$50 Non-Refundable Deposit for New Clients - Seriously???

luv2cudl2

Are "Professionals" allowed to advertise and require non-refundable deposits? I know they establish their own rates but seeing "$50 Non-Refundable Deposit for New Clients" in a profile is borderline crazy!! Honestly, this should NOT be allowed and it's only going to deter new members from joining. If that was the 1st profile I saw, it would've been the last.

I'm not going to report until I hear the verdict . However, I do hope this person gets to see this discussion. Gosh....you think you've seen it all but nope!

Yes.

• Professional cuddlers are indeed within their rights to require a prepaid deposit prior to confirming a session, and many do so as a deterrent against clients who aren't serious about the sessions.
• Some pros collect these deposits because a client who no-shows or cancels a confirmed session within 12 hours would be asked to pay a 50% cancellation fee, and most who cancel refuse to pay.
• Whether that deposit is refundable will depend on the pro in question and the proximity to the confirmed date/time of the session in question.

You are free to avoid such pros if you are not comfortable with prepaying a deposit.

As for your mention that pros requiring deposits would deter people from joining the site, just remember that this site is not exclusively for professional cuddling, even if the majority of cuddling here is professional.

luv2cudl2

Ughh.. Sorry about the quotes. I didn't realize it was going to show up like that on Home Page. I tried to edit and delete, but it didn't change it.

It will fix itself soon enough now that you removed the quotes. Just give it some time.

luv2cudl2

So members can advertise any type of monetary fee/deposit on their profile in addition to the hourly amount? This is how it's worded in the FAQ section:

_Q. How do you pay?

A. Normally clients pay in cash at the start of the session. Some professionals may ask for a deposit in advance (particularly if they have experienced many cancellations in the past). Tipping is not expected._

However, a "non-refundable deposit" is not a deposit. It's a Fee. Basically, the person is charging a $50 fee to sign up with them. There's no mention of getting the money back or it being applied to the session. Cuddle Comfort really wants people to advertise more fees and extra costs? It's bizarre that Cuddle Comfort would want the burden of all this extra money floating around. Seems like an unnecessary headache that could easily be avoided.

If it's allowed, so be it. I just think it doesn't look good from a non-pro (aka customer to the pros) point of view.

Thank you for prompt reply with information on policy. Goodnight.

pmvines

My understanding of a deposit is that it usually goes toward the fee for the session . The non refundable piece to me implies it is not refunded if you cancel or don't show .

Any prepaid deposit collected by a professional is supposed to apply towards the total cost of the session.

Also as a heads-up, some cuddlers may assess travel fees if they have to come to you - that's separate from the hourly rate.

luv2cudl2

I think the person should've been more specific with where that money is actually going. Nothing was implied, which is why I questioned it.

biancalovecraft

Do you know what a "deposit" is? The outrage is kinda hilarious

CardiacKid

Downpayment? Earnest money? Deposit? Layaway? Retainer?

What's the world coming to. I'm outraged, I tell you. Outraged. Don't get me started on sales tax.

Yeah this just seems silly... not the deposit, that seems reasonable as a thing to do as an additional safety measure and to deter trolls/people who have no intention to turn up or who give false details. The fact that it's non refundable goes towards that because if someone wanted they could arrange a cuddle meetup, pay the deposit, blow them off and then demand the deposit back thus wasting the professional's time (and their own of course).

Also starting it off by putting professionals in quotations, real smooth.

BoomerSpooner

@biancalovecraft I agree wholeheartedly. The need for anger management is noticeable.

CardiacKid

@luv2cudl2

Just find someone with a more open policy. Move on from this Pro. Simple enough

cuddlerforu24

I wonder what the pro does with the non refundable deposit when the pro cuddler herself cancels or no shows and she is unable to schedule a make up session .

