seeing as I do wanna actually meet people 😂
I wouldn't want to have to pay for it (when I could use that for a pro cuddling session). The other problem I could see from a point of view would be that it may alienate those who couldn't afford to pay for the background check to be done, essentially similar to something like paying for something premium in a video game or like on a dating website. I could see people only wanting those who were able to pay for it, while passing on someone who may not have any negative history, but simply could not afford to pay for the little badge on the profile. And yes like others have said I agree that the legal side would get too complicated.
Good points. Thank you for sharing @CSnMUS87
I feel like my massage license is worth something towards that, as I had to present my finger prints for a detailed background check. So, if anybody I really want to cuddle with is having misgivings, I could offer them to check that on the state website. Perhaps the checking that goes into being bonded for certain areas of employment could be useful for providing that layer of security for prospective cuddlers?
I have had background checks done on individuals that have been clean yet several turned out to be real rascals. Background checks don't cover things like groping and asshole .
Speaking as a site member, not a moderator, there is a site called ID.me which the IRS uses for verification when setting up an account with the IRS website. If I remember correctly I didn't have to pay anything to get verified, I did a video conference with an agent to show certain documents both scanned/photographed and then showed over the webcam for confirmation. Approval was instant and I use it to login to the IRS government site. Anyone can make an ID.me account and they have additional confirmation sections for being a student, teacher, nurse, first responder, etc. It wouldn't be a background check, but it would be a verification of the person you're talking with.
While implementing something like that would have some hurdles and I don't know if it's available outside of the United States, but it's a middle ground idea... prove you are who you say without a background check and should you be banned those would not want to be verified by linking their ID.me account.
Leaving the thread intact/standalone and NOT merging into "Suggestions and ways this website can be improved" thread.
I own companies that are in regulated industries. I have several state(s) background checks currently and including FBI and BCI. Many competitors in my work think this is a hassle and don't proceed with them. In my experience it does eliminate a lot of competition.
@Jenessence is your question more like it would be a "volunteer" type thing here? Like not mandatory but an added level of comfort for other members here? Admin above stated that CC is a small business and recourses are limited. So probably CC won't be active doing it soon I guess.
@reurbo is this what you're idea is?
@Btown 💯 💯💯 I see more problems than good … many people will forgo due diligence & vetting & will assume that since they have no criminal records they are good to go, I can already see the, “but he / she had a clean background check and they were allowed to be here” … soo many criminals walking the streets right now with a clean record because they never got caught and or convicted, or simply haven’t acted (everyone is born with a clean slate until that moment) so will one background check be enough, does it needs to be updated every 3/6/9 months, yearly ect … and like you mentioned, it doesn’t cover groping & disrespectful entitled behavior. If someone really wants it an option is they can personally request it of the potential cuddler as a non-negotiable before proceeding … same difference (but liability is now on the person requiring it not on the site by requiring it or making it available.
@cuddles_ndream Very good points.
@Btown You're so funny, yet it's so true! I have met some people who work the type of jobs that require a clean background, yet they are scary in other ways.
~ Sunset Snuggles
@cuddles_ndream It's not clear to me what your point is. I don't know how many career criminals are walking around with clean records... My gut tells me that it seldom goes down like that. On the other hand, certainly people who are capable of assault may escape having any records. In my field, there are people who commit assault on massage clients, often serially without getting stopped. But the need for background checks is obvious and it presents a large filter to screen out people with records. That would be worthwhile here even if it's not a perfect screen, and nobody should expect that implies a person is safe by that screening alone.
Doesn't the owner(s) of this site make money off each booking made through this site? There's an argument that could be made that a background check service should be implemented through the site at a discounted rate.
I would like if there was a background check option just cause it would make some likable people happy and if cuddlecomfort could find a way to make money from it that would be more than fine with me. It just doesn't cover, or uncover, what a good personal vetting will. Know yourself and listen to your heart, mind and gut. I know this is often not easy. Like everyone is always saying here, if it doesn't feel right, don't do it.
Due to some of the clients I have consulted for and data I have had access to over the past 10+ years, I have had to pass numerous background checks. The strictest checks considered ANY conviction for ANY thing (misdemeanor or felony) at ANY time to be a fail. Other checks were a little more forgiving and someone could pass as long as they never had a felony conviction and had not had a misdemeanor conviction within the past X years.
So for purposes of a CC background check, would a conviction for possession of pot 30 years ago prevent someone from passing? What if it were only 5 years ago? Or 2 months ago? (It is still illegal in many midwestern states).
Would a conviction for a DUI or refusing to leave a protest when ordered to do so prevent someone from passing a CC background check? Does anyone want to cuddle with someone convicted of writing bad checks, who cheats on their taxes, or was once caught shoplifting?
My point is, in a “perfect world” our laws would be just, nobody would ever do anything illegal, and we would not need police, defense lawyers, judges, juries, jails, or even locks on doors. But that is not the world we live in - not even close. There are many people with imperfect records. Some have probably reformed their lives since getting into legal trouble, others probably have not.
I just see a lot of problems (and liability issues) with trying to implement a background check on this site. My final thought is who would be responsible for removing the background check icon in a timely manner if a CC member was convicted of something after they had passed a background check? The devil is in the details.
