not so good review...

[Seymour 3970]

The fundamantal problem here is people booking dates with CL advertisers and when they get burned they want to use CERB to vent and or look for advice -even though deep down they knew better! Everyone is free to advertise where they wish, and see who they wish - just don't go looking for sympathy when one gets burned.

 

CERB with it's features and resources (chat, SP only area, newbies advice section, recommendation, announcements etc) and the mods and members to POLICE is helping to forge a culture of participation, openness, awareness and possibly acceptance of open sexuality.

 

People will only appreciate that more when free sites start going away. Nothing is free. If anyone is following this industry, they will know there was a time where there was no internet, there were only newspaper ads and bait&switch galore. Good providers were hard to discover. The verification mechanisms in EC are meant to reduce scams and B&S. Not every city has someone with a personal blog to identify scams and B&S.

 

What happens when CL requires payment or changes their posting policy? People will turn to whatever else that's free. Perhaps there may even come a time when CERB too is no longer free to advertise - then what? The CERB/EC combo is win win - hobbyists get to see the recs and posts the recs, ladies get to screen their clients amongst other things.

 

There are cities with no EC presence and EC/CERB ladies that want to tour can take advantage of this - thanks to the internet it has become easier to scope interest and demand. The tools to reap the rewards are there.

 

Perhaps too the legal system may change - licensed escorts - (some municipalities already have them, as governments realize they can reap some of the benefits too. To come on the heels of that would be income declaration and taxation.

 

My point to all this is simple:

Those of us that have been around see the long term benefits of CERB and EC - advertise where you wish, see whomever you wish, but when you get burned, don't come looking for sympathy on CERB. When you get people trying to haggle $$, don't come on CERB and vent.

 

I have seen people off CL - and I have told them about CERB and some have joined here. If the experience was good, I have provided a rec. That and the mention of the site and it is no longer any concern of mine what the individual does. No strings attached remember.

 

Something else too - yes there are deceptors everywhere, even on CERB. Do not kid yourself, but thanks to the efforts of the mods and members this is kept to a minimum.

 

Peace out!

[Guest f***2f***]

People are going to use whatever tools are at their disposal in order to make a living. CL is free and gets a lot of traffic. End of story.

 

And really, the biggest competition to SP's are all the women giving it away for free. ;)

 

Do you have some names and numbers so that I can check this assertion??:sm185:

[PistolPete 61421]

Do you have some names and numbers so that I can check this assertion??:sm185:

 

Down bro! down! I knew it would take long for someone to ask/pose the question! :mrgreen:

[Origin 268]

Cerb is definitely a valuable resource and one that should be respected, maintained and not abused. The members and community is unparalleled. I am just breaking out of my lurker shell to engage the masses.

 

I understand the point of not allowing unfavorable reviews however it would be nice to get a complete picture from different perceptions. It is all subjective, good reviews and bad reviews and should be taken with a grain of salt. The only perception that is 100% is our own personal experience.

 

This just promotes the use of PMs to get another side, or a side, to the experience and the hope that members share.

[mod 135639]

Good reviews can not be used to slander someone, damage the ladies business, hurt a ladies self esteem or hurt her feelings. Bad reviews do!

 

We are not dealing with tangible items here - these are real human beings so grading the ladies like a piece of meat or picking out all the shortcomings is just mean and easily exploited.

 

Cerb will have NO part in that and you will never see negative reviews here. If you do (they can slip by at times) or any hurtful comments just REPORT THE POST and I will remove the posts! I have ZERO tolerance for anything like that and I don't care how beneficial some of the guys think that would be... We would close the site before allowing such things.

[cat 262460]

I have read the entire thread and I have to agree with Mod on this. I have just celebrated my 25th anniversary in this in industry and I have seen monumental changes across the spectrum. The internet has revolutionized an ancient industry in many positive ways and some not so positive. I understand why SPs choose to advertise on free sites. We run a tight bottom line and have to maximize our opportunities to make a living. We have to pay the bills. That said, I see CL is personally beneficial, but I feel it is not industry beneficial.

 

The big box store is a great analogy and we all know that those stores are wiping out our small retailers. I shop at Walmart but only when it is a last resort. I prefer dealing with stores that are owned and operated by people like me, people who care about their customers. I want them to know my name and exchange pleasantries while they check me out. I want to deal with people who treat their employees fairly and realize their staff is the most precious asset of their business. I want to patronize establishments that strive each and every day to keep my business and value my presence as a customer.

