@CuddleMeLater I meant more in terms of understanding why people may complain. Charge whatever you want.
I do think these price threads are annoying though. It's a bit like bullying, just bring it to moderator attention.
@CuddleMeLater Do you know how much an escort session is off the top of your head? People pay escorts just to snuggle way more than you realize. In Toronto, that goes for at least $350/hr, unless you wanna take your chances on LeoList. So yeah. Pros on this site could put their rates through the ROOF if they wanted, and guys would still pay. Just not you, apparently. lol
So, I'm not sure why you're complaining, if it's not because you think pros should drop their prices to a range you or other men could afford. If you really were trying to offer helpful advice to pros, out of the goodness of your heart, pro-bono, you would at least become familiar with the rates outside of this cuddle site.
@squeakytoy - It's sad that men are so touch starved that the only way to get companionship is to pay for it. I personally couldn't afford to pay a ridiculously high price. I'm not rich by any means and bills come first.
@squeakytoy
Do you know how much an escort session is off the top of your head? People pay escorts just to snuggle way more than you realize.
I do actually. Cuddles are very different from escorting. The fact that someone may occasionally pay an escort just to cuddle is not particularly relevant. And the fact that you'd make this comparison is telling.
Pros on this site could put their rates through the ROOF if they wanted, and guys would still pay. Just not you, apparently.
What do you know about the cuddle market? Seriously. I want to know. Do you have any experience with it? At all? As a pro or client? The reason cuddle prices tend to stay in the $80-$120 range is because that's what makes most people the most money. I've cuddled people who've tried to set higher prices (in the $150 range) and they always come back down because they have trouble getting clients, especially regulars.
If you really were trying to offer helpful advice to pros
I wasn't trying to offer helpful advice. I don't think any pro considering charging $500/hr is waiting for my advice. I was just trying to have a conversation about the topic of this thread.
@Mike403
It is absolutely my call. I am the ultimate arbitrator for all pricing issues. I decide what is an acceptable price and what is not. I also have an absolute right to anyone's time.
What a circlejerk. If you guys want to think that pricing yourself out of a market and making no money is the route to female empowerment, have at it.
Some of you guys have a weird way of going about conversation. I don't think you understand that people are allowed to comment about things and have an opinion. Like... if I say I think the Lakers made a bad play... that doesn't mean that I think I own the Lakers, that they should have been forbidden from making that play, or anything... except that I think the Lakers made a bad play.
@CuddleMeLater - Maybe somebody doesn't want a lot of clients. There are people out there where $5,000 is lunch money to them and they can afford to pay.
Also
So, I'm not sure why you're complaining
I'm not complaining. At least not about prices. I'm talking about them. I'm trying to have a conversation about them. I'm expressing my opinion about them. But it has absolutely zero effect on me that this woman tried to charge $500 for cuddles. Consequently, I wasn't complaining.
@CuddleMeLater King James always makes the right play .....
People will literally drop $500+ at a strip club... so it's not unheard of for somebody to spend that much money.
@Mike403 most of the men who pay for it are either pretty well off or bad with money, lol. But it's almost prohibitively expensive for a reason. Prostitutes die and go missing all the time.
That being said, I do agree with you. It upsets me that there's such a stigma about men and platonic touch (at least, I'm assuming it's the case in the culture you grew up with as well). Touch is so important for human health, but so are autonomy and safety. I wish I could come up with a solution.
Maybe somebody doesn't want a lot of clients.
That is possible. I actually know of a cuddler (one who I didn't see but who was the friend of a cuddler I did see multiple times) who was charging $300/hr, under the logic that she didn't particularly want to cuddle, but if someone was willing to pay that much she'd do it.
Last I heard she had not had a single client. That was months ago, so maybe she's had one since... but I doubt it.
Thanks everyone for the input and spirited responses. I wanted to to clarify that my intention was not to judge or criticize. It is a free market and supply meets demand. It's just that, in my 3 years on this site, I have never seen such a high fee (with the 2 hour minimum it would be $1000) I was confused but the comments helped. 🙏🙏 Dean
@CuddleMeLater, intimate services all carry the same risk for women, whether that service is cuddling, sitting on the couch having an intimate conversation with no touching (because men sometimes just get emotionally starved), throwing fruit at someone, or giving a foot job. So yeah, you can bet your tush I think the pros on here should be charging to account for the same risks. And I fail to see how an escort isn't part of the cuddle market if she offers cuddles, but hey, you're free to choose your own definitions.
Anyway, if you're just here to complain about the prices with other men who don't like the prices, carry on. It's yo life. But don't go acting like you were just stating your opinion here and we're being unreasonable - you engaged me first! I really was just stating my own opinion, and I was talking to @Importance. lol
@squeakytoy pretty sure the real reason is 'cause they can'. I feel like you don't really feel empathetic towards men. You talk about them the same way you would a shark. "They're endangered and thier environment stop killing them but they're too dangerous to interact with". Kinda doesn't feel like you believe men have the same capacity for thoughts, feelings, and fears that women do. Being the same species with 99.9999% the same dna and all.
