If you don't like deposits, just move on to the next pro. I don't understand why it can't be that simple. 🥸
I know. And I stated as much. But apparently it is not that simple. To me it is simple and I just find a cuddler that I match and vibe with. I wish nothing but the best for the pros that I skipped because they charge a deposit. I am sure there are some people who are willing to pay a deposit. Different strokes for different folks.
Thank you as usual @MissAdventurous for bringing wisdom with a light touch.
@FunCartel It is too bad that only a very small percentage of members will see your posts on this thread . You said it clearly and precisely and I appreciate you. Time for this thread to go nite nite.
Not a big fan of it so i skip/avoid those who ask for a deposit. it kinda turns me off, though it is not nearly as ridicules as the "Hosting Fee" charged by some cuddlers.
My solution when a pro's terms don't work for me is to find a pro whose terms do work for me. Since I'm not receiving services from the first group, their business practices are no concern of mine.
Also, the pros that I do engage may not work for other people, and that's ok too.
I'm grateful that there are lots of pros to choose from, and that several of them work out very well for me.
@MissAdventurous Beautifully said ~
@MissAdventurous 💯
This thread is exhausting to read haha! Goodness! I'm a new pro here and haven't asked for a deposit yet because I haven't felt the need to, since the two clients I've had, showed and show's up everytime. I'm also always paid right before the session begins. So no complaints there! After reading these responses from pro cuddlers and cuddlers, I'm thinking "am I going to have to ask for a deposit to ensure protection from no shows and no reconciliation in the future"?
As my Karma reviews build on Cuddle Comfort, I may request a deposit if I see fit, but would also be offering a 100% money back guarantee, to a client who needs to cancel, and does within 48 hours of booking. So it at least gives me time to try and fill that spot, which I believe is fair and not an unreasonable ask. As a professional makeup artist for 7 years, I've also taken deposits, never had an issue or complaints and also pay a deposit to my wax lady before I see her. I do understand why some cuddlers might be hesitant, because Lord! The amount of fake profiles I see on this site, makes the real pros who do this for a living and who are passionate about this line of therapy, look bad! Especially when you've been ghosted after making a deposit. I get it. I've been there!
I suggest if you really are wanting to book a specific pro cuddler, who has excellent Karma reviews and they require a deposit, do your due diligence so that you feel more secure, comfortable and protected. Such as letting the pro know before moving forward with a deposit, that you will be reaching out to past and future clients who have left a karma review, asking to have a face-to-face video chat session prior to meeting and asking a ton of questions! For my own safety and comfort and the clients, I do have face-to-face video calls to make sure the person I'm potentially about to cuddle, and I are the right fit and that they see I'm safe enough to be with and vice versa. This is also a way for me to get to understand their needs and what they are looking for.
The other option is to simply not bother with a pro who request a deposit 🤷🏾♀️ . Everyone's boundaries should be respected and if your boundary is to NOT pay a deposit for whatever reason, find someone who doesn't require a deposit. It's pretty simple;) Making a potential client feel safe and secure should be a pros number one priority and I'm sorry to those who have been trusting and were burnt/ghosted after providing a deposit. This is why I highly urge you again to do your research, ask questions, trust your gut or simply move in to someone else.
Have a wonderful experience and Happy Cuddles!❤️🤗
P.S. this isn't directed at anyone in particular, especially not the one who started this thread. You aren't overreacting and your feelings are valid, given what you and many have been through. This is mainly towards the ones who are complaining pros have a deposit policy, period and the pros who may not be as empathetic towards those who have been burned by fake pros on this site
@MerandaCuddles most of the forums can be exhausting lol especially a lot of ones directed at the pros and how we decide to run our business. 😂 they make you remember how spoiled some people can be
I am all for getting payed through deposits. Times are rough, got bills
Worked Vince Vaughn into the thread...cant hate on that!🤫🤐🤯
As far as this site though. I refuse to talk about someones money.
@JoyfulHeart Perfectly summed up!
