Talk barter to me

Nature_Lover_Nature_Lover_
edited February 2022 in General

Color me curious …

I value cuddling as it is an intimate exchange of energy and ideas especially when considering the proximity and vulnerability I am permitted with people I wouldn’t otherwise connect with if it weren’t for this platform. Initially I was unsure about what might be the best form of payment but have come to find out many people do indeed trade services instead of direct payment.

I’m curious about barter- are you open to bartering ( exchanging services or goods instead of money ) if so, please respond to my poll and I would love to know what you have bartered or would be willing to barter in exchange for cuddling.

One reoccurring example of barter I see if cuddle time for a hotel booking. I do accept barter and am very open minded. I’ve accepted work on a website in place of monetary payment for cuddles. Have been set up with lodging and cuddled to compensate or show appreciation for such kinds gestures.

If you’ve found this post and can shed light on what works for you or what doesn’t I appreciate your insight and sharing.

😊✌️💗

Photo removed as it hints at solicitation

Comments

  • DaringSprinterDaringSprinter
    edited February 2022

    I'm not sure this site encourages barter. @Sideon? @Babichev? You'd know better than me....

    See comment further down. - Babichev

  • [Deleted User]Gabriel2k (deleted user)

    Interesting concept, though if I had to hazard a guess I would say that not many professional cuddlers would go for it; where most, if not all enthusiasts would say that it is a really good idea. Can't wait to read other people's comments on the matter.

  • [Deleted User]DeadGirlWalking (deleted user)

    I imagine the problem you'd find with the barter system is the way in which people place value on themselves, their services, or items they might choose to barter with. For example, I wouldn't pay a pro to cuddle with because I don't think it is worth it for me. I present as female, so anecdotally I wouldn't find it difficult to find a cuddle partner, and I don't have a high income, so paying for cuddles is something that doesn't appeal to me. I make props and costumes for cosplay- this takes hours. I also write, sew, make jewellery and other items. This also takes a long time. If none of these services/goods are covetable according to the person I'd be bartering with, or if we place different value on these things based on our perception of the work, time and effort involved in their production, then we won't reach an agreement were both completely happy with. It all boils down to value consensus.

  • ShaneSchruteShaneSchrute

    I think bartering comes down to perceived value. For example I don’t like massage but I love cuddling. If I was gifted a $200 massage gift certificate I would exchange it for less than that amount in cuddles because massage has less value to me. I do freelance design and illustration. I would exchange services equally with a pro cuddler because that seems fair to me because I value cuddling and my own craft equally. I think bartering is very individualized.

  • RadiantHugsRadiantHugs Mod
    edited February 2022

    Once a pro (not on this website) expressed a desire to go to a pricey show (Hamilton). I suggested a public cuddle session where I would cover the cost of the show in exchange for any payment of time. That worked out in so much as one show ticket was about equal to the payment for her time, but not so well considering that I personally would never have paid that much for myself to go to see that show (Hamilton tickets are out of proportion expensive compared to other Broadway options). I did it because I liked cuddling with the pro and wanted to enable a wish of hers, but in any other case I would just have paid for the session.

    Another time I fixed a pro's car in exchange for an agreed number of future cuddle sessions (again, not someone from on here.) In that case the pro did not honor her end of the deal - she refused to honor any sessions after only half of the number of sessions we had agreed to - saying she had "raised her price and charges much more now." Okay, but we had an agreement. I of course never saw that pro again.

  • TheFunCartelTheFunCartel

    I think it encourages fascism. Look what happened in Bartertown to poor Max.

  • ShaneSchruteShaneSchrute
    edited February 2022

    @CuddlesByDeep so sorry you got ripped off. That’s the down side of bartering with services. Was she mad when you later removed her car’s distribution cap? ;) Just kidding. I get no retribution vibes from you.

  • [Deleted User]WriterGF (deleted user)

    I guess it would depend on if a pro cuddler needed a writer for something.

  • Nature_Lover_Nature_Lover_

    These are all good insights and so very appreciated!! I’ve often seen paid cuddler advertise that they would offer a free portion of their session if they were provided a hotel room.