@Importance ~ to make sure nothing nefarious is taking place.
@_Almost_everyone_else... and YES this is a long one... I'm quoting myself (for the most part) from some comments I made (mostly) in the, "High Hourly Rates?" thread, back in September, 2020.
My Personal, "If I Went Pro Pricing" is noted under the spoiler below and to many will seem high, but my reasoning is simple...
The amount of effort involved with communication, coordination, getting ready, travel or hosting considerations, plus blocking out enough time to be fully present with a stranger who may like to extend their session, and having to reinforce boundaries and expectations, and the paperwork/fees/taxes, etc. (not to mention the need to then reset myself/re-ground myself so I'd be fully present for the next person, could take days)!
To go through all that, for just an hour or two, is whack-a-do! There's not a chance I would do that on the regular - It would just be too exhausting!
How these "pros" are able to do all that they do, and put up with all the judgemental nonsense spewed about them in the forums, some with well thought measured responses too, and dealing with the liberties some clients feel justified in taking because they are "paying for her time"... all that for just an hour or two worth of payment is staggering and should be applauded! (IMHO!)
Seriously, I ever went "Pro"...
I'd charge $500 for the first hour then $50 for each additional hour up to 5 more, and then starts over but halved ~ $250 then $25 for each additional hour up to 5 more (so 12 hours = $1125.⁰⁰)
So yeah ~ it's a lot but, my hypothetical hourly rate/pricing system, totally reflects all that effort mentioned above. No matter what the beforehand work is the same whether the cuddle is only one hour or five hours... except maybe snacks - and I'd put that on the client to bring (with the offer of a free hour if they brought enough for me).
Overall I think it's pretty reasonable considering my charge clock would be paused during time spent sleeping (ie - I'd only charge for my awake time while together).
But I'd also have a reward system in place. I mean I'm not greedy... It would be some sort of punch card system where after 5 ♡'s you get to book sessions at a previously stated (in another thread) rate of, $300 for the first hour then $25 for each additional (up to 12 waking hours). Then after 10 ♡'s at that rate, all 15 of your session times would be averaged and you'd get a free one for that amount of time. And then it all starts over again.
♡Reward System: 1 ♡ just for following all the rules 2 ♡'s if you were extra awesome!
Because I'm worth it and so is my time and effort!
And so is that of every one else!
I don't care if one wants to charge $1000 an hour ~ Go them and their clients who are able to afford it!! And I hope they enjoy their cuddles!!!! 🤗
PS ~ There's not a chance I'd ever truly consider going "Pro" ~ I'm just not cut out for it, and I know it. Lol
@apollo916 , thanks for adding this clarification! And it's all good, it led to a lively discussion I'm glad the comments helped.
@hugonehugall Agreed. Sure is a lot of ridiculousness on a regular schedule.
@quixotic_life
@squeakytoy I appreciate you! 👏🏻👏🏻
So yeah, you can bet your tush I think the pros on here should be charging to account for the same risks.
So why do you think pros set the prices they do (mostly in the $80-$120 range)? Do you think the pros here hate money? I promise you they don't. If they could make more money charging more they would do it. Prices are what they are because that's where they've stabilized - where the market achieved equilibrium.
All the stuff about risk is really beside the point. You might be right that a woman takes $500 worth of risk for every hour she spends cuddling. Or maybe it's $50,000. I have no idea. But that doesn't mean anyone would be willing to pay $50,000 or $500 to cuddle.
(This is a tangent, but... I actually think the cuddle market is slightly broken and prices may be artificially high. I think stigma and lack of knowledge about pro cuddling may be artificially limiting supply of cuddlers. If that somehow changed, if more women became aware of the existence of pro cuddling, I think more pro cuddlers would enter the market and prices would actually drop.)
And I fail to see how an escort isn't part of the cuddle market if she offers cuddles
Let me ask you this. You seem to be under the impression that lots of men are regularly paying escorts $350/hr to cuddle. Why are they doing this? Why would anyone put themselves in legal jeopardy and pay $350 when they could easily get the same thing legally for $100?
if you're just here to complain about the prices
I'm... not complaining about prices. I'm talking about prices. Please stop saying that I said things I didn't. People can charge what they want.
@CuddleMeLater - Maybe some set their price high so they can be picky on who they want to cuddle. They can set custom prices for each member.
Maybe some set their price high so they can be picky on who they want to cuddle.
Kind of seems backwards... the higher you set your prices, the fewer potential clients you'll get, so the harder it is to be picky...
@CuddleMeLater - Read my second sentence.
