Most review boards host a sex worker only area where providers are welcome to share bad client or blacklist information, post community warnings, and some offer additional resources as well.
Some of these areas are active, where others are less so, and the reasons are many. Sex workers have been burned via these lounges over and over again. Either men gaining access, or information being leaked out to clients by competitors.
Many have tried referral only routes, but these tend to lead to inactive posting because there is very little to payoff for a provider to share information with such a small group. Some have started text or chat groups, but again, these tend to be incredibly exclusive, and often go inactive very quickly.
There is an obvious need for bad client areas, and there is no easy solution to this problem. How do you remain inclusive AND safe? The truth is, there is no way to ensure 100% privacy. But that doesn’t mean there are not steps that can be taken to try.
Here are some steps that active sex workers can take to be proactive in their own safety on a boards bad client lounge:
- Email or DM the moderators and ask them what the qualifications are for having access to those areas, who exactly has access? (active sw’ers, retired sw’ers, anyone who pays for advertising? Spas, agencies, photographers?) – then consider what feels right to you, do you feel safe posting bad client info where anyone who is not a verified and active sw’er has access?
- Ask them how they are moderated
- Ask them how they handle reports on potential leaks or indiscretions
If they are unable to answer these simple questions, or you do not feel safe with the answers, assume it is not safe to post to that area and consider whether you want to invest your advertising dollars somewhere that does not provide for your best interests.
It is easy in sex work to forget that you, as the advertiser, hold all the power. The boards get zero traffic if there are zero ads. You can easily shape the community with your choice in where to advertise, and there is never a shortage of options because all of these sites and review boards want your money. Make sure they earn it.