turn around and have to run a special?
It seems that if a provider raises her rates and her phone stops ringing that would be hint that she is charging too much.

It comes down to demand. If a provider gets many phone calls they will raise their rates. Also if she gets a sugar daddy she can temporarily raise her rates. Once the sugar daddy goes away the rates drop.

I have my target prices for what I will pay. Sometimes I will wait a few years until the price comes down into my range before I see the provider. If they try to pass a price increase I tell them I don't have time for them and will see another provider.

Just like any other service business the ladies will periodically test the markets.  Absoultely nothing inherently wrong with that.  And if business is slower than she would like, the special is the result.  For many of the guys that is just what many wait and look for..and then take advantage of the special.  

It does seem that there have been some significant specials for a while now.  And on the other end there are ladies who have been very successful with their higher prices and haven't needed to make any adjustments.  You gotta love "free markets".  Capitalism at its finest

If only I had expected gasoline and gold to spiral out of control like this a few years ago (could have bought futures contracts).  But guess what, when no one needs those commodoties...I would expect those prices will come down as well.

then they have discounts.  

If a prostitute raises her rates from 250 to 300, some mongers will be none the wiser and will pay the 300.  Others will wait until she has the $50 off for TER or other mongering sites special and see her then

It enables her to market herself.

presume to know better than providers how to run the providers' businesses?

There are a lot of reasons a provider might do this. Usually, she will raise her rates because she has more business than she can handle. She will then lower her rates or run a special when she has too little business. That she runs a special does not mean business is ALWAYS too slow at her higher rate, only that it is too slow for the time that she is running the special. The week may be slow, she may have extra time on her hands that week, or she may have a financial goal she wants to meet faster.

Just supply and demand.  If the price is too high for what's being offered, bookings will be scarce or none.

Called one lady in the area asking $500/hr because she got lucky with one client who paid her that.  She told me on the phone some guy went for it. I told her I was looking for a weekly thing. Well, that client never came back, so I guess that was a one time thing - maybe the guy felt like spending on his birthday.  So in 2 weeks, I saw her ad rates went down to $200, which was more in line with the local market.  

I guess sometimes it's the realization that having a 'safe regular' who pays $200-$300 per week or $1000-$1200/month or $10,000-$15,000 per year is better than charging someone $400/hr or $500/hr and never see them again forever.

Grandfathering.

Where else can you go, whether it's the gas station(don't get me started on that), the grocery store, a restaurant, bar, whatever, and they charge you what you paid two years ago?

I think it's so fucking cool the ladies appreciate their regulars, even if they haven't seen them often enough or as much as they would like, and still charge the guy what he paid then.

Afterall, he always has a great time. That's why he comes back. Then, he turns his buddies onto her making more business for her. It's a win-win. Tell me I'm wrong?

Now, there are some circumstances when the lady is easing her way out, or at least going UTR if she hasn't already. She has a devoted clientele, and doesn't have to advertise. She just takes calls at her convenience.

She doesn't run specials because these guys already know what it's going to cost.

I'm not saying the lady isn't worth the increase in price. Just saying familiarity isn't such a bad thing, whether it be what you expect in service and what they expect in payment for such coming from a devoted regular.

I know a provider who recently raised her rates, and she expected me to go along with the increased rates, rather than grandfathering.  I see her side of it, after all, your gas station doesn't grandfather you!  She's only gone up $25, so it's not bad...and she was lower than most anyway.  

I dont run specials because its slow.. I do it when I have a money goal that is out of the ordinary for my budget. I increase my volume a bit more to balance. I usually only see 3-5 men a week.

I also do it because I know some gents cant afford my $300 so I'll run a $250 or $275. They are cool guys that want to sincerely see me and work hard. Or I run a 90 minute for $300. This month I threw in a 30 minute session.

I started with $300 though..

I raised my rates only because I could. The demand was there so I decided to hike my rates up and guess what the demand is still there and I can be more selective now.

I love my regulars more than anything else. I still see some guys from way back when and they still pay the same.

I raised rates, but never run specials. If you feel you are worth what you are charging, then you won't have to. If your phone stops ringing (for a long period) then it should be an awakening into the opinions or feelings of others. If it stops ringing for a short period, then maybe something big is going on, like basketball playoffs, superbowl, ect. Specials mean that you do not believe that what your charging is acceptable. Just my opinion. Specials cheapen you. If you have to then just drop rates. This isn't all you can eat buffet...Just feedback from a provider.

If you can hang, why bitch? $25 ain't bad at all.

Just saying sometimes you see ladies advertise their 'new rates', after they already turned you on that that doesn't apply to you is what I'm saying.

I saw someone (who travels) at $X. She raised her rates by $100 but constantly posts to the boards about an ongoing $50 discount. If she was still $X, I'd be calling to see her right now, but the increase and discount and what's next, a coupon?

Which now has me wondering ... Other than getting elected to office, is there any government program to subsidize us? You know, like food stamps or WIC?

One way for those on limited budgets can deal with the higher gas prices for the hobby are:

1. Use public transportation.
2. Only hobby when you go on business trips.

I have seen  some providers on BP are posting saying "If you don't have a car you can catch the bus to my place".

I especially liked your comment, Hell yeah Without these people, who helped me grow, I would not be able to do this great quote.

And offering $250HR for a $500hr service level, i would call that great value. We need more like you

bargain whether it be called a "special", "sale", "discounted", etc.

got a lot of great reviews (she was very talented), then her rate became $450 an hour.  Why?  Because she could.  Did she grandfather me, no--maybe I should have asked.  Any how, she is now retired.

...but I can tell you that in some industries they keep the price at their normal rates and then run specials during the slow times, that way when times get good again, they just end the specials and thus, have not "raised" the rates.

Look at car dealerships.  They're consistently offering discounts and sales, have been since 2001 when the WTC fell.  But I can safely assure you that, if the market suddenly triples and everyone who's been keeping their cars alive with life support suddenly has the cash to buy a new one, those "sales" and "discounts" will end.  Now Toyota, Ford, Honda, etc (GM does not count, fraggin government POS cars) did not "raise" their prices, they just ended their "sales".

The 'gubment' subsidizing our playing?!

Make a date with Holly Hooker, and tell her you can only pay her $$, but the gubment will pick up the rest of the tab.

I think you're on to something, and I'd definitely vote for you in the next election!

What do you mean about grandfathering, keeping your session at the old rate?

Yes, as long as the time is the same.  If you do the math, it was an increase of 50% in about a 15 month period.  Trust me, my salary didn't go up proportionally