Is scamming a "hustle" now?
Elitis
So, someone (a dancer of course) commented on a recent review I did and I was curious what others thoughts on the matter were. Is scamming "hustling" now?
Portion of my review they were referring to:
"Lastly, I got some dances in what I assume is now the VIP area (back in 2018 this was the only spot for dances as far as I remember) closer towards the bathrooms. Be careful with some of the dancers here as the one I went with here was a rob. While getting dances with her, she talked about leaving and having an "afterparty" with a friend. She asked to zelle or cash app her prior.
Heavy flirting and that should have been my warning sign but I was thinking with my other head. Several exchanges happened throughout the night, each time one amount would be stated only to suddenly increase a second later (for anyone wondering, I reported the transactions the same night and froze the card so hopefully those don't end up going through).
I did get decent dances with the pair, above-average mileage rubbing between legs, nipple biting (as the first girl would bite my neck). However, I did not end up bringing them back to my hotel as they alluded to. At one point, I tried going to the bathroom and one of them conveniently started grinding on me to block me."
The comment:
"So you paid dancers what they asked for - had buyers remorse - and initiated fraudulent chargebacks? Admitting to a crime and stealing from strippers is crazy. You can hate the hustle / them asking for more and more money, but if the girl didn’t rob your wallet or your phone regretting what you spent is on you."
Portion of my review they were referring to:
"Lastly, I got some dances in what I assume is now the VIP area (back in 2018 this was the only spot for dances as far as I remember) closer towards the bathrooms. Be careful with some of the dancers here as the one I went with here was a rob. While getting dances with her, she talked about leaving and having an "afterparty" with a friend. She asked to zelle or cash app her prior.
Heavy flirting and that should have been my warning sign but I was thinking with my other head. Several exchanges happened throughout the night, each time one amount would be stated only to suddenly increase a second later (for anyone wondering, I reported the transactions the same night and froze the card so hopefully those don't end up going through).
I did get decent dances with the pair, above-average mileage rubbing between legs, nipple biting (as the first girl would bite my neck). However, I did not end up bringing them back to my hotel as they alluded to. At one point, I tried going to the bathroom and one of them conveniently started grinding on me to block me."
The comment:
"So you paid dancers what they asked for - had buyers remorse - and initiated fraudulent chargebacks? Admitting to a crime and stealing from strippers is crazy. You can hate the hustle / them asking for more and more money, but if the girl didn’t rob your wallet or your phone regretting what you spent is on you."
43 comments
Why did you not bring them back to your hotel? You just state that it didn't happen, and not why it didn't happen.
Maybe you're the exception among customers, single or honest with your SO that you're seeing sex workers. If not, do you see the irony being judgmental about someone else's sketchy behavior?
Only pay cash and NEVER pay until services are given. Contrary to what the white knights on here will tell you, they're not goddesses. They're junkies and crooks. Treat them accordingly.
Also, as someone who has worked as a fraud investigator for a credit card company for more than a decade I would expect your claim of fraud to be declined and you'll be out the money. The fact is you did agree to send them the funds and you can't use the fact that they refused to commit a crime (prostitution) as the reason to deny the funds transferred. That claim is going to go about as well as someone calling the cops to say their drug dealer gave them fake meth.
The discussion is whether or not we all consider this interaction to be a (fair) hustle as the commentor seemed to think. I think trying to upsell you on VIP or more dances are fair hustles. Suggesting extras ITC or OTC with no intention of following through is just a simple scam/rob.
Cash only. A dancer can say you owe $6000. You laugh and walk away. At the very worst the club will ban you, but most managers know who the ROBs are and won't back them up
There is a big difference between "suggesting" and agreeing to extras. She can say that she can't suck your dick in the lapdance room but "suggest" that it could happen in the VIP by saying how much more private it is and how there aren't as many rules in there. If you get in the VIP and she still says she won't suck your dick that isn't a scam or a rob. Now if she says "if we do the vip for an hour and you give me an extra $100 I'll suck your dick" and then fails to do so after you pay her that is a scam.
Same goes for her "suggesting" otc is an option by saying something like "if you spend enough here to make it worth my while I'll consider it" isn't her agreeing to do it and is just a hustle. Now if she says "give me $500 cash and I'll meet you at your hotel in an hour" and doesn't show up that is a scam.
Have you seen all the posts on here about getting cheap extras at the end of the month when rent is due? When somebody is the target of such strategies, you shouldn't expect them to be nice or fair in return. You can say that they shouldn't lump us all together, or we shouldn't lump all of them together. But that's generally human nature, whether it should be or not.
It half sounds like she was merely talking to you about her plans after work to hang out with her friend and simply asked you to give her some money. Then, when you did, she asked again & you did again. If it weren't for the "I did not end up bringing them back to my hotel as they alluded to" I would have pegged you as the villain in the story much the way the commenter did. After all, if she gave you good dances and simply asked for more money, trying to recover that money later would be a douche move.
Even with that line, it's unclear. You fail to explain why you didn't end up taking them back to your hotel. For all we know, you might have gotten cold feet or something. The bit about her blocking you from going to the bathroom is utterly confusing. I can't figure out the relationship to them not going back with you, it would make more sense in a scenario where you were pick pocketed or maybe drugged and had your diminished capabilities used against you. I can't understand how a girl grinding on you to keep you from the bathroom advances their scam, if anything I'd think the move for them would have been to let you take a piss and take the opportunity to make themselves scarce without doing anything they alluded to.
Don't get me wrong, I don't support people alluding to or outright promising to do something in exchange for compensation and then altering the terms of the agreement after payment has been made. I'm just saying it's not clear that's what happened from your story. When things aren't clear, we tend to see things from our own perspectives. Customers might see it as a ROB situation, dancers might see it as a hustle. So I can see how a dancer might interpret it as an honest hustle rather than a rip off and view your attempts at recovering the money as an attempt to rip off the dancer.
Instead of posting a separate thread, why not clarify exactly what happened in the comments so the next person reading the review isn't left wondering if you're just a sucker or if the girls are ROB's? Specifically, why didn't they come back. Did they disappear? Just keep asking for more and more money? Outright tell you to fuck off? What?
I didn't go too in depth in that review as I thought it was already getting pretty long. But to address it a bit further she was not just discussing "after-work plans". She specifically mentioned getting a cab/uber together for us to have an "afterparty" and asked how many friends she should bring with us. Throughout the night, she would bring up this "afterparty" repeatedly and ask to be sent more (increasing each time) money to "pay off the bouncers" or anything else "so we could go". Confirming whatever amount was sent each time but playing dumb/not addressing me bringing up the previous amount already sent.
As far as the "blocking me from the bathrom" bit goes, we were in line waiting on an available room for more dances at the time, where they were probably going to ask me to send more money.
I'm happy to answer any lingering questions around that situation but again, I wanted the discussion to be more around "what do we consider a scam and what do we consider an honest hustle" more so than my specific situation. The money's more than likely gone and I'm OK with that. Life goes on.
As far as making for interesting discussion, I'm with ya. I'm not suggesting this was a dumb/bad post or anything, certainly better than the thinly veiled political bullshit folks love to post here. I'm just saying there's some nuance involved, and suggesting that having a detailed accounting of the events to use as an example makes the conversation much more interesting.
Bottom line, there will be differing opinions on where the line between hustle and scam is. Some guys here will call a girl a ROB for giving them what they consider a shitty dance, often simply because they feel entitled to finger a pussy or suck a tit or something. Others draw the line at an explicit promise not being met, like offering a blow job in the champagne room and then demanding another $200 once in the room. Others, like the commenter in your review, draw the line at physically taking money without consent, like physically removing it from your pocket. They'll be lots of gray area in between, but again the devil is in the details when trying to pinpoint the elements that constitute a ROB.
Write up something akin to a Miller test, polish it up and submit it as an article.
You have to handle the situation the same way you would with a general contractor - no payment until the job is complete. Otherwise, you may not see them again.
And of course, everyone will have differing opinions on the matter. It's those differing opinions that I think make for a good discussion.
How much were you drinking? It does seem like it was the beer zelling.
At what point would you have stopped?
Because I guarantee had they went to a hotel with you, they would've expected to be tipped once at the hotel both before and at the end of the "party".
1. You were getting better and better dancing as you tipped more and more. You were getting a lot of "you're so handsome", "I like your touch", "maybe we could get together after the club closes". Later, when Mr. Happy was as ease, you regretted how much you'd spent. Clearly true that you are very handsome and have magic hands, but the part about maybe meeting up was inexcusable bullshit. So you decided that justified clawing back the money.
2. She said, "zelle me $500 and we'll meet up after the club closes." You zelle her $500. "No, wait, I need another $100." You zelle her another $100. "No wait, I need another $200." You zell her another $200 ....
Can you see why story 1 seems more plausible than story 2?
Though exactly what happened between you and those dancers remains murky, I'd say you did get scammed. At the same time, you made yourself ridiculously easy to scam. I mean, you sort of served yourself up on a platter.
And that's not right, but it's part of the equation when you walk into a place where many not-right things can potentially occur (and, in fairness, to dancers as well as customers).
So, I don't blame you for being unhappy, but I think the degree to which you can complain and generate sympathy is limited.
As you said earlier... lesson learned.
“You have to handle the situation the same way you would with a general contractor - no payment until the job is complete. Otherwise, you may not see them again.”
She may say one thing. You may hear something else. The only way to guarantee you’re both on the same page is not to pay until afterwards. I’ve paid ahead of time and gotten what was promised, but I recognized I was taking a risk. How and when each of us decides to take risks is on us. When you’re wrong, add it to the tuition bill.
@ilbbaicnl I see the point you're making, and its a fair one. Not at all what happened, just to be clear though. Also, to address the other point, I didn't name them because I didn't remember their names. Rarely do I keep a dancer's name in mind. Ayla Veronica is, presumably, her real name and cashapp. No idea what her stage name was.
@Dolfan I went Friday, and yes they close at 7AM. I got there around 1AM if I remember correctly. So, yes, I stayed a very long time.
@Call.Me.Ishamel fair, but I'm also not trying to complain or generate sympathy. Of course, I'm not *happy* I lost out on some money for nothing, but as I mentioned previously, I thought the wider topic could make for an interesting discussion.
@erg I have to admit this made me laugh a bit.
I'm not advocating for pre-payment, just trying to add balance to the conversation.
The actual FUCK?
So, new question to add to the discussion. For all the dancers who think I'm in the wrong (I disagree, of course, but you're allowed to have your opinion), have you ever alluded to or outright told customers extras were available if they paid you beforehand and then not gone through with it?
If so, why? Do you think that was a fair hustle? Did you give them their money back?
Whether you think I'm in the right or wrong, just add to the discussion please.
Obviously I'm not a dancer, but there is a huge difference between "alluding to" and "outright telling" someone that extras were available. I assume the vast majority of strippers "allude" to sexual activities at some point in there career, a much much lower percentage of them actually tell a customer they are open to extras.
There are a lot of customers that go to strip clubs specifically for the fantasy that is created by dancers alluding to sexual activities while flirting with them. Many customers want this allusion and flirtation even though they would never actually follow through with it even if the dancer was ready and willing because they are in a committed relationship or just not wanting to do p4p. That is why it is such an effective sales tactic , "hustle" or whatever you want to call it.
There was one stripper who told me she wanted to be my girlfriend. She even said I could stop working, and she would support us both by stripping. Oh, and have my baby. But, before we had our first date outside the club, she told me she loved me, and wanted me to tell her I loved her. I told her it was way too fast for us to be talking about love. After that, she didn't even want to sell me a single dance. But, it was my own fault OTC didn't happen, failure to love her.
They may or may not be specifically endorsing my situation. Unless they actually add to the discussion or ask for clarification, that remains unclear. But, all in all, fair point. In their shoes, I suppose it's easy to assume I'm just another customer trying to screw someone over.
On the other hand, it would be just as simple to ask and find out:
I did not bring the OTC topic up with this dancer at all. She did.
Trying to get your money back because a dance wasn't as high mileage as you wanted it to be is one thing. Trying to get your money back because a service you, rightly or wrongly, smartly or foolishly, paid for ahead of time was never provided is another thing.
Obviously, I have my stance on both my specific situation and the larger topic at hand, and I expect dancers to side with dancers in general. This is fine. I only ask that they add to the discussion.
I don't know if there's any chance the payment processor might refer your complaint to law enforcement for investigation. If you tipped 3+ figures, probably going to be suspicions that it wasn't just for them to come by and look at your etchings. Hypothetically, seems like LE could investigate the strippers for fraud, or you as a john, or both. Even if the strippers didn't explicitly offer you OTC sex, they might say they did, to have more to plea bargain with. Outside chance you might end up looking like the guy who called the cops to report his illegal drugs were stolen.