It seems the market has decided the sweet spot for most pros is between $80-$100 that’s what I see a majority charge I assume based on everything we’ve discussed here. Those cuddlers in that price range also seem to be the most successful, however you determine that whether it be popularity, positive reviews , karma ratings whatever .... point being yes a pro can charge whatever they desire and if it’s too much for you yes move on to the next option , there are plenty of affordable ones out there. It’s also fair to say that while that yes a pro can charge $500 dollars an hour the market has dictated at least on this site that they won’t be that successful at that rate.
@Mike403 I did. They can set custom prices when booking a session, but everyone will still see the same advertised rate before they message.
How these "pros" are able to do all that they do ....
Look, I appreciate pros. I'm very glad they're around. I've had some really great times with pros that I'm truly grateful for. And I know they do have to put up with some absolute nonsense or worse sometimes, which I really sympathize with. But what is the deal with putting them on a pedestal like this?
I know a pro cuddler who is a drug addict and can't hold a regular job who has no trouble making a living through cuddling. Several others have told me it's the easiest money they've ever made. Others have left regular jobs for cuddling because they make the same money with much fewer hours.
And, as I've said before, pro cuddlers are not saints. A few of them are outright bad people -- thieves, scammers, etc. But mostly they're just decent women making a living or earning some extra cash. Which is fine! It's great. But they're not some amazing majestic creatures we must all bow down to. They're pretty much just like the rest of us.
So whenever I see one of these posts waxing rhapsodic about what angels pros are and how hard their job is and how selfless they are... I honestly roll my eyes. I don't get it. I don't think you guys are living in the real world.
A lot of opinions floating around here, which we are all entitled to have, but not many from actual pros, interestingly.
$500 is too much to make money off of, but maybe the pro is not interested in making money. Or maybe they only want to cuddle rich people to try to make money on low volume, high price. Of course anyone can charge whatever they want. It’s a free country.
I do worry about the safety of professionals. It also seems very mentally exhausting work for which they should be healthily compensated. I also feel for the touch deprived people out there. If they can’t find human touch in their daily lives, I’d like for something to be available to them that they can afford. It means so much to them.
Pros likely would not exist if severely touch deprived people, mostly men, didn’t exist. Luckily for the guys that make a mere mortals salary, there are many other options.
Ideally we’d live in a world where people didn’t have to buy a reassuring human touch, but alas here we are. Women are not required to fix the touch deprivation problems (of mostly men), so they are under no obligation to cater their prices to any particular crowd. But I’m sure they can figure out on their own what they should charge if they so decide to enter that world. As long as they are free to charge what they want, supply vs demand, and their personal motivations and ambitions, will inform them what to charge.
As an independent contractor through this site, we are given a guideline of rules to follow -- after that, it's up to the contractor what their time is worth.
I'm not saying it's OKAY to overcharge, but it's THEIR decision at the end of the day.
Clearly, if you are not a smart contractor and aware of your market, you can charge as much as you like per hour, doesn't mean they will book.
I've cuddled on this site for over 2 years now. I've seen a lot of pros and clients come and go. You see the ones that stay typically are the real deal.
I've also never have raised or lowered my rates, regardless of having over 150+ karma. I see a huge flux of cuddlers who seem to think the moment they have like 7 reviews they raise it another 20-50 an hour. Which is not a bad thing per say, but as someone who likes consistency in her life, I like knowing my clients know what to expect from me.
Side note: I have also always offered discounts, so a lot of the time clients aren't paying 100/hr - they can pay anywhere from 50-80/hr depending on how long you want to get together.
It's all about your focus.
Mine is my clients, then my bank account.
However, there is no shame or wrong way to go about making a little extra to it being your full time work, due to exposure or costs, just don't expect others to take you AS seriously if you aren't serious about taking a look into the needs of a potential client while keeping to what makes you feel safe and supported as a pro.
@MissAdventurous well said as usual. And speaking of consistency, i must say you continue to be the most level-headed and reasonable person on the forum. I am sure you have personal struggles as everyone does, but i have never seen you come here and make the forum your surrogate therapist and haven for dumping all your issues on everyone else. I am not surprised by your immense collection of karma...you deserve each and every one of them.
My perspective is that of a client. Personally having these price discussions now and then is a good thing. At the very least new members can get a gauge on what others are paying, and regular clients can discuss and set the market. Like a union for clients lol. As for what a cuddler should charge, that's no one's concern but the provider's. It can even be helpful to new pros too to know what to charge to get more or less clients. Win win.
They can charge whatever they want if someone is willing to pay that much. Even if I was a multi-millionaire I wouldn't pay anywhere near $500 an hour to cuddle. As it is now I think $100 an hour is too much, but since that now seems to be the low end, once it's safe again from the virus, I'll have no choice but to pay that amount if I want to cuddle again.