I've got to say my comments couldn't have been taken more unfavorably. 🙃 I should add that my default is being straight up and direct. I apologize if that's not most cup of tea and crumpets. Haha feeling very New Englandy up here in the northeast, now in Vermont. My trip to Massachusetts was not riding on this one appointment in the least. I genuinely treat people with respect and the return is nice. Unfaltered as usual. I'm having myself a great time extending my olive branch to those who do so for me. My first few cuddles came to me from Ma area so I had to give them a taste of their own medicine. I'll give people the benefit of the doubt and even second chances. Will you give pros you have appropriately vetted a 2nd chance who ask for deposit? We are all NOT here to miss out on all life has to offer. Don't miss out.
I am so lighthearted but opinionated in my own right. I am not above others or their beliefs or against their own principles. So don't make me start singing Reach Out and Touch up in here. 🤭
Well, at least this thread has been an education in how the forum works... just like the rest of the internet, I guess.
@cuddlefaery - I appreciate your last response. Thank you for keeping the conversation in clear facts and well reasoned argument, rather than ad hominems.
Pros do carry the greater risk of a failed transaction, and you made a compelling case for how requiring a deposit can be a reasonable trade-off, in an imperfect situation, without dismissing all the other risks. I cannot disagree with that.
But I'd take (partial) issue with your last point - we keep talking about the privacy/scam risks as if its a client-only problem, and the only concern is for a client losing 20/40/X% deposit amount - and they just need to learn to be streetwise on the internet.
Clients have an easy enough decision: if they don't like the perceived risk for their level of comfort, just move on.
But this is not a client-only problem: there are online payment scams targeting the person/business receiving the money, as much as the senders (e.g.: fake-sale scams). Nor is losing deposit money the worst thing to worry about: commonly used cash apps are not designed to use safely between strangers, and have their own privacy risks even putting actual money scams aside.
Pros carry the greater risks from online payments as well - more transactions with strangers, and typically a public and more share-y online presence by necessity. Its a larger security risk surface, and a higher privacy risk.
This is not to say online deposits cannot be handled safely, but its a whole vetting process: fully vet the other party before exchanging payment information, getting really familiar with the privacy settings for different cash apps and their changing privacy policies, etc. (Venmo at least has seriously problematic defaults).
In the end, we're all grown up people who need to deal with our own risks, but if every discussion about risk becomes an adversarial 'pros vs client' argument and we pretend every concern is an attack, it does not make the environment safer for anyone.
@pmvines - regarding the 'heated argument' point, I stand corrected. I understand now this thread was doomed from the start, even if not from a direction I'd have anticipated.
I'm still assuming everyone has good intentions from their point of view, but at this point the propane is shining a bit too bright for my eyes. I'll go back to my hermit cave and let this thread die.
@protectoratum This was never about pros vs. clients. The OP asked if anyone had ever been scammed, decided not to pay a deposit, and if he was in the minority in this. He was not alone in that based on the answers but it devolved into that dichotomy when it was mansplained for lack of a better term why we should pay deposits. Why clients should pay and the reasons for doing so was not the topic. No one was attacking pros, they were airing their stance on deposits. The OP was not asking for a broad discussion on the intricacies of being a pro. Most of us know what the challenges are for pros, especially if you have been on the forums for awhile. There are topics on travel fees, discounts, bad eggs, good eggs, etc. I think it stayed pretty civil given what I have seen in the past. But the thread was derailed when simple choices were questioned and challenged even when the personal reasons were legitimate and based on experiences. It would be nice just to answer the OP’s question without it turning into a sociology debate by pseudo intellectuals every time.
Yes I am frustrated by this, because I love pros and just because I won’t pay a pro a deposit as well as others who have stated the same policy, does not mean we are anti -pro. If anything there were undertones by the pros who charge deposits insinuating that pros who don’t are less than which @MissAdventurous quickly put to rest.
@protectoratum Well said! A lot of us including myself, read the initial questions posted, but began reading other responses and the topic at hand was a bit lost in translation. Which is why I made it a case in point to address the initial question at the end of my post when I realized I had addressed other debates and discussions on this forum instead of the original question. Humans I tell you!
Nonetheless I do enjoy these forums, even if though the conflict tends to drain me as I read on I've learned a lot here and discussions like this and many others need to be had.
Happy Hump Day ✌🏾🏳️