I guess she keeps the money .

luv2cudl2

@Zundar Appreciate the sarcasm in your last sentence. Yes, I do believe there’s a small group of people on here who’ve taken classes on human behavior, psychology, wellness, etc and cuddled over 100 hours already. They’re the ones who deserve to be called a professional. However, to be classified as a professional on this site, it seems all you need is 18 years of life. Actually, being a people-person is the other difficult requirement. So, in my opinion, it sucks for that small group who’ve truly earned a professional status.

Right now, this industry is a free-for-all and not mandated. Let’s talk again when charging for cuddling requires a certification and license, which requires 1 year of training. For that small group I mentioned above who deserve it, I really hope the certification happens soon. They’ll be the only ones not crying. Again, thanks for the sarcasm.

ubergigglefritz

For the distance I travel for my cuddle trips, I need at least some people to pay some amount in advance (a lot of my regular clients actually pay in full, some just the deposit). But if I have those people, then I still allow people to pay completely at the session. To keep things fair for the people who help make the trip happen by paying something in advance, I just have them pay $10/hr extra "convenience fee" for paying the day of the session. Also, your session is not reserved if someone else is interested and can pay in advance. Basically, I try to accommodate everyone, but I need to keep things fair and encouraging for the people who do pay in advance to help get me on the road.

But in relation to what @luv2cudl2 mentioned, many new clients are NOT comfortable paying anything in advance, because of all the people on here who are basically out to take your money =( So yes, a deposit is a very normal thing for LEGITIMATE professionals in ESTABLISHED professions to ask for, but this is not established yet, there are no requirements or qualifications for asking for money from people, so as a result, there are a LOT of illegitimate professionals in the muddy waters mixed with those of us who are serious about the work and are trustworthy :-/ It definitely does make things a lot more difficult for those of us who are...

BoomerSpooner

I have noticed in this and other threads when the topic of deposits comes up the ones that complain the most have cuddled the least. I do not say this as a direct insult, rather I am pointing this out that if you talk to many of these pro ladies, they get as much as 50% cancellation rates. You can’t stay in business like that. When they take an appointment and someone cancels, that is 2,3 or however many hours in lost time and wages. I travel all the time, 35 weeks a year, and hotels, rental car companies and others have “silent” deposits that you never see. I do not fault the pros for ensuring they are not financially abused. If you show up for your appointment it will go toward the session. And like someone said, if you do not like it, no one is making you go to that pro.

cuddlerforu24

@funcar .... you’re not doing an apples to apples comparison . The hotels and rental car places in your example spent millions in start up and have world wide locations .

ubergigglefritz

@cuddlerforu24 I don't understand the relevance...

cuddlerforu24

.... how about the hotel room and rental car will be there , and the possibility exists that the pro cuddler might not show up themselves . @ubergigglefritz .,, do you require a non refundable deposit , and what happens if for some reason you can’t keep the appointment?

In case that the hotel is overbooked and the rental car place are out of rentals , doesn’t the hotel find a vacancy in town ? ... and the rental car place finds a rental car ( ie avis is out of cars and calls hertz their competitor)

ubergigglefritz

Got it. Thanks. I have never not been able to keep an appointment yet, but would offer a refund or apply to a reschedule. Not all of my clients pay deposits, but I require some to before I will travel to another location. I know legitimate cuddling professionals across the country and Canada. Many require deposits (most are not on here). I think the better lesson is to find a legitimate professional and not just someone trying to make a quick easy buck 😉

cuddlerforu24

100 percent attendance !! That is a selling point.

ubergigglefritz

*as I recall... Ha.

BoomerSpooner

@cuddlerforu24 Does not matter if the example is apples to apples. The point is even the big guys do it as well as little guys. Other smaller examples of silent deposits are having your cc on file at the dentist’s office or not picking up an item on layaway in time and surrendering part of your money. You do not show you get hit financially. Only fair.

cuddlerforu24

@fun I see you point very clear except that you are still comparing apples to shampoo .
Let’s take a look at the average pro , and the average cc pro -client encounter .

In an enthusiast - enthusiast Cuddle both are bringing equally to the table .

