You'll get varying opinions but, for safety, the consensus is that independents are safer, because of how much more difficult it is for LE to find them and bust them vs. an agency. That is unless she's incall and her nosy neighbors are getting fed up with all the foot traffic. And, it's viewed that because an agency is more likely to get busted, the info. you might have with them will fall into LE hands. Agencies seem to be preferred when it comes to quick availability for a date, and if you are new and have yet to develop provider references. Again, I'm speaking in terms of general consensus as I remember reading the opinions on the boards.

Re: They are both great in their own way

As for safety, Agencies tend to be the well publicized busts as there are a lot of salacious aspects to those busts.  If an agency has kept detailed records that are seized during a bust, the clients' information is then known to the one segment of society that everyone wishes to remain hidden from - LE.

However, keep in mind that Independents get busted too, you just don't tend to hear about it in the national media.  If an independent has kept detailed records through saving emails or keeping a list, your information will be just as disclosed as with an agency.  The difference is that Agencies tend to become specific targets of LE, and therefore the overall chance of something happening is increased.

Another thing to consider is that, if you can find a great agency that is discreet with record keeping, you only have to provide verification information once to be able to access a selection of providers. On the other hand, if you stick to independents, arguably, you will have to provide your verification information each time you see a new provider.  This can be avoided somewhat by joining a verification site accepted by the providers you wish to see.

The experience can be the same, but when it is different, it usually centers around the number of clients the provider has seen on the day that you do.  Agency providers tend to see more clients in a day than independents.  Also, Independents can frequently be more customer service oriented than agency ladies because they are also responsible for marketing and bringing in their own business based on their own reputation.

The cost can be less for the agency, but not appreciably so.

I use both.

Good luck

all good points and I would add that many indies use hotels and change locations frequently so nosey neighbors aren't always an issue.