    With regard to this platform their is a set percentage of booking fees you pay based on the session time so I suppose you would want to value the service you receive at the rate of your hourly charge as an example to ensure as a paid cuddler are not “losing money” on booking fees in relation to the services bartered. Staying tuned for any feedback given by moderators. 😊

    @CuddlesByDeep I am sorry to hear of you being taking advantage of! I think clear communication up front can help minimize this but when it comes to barter my experiences have not always been congruent. The mutual value of exchanges goods or services is critical. As long as valuation of the exchanges services is affirmed and agreed upon it could work -
    if that is, unlike in your case, they hold up their end of the exchange.

    I have a friend who bartered private yoga lessons for a person who then taught their son how to play an instrument and have been fascinated about this concept ever since!

  • cuddleversedcuddleversed

    I don’t know if it qualifies but I once offered a pro a gift card for the price of the session and she accepted it so it was a win win for both of us because I had a gift card that I had no immediate use for and she probably did.
    The other kind of bartering requires a lot of good faith because like it happened to @CuddlesByDeep the propensity for people to renege on an agreement once they’ve received payment is high and it’s a bad feeling.

  • JubalJubal

    If it's something that both parties can easily agree on the value, then yes. I would be glad to trade unused gift cards (like Starbucks, Barnes & Noble, etc) at their face value to a cuddler - I get these cards from clients and family and they often just sit in my desk.

  • RadiantHugsRadiantHugs Mod

    I have a friend who bartered private yoga lessons for a person who then taught their son how to play an instrument and have been fascinated about this concept ever since!

    @Nature_Lover_ barter has worked very nicely for me in some cases. In grad school I did an exchange where I tutored physics to a player on the tennis team who then gave me an equal amount of hours in tennis lessons. That worked out very nicely, I actually got some great lessons and I've loved tennis ever since.

    When it comes to exchange, I always propose an hour for hour like exchange. For some exchanges, that translates to a comparable value; for others, not as much.

  • [Deleted User]DeletedAccounts (deleted user)

    I love bartering :-) I’ve traded photo shoots and photography lessons for different things that I needed or other services that I needed. And I’ve even talk to someone about trading cuddle time for that as well. Haven’t done it yet, but it makes a lot of sense for me. But it would have to be overwhelmingly mutually beneficial I’d say for it to work out successfully.

  • MorpheusMorpheus
    edited February 2022

    Is booking a hotel really bartering? It’s basically paying for a session but in a different way. A girl that used to be a pro on here offered me a free session if I would cut off someone’s utility. I won’t say what utility company I work for. When I said no, she upped her offer and offered to have sex with me. I still said no. Sorry not gonna risk me Job or do anything unethical.

  • BabichevBabichev
    edited February 2022

    Those with professional accounts are required to pay a 15% commission on appointments made with clients gained through this website. How would that work with a barter? They could book the appointment, pay the commission to the site, and just not collect dollars from the client. If they did that I don’t see how it would matter to the site. The pro collects payment themselves. As long as the value of the session is being reported and the commission paid, the site wouldn’t necessarily know whether the pro collected dollars or car repair in payment.

    If they used bartering to circumvent the booking system then that would present a problem and would lead to an account closure and being banned from the site. That would not be smart because it would mean losing a source of clients. There are other sites but they charge twice the commission.

    As a massage therapist, I was sometimes approached to barter for massage. In most cases the person asking for the barter did not have something to exchange that was of value to me and in a couple of cases where I agreed to barter they got the massage and then did not hold up their end of the bargain. In one case I provided several sessions to a woman in exchange for 10 hours of her helping me with paperwork. She only did 3 hours and then flaked out on me. As a result, I’ve only done it rarely. The landlord, the grocery store, and the utility companies want me to pay in dollars so that’s what I barter for.