 

Taking an ethical stand takes backbone. Doing the right thing often isn't easy because it usually requires personal sacrifice, which most people are unwilling to do. Mod did not say to only use CERB for advertising, only that supporting CL is detrimental in this industry because of the fundamental flaw of being unmoderated. It's the Wild West of the SP advertising world. While it's true you can't let a few bad apples spoil the barrel, what if the barrel is full of rotting fruit? Is it worth picking thru the decaying mess to find the one good one at the bottom of the barrel when you could pick one off the tree? If they made it a paid site and moderated it perhaps I would reconsider my opinion of it. At this point, its a rotting messy barrel I'm not willing to stick my arm into.

 

cat

[VedaSloan 119179]

I have read the entire thread and I have to agree with Mod on this. I have just celebrated my 25th anniversary in this in industry and I have seen monumental changes across the spectrum. The internet has revolutionized an ancient industry in many positive ways and some not so positive. I understand why SPs choose to advertise on free sites. We run a tight bottom line and have to maximize our opportunities to make a living. We have to pay the bills. That said, I see CL is personally beneficial, but I feel it is not industry beneficial.

 

The big box store is a great analogy and we all know that those stores are wiping out our small retailers. I shop at Walmart but only when it is a last resort. I prefer dealing with stores that are owned and operated by people like me, people who care about their customers. I want them to know my name and exchange pleasantries while they check me out. I want to deal with people who treat their employees fairly and realize their staff is the most precious asset of their business. I want to patronize establishments that strive each and every day to keep my business and value my presence as a customer.

 

Taking an ethical stand takes backbone. Doing the right thing often isn't easy because it usually requires personal sacrifice, which most people are unwilling to do. Mod did not say to only use CERB for advertising, only that supporting CL is detrimental in this industry because of the fundamental flaw of being unmoderated. It's the Wild West of the SP advertising world. While it's true you can't let a few bad apples spoil the barrel, what if the barrel is full of rotting fruit? Is it worth picking thru the decaying mess to find the one good one at the bottom of the barrel when you could pick one off the tree? If they made it a paid site and moderated it perhaps I would reconsider my opinion of it. At this point, its a rotting messy barrel I'm not willing to stick my arm into.

 

cat

 

 

As always, you've made a wonderfully logical, articulate and persuasive argument.

 

I advertised on CL when I first started and didn't know any better. I've considered returning to CL because business has been slow, but I decided instead to support CERB and bought paid advertising on EC. So far, it's been worth it for me, mainly because I'm not one to sit around reposting ads on CL to make sure that I'm visible amongst all the agencies and other independents. With EC, my ad is up there, it's visible, and I don't have to worry about competition flagging my ad or having to repost.

 

Plus, my mom used to own her own video store and we had to compete with Blockbuster--so I understand the plight of independent business owners.

[Annessa 22743]

I have once only come across 1 bad apple on this site-SP, compared to the many bad apples-SP's found on CL and the local newspapers. I think I like my odds a lot more here at CERB or EC then there on CL.

 

Additional Comments:

Oh ya lets not forget how many genuine SP's here on CERB had their pictures stolen on CL, and someone else was using them and advertising on that site and it was all bullshit:ablow:!

 

everyone is going to have a different experience. I have had both good and bad experiences on Cerb and the same 50/50 experiences on CL. I'[m not saying my experience is the right one, but I think if we can all learn from each other's mistakes, we should also acknowledge each other's good experiences as well.

 

I have many polite regulars who only use CL, its not that they dont know about cerb but they just aren't the types to join a board and are a little bit old fashioned...everyone does things differently and we should respect that. I certainly would not lump them into the category of time-wasters or rude clients just because they're on CL....just as I think it would be unfair to say all cerb members are bad apples because of the no-shows and time-wasters ... they exist on here too but I would never rule out cerb...therefore I dont feel we should rule out CL.

 

Expanding our market as SPs to other sites shouln't mean we are not thinking to the future of this industry if we are sticking to our guns about our rates and respecting our self-image as escorts.

 

The girls or pimps and scammers that advertise poorly on CL are only shooting themselves in the foot and they are certainly the ones who will not be getting repeat business or regulars searching CL to find them again.

 

One more positive thing to think about for Cerb is that a very large percentage of clients I have seen said that they first heard about cerb through a lady they initially met on CL. So its sometimes not strictly the ladies' marketing thats benefiting from having their ads elsewhere.

