Bad guys alert

We wrote a while ago about people trying to scam Massage Republic users.

We now need to add another alert. We have just had a couple of reports that advertisers are being contacted both:

• by phone, and,
• using fake email addresses like massagerepublic[something]@gmail.com

They are asking for for an account registration fee to be sent to them (Bkash has been one method they have used).

We don't:

• have a registration fee
• use Bkash
• call people asking for cash, email people asking for cash (if you want to upgrade, do so onsite please
• use any email that is not from @massagerepublic.com

We do know that it can be difficult to know if an email is genuine - so if you have any doubts, contact us and we will assist.

Freedom vs.Oppression?

We live in a weird world. In some ways, individuals are more free than ever to make choices. In others, much less.

The US spends billions each year on pot eradication, then semi-legalizes in some places? Liberal places like the Netherlands and Spain make it legal, then it gets less legal as laws get changed again. Marijuana is simple compared to the complexities of the personal services market....

Massage Republic works to do one thing: help people who want to offer services to do so, at no-cost or lower-cost than other methods.

We started with a 'free' option for providers - alongside the upgraded options - and hope to keep it forever. In total, we have generated more than 5 million contact inquiries to independents. That is a lot of people off the streets and a lot less risk for everyone involved.

Our paying customers are only paying 5% of their gross sales to upgrade listings on the site. Massage Republic has been a great help to many freelancers and independent businesses.

We do what we can to fight unfair or criminal practices on-site. We do extra verification in many cases and are very careful with listings where the provider listed could be underage. We have already contributed real cash and time to programs and charities working to help victims of exploitation and trafficking.

Safety First

Common sense means most people working in this industry let other people know where they are going when possible. The problem is this is often not possible.

If you use an Android phone, you might want to consider a new application that has been launched by Google, Trusted Contacts. It looks like they will be launching an iOS version for iPhones soon and you can register to get a notification when it's available on the site.

You can share your location when you want to, for instance when meeting with a client. There is also a feature where someone you have nominated a trusted contact can - if they are worried about you - ask for a location share and will be able to see where your phone was last located if you don't respond within five minutes. 

There are - obviously - some privacy implications, especially as the share happens automatically unless you respond. Make sure you read the instructions!

More sense in 17 mins than several millenia

Wow, this is a supremely enlightened talk. It properly addresses the real issues and explains many things that people do need to understand. The focus on 'rights' and especially sex workers' rights is so important.


The world is changing, every person like Toni Mac who speaks out and every organisation like SWOU makes a massive difference. Each individual who doesn't get arrested is a win. Each individual who can report violence saves a beating or even a death. These are not small wins - each one really matters. Share this talk please.

A big thank you kiss to reviewers

Nothing makes us happier than to see other people happy. Real reviews seem to having a very positive effect on what we can do in terms of quality.

The efforts made by many Massage Republic users to leave reviews is making a difference for everyone. We have received many messages actually pointing this out - many are from people who didn't feel comfortable making a review themselves - but wanted to say thanks.

When we see something like this:

Girl is the same in the pics ....but complete starfish experience...absolutely no interest from her side ....her mission was to finishing as quickly as possible... - SteveDubai

We know this is useful information for other users...

When we see something like this:

I had some additional spare time on my hands so decided to take in one or two more sessions. So, yet another young lady from massagerepublic (has changed my life !! lol) - georgeunited10

We get to know we're doing something right!

We hope to upgrade the review experience and the profile pages for users in the next months, and make it more fun to contribute and share experiences.

Fraud and scams

It has recently been brought to our notice that some people are pretending to be 'us' and trying to trick advertisers into paying for services (or maybe providing them for free?).

Hello! Just want to check something. I got a call from someone pretending to be a photographer from your website and saying that he has to take the pictures for me because you have a new policy . He sounded very strange...
Thank you!

We will never call you to make a request like this. If you ever have a query, please get in touch with us directly.

In the same way, if you ever receive an email which looks suspicious from us please send it to us. Emails are easy to fake and we would like to know about it. We are always concerned about our advertiser's safety, so any information or tips you can provide will always be appreciated.

Fake reviews

If you are doing fake reviews, you do risk getting your account blocked and also any associated accounts blocked. Don't try our patience.

Abuse

Some advertisers are trying to abuse the system to get more coverage. You cannot post from multiple accounts, repost or try and manipulate the system. It doesn't matter if you are a paying customer or not, all accounts will be blocked.

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Thanks to everyone else (the massive majority) who behaves well and continues to make the site a safer place for everyone on it.

Politicians and Hookers

It seems to be some constant theme - the people who complain most vocally about the escort industry also get into the papers about it... This is obviously a self-fulfilling prophecy as a politian caught paying for time (with a hint of sexual sevices) will get into trouble. Unless they are Silvio Berlusconi, which might have meant several re-relections in Italy...