The kind of offenses that are most common with problem members are usually not going to show up on a background check. Pushing boundaries does not show up on a background check nor is that going to be affected by checking someone’s ID.
This site is international. The owner of the site is not in the U.S. And if the site offer end background checks, would they then be held responsible if a member misbehaved?
Do your due diligence. Pay attention. Get to know someone before you agree to cuddle with them. If something doesn’t seem right, don’t go there.
@Babichev
"Do your due diligence. Pay attention. Get to know someone before you agree to cuddle with them. If something doesn’t seem right, don’t go there."
And, "getting to know someone," doesn't prevent a person convicted of sexual assault in their bed. And why is due dillengence the responsibility of the cuddler? Speaking from an outside perspective, there's a ton of trust cuddlers have to have with their clients because the owners are international and the best advice is, "get to know them." Define due dilligence? Coming out of pocket of more money for a site the owners are raking a percentage for each transaction booked? Having explored this community for a year now, there doesn't seem much protection is offered and since this profession is evolving, on the both the professional and clinet side, a better vetting service should at least be thought about for safety reasons alone. Profit growth does come with expense growth and safety should be top priority. You can't run a website, pay minimal domain fees while the people you are taking a percentage are from people that put themselves at risk international oweners or not.
@Mark
It’s in our own self-interest.
I’d guess that probably almost all the boundary pushers who have been banned from this site would pass a background check and in my personal life that’s certainly been true.
I guess that's my point. What if there was a process to try and minimalze the people pressing boundaries? If you had access to a chack that showed someone that had domestic violence convictions in their past, would you cuddle them? Seems like most cuddlers are going in blind, male and female, and I just don't think that's fair.
@babichev a guy I know was married for I guess a dozen years, got divorced, had a whirlwind courtship with ex wife number two, which led to his domestic violence charges. He put a chokehold on his wife. He had a felony conviction, but he is out, owns a house, visits his daughters and grandchild, runs a contracting business, and without doing a background check I don't know how anybody would know he's a convicted felon. Probably the women he meets and brings home don't know it. I'm asking how you know that the offending guys here are not convicted felons?
The minute Twitter is liable for “misinformation” shared by its users is the minute that Twitter will cease to exist … no different here. Some of you guys wording is making it seem like people are being exploited, not the case at all & not fair to paint that narrative … people freely sign up & can freely leave, cc does a great job at providing a platform where people can interact & potentially meet other like minded Individuals, and a means for others to market themselves … they are actually more than generous, and they have 2 things available that similar places don’t, & that’s enthusiast & a forum … if money was the objective there would never be an option for enthusiast cuddles or a forum where people can interact & speak freely (even in the instance of having to defend themselves like now) … that says a lot about transparency! I think the site goes above & beyond to mod / deter / & ban & maintain this place as safe as possible.
The type of background investigation available and affordable by a site such as CC would not be worth the liability they could incur by having them done and labeling individual members' profiles. Tier 1 and 2 background investigations will show you, essentially, that someone is real and that they have not been convicted of any crimes. While this may rule out people convicted of sexual offenses, not all who push boundaries have criminal records, and a 'background check endorsement' could lead to a false sense of security. The kind of background check required to limit members who would POSSIBLY violate someone else's boundaries would need to include a Lifestyle or Full Scope Polygraph, which would not be feasible for CC at all... Maybe on a site with a different business model, that offered a higher, purchased tier of membership.
I do understand the appeal of adding another layer of safety, but I just don't think it'd be doable. The appeal of CC offering a free account, profile, and access to forums to enthusiasts, for the possibility of meeting other enthusiasts, is IMHO what makes this site great. Even if CC did have background checks, it is still the responsibility of us all to maintain a sense of safety and security, and to report anything that seems amiss.
(Added:) I think the best way to gauge someone's intentions, is to get to know them as well as you can. Read their posts, message with them, talk on the phone, arrange a public meet. This still isn't foolproof (and nothing is, really), but it can at least give you enough exposure to have a gut feeling. If you want to help convey that YOU are a good person, allow the other cuddler the opportunity to get to know YOU.
Not sure how much use background checks would be. Are most sexual assaults even reported? Unless your potential cuddle buddy's been pulled in on a domestic or something, there probably won't be any warnings there.
And it says nothing about personality. Neither Zwei nor I are in any police records anywhere (not a speeding or parking ticket between us).
I used to run cheap background checks on people who wanted to work for Raven Plumbing: basically we just paid to see any local police records with the applicant's name on them.
Never knew why, really. The boss always hired white guys and turned down anyone who wasn't pasty pale regardless of what their records said they'd done. "People change," he'd say, or "he's learned his lesson," or "I've just got a good feeling about him." They always turned out to be average employees. Got their jobs done. Never assaulted anybody—not on the clock, anyway.
I'd be willing to bet the men he didn't hire would've been at least as decent as the ones he did. What was the point?
I used to be on a website that connected tutors with potential students. Although it wasn't required, tutors had the option to pay for their own checks. When they had done so, it would place a badge on their profile.