    Someone brought up a barter situation where a pro raised their price and then did not provide the agreed upon hours. Something similar happened to a friend of mine years ago. He was one of these guys who was a survivalist, believed the dollar was going to collapse, and preferred to be paid in silver dimes (back when they were still in circulation). He agreed to do some plumbing work for X number of silver dimes per hour. Just before he was to be paid for the work, the price of silver collapsed so that suddenly X number of dimes was worth less than half of what it had been when he made this agreement. He expected the guy to pay him the value of what X number of dimes had been when they made the agreement but the agreement was for X number of dimes, not X value in dimes. He lost his shirt on that one.

    Bartering can work when people have something to trade that’s of value to each other, they agree on the value of what is traded, and each can be trusted to hold up their end of the agreement. That’s a lot of variables.

  • SideonSideon
    edited February 2022

    Note: Bartering is not officially permitted here but there are circumstances where we might allow it. [Mark]

    @Nature_Lover_ - In all instances, we ask that Pros and clients communicate and book sessions through CC. In regards to bartering IF it is allowed or utilized, we expect the booking fee to be included.

    Barter thread: https://www.cuddlecomfort.com/forum/discussion/comment/43700#Comment_43700

    -Sid

  • NicoSnuggsNicoSnuggs
    edited February 2022

    I would love to exchange memes and video game tokens and Reddit awards for a cuddle session…

    But still have yet to find any takers… :(

  • Libra0Libra0

    LOL, I highly doubt most pro's would barter. That just opens a can of worms.

  • BabichevBabichev
    edited February 2022

    One more thing to consider: Legally, one is required to report to the IRS the value of goods and services received in barter and pay income tax on it. Most people don’t. If, however, a significant percentage of your income is coming about via barter, not reporting it can cause problems. If you don’t have visible means of support, the IRS can get you for tax evasion. If someone with whom you are bartering gets audited and it is revealed that they have been bartering with you, then the IRS is on your case. If your reported income is low, you face a problem if you apply for a loan to buy a car or a house. If it goes on over a period of many years your Social Security, which is based on your income, will be less. It can already be difficult to get a loan when you are self-employed; having an artificially low income makes it that much more difficult.

  • OhioMikeOhioMike

    One of my businesses belongs to a bartering company that handles all the legal/ tax etc issues that come up with bartering. It’s a huge network of pros from all industries. Dentists, accountants , car detailing, you name it. It does work but there are limits like anything else

  • Nature_Lover_Nature_Lover_

    @Babichev solid points! That’s why I hired an accountant 🤣🤷‍♀️ But seriously, all valid points and as always, the insights are are welcomed and appreciated.

  • CC99CC99

    Lol @FunCartel

    I think I may be one of the few people that gets that reference. I love that movie.

    ‘Who run Bartertown?’

  • Nature_Lover_Nature_Lover_

    Also @Sideon I will review that fully and appreciate the Information. Appreciate the clarification and apologies for any extra work this post may have caused for y’all. Not intentional and At the very least I hope it helped further inform others as well.

    Big warm hugs from Nashville to everyone 😊😊😊

  • [Deleted User]cuddlebear4U48 (deleted user)

    I've written an authorized biography for a man I've never met in the UK (in first person). I'd love to get into writing people's bios for them but would still want to pay for a professional cuddle. Act now, and I'll throw in this lovely set of Ginsu knives. They slice, they dice. And look, you can still cut this tomato after sawing a cedar tree in half.

  • Francisco108Francisco108

    Yes, I am open to bartering my services.

    I perform the following types of professional services:

    • Surveillance camera system installations. (CCTV)
    • Computer repairs
    • Network installations.
    • Web hosting. (Requires domain name registration separately done directly through a registrar)
    • Website creation.

    However, I would probably not be open to barter CCTV due to costs differentials, but everything else I am ok with bartering.

  • Nature_Lover_Nature_Lover_

    @cuddlebear4U48 🤣🤣🤣 this is hilarious and @Francisco108 Dope ! I have a lap top that needs repair. I had to buy another one but would love to salvage that one. If I’m in your area I’d pay cash for you to repair it. Lol

Sign In or Register to comment.