 

And really, the biggest competition to SP's are all the women giving it away for free. ;)

 

lol...well said ;) puts things into perspective

[roamingguy 300292]

I have to agree with the Mod. Remember, the ladies are real people, with real feelings and deserve to be treated with respect. If you have a bad experience, my advice, chalk it up to experience and move on and get on with life. Don't dwell on this, it will end up dragging you down

And remember, when you see a lady (and yes, they are ladies) that you have a good encounter with, spend a bit of time, and write a review/recommendation. Trust me, not only will it be appreciated by the ladies, you'll feel good too.

2 cents from a relative newbie

RG

[danzer26 100]

I feel a little homework before a date with a lady helps a lot. Depending on my experience, information from CERB never let me disappointed.

Going to have a trip from Toronto to Ottawa, can't wait to see those lovely ladies!!!:motion:

[etasman2000 15994]

I have many polite regulars who only use CL, its not that they dont know about cerb but they just aren't the types to join a board and are a little bit old fashioned...

 

You do not need to join the board to use it. cerb allows for guest/anonymous browsing. On most nights guest out number registered members.

[Annessa 22743]

You do not need to join the board to use it. cerb allows for guest/anonymous browsing. On most nights guest out number registered members.

 

yes I have told them this, but some have a harder time navigating through a similar site like cerb and find it just easier to stick to what they know. We use cerb everyday so we're used to its simplistic page but for many, at first glance they can be a little overwhelmed

 

Believe me, I've tried to encourage many to use cerb...but when you get to a certain age (as some of my more old fashioned clients can be) some are happy that they are using the internet at all, lol......and age aside, some are just set in the ways that they have been doing things. So hands in the air..I gotta respect that while at the same time warning them to be careful on CL

[PistolPete 61421]

So hands in the air..I gotta respect that while at the same time warning them to be careful on CL

 

So on 1 hand you are saying Sp's need to broaden their clientele using CL and then in the other hand warn their very own clientele to be careful on CL?

[Tulsa 130]

Hi everyone:

 

The more I'm reading this thread the more I see, at the very top of my window the title for this site "Canadian Escort Recommendation Board".

 

Unless what I learned in school is not worth the paper I wrote my notes on "A recommendation is: Someone telling someone else that a product or service is worth while".

 

We have been debating for days now, myself included, the pros and cons of advertising on CL versus here or EC. Also how the industry is going backwards or that free ads are "ruining" our business.

 

Then it occurred to me! This is a recommendation board, not an ad board therefore if we follow the true meaning of the title this is where, just like in the arts and entertainment pages of a newspaper, people review SPs.

 

If we follow this logic further, this is where people come to get others opinion on the various SPs advertised on any ad page. I see this board as the "Roper and Ebert" of the Escort world.

 

The fact that there are forums an ad section and other unrelated subjects on here are just bonuses if we follow the title of this page.

 

The main appeal of this board is that it is moderated. Which eliminates a lot if not all of the spammers, scammers, rift-raft that would be found elsewhere. Try as they may they seem to not last long on this site.

 

But I think in the end, in my humble opinion, we are starting to miss the true essence of this page, if we follow the title. This is where people should come to get feedback on the various SPs that are advertising on the NET or in news print and should not be affiliated or biased for or against any of the advertising mediums used, but used strictly as a tool for reference on the SP they chose.

 

I have however a better understanding that this is a "sister" site from EC and therefore biased towards that particular ad site.

 

The discussion board is a great tool that ads to this recommendation aspect as we can debate our views on certain SPs or relate information and discuss it. I enjoy coming on here and reading others comments and seeing that we can differ and still come to an understanding on various subject.

 

In closing, I hope this site remains open so that hobbyist and SPs alike have a venue to use to help each other make wise or wiser decisions when choosing one another.

 

Have a good night everyone!

[Annessa 22743]

So on 1 hand you are saying Sp's need to broaden their clientele using CL and then in the other hand warn their very own clientele to be careful on CL?

 

I'm not saying anyone needs to do anything....I'm saying everyone should respect the means that everyone chooses to do things, just to acknowledge treading carefully.

 

I'm not saying other SPs should use CL just because I do, I simply said that I use it and have still had good clients on there. I think you might be confusing my opinion as me saying its the be all and end all....not so.

 

while I use the site I also acknowledge that some men have not had good experiences on the site....hence why I would consider warning a client to surf carefully.

[fortunateone 156618]

Marketeers have come up creative solutions to address the image/coverage dilemma. You are familiar with branding differentiation (Audi vs VW) and distribution differentiation (designer brand in downtown mall vs factory outlet). Neither of these is appropriate for this industry. Personally, I found a well-designed website highly effective in communicating directly to a potential client and provides a platform to dispel whatever negative perception associated with where he found you.