[not to say anyone in the images above, including Sr. Berlusconi would ever be involved in anything to do with this post. In fact, we are 'sure' that those re-elections were purely on merit and based on his performance in office and the policies presented in his manifesto].

Public debate and legislation about the offering of sexual services for money is basically dead, stupid and insane. The problem is the following:

• Some individuals choose to provide their services because it suits them to do so compared to other economic options.
• Some individuals enjoy their profession (and some really enjoy it, just because).
• There are others who offer their services because of real financial hardship, whether from circumstance or addiction. This is a really tough place for them. The only thing we can offer is a safer way of offering services. Society, at this point, is responsible to help with a safety-net or medical assistance with addiction.
• There are individuals (mostly young girls from less-developed countries) which are exploited for this purpose. This is plainly wrong - pretty evil - and we work to make sure they cannot be advertised on the site and provide feedback mechanisms to signal the problem.

The public debate is always about trafficking, people enslaved into prostitution. This is unhelpful and does not address the real problems.

Prohibition is not a solution. Real, effective policies to combat human-slavery, addiction and social exclusion are solutions. Dump the headlines and go to the roots of the problem in society. This is an appeal to any politician or journalist - keep it real; and don't let us find out you did something bad later... Starting with 19 Politicians Who Were Caught with Prostitutes.

Honesty in public debate is a starting point. Freedom of choice is a natural right. 

What do you realy want?

We really value the comments and suggestions we have had from users and advertisers over the last couple of years. Especially when something on the site made you feel like this...

We have always tried to get anything broken fixed pretty quick over time and have done a decent job to make sure that happened.

What we need now are your suggestions. What pisses you off? What do we need to add? What could work better? We are listening and will take every comment into account as we try to improve the site. Send feedback here.

Who decides? What's illegal?

Pretty much everyone agrees that forcing someone to provide sex is a bad thing. Modern slavery is still there and is a disgusting as 'old slavery'.

For good or bad reasons, many people choose to provide sex for money. We don't think anyone has the right to judge that decision.

Criminalisation has been proven to make things worse for working girls and boys. Why would any modern country want to do this? In Northern Ireland it was recently made illegal to sollicit services. The only thing studies have ever shown is that a legal framework where providers can operate freely and pay tax is the only one where violence is lower, trafficking is lower and the individuals have the most choice.

What do you think?

What makes a great listing?

We have been looking at some data recently to better understand what makes one listing more effective than another. We now want to share some of the insights. First, we're going to bust a couple of myths:

Myth 1: it's only about the photos

While there is a correlation between stunning photos and the number of enquiries, this is not the only factor. We don't allow multiple listings on the site, but we do have the data between when people have different listings and photos. In some cases the more homemade or real (but good quality) photos performed better than the studio shots. Video clips have also shown an improvement in contact rates.

Myth 2: the 'models' get all the enquiries

The most surprising thing we found was when doing an experiment with users asking them to judge interest based on just the images. When we compared this to the real-world results, we found that there there were many listings which got a low rating based on photos, but a very high rate of enquiries. We ran the experiment again using just descriptions and found the answer, the text is very important when it comes to getting enquiries.

What are the users saying?

Some really don't care, others are absolutely obsessed with cover-page beauty. But it turns out the big majority care a lot more about what potential experience they will get. It turns out that the initial evaluation is from what an advertiser says in their description, even down to the tone and how the text feels. Positive terms included: 'friendly', 'funny', 'approachable'. Just putting GFE is not enough to convince someone it will be like that.

The other bit of feedback was about how people answered questions and reacted to reviews. When an advertiser didn't answer a simple question and just wrote 'call me' or reacted in a very tough way to a review which didn't seem aggressive, there was a negative evaluation.

How to manage your listing?

• Take a look at your description. Does it really explain you and the services you provide? Try to provide a personal touch. A cut and paste which looks the same as everyone else is not the best way to get customers. Of course, it is quicker, but our data shows a quality text can generate from 3 times to 11 times more enquiries (when the images, price and other variables are similar).
• If you chose to answer a stupid question publicly - instead of clicking 'ignore' or 'answer privately' - be aware the way you do so will also influence other users' reactions.
• If you get a negative review, deal with it sensibly. Yes, he or she, might be an idiot, dangerous (as hopefully you know there is another way to flag that), or just have unrealistic expectations. Maybe you had a 'bad hair day'.  If you think it is unfair, say why very simply, don't attack. Other users will make their own opinions based on the quality of the listing and response to feedback. Listings with both positive and negative reviews (with sensible reactions) actually seem to be more popular than those with a couple of very positive reviews.

Lastly, the most important thing is to think about the type of client you want and make sure your public profile will appeal to them. According to our data, a little thought and work can make a big difference to the quantity and quality of enquiries.

