I'm a newbie with one reference, and a provider who I was contacting didn't seek any screening at all (didn't ask for references, work info, nothing).  Is this usually a bad sign?  Just a sign that she's not planning to follow through?  Or a sign of LE maybe?

Note in this case, the provider in question, while new to the profession herself, had multiple good recent reviews from some veterans.

ATM, communication's dropped off and I figure c'est la vie; maybe she didn't screen because she judged me not a good candidate and didn't bother.  Either way, I wanted to ask the question for general purposes.

Lots of things going on. Where did you find her? BP? then I would say bad sign. End of the month?  Rent due, mortgage due, other bills, then the provider may have thrown out normal protocols and taken a chance on you. You never mentioned if you asked for an appointment, so perhaps screening would have taken place then. Bottom line, these things happen, and yes I've seen ladies who didn't screen me and everything turned out fine.  Hobby at your own comfort level, if the fact she didn't screen you made you feel uncomfortable, then just move on.

Providers that do not screen are normally ones to avoid.  Usually ones that are lax in screening are new and young.  However in your case, if communication has dropped off, it may well be that she is not interested in your money for whatever reason.  Sounds like it's time to keep looking, prob not worth wasting your time.  There are plenty out there who will be glad to take your $$$.

Reviews are our main screening tool. Factors like the site her ad is on or how and if she screens are secondary. They're so much "inside baseball". It doesn't concern me unless it's part of an overall picture of carelessness.

You're not clear about it, but it sounds like she hadn't even agreed to an appointment yet, so there's no telling what she does or doesn't do to screen.

In the recent thread on the same topic linked below, I posted this (also many younger and newer providers are less likely to screen):
"Screening expectations can vary by region
If you live in a big city or an area where busts often occur, it can be a cause for concern. Where I am (western Carolinas), many legit providers ask for little or no info. If those reviews are good, I would give them a lot more consideration than her screening practices."

While having a  score or more of reviews (and recent ones from vets) can fairly safely reduce the risk of the lady herself being a ROB, B&S, LE - it does nothing to protect her from the gent right before, or after you, being LE or someone intent on doing her harm.  

The more stringently a lady screens, the less likely she will be to get caught up in something nasty.  If she gets caught up in something, you may as well.  If nothing else, she will likely have your phone number or email and that can be used to set you up.  Imagine seeing her and all goes well, then you receive a text/email from "her" and you decide to see "her" again.  This time, though, you walk into a sea of blue.  

Also, chances are that a lady who doesn't screen at all is likely a higher volume gal.  If that's the case, the chances of her being 'discovered' by nosy neighbors/hotel staff, reported to LE who then watch her incall location, who then stop you for questioning upon arriving at/leaving her location goes up.  How much fun would that be?

Also, consider if the gent right before/after you beat her up...  If you walk in to a crime scene - what do you do?  Get her help?  That will expose you to scrutiny.  Leave her there unconscious?  Inhumane.  Either way, you may be reported as being seen in the area and it could be assumed you were the one who hurt her.

These are admittedly extreme examples, but the fact remains that a lady who doesn't screen opens herself (and by extension, YOU) up to a lot of trouble that most folks don't want to deal with.  I know some guys are scared to give screening info out so they are left with only the girls who don't screen... but considering all the things that could go wrong to a girl like that (and then it trickles down to you), are you really protecting yourself by seeing her?

Frankly, I try to minimize risks in life.  There will always be some level of risk but only you can decide if the above possibilities are a better bet, or only seeing reputable girls who screen is.

I ran into a lady who appeared not to screen, and eventually (post-play) asked her about it, and she actually explained how she had screened me without me knowing it. Real world, there is the explicit screening, and then another world of screening that hobbyists know nothing about - call it provider networking if you wish, but it also can be reading certain signs.

Screening is intended to do two things - figure out whether or not you or her is LE, and keep each of you safe from rip offs and other a-holes. Hobbyists screen using reviews, among other tools (it always amazes me when guys ask why anyone screens, given that we do it all the time). Ladies screen in their own ways, and the lady who did not appear to screen me had a process to determine that I was not LE, and seemed like a nice guy that apparently worked, though in retrospect she was a bit flaky, even if our date went off smoothly.

None of which changes the other answers - be careful, but the reviews probably cover you. She is likely the one taking the bigger risk of seeing an a-hole.

zig