We're in definite agreement on this issue MDL. I can see that if a guy wants to see a lady on an incall arrangement and she is asked to get a room just for his convenience, it would be only right to "up-front" her the money for the room. Otherwise, there seems to be little reason to ever give a deposit before the event.

It is a hard lesson learned not to be taken in by such tactics as perpetrated by "Melody". In fact, I would say that even if a lady asking for a deposit is well known and has a good track record she should not have to ask for a deposit. If the guy she is being asked to see is unknown to her  there are other ways to become comfortable with his aucenticity like, RS2000, referrals either from other providers or other hobbyists. The pecuniary transaction should not come into play until the face to face meeting. "A fool and his money are soon parted." To me it is interesting that we don't know if Melody is even a provider. Melody could be a major "Dischord". In fact, Melody may not even be a female. "Caveat emptor" on this one! The "Melody" disapointment hurts the reputation of all authentic providers as much as it hurts the sucker who sends him/her money.

I think there is a general misconception out there that the guys have an endless supply of money to just hand over and that the providers usually have none. I don't think either one of those scenarios is usually correct.

Finally, since we're on the subject of money, I think it should be pointed out that "tips" go both ways. We guys frequently leave a "tip" for our deeply appreciated lady friends. But the fine ladies are doing that also in the form of a few extra minutes of their time, or a few privileges which are not standard fare for all their encounters. I mention this because I think it is good to point out that kindness and generosity are not just things that flow from the guy to the gal. We receive very nice "tips" from our special ladies as well.