Now in an pro - client encounter one or the other lacks something , ( appeal, etc) so money is substituted with makes things equal and they agree .

Now one of them says to other , “ I don’t trust you to show up as agreed , but if you let me hold some of the money prior as security , we will g ahead with the encounter .” “ but don’t worry , I don’t trust you , but you can trust me to show up as agreed”

Now , what is happening here ? The average pro - client both hold day jobs , the pro is only doing this for side money , what OH is had to be spent ? Both can host , have expenses to pay for the host location ,pay phone bills to communicate with one another ,have cars etc , and are at risk of influences that might interfere with a meeting . Flat tire , overbooked hotel , sickness ,iPhone battery went dead, yawn I’m too tired to do this tonight let’s do it next week , etc

Now someone want to make the deposit is non refundable .

I can see a deposit for , say , a clothing request that the pro has to buy or something

My point is the average CC professional is not running a business .

Yeah , there are those few out there that are running a business and trying to do this as a full time thing ., they are few.

RaindropSweetie

Whoa, I definitely would not say that money only comes into play if one is lacking something. Sometimes guys just pay you to go away and give them space when you're done. Ha ha ha. Sometimes the pay is just to get exactly what you know you want with convenience and no hassle.

While I have not charged a deposit so far, there are a few instances where I think a deposit is fair; cuddler booking hotel out of pocket, too many people want the exact same time for a session so we risk saying no to a no show while leaving someone who was more serious in the cold, cuddler is traveling a great distance to see someone using a lot of time and resources only to possibly face a cancel at the end, etc. I don't think it should be something charged to everyone.

BoomerSpooner

@cuddlerforu24 Have you ever built a business from the ground up? I would ask you how many minimum hours are required before it is a business?

I have built two successful businesses from the ground up and started them part time then sold them off for the mid six figures. You do not succeed in any kind of business constantly saying no harm, no foul. As a businessman I would say if you do not like the deposit then do not pick that person. Simple.

Now you can always report the pro if she cancels and keeps the money. But ultimately, in any monetary transaction, there is an element of a leap of faith. You can buy a house and it could fall apart in a year—that is the risk.

cuddlerforu24

@funcartel that’s very interesting . You are very successful . Myself ? I have discovered many years ago I do not have the personality type to run a business .

Did you tell your customers your product was a leap of faith ?

The archives have quite a few “ the pro didn’t show up “ or , .

I say again . You first comparison with hotels and rental cars are not simlilar to a pro cuddler client encounter . The over booked hotel finds you a vacancy , correct ? Or if they can’t ,Certainly they would give you your “ silent deposit “ back , wouldn’t they ?

I never heard of a procuddler suppling a substitute cuddler in case they could not keep an appointment .

cuddlerforu24

@ raindrop sweetie , you posted some good reason to require a deposit . And
If you collect a “ non refundable “ deposit , what happens if you can’t make the appointment?

BoomerSpooner

@cuddlerforu24 Yes, I have told them they had to trust me when they argued too much about certain policies. I have found that even though you bend over backwards for customers they still have no empathy for you when they screw up. Times that several times over. It is costly and can ripple to other customers in the form of stricter policies, rules and prices.

I found that those that complained about policies were never that critical to the success of the business and I could do without them. So in a way, merely having a required deposit can serve as a screening device.

But, to fully answer your question, in one of my businesses I would do large special orders. A 25% deposit was required and would be sacrificed if part of the order was cancelled, not paid for within 30 days or they changed their mind. Guess what? No one ever changed their mind or forgot to pay after that and I never had a decline in business as a result of my decision. I was not a monster, if they communicated in a timely manner and it was a legitimate reason, I would work with them. But asking people to put their money where there mouth is cures a lot of ills in the business world.

RaindropSweetie

If the cuddler misses the appointment, then it needs to be 100% refundable. It was no fault of the client. I'm pretty sure you can sue someone in smalls claims court for missing an appointment and trying to keep the deposit. It sounds a bit fraudulent.