Happy holidays and 'feedback'

Thanks for all of your support in 2014. We've had loads of great feedback from both advertisers and users. That has helped us make improvements to the service for everyone. There's still lots of things we are planning to get done, haven't had enough time, but we do hope to put in place some more improvements over the coming months and have some good things coming for 2015.

We really appreciate it every time someone takes the time to get in touch or post a suggestion, comment or criticism in the forums.  Always open to new comments, so don't be shy ;)

Feedback from customers about their experiences

We've seen a big increase in the number of reviews placed by users in the last 12 months. Most are positive, but - obviously - some are negative. Obviously, it's impossible to keep everyone happy all the time and some complaints may not be justified.

Top three tips on dealing with negative feedback:

1. It might sound obvious, but the best way of avoiding an unhappy customer is to make sure expectations are set correctly in advance. The information you provide on your listing (both the description and photos) should correctly represent any services offered.
2. If someone leaves a review you think is unfair, then answer with a clear, calm comment on why. This will represent you in the best way and is much better than an aggressive or bitchy response.
3. If a meeting didn't go well for one reason or another; any one can have a 'bad hair day' or not click with customer; a nice note explaining why goes a long way to showing you do care.

Best wishes for the holiday season and for 2015! Keep safe and well, Claire XX

Payments and idiots

We have improved the payment process and we think people who should be able to pay with their card can now do so in many more cases than previously. We hope this is a help and please do continue to get in touch if you have problems or contact the payment provider directly if there is a problem. You do need to use the same details with each card. We would also recommend you only use one account on Massage Republic - not multiple sign-ins. Talk to us if you have a problem or reason to have multiple accounts.

For the couple of idiots who recently tried using stolen card details on the site, we do know who you are - we can also see other accounts you have where you haven't yet tried the same. You are also not getting the coverage you are looking for the crime you are committing -  the listings get blocked. Please remember you are also promoting phone numbers which can be tracked, located and directly linked to fraud. You personally might not get into trouble if it is someone else's profile and phone you are posting, but they will. And in many countries this is not good news. When there is fraud, reports are going to local police.

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Other stuff

A lot of the work we have been doing recently has been not that visible. We have been working to make processes work easier at each step, get a better experience on mobile and generate more enquiries for our beloved members. We just passed 4 million pageviews/month. Thanks to those who sent us comments/suggestions, both positive and negative, they always help. What we do know is we are now generating a large number of enquiries to a lot of independents in some cities - was always the goal, happy to get there. We are now working on reaching out to more people in other places.

So - if you know a provider who might benefit from Massage Republic, please refer us. If you're reading this you probably know already; we're free forever for a profile, we respect our advertisers and users, and are working hard to make an online environment which is safer and more efficient for providers and customers.

Keep safe online

For the second time, we just had some instances of some peoples' accounts being accessed by other people.

The reason is now very clear: there are some escort sites who may store your password in clear text in their database. Some of them may then use your password to try and log in as you in other places (like for your profile on Massage Republic). They were changing links to the profile owner website to their own site.  These sites are obviously bad places with very bad people running them (idiots, basically).

Any decent site (like us) will never store your password in clear in the database. The full explanation is a bit technical, but I will try and provide the human version. When you register or change your password we take that password and transform it using some clever maths (which I don't understand, but it's the same one used when you login to your bank) and store the transformed password. The great thing is we cannot reverse the math (explanation is complicated) so we can never know your password. When you login, we have to make the transformation on the password provided and compare against the originally transformed version.

Regardless of how safe we work to make things on Massage Republic, you can still be at risk if someone else has your password. Especially if you re-use it on multiple sites. To keep it safe, use a different password on Massage Republic.

If you have any questions on this, please ask. It is complicated and the underlying reasons are tough for many people (including computer scientists) to understand.

What's wrong, and what's right?

You know the one thing which is easy?

It's to say any woman (person, men, trans and everything other favour of which is the beautiful diversity of humanity) who ever sells her company / time / affection / body / sex is in the wrong...

The people who say this are mostly middle-aged men (some of which then get caught doing 'wrong' - Ranker highlights 19 politicos doing wrong in the US, the same thing goes for politicians in other countries). Many of those politicians got back in office. Few of the girls got anything but hassle. We are right to pursue politicians with double-standards, but more-and-more people don't care. Hypocrisy is the real bad thing, not what they did or the people they did it with.

We are liberalizing as a global society (just think about it, men can get married to men in some places, girls can kiss each other in others, and generally we don't care), in some countries same-sex couples can adopt; 30 years ago it would impossible everywhere. Today, divorce is not possible is many countries, but girl-slavery has been reduced to increasingly less places (hopefully none soon). We should celebrate gay couples. We should also celebrate people who are sex workers; if people choose the profession. We should also scream and shout when government/police/others start deciding what people can or can't do - they were not elected on that basis. Much worse, are religious leaders doing the same as no-one elected them; they elected themselves.

Many 'liberated women' in the media scream about escorting being a cardinal sin against women. How much do they know about it? How much do they understand about why people do it?

What's wrong?

Everyone agrees on the answer. Co-coercion. slavery, enforced labour, trafficking, and every other sort of pressure that can be put on a woman to provide sex to to customer. This disgusts everyone.

What's not wrong?

Anything else: what a woman - or man or TS - decides to do with their body with a partner. It is the choice of each person.

You might ask about drug addiction or economic deprivation; these are serious issues, but are ones that need to be addressed at a societal level.

Why is Massage Republic here?

The site was started to enable more independent providers to get clients - on their own terms. For hundreds of thousands of enquiries, each advertiser didn't need to pay anything. We think that every time a person doesn't need to be on the street to get business it is one less chance for something bad to happen.

To our users

Thanks for never - in 2 years - doing anything bad. We really do appreciate that, your comments and help. Hope we can make the site even better for you in the future. Big kisses!

To our advertisers

You have been amazing. Advice, help and some useful stories. All these things helped us improve and make a better placed for you today. We love you all, big hugs.

Screen sizes / Payments

In the last couple of years, many of our advertisers and users have moved much of their use to mobiles and tablets. We have done a lot of work to make the experience on those devices work well - if you have seen anything wrong there please get in touch.

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Payments - we are aware lots of people are having problems paying to upgrade. We are working to get this fixed and hope to do so in the next weeks.

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Apart from the above, more advertisers are getting more enquiries than ever. So we did some things right. Any other comments are always welcome! Kisses, Claire.

Help each other out

We have just released a feature for our advertisers which we hope will be useful.

When you receive a message sent through Massage Republic you get a special link at the bottom of the email. You can use this link to report a person for bad behaviour: by email, SMS, or in person. Please do so!

These reports will be shared with other advertisers when they receive a contact from the person.

We hope this helps everyone share information about problem customers and makes everyone a little safer.

Back to school

A big shout out to those of our advertisers that are working mums. The oldest and - at times - one of the hardest professions in the World is even tougher if you have kids. Oh, yeah, it's already really hard having kids in the first place...

Opinion seems to be split between when or even whether you should tell your kids what you do for a living.

There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of good advice out there, a quick Google got these:

• A very frank confession from an Australian
• Random madness on Yahoo Answers
• A reasonably balanced piece from the Daily Beast

When we tried to work out what advice to give, we realised we can't. There is no single answer. It makes sense that the best outcome is probably that your kids never know. For many people, this is the same as 'no-one' should ever know. But if your situation means that they might end up finding out, then this is something which you might want to manage in advance or at least work out how to do so.

The only thing that is probably seriously good advice is don't get caught in a lie: if you are confronted by one of your kids with the question and lie, there is a good chance you can seriously damage both your authority and the relationship. If they are asking the question, you are already probably in deep shi*... Most of those outcomes are worse than either working out how you will react in advance or having your answers ready for them. Even if it is true, you can't tell them that 'I have done this for you'. You need to explain much more about how you made your choices - or ended up without choices - to make them understand; and none of that is 'their fault'.

A new face for Massage Republic

We have recently launched a new look for Massage Republic. One of the main goals was making the site work better on mobile phones and tablets. We also took the opportunity to make the user experience better.  People are viewing more pages each visit, so we think it's working well.

We hope you like it! Any feedback is always welcome.

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In other news, we have carried on growing visits and enquires to advertisers. We have added an icon on listings for videos so users can see there is one there. It seems this is quite popular, so if you don't have a video on your listing consider adding one. We have some new 'stuff' coming in the next months - will keep you posted.

What can we do for you?

We're happy that we have been generating more and more business for our advertisers. Our stats show we have increased enquiries by 50% in the last 6 months. If you are not seeing more enquiries, think about improving the quality of your listing (title, description and services offered), don't use CAPS and make sure you answer questions.

Users are also giving us positive feedback. More people are asking questions on the site and leaving reviews. Great for everyone.

So, what next?

We want to hear from you! What do you want?

Some of you have already provided some great feedback, but we want to hear more. We're here for you - as an advertiser or user of the service - so we want to know what we're doing wrong, what we could do better or what you would love to have on the site.

Leave feedback here us or drop a comment below.

Thanks! We will really appreciate every comment.

April Fools (bit late :)

Got a new mobile version coming soon! We know so many users access the site on mobile so hope this will be a big help.

We're really happy to welcome onboard another 500 people who listed in the last couple of months. You're all beautiful (TS, guys and gals) and we hope you get the enquiries. We're working for you!

Thanks for all the feedback in the last weeks. We know photo verification can be a real pain, but happy most of you put the time in to make it happen. At the end of the day, we need to make sure customers stay happy, right?