 

 

Good luck ladies!

 

Yes, plus the style and tone of the ad itself first attracts the type of gentleman desired. I am sure we have all seen ads that lack this quality on sites other than CL? I don't think you would look at such an ad, regardless of where you see it, and think, "hey, there's a classy upscale lady",, and yet regardless of the location of my ads, I hear that alot.

 

But if you hear enough people say the same derogatory comments about the people who use it (both clients and sps), there are going to be alot of people who start to believe it. And frankly, it is not logical. For one thing, the loudest detractors claim to never use the site. Then how am I to believe they have any idea about the ladies who advertise there, or the clients who use it? These sweeiping generalizatioons are misleading and scaremongering, and it really is offensive to many of us who use it to be swept along with such false accusations.

 

Additional Comments:

It isn't about scoring points; it is background information.

FYI: Streetwalkers were a mixed group until a few years ago when police "cleaned it up". It used to be single moms and students on the respectable side and the druggies on the bad (now it is almost entirely druggies). Because it was a mixed crowd it explains my following statement of having experienced most scams first hand and of having experience sorting the bad from the good sps.

 

Pre internet days there were two ways to see escorts: the street view and an agency. The agency had ads in the papers and yellow pages,impossibly for an independent girl. The independents had very little options other than the sidewalk to "advertise". SWs are not (or did not use to be) all low rate car date encounters.

 

SPs are very spoiled these days lol, able to advertise, have phone or emails to set up appts, work indoors, and so on.

 

 

I do not see CL responsible for the issues going on in the industry, because these same issues have been going on for decades. The most infamous sps are the high track girls in Vancouver. Well known for super high prices, and really low service, including one shot is the goal so for 400-500 bucks you can spend 20 minutes with one of the hottest young women you have ever seen ... who won't let you touch, kiss or daty her. This was pre-internet days 10 years, 15 years, 20 years ago. Are there low rate sps advertising on CL? Yes, because there are low rate sps in each and every city. These desperate ladies used to stand outdoors as well,, but nowhere near those high track hotties, because there is no way they can get 100, let alone 500 from a date. I place newspaper ads. I have for almost 10 years, again, before the prevalence of internet advertising of ANY kind. One advertiser was pulled because she and her two friends ran a "my friend needs my help, plus my boyfriend just arrived, and he wants you out now" scam. She paid almost 200 bucks a month to run this scam lol. Now I suppose she posts online ads to do the same thing.

 

My point is that CL is a symptom, not the problem. Any of the sps that take advantage of such a site would simply have done the same things thru other means. The difference these days is they are exposed much faster, and more people are more asware of them than they ever were before. Guys are realizing that this sort of thing is not supposed to happen, and are able to be more cautious and wiser.

 

And that is completely new. Annessa's description of the typical client is totally correct. I was about to mention that I know of an older sp who has been doing this for a few years. What happens with some of these sorts of ladies is these sorts of sites are very intimidating. They can manage to post an ad or two on CL, but navigating a more complicated site, with discussion areas and perplexing decisions about where to place their ad, or the idea of coming on to check and send pms is just not worth it to them. Usually they find the existing members intimidating, and are afraid to break any rules. Many guys I see don't go online at all (paper ad clients) and have zero interest in using them. I am sure there are many sps who advertise where I do who feel the same way.

 

Basically what I would like to see is a little understanding of the economics behind these choices (for the sps) and less misinformation. If you don't use it, fine, but don't pass judgment on something that you know nothing about.

[Annessa 22743]

Yes, plus the style and tone of the ad itself first attracts the type of gentleman desired. I am sure we have all seen ads that lack this quality on sites other than CL? I don't think you would look at such an ad, regardless of where you see it, and think, "hey, there's a classy upscale lady",, and yet regardless of the location of my ads, I hear that alot.

 

But if you hear enough people say the same derogatory comments about the people who use it (both clients and sps), there are going to be alot of people who start to believe it. And frankly, it is not logical. For one thing, the loudest detractors claim to never use the site. Then how am I to believe they have any idea about the ladies who advertise there, or the clients who use it? These sweeiping generalizatioons are misleading and scaremongering, and it really is offensive to many of us who use it to be swept along with such false accusations.

 

Additional Comments:

 

 

Pre internet days there were two ways to see escorts: the street view and an agency. The agency had ads in the papers and yellow pages,impossibly for an independent girl. The independents had very little options other than the sidewalk to "advertise". SWs are not (or did not use to be) all low rate car date encounters.

