Credit card use for Champagne Rooms.

shadowcat
Atlanta suburb
I have a TUSCLer sending me many emails asking about the Champagne Room at the Columbia Platinum Plus. My advice has always been not worth the expense but he is determined to give it a try.

The club DJ always hawks that all you need to get into the Champagne Room is a valid credit card and drivers license. Is cash no good? Is this a policy to ensure security or do they just think that most customers do not carry that much cash? I know that you must pay the dancer in cash and tips to other non dancers are also expected in cash. What have you encountered?

21 comments

Latest

txtittyfan
15 years ago
I have not and will never give up my credit card and drivers license for any reason in a SC. You lose your bargaining position if there is any dancer dispute. Always use cash. Besides, it sounds like that club probably has more extras outside of the room.
Dudester
15 years ago
What I have done twice, is use cash to pay for the dancer and credit card for the bottle.
bumrubber
15 years ago
No credit cards in SCs cards ever!
samsung1
15 years ago
PP has a good reputation but I heard from a dancer here in Columbus, OH that the now defunct Dockside Dolls was getting in trouble because they were overcharging customers on their cards.
gatorjoe2
15 years ago
As one who was seduced by Shadow's promise of extras at PP, on my first visit, I didn't get any where, and felt "Damn, Shadow lied, I must have to go the champagne room to get the extras"

My next visit, upon taking a promising young lady to the champagne room, I used a credit card/License, I don't remember the cost, but I do know what I was told was going to be the cost was the cost that showed up on my card.

With the champagne room, there was no "extras," maybe a bit more intensity, but only because of the length of time. The champagne and fruit platter were nice, but I don't like champagne really, and I am more of a meat and potatoes like of guy. Anyway, my advice is that the champagne room is not worth it at PP, some clubs it is absolutely worth it, but at PP, not really.

Oh, just so shadow is not a liar, I came to the club on an empty Sunday around 5-6, and received what was promised by shadow with little solicitation other than I saying I knew shadow(candyman) from TUSCL.

What does this show you?

Be patient.
The Champagne Room is not worth it at PP.
If the fear is the credit card might be overcharged, my experience with PP (both for a tab, cash advance, champagne room) is that they are always accurate.
gatorjoe2
15 years ago
Oh I would add with the Tab, that I made sure I had a waitress that seemed trustworthy, the shy timid type who treats work as a job and not a party is the one you want, not the one smoking, grinding, and being involved in the party.

I will say that a credit card makes it way to easy to spend money though.
shadowcat
15 years ago
FYI: PP has sold its clubs in Miami and Portland MA to the PT's chain and has apparently bought Centerfolds in Myrtle Beach SC. Anything that I say about Columbia PP applies to day shift only. After 8PM all bets are off. I only have one favorite that works late. I am going to meet snowtime at the club next month.
shadowcat
15 years ago
BTW, I have NO connection with "shadow management" the name the club uses for billing credit cards.
how
15 years ago
Again, as others have stated:

Do not use your credit card in a strip club. Don't even have a credit card with you there.

Don't get money from an ITC ATM. Get your cash before you go to the club.
gk
15 years ago
OK, now I'm going to surprise everyone and go against common wisdom by admitting that I do use credit cards in clubs on a limited basis. I find them a good way to keep from carrying too much cash, which I don't like to do as I was once robbed at gunpoint in a club parking lot. However, I do exercise some caution about when and I use them. I like to know the establishment and the bartender. Even with these rules, I've sometimes asked to have a bill adjusted because I noticed something wrong. So I agree that "buyer beware" also extends to buying credit in a club, I'm not arguing the point, I'm just saying there can be exceptions if they are managed properly. (But "buyer beware" also extends to trusting bartenders who sometimes bet high and make mistakes on your tab, adding on drinks you did not purchase. I've also caught many waitresses playng games with tabs, which is why I prefer to sit at the bar where I can keep track of things better.)

Now, Champagne Rooms. If you know what you're going to get--and that's what you want, and its a good valaue, go for it. Value is the critical work. Rarely is it a good value. On a rare occassion for me that might mean pulling out plastic to indulge myself. But I usually know what I'm buying when I do that. My advice agrees with the common wisdom, NEVER pay for something unless you know what you're going to get and what it is going to cost when you're done.

And to bring more discipline into my clubbing habits, I recdently started leaving my wallet in the car at local SCs, taking in only the cash I want to spend. This way I avoid pile on parties.
shadowcat
15 years ago
Still no one has answered my basic question. Are credit cards and drivers license mandatory for a Champagne Room visit? For security? Or does cash work just the same?
txtittyfan
15 years ago
The only definitives answers to those questions would come from club management. They are not mandatory for clubs I frequent.
wallanon
15 years ago
Wouldn't think it's mandatory everywhere. But not all champagne rooms are created equal so what's in a name?
how
15 years ago
I suppose I've never been to an official "Champagne Room." I've certainly never been required to have a credit card for any VIP area I've been in.
wallanon
15 years ago
how, even if the name is written in crayon it's a champagne room if comes with a girl and something bubbly. And no, I've never seen it written in crayon but I've seen hand written signage in clubs. Saw one club where the name by the front door looked like it had been scrawled using a rock on bricks.

I suppose my point is a room in a club can be whatever they say it is.
gk
15 years ago
Re "The question." My observation is that it varys from club to club. One chain in particular requires a credit card, a drivers license and a thumb print to enter the CR, all to ensure that you will pay. (This place is very anal in a business/sociological sense, I don't like it.) In these circumstances, many times it's a "fixed price" arrangement with the CR charge and the dancer's fee all rolled into one charge. From my experience, these are bad values and should be avoided unless you can expense them or just don't care.

In another favorite club where the so-called CR is just a semi-private area, you can pay with cash to the bar and deal with the dancer separately. This is a good value CR which I don't hesitate to use.

Another factor, some places may actually require you to buy buy a bottle of bubbly to use the CR. If it's moderately priced, you might choose to pay cash. If it's more expensive, you might want to charge it. Other places may only require a drink minimum up front--if it's reasonable that's more incentive to pay with cash. I'm certainly no all-around expert, these are just some of my personal experiences. But as we've generally concluded, the typical high end CR is a rip off.
txtittyfan
15 years ago
Shadowcat,

My guess for an answer to your question is that the DJ announces the terms of credit card and license as a sales pitch. Believing that the CC user will be more willing to pay the price. If his pitch was $300 or whatever the price, people would probably not be as receptive. The license is just for verifying the ID of the CC user.
wallanon
15 years ago
gk, you should write more reviews.
pop
15 years ago
SC, cash is fine for anything at P+. That includes the champagne room. P+ is about as good as a strip club gets with a credit card. I've used mine to pay my bar tab with no worries and I don't think anyone is going to have a problem using a credit card there. You can also get cash advances from the club on your card but it's not a real cash advance. You get real cash but it's processed like a regular merchandise charge but the club adds on 10%. So, if you want $100 in cash your card is charged $110 and they give you $100 cash. Much better than those places that make you use some sort of stripper monopoly money. Obviously, bringing your own cash is best but for guys on expense accounts it's great.
pop
15 years ago
I forgot, they don't take any extra % for drinks or champagne room when paying with a credit card. It's only for cash that they add the 10%.
shadowcat
15 years ago
Pop, Thanks. I still have no intention to ever use the Champagne Room. I can get a much better deal for FS OTC. I was just curious.
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