Travel Fee - Your Opinion?

TD1964RGKTD1964RGK
in General

What are your thoughts on this?

Pro has a $100/hour cuddle fee.

When contacted for a booking advises there is a $200 travel fee.

When that is questioned because the booking is in the neighboring town, an absolute maximum of 11 minutes away, the response is “My travel fee is what my travel fee is. I wish you the best.”

Huh?

Comments

  • [Deleted User]WriterGF (deleted user)

    So pass this pro by and find another one. If that is their policy, the odds are they won't get much in the way of bookings.

  • BearBear

    If there are plenty of other professionals nearby, I would say find somebody else.

    Otherwise, if there is no one else, it might be easier to book a room closer to them, lol.

    For me that would be a no go

  • starrynitecudsstarrynitecuds
    edited November 2024

    That's hilarious. Sounds like she's trying to avoid the mandatory fee from the site. Seems like she found a loophole, since travel fees aren't fee'd income or monitored (and it sounds like she doesn't have it in her profile.)
    (I originally suggested to report, but she's not breaking any rules. So, I stand corrected.)

  • SoosonSooson

    @starrynitecuds The "travel fee" could also be a way to tell someone she doesn't want to see them. So I wonder if she is consistent with that fee. either way, not cool.
    .

  • starrynitecudsstarrynitecuds
    edited November 2024

    @Sooson I edited my response because the pro isn't breaking any site rules. She's using the loophole. She even told him ahead of scheduling, and from I've read here on the forums, the site doesn't REQUIRE pros even mentioning travel fees or amounts in their profile (If "reasonable fee/charge" is the term used by the site, then it's a valid charge, because "reasonable" is vague and left up to personal interpretation.)

  • lovingspoonfulllovingspoonfull

    Thanks for sharing, I got a chuckle. Poll the forum and you’ll see an overwhelming response that the level of fee is not reasonable, but to her credit she told you in advance. I had one potential cuddler only disclose the magnitude of the fee after booking (it was nowhere near 200). I ended up declining it though and will wait to see her when I’m closer and would not have to pay it.

  • SoosonSooson
    edited November 2024

    @starrynitecuds Ok I still think we are on the same side of this issue. There is plenty that both sides can get away with that is legal and not against the rules. My theory about using a high fee to deter someone you're not sure you want to see still stands.

  • ReltvlyCanshesReltvlyCanshes

    Sounds like this pro is just being selective who they choose to cuddle to me. Could just be trying to avoid that town or they don't even live in the town listed to avoid being a known cuddler in town. All sorts of things come to mind on what could be happening but i don't think there is a violation. I also think if it works it works, maybe the money is paid and maybe they get to be selective. Seems odd, but just move on.

  • KuddlyKoalaKuddlyKoala

    They probably just don't want to cuddle with you.
    Whenever I have a travel fee, it's actually less than what I'm spending on travel🤷‍♀️

  • starrynitecudsstarrynitecuds

    @Sooson We do agree. I hadn't thought about that, but yes, it very well could be seen as discriminatory, if not practiced uniformly. Even though the site allows Pros to do something, doesn't mean it's legal. Pros are still required to know and abide by their country/federal, state/province and local laws.

  • pmvinespmvines

    If someone is dumb enough to pay 200 travel fee then so be it I suppose. I do feel like there is certainly good reason to request travel fees but you still have to keep it within the realm of reality. I have no issue with people requesting travel fees I have no dog in the fight because it's not something I've personally come across but then again my cuddle friends are established friendships who cuddle because we enjoy spending time together, so we aren't exactly complaining about driving to see each other.

    My thoughts are that there are loads of services that travel to you that don't ask for travel fees. Such as pest control, landscapers, plumbers etc. sometimes you just have to be willing to travel to where the work is in order to make a living. So there's certainly the right to request a travel fee, but at the same time it's entitled to expect that it is something you are unconditionally owed. People also have the right to just say no, so trash talking about it on threads is really kinda pointless.