 

SPs are very spoiled these days lol, able to advertise, have phone or emails to set up appts, work indoors, and so on.

 

all very good points, Cat...the phrasing in the ads point was more or less what I meant before by sticking to our rates and how we promote our self-image. I tried to give you some reputation points but I need to "spread the love" around some more first according to cerb ;)

 

I was just reading a post by another SP about how her Aunt used to be a SW back in the day and it was considered a classy job to be a lady of the night, we cant argue that things have definitely changed sadly with the creation of the internet and the less serious workers charging low rates...we can however hope that our client base will be able to distinguish a classy ad from a not so respectful one, or an ad that may seem too good to be true and may result in something negative happening.

 

on an unrelated note, I also agree with Tulsa when she says this is a review forum for experiences that happen on the NET and not solely cerb and I think clients would be more helpful to providing warnings on issues they may have had with CL gals in the warnings section if there wasn't such a stigma on Cerb attached to members using CL...therefore helping anyone else out who is using the site as well.

 

Cowboy Kennys diary is a bible of warnings...but you will never hear him say "well duh, you used CL...what did you think was gonna happen?" on his blog.

[Andee 220524]

Some of my best clients have come from CL. Most of them did not know bout CERB. Some have become members, and although they don't participate with posting, they do see ladies. Other ones are just content to the ads as guests. These are nice, decent clients. Not all are bad.

 

Just as not all CERB clients have turned out to be good. But MOD is right, because it is moderated, we hopefully have a better community here. I'm not so naive as to think CL is not without problems. I believe you need to know how to work something to your advantage, not detriment.

 

I just want to say that FOR ME I have found personally that the best clients seem to frequent CL during the daytime hours. It's at night, that I tend to get the jerks and timewasters and wassup guys. But that's me! For those people who bitch about CL, look at what time you're posting or responding to ads. If you post at 11:00 p.m. or are looking ad ads at 1:00 a.m., sorry but you're kind of open game for the "they only come out at night" types.

 

Which is why when I am done for the day, I remove my ad. The number of jerks, timewasters and no-shows has gone down tremendously.

 

Also, I also ask clients where they saw my ad. If they book an appointment with me from CL, I always mention CERB after I meet them. So I am doing my share to promote the board whenever I can.

 

The MOD got me thinking. Since I am going to be available more in the fall, I am definitely going to put an ad back on escorts-canada. It's the least some of us can do to support this wonderful place we call CERB.

 

I would encourage other ladies to at least give it a try.

[Capital Hunter 18263]

I am definitely going to put an ad back on escorts-canada. It's the least some of us can do to support this wonderful place we call CERB.

 

I would encourage other ladies to at least give it a try.

 

Well thought and great advice Angela. As others have said it is clearly a win-win situation. The ladies enhance their visibilities adding to their clientele from EC-Cerb combination and at the same time support a site (cerb) where at least some of their clientele come from. I also in turn encourage the gents to do same. Reward your favorite SPs who are giving you so much pleasure and joy by gifting them banners on cerb and/or ads on EC (and I encourage ladies to keep the gift once expires) and at the same time support a site which made it all possible to find and see your favorite ladies.

 

Cheers.

[explorer 110]

I follow politics because it deals with matters that shape the world we live it. The players are supposed to be the most elite members of our society and yet the nature of their discourse resembles school kids fighting in the yard. I saw in this debate well thought out arguments conducted in an atmosphere of civility and respect. It makes me happy and hopeful for some reason.

 

Makes you wonder why matters of global importance cannot be dealt with in a similar spirit!

[moonshadow 369]

As a newbie to this hobby,I have to say I really like the CERB site.

But I probably would never have discovered CERB if I had not seen it

mentioned in an SP ad on CL. So in a way CL kind of provides free advertising

for CERB. At least that was my experience.

Posted via Mobile Device

[Guest m**l]

hey grendall...

 

 

wow, you are still upset about that? i spoke to you on tuesday night when all this transpired. you seem to be pretty angry and jaded by the whole thing. it maybe better for you to not bother seeing a provider for a while. the reason i say this is because of the tone in your email, i so understand the level of frustration when we build ourselves up and then get let down... that being said you may just be setting yourself and the next sp you choose for failure as you need to let go of your bad experience before you can move on to happier times.

 

i can sense a ton of anger in your email and that in its self can be scary and scare of other sps. it seems to me that you want to lash out at whoever will listen and i understand that.

 

i thought that when i spoke with you via chat that night that i helped you resolve this issue and put it to rest....essentially thats what you will have to do. put it to rest, do your homjework better next time and try not to cut costs by going with someone who just sees you as a dollar sign.

 

it is unfortunate that you had that experience. however i can guarentee that there are many providers out there that enjoy what they do and make the experience for other hobbiests a memorable one and in a good way.

 

i again am sorry for what happened to you. look on the bright side it didnt cost you 1000, you didnt get robbed, you didnt get assaulted, and you kept your life. chalk it up to bad experience and think of it as an investment rather than a loss. an investment in the sense that you gained knowledge and you will never go back to cl or that girl again. so really it is an investment!

 

try to let go of this as it will just attract more bad situtations on you. we attract what we want in life through positive affirmations, meditations and self talk! so stay positive and stop dwelling on a situation that rteally should not warrent any more of your headspace and time. you and i spoke of it in chat, and now you have posted about it...i really think you should not put any more energy on such a waist of time and energy!

 

:) the power of positive thinking and general acts of random kindness and good will towards our fellow human beings will get us very far in life!

 

negative self talk and comments will only bring that righht back on you!

 

so chin up and lets get on with it!

[Guest S***dst***]

You do not need to join the board to use it. cerb allows for guest/anonymous browsing. On most nights guest out number registered members.

 

You can only browse a finite number of posts actually, before you need to register to view anymore. (unless you know how to reset your I.P address)

[Sophie Lauren 881]

Well spank my ass and tickle me with a feather... well... now that I have your attention... interesting blog... very interesting.

 

So here is my 2 cents, CERB is amazing, but as a provider if I were to have solely relied on CERB I would have not be able to move ahead and be booking as much as I do. CL has a purpose, I am newish to the whole 'industry' thingy and don't think that CL distracts from the quality that is found on CERB, CL is an easy market, we dont necessarily get the implusive window shopper on CERB, you get the conscious, well researched - take your time to review 100 times shopper (which hey for quality is awesome, and THANK GOD for the handsome sexy hobbiests on CERB), now we all know CL has its ups and downs with respect to quality (me thinks Cowboy Kenny should have a section for the crappy customer... not just the bait and switch losers out there), however, it provides us with a means for quantity, and sometimes, for those that are just starting out, or even those that have been around for a long time just looking to add to their clientel, we need a means to hit that implusive window shopper to increase our numbers for the week... I mean, regardless of paying for advertising or not having the means to pay for it... our numbers have to support our individual lifestyles...

 

Now I refer to myself as a provider, and I most definitely am, but I am more a hobbiest provider, I do massage because I love it, provides me with a means to meet amazing people, increase my rediculous shoe, purse and clothing collections... I know my schedule is limited, but I kind of like that... keeps me real and honest! :butt:

[YoungStud 468]

People are going to use whatever tools are at their disposal in order to make a living. CL is free and gets a lot of traffic. End of story.

 

And really, the biggest competition to SP’s is all the women giving it away for free.

 

Too funny Berlin! LMAO! (Plus, luv ur tag line: a zaftig, punk goddess - too true and too cool!)

 

I think you have a good point though. People are going to shop at Wal-Mart even though it's helped ruin small town North America and put hundreds of thousands of decent people out of work in Canada in favour of shoddily produced (but cheaply-produced goods) from government-run sweatshops in China, just to use one previous analogy in this thread.

 

However, not everything for sale in a Wal-Mart is a cheapo piece of sweatshop junk. Just as not every escort ad on CL is a scam and a rip-off. And you'll never stop people shopping at either one as long as they exist.

 

However, I hope women who advertise their services exclusively on CL realize they are likely cutting themselves off from a significant number of better-quality, more long-term and more lucrative clients.

 

As well, if someone advertises on CL, EC and CERB, should we rate them based solely on their CL participation? Probably not, though by including CL ads in their marketing plan, they risk being tarred by a brush with an overall sleazy rep.

 

But, bottom line is, just because an escort can pay hundreds of bucks for a paid ad on a classy website like EC doesn't mean her services are any good. I can think of a couple of escorts who've advertised on EC who have been as much a waste of time as anything on CL. Just because you can pay to advertise on EC doesn't mean you are any good, just that you're more likely to be an established reputable professional who is willing to invest in her career.

 

So, challenge for Mod, it would seem to me, would be to make advertising on EC attractive enough to bring over more escorts who are only putting free ads on CL.

 

Bottom line though, as long as CL exists, you'll never totally eliminate escorts who advertise there exclusively.