Okay.  I'm not sure how to begin this thread, so I'm just going to start.  Ideally, a provider should be independent, working on her own volition, feel empowered, and keep the vast majority (if not all) of the donation.

In some sense, I think that all woman involved in providing are "coerced".  As the Julia Roberts' character said in Pretty Woman (paraphrasing) "no little girl grows up with the dream of being a hooker".  That said pimps and agencies provide some guidance in getting started providing.  It is tough in any business to navigate the waters  without some form of guidance.

Some provide a legitimate service for the escorts who work for them and some take unfair advantage of them (and some of those to the extent that it is indentured servitude).  I seldom use agencies for a number of reasons, including that it is not easy to find out if the escort is being treated fairly or not.

I do not work with an agency, but I am seeing a contradiction in "all women involved in providing are coerced" because it precedes the statement "hobbyists have an obligation to drop a dime on any situation where a provider may be (i) coerced".
Additionally, the paraphrase is from a Hollywood movie. As an independent provider I do agree we likely do not have aspirations from childhood to be a "hooker". That said, I see providing as a vocation in which I am in complete control of who I see, and when I choose to see them. IMO this is empowering. It is difficult to imagine any other type of business in which the owner/operator has complete freedom to accept the call or email at their leisure or as their particular schedule allows. If a particular independent lady wishes for all the business she can get, then she will do her best to take every call. The independent provider makes these decisions, no one else does it for her, and she is in no way coerced. If a gentleman truly wants to see a lady, he will respect her schedule and try until they can sync their schedules.  I wanted to give some insight from the "other" side. This is how I see it, and it is only one opinion of an independent provider.  
I have never worked for an agency, but my take is that while an agency does take a "cut" of the fees collected, they also take care of matters that the Indy provider does for herself such as screening, scheduling, and most of the contact with clients. It is my understanding that a well-regarded agency will ask a companion's availability and schedule her accordingly. If the lady is seeing 10 clients in a day then she is choosing to do so. The assistance with screening and booking is attractive, but I personally would not trust the integrity of screening to an agency. This is another pro to being an Indy- I have a screener extraordinaire who I trust completely. Her professionalism and discretion are the reasons for my safety and comfort, and I chose her just as I choose all matters related to my business. Coerced? Not even a little.

I have heard the cut for female service providers with an agency cut is usually 40-50% of the fee. It really depends on the agency.
Some agencies do all the 'admin' work AND pay for the hotels.

I personally weighed the options, on numerous occasions, to stop being independent and work for an agency.
Either that or hire an assistant full time.
For myself, I can afford to pay someone to a. screen for me, b. make all my travel arrangements and c. keep track of my schedule.
As busy as I tend to be, I have days and days go by where I am not able to even open my email. Then when I do it's inundated.

Assistants, Screeners, Agencies and Pimps all have a roll in this industry. Some work for the ladies  and some make ladies work for them; it's about perspective, intention and respect.  

Great post OP. I'd love to hear some other ladies opinions.

Soft and sweet,
Samantha

I should have probably used a different adjective, but "coerced" in quotation marks and as used is indicating very broad sense of the word.  Going back to the movie, the Julia Roberts character started hooking because she had no other way of supporting herself.  In that sense, she was "coerced".

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/marks/quotation.ht

I have seen agency girls in the past.  They were Americans, Canadians, Europeans, Hispanics and East Asians, I have know way of knowing for sure but buy all appearances, the ladies were there by choice.  

I know a couple thai girls that used to work the east coast for an agency two months of the year state side then return and live it up back home for the other ten.

First - You would be surprised at the number of independent providers who are in this business not because of their own choice and I am not talking about BP providers. I am talking about well reviewed, well known providers. Around three years ago there was an independent provider that was a well known, well reviewed TER provider who was busted in the Shakopee area. Her husband was pimping her out if her story was to be believed.  
   
 Many of these independent providers you are referring too are not in this business by their own choice but because their husbands, boyfriends, so's, family members are making them do it for many reasons mainly for the money, financial need, control and blind love.  
   
 We just don't hear about it.  
   
 Second - Many agencies that specialize in ladies from foreign lands are legit and the escorts they represent are in this business by their own choice. I am talking about the well known, well reviewed agencies on TER, not BP, City Pages stuff. English is not the native language for most of these women so using an agency helps immensely with the screening and scheduling process, keeping them safe while the provider will focus on the entertainment part.  
   
 For the 35 - 40% agency cut, the provider receives significant benefits administratively from marketing, advertising, communication, screening, scheduling, transportation and in some cases security. These services don't come cheap and take plenty of time. Many independent providers will sometimes utilize a reputable agency when touring.  
   
 Furthermore, many foreign providers, independent and agency based are here legitimately as immigrants or special status with some sort of legal protection (residency) like a Green Card. In some cases, an arrest for prostitution could deny them eventual citizenship or get them deported but it is a chance she is willing to take.  
   
 Some foreign providers from Central, Latin, South America; and Russia visit several times a year on Tourist Visas for a month or two at a time. They provide by choice and it is easier for them to work with an agency. Again, working and engaging in an illegal activity on a Tourist Visa is a chance they are willing to take. They leave before their Visas expire and either take the cash less than $10,000 with them and wire the rest by Western Union to family members back home.  
   
 It is not however unusual for providers to overstay their visas or reside and work in an undocumented manner. Some of these providers engage in this business by choice or are forced into the business by getting pimped out or trafficked.  
   
 My advice is to go with your gut feeling, if something doesn't feel right, don't engage and take action if possible. If you feel a provider is underage or in distress from a bad pimping or trafficking situation, kill time talking to the provider about random topics, leave the donation and depart without getting intimate with her. My promise to myself is this, that I will not knowingly engage with a provider that is not in this business by their own choice. The experience is not the same when compared to a provider doing this by choice for the most part. If I believe a provider is underage or in a sex trafficking situation, I will notify the appropriate authorities as soon as possible if I can safely do so without further endangering the victim or risking her life. I will worry about any personal legal implications for myself later.  
   
 Thankfully for me, I avoid engaging in such risky situations and have never been in such a position where I have needed to make a decision. I hope I never am but I am prepared to act if necessary.