  • Katelyn_BKatelyn_B

    I would make a note to myself on her profile so I don't forget or maybe block her, and move on to someone who wants to act a bit more reasonable.

  • JubalJubal

    In general, travel fees are fine by me if they're disclosed upfront, and the amount is reasonable. I've seen many pros say that their travel fee is distance based ($X per mile or such)

    $200 for a 10-15 minute drive doesn't sound reasonable to me and I'd keep on looking.

  • JWestfallJWestfall

    Assuming this OP's story is real (I'm withholding judgment, without knowing the inside details), I'd say block and move on. There's something funny going on there, and it's not good.

  • BrianOceanBrianOcean

    Yet another topic I have never even heard about. Ever

    Has anyone seen this before? Travel Fee in a local area -twice the price of the cuddle.

    No one is paying that.

    Sounds like a polite [or maybe not so polite] way of saying they don't really want to cuddle.

  • goodbyehuggoodbyehug

    From a pro’s perspective, I can understand suggesting a travel fee if she’s traveling an hour each way as a discussion beforehand, but there’s no way that the travel fee you’re talking about even adds up to gas or time. Pass!

  • TD1964RGKTD1964RGK

    In response to the suggestions that maybe they just don’t want to cuddle with me, wouldn’t it be easier to just ignore my message altogether (and even block me)?

    Ignoring requests happens all the time and is a frequent topic in the forum.

    Somehow, I do not believe this is a “polite” way of turning down a cuddle request. 🙂

  • ReltvlyCanshesReltvlyCanshes

    It would be easier, but people don't always choose easy. Or it's worth it for 300

  • [Deleted User]Ihavenoidea2 (deleted user)

    @TD1964RGK I've had a similar experience with someone. She wanted me to pay a travel fee AND give her gas money. I told her that's not how it works. The travel fee is for your gas, you don't get both. If I told the military I wanted both, they would laugh at me. Her response was just about the same. She refused to budge and said okay, let me know if you change your mind. I have to drive two hours just to be in their area also.

  • [Deleted User]MaverickLegend (deleted user)

    I don’t feel like I get my moneys worth unless I pay a travel fee, gas, uber, gas for the uber and deposit etc.

  • BelizeanQueenBelizeanQueen

    My personal opinion is much like everyone else’s here. Move onto a pro that’s cheaper. I have travel fees as well but it’s a flat price for a drive that’s an hour or more, when looking at the mileage and the round trip, it makes sense. I made a 3hr and 20min drive (round trip) just last week on a session and still only charged the flat rate for travel. $100 sounds outrageous for 11min of a drive. There’s no way anyone can justify that other than to say, that you can’t (or shouldn’t) tell people how much they should be charging.

  • [Deleted User]mariacoss39 (deleted user)

    Interesting. I never ask for a travel fee, been to New Braunfels, San Marcos, El Paso, Houston, etc..most clients are kind enough to understand my travel plus wear and tear on my vehicle if it’s frequent travel and pay me accordingly (mostly for gas). I guess if I’m traveling specifically for a client who books me overnight, a travel fee would be reasonable to request, but these type of bookings are not frequent for me: I wish they were! Everyone has their own way to manage and run their cuddles, but 200 travel fee for a neighboring drive is a bit much lol.

  • Mike403Mike403
    edited November 2024

    She probably doesn't want you to book for whatever reason and is telling you that to get you to go away. Nobody is going to pay a $200 travel fee when they are a short drive away.

    Pros should be required to disclose their travel fee on their profile to avoid that issue.

  • [Deleted User]gem7 (deleted user)

    This sounds like a one off situation with such a ridiculous travel fee.

  • chickychicky

    So I myself do charge a travel fee, but not at all like this. I do $50/hr drive. It's a flat fee, only charge for one way. Anything within 30 minutes from me there's no travel fee. If I must go through a toll, or if the only parking available is all paid parking, then I ask for reimbursement for that.
    I'm trying to account for the time driving (there and back) that takes away from my day, gas, wear and tear with the fee.

    I think it is fair to ask a travel fee, but that it should also be within reason for how far out the travel is.

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