I sent an appointment request to a provider through P411.  She responded and the arrangements were handled through Email after the p411 request.  My p411 contact preference is email.   All was set for the meeting today.  My second phone has an issue that I don't have time to deal with today.  The provider said she would email me the directions later today, and asked that I call her when I arrived.  I responded, explaining the phone situation asking if I could email her when i arrived.  She said "no only a phone call".  I cannot have any unknown or unusual numbers on this phone record, i explained that to her and offered to delete the entire email string in front of her if it made her feel more comfortable.  She still refused and her last words were "No, stay safe".  I'm assuming the appointment is canceled by her.  Cell phone records are kept by the large carrriers for a long time and I really have an issue with this particular phone line.  To me, email is the safest and most discreet communication we have.  I'm wondering if anyone has any idea why she insisted on a phone call.

She may be using a phone call to prove you are actually there. Emails can be scheduled to make it appear so. Also,
I don't believe phone calls are recorded unless there's been a court ordered wire tap.  Emails never die even after being  "deleted" and could be recovered. In that case the best bet is for both parties to use an email service with end-to-end encryption like Proton Mail.

I don't know all the details here.  Is the final phone call to get the appt #, or directions from parking to her room?  If that is true, then she doesn't want that last bit of info documented in text/email.

Sorry things didn't work out for y'all to meet. That's not a protocol I'd personally enforce. Though I have heard of it a time or two. It's possible she uses a private house or apartment to host rather than hotels. And she might be especially vigilant if she hosts in her actual home.

She might have an assistant or booker that manages her email. I know some providers hire someone so they do not have to deal with the email. Not until after screening, deposit if required, etc... do they get involved. Often, the phone communication starts the day of the appointment. One possibility is that her phone is the only way to directly communicate with her, and not involve an assistant or booker to play 3rd party at that point.

You emails may also be kept for a number of years. In both cases it's mostly the routing information and not the content, particularly if you have encryption.  

but you can't afford to get a burner phone to use for provider bookings?  This doesn't make a whole lot of sense.  She is completely justified in requiring a phone call for final instructions.  Otherwise, it's an easy NCNS for a prankster and she has wasted her time getting ready for the date.  

I use protonmail.  There is no chance of having my email "saved" by anyone.

I still am shaking my head (big head) that so many hobbyists (or wanna be) are so hung up on a simple thing.
Ok, it sounds like either you have a work phone where you're a govt employee and they monitor your calls OR you have a significant other who has free reign on your phone.

He said he has a "second phone" that had an issue that he had no time to deal with.

Once again he said he has a second phone that was having an issue he had no time to resolve.

the second phone is in reality, worthless, and perhaps he needs a THIRD phone that is not compromised for use in scheduling provider appointments?  Why do customers have to make this so complicated?  You just get a phone that NO ONE knows about except you and the ladies you are seeing.  Problem solved, or else, there is something else that he is embarrassed to tell us about, so we are giving advice that he asked for without knowing the whole story, which makes the advice worthless.  if it's not going to be applicable because of some intervening problem that he has chosen to keep secret from the rest of the facts.

My hobby phone threw a fit, and at the last minute I had to use my regular phone. Same situation, phone call required upon arrival. I trust the girl, as I'm sort of a regular so not a big deal, but I still try to keep my hobby separate from RL. Obviously.

Oh, the irony....

There are no "secret facts" my burner stopped working for an unknown reason and i do not use either my work phone or my personal phone for this activity.  I was disappointed that we couldn't resolve the issue.  If there were still payphones I guess maybe there wouldn't have been a problem.  As it stands no winners here, she's losing a booking and I'm missing out on some fun.  It was a first meeting with this provider, maybe if it had been someone I'd seen before there wouldn't have been an issue.

I had that happen -- my hobby phone went bad as I was on my way to the appointment.  I had a workaround that was luckily accepted and saved the session, but it took a while.  
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The OP didn't have that workaround in safe-enough form, so missed his session as I would have without it.  
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Folks berating him for "no burner phone" are failing to read, or failing to think, or just failing.  But complaining about the provider's process doesn't get very far either.

Regardless  of  her  reason  for  a  phone  call
vs.  email,  the  final  meet-up  protocol
should've  been  mutually  stated/agreed
upon,  prior  to  the  day  of  the  Meet.  

No, I don't agree.  

I know a provider who accepts contact by email but at some point she insists on texting. She uses the number to check the prospective client on sites like Mr. Number.

That may be changing so you should keep a watchful eye if that is so important for you.

As part of the vetting process, I had to text her a head shot. She told me what hotel to go to.  Inside the hotel, I had to text her a photo of the lobby. She told me what floor she was on. When I confirmed I was on that floor, she texted me the room number. I went to the room's door, but the door behind me opened and she invited me in.

I prefer email and I do not share my personal # with everyone who books me.

It has to be used at both ends to achieve full end-to-end encryption, but I've not seen any providers require it, even though it's free.
"Signal is completely free to use, featuring no ads, no affiliate marketers, and no data tracking. It is developed by a 501c3 nonprofit organization and supported by donations and grants, ensuring privacy-focused communication. Users can send texts, make voice/video calls, and share media securely at no cost, though data usage charges from your provider may apply." - Gemini AI

lol wow

he was making the appointment, so