Cash advance demands

[creambuns]

I am new to using services like rent.men and one provider asked for a $50 cash advance to book. Is this normal and how can I make sure I don't get scammed?

[MikeBiDude]

There are many threads here on the forum regarding deposits. Some of the discussions very heated! It’s polarizing topic for some. Here’s a couple. Both of these have pages and pages for you to read through. Try our search feature!

 

[BuffaloKyle]

47 minutes ago, creambuns said:

I am new to using services like rent.men and one provider asked for a $50 cash advance to book. Is this normal and how can I make sure I don't get scammed?

As was posted by @MikeBiDude check out the lengthy discussions on deposits. My quick thought is if you are going to send a deposit I'd want it to be someone that has a good history of positive reviews so you know he's for real and legit. Do a search on the forum here for info on the provider. It's extra important as well because the provider in question you are asking about also wants the rest of the money upfront at the start of the session. Normally it's best to wait until the end so if you get shorted on time or if something you specifically wanted to partake in didn't happen you can negotiate a different rate.

[Moke]

If you are new, I’d start with someone who is more chill than that guy you posted. His copy reads pretty demanding and unfriendly. Don’t add the stress to your first experiences and go with a friendly pro who is not so demanding. 

[soloyo215]

7 hours ago, creambuns said:

I am new to using services like rent.men and one provider asked for a $50 cash advance to book. Is this normal and how can I make sure I don't get scammed?

Short answer: it's always a risk, personally my policy is no cash upfront.

Best wishes.

[56harrisond]

8 hours ago, MikeBiDude said:

There are many threads here on the forum regarding deposits. Some of the discussions very heated! It’s polarizing topic for some. Here’s a couple. Both of these have pages and pages for you to read through. Try our search feature!

 

 

List of previous deposit threads:

 

[Lolito]

9 hours ago, BuffaloKyle said:

As was posted by @MikeBiDude check out the lengthy discussions on deposits. My quick thought is if you are going to send a deposit I'd want it to be someone that has a good history of positive reviews so you know he's for real and legit. Do a search on the forum here for info on the provider. It's extra important as well because the provider in question you are asking about also wants the rest of the money upfront at the start of the session. Normally it's best to wait until the end so if you get shorted on time or if something you specifically wanted to partake in didn't happen you can negotiate a different rate.

This is, in my opinion, one of the best perspectives on here regarding deposits.

[marylander1940]

1 hour ago, 56harrisond said:

 

List of previous deposit threads:

 

 

10 hours ago, MikeBiDude said:

There are many threads here on the forum regarding deposits. Some of the discussions very heated! It’s polarizing topic for some. Here’s a couple. Both of these have pages and pages for you to read through. Try our search feature!

 

Can we please do a mandatory merging of all threads on the same exact subject started by folks who didn't search before posting!

[Lolito]

There, expectedly, are not as many provider perspectives on here about deposits as there are client perspectives.

The side that voices their concerns  more on here are clients, who are wary of being scammed.

There are malicious/callous/time wasting “clients” too, and there are many honest providers who may rightfully request deposits.

From interactions with providers, I’ve learned that they get scammers that text them *daily*. Their profiles on RM are possibly often the first targets of scams.

Then there are time waster clients who might be more frequent than most people on here think.
 

Finally, there are, sometimes, seriously people who want to harm providers or violently rob them. Deposits might leave a financial trace , deterring violence against the provider.

Deposits can serve many, many, functions, and I understand why providers ask for them. Flaking when setting up an appointment in advance, (especially a long one like an overnight) is not kind to the provider, and it might be justified for them to be reimbursed for you wasting their time and also making them decline offers for you.

I don’t believe you should do deposits frequently, and I think that if you consider doing it for someome, you should 

1. Really really be interested in the guy you’re hiring- there are plenty of guys that don’t do deposits.

2. Check on here about them, or check in with someone who has reviewed them on RM

 

Edited August 23 by Lolito

[+ JamesB]

Based on my experience, I have a no-deposit policy. My concern with deposits is that they solely benefit the provider and offer no protection to the client. Additionally, there's a privacy risk and the possibility of creating a paper trail that could come back to bite you later. Since most providers don't require a deposit, I prefer not to pay one.

[Lolito]

Just now, JamesB said:

Based on my experience, I have a no-deposit policy. My concern with deposits is that they solely benefit the provider and offer no protection to the client. Additionally, there's a privacy risk and the possibility of creating a paper trail that could come back to bite you later. Since most providers don't require a deposit, I prefer not to pay one.

Very understandable point. 
 

I like to think that the market sorts itself out on the issue of deposits- providers who ask for deposits almost certainly get less clients in the end, and they may decide to not ask for deposits in the future.

 

 

[Saabster]

I won't argue for or against deposits. However, the way this particular request for a deposit is worded sounds like a scam to me.

[Jamie21]

I require a deposit to provide my opinion on deposits. 

[+ KensingtonHomo]

1 hour ago, Saabster said:

I won't argue for or against deposits. However, the way this particular request for a deposit is worded sounds like a scam to me.

I'm inclined to agree with @Saabster. While I will send a deposit of no more than $50, the aggressive language is a turn-off. And insisting that you pay the rest before anything happens is a red flag. You'll see many people on here who paid upfront and got shorted time or suddenly promised services were not available. 

So I will make a deposit but I will not pay upfront. 

Christian 

[Danny-Darko]

17 hours ago, creambuns said:

I am new to using services like rent.men and one provider asked for a $50 cash advance to book. Is this normal and how can I make sure I don't get scammed?

Don't! Find another provider. Cash advance or payment in advance is NEVER a good idea. This has been discussed here extensively for years on end since the beginning of the original HooBoy's then later on Daddy's blog. Some men just never learn. 

[+ DrownedBoy]

As posted above, this topic has been thoroughly hashed.

My policy is no deposits ever, unless the individual is famous and well-reviewed enough that it's the only way to see them. Even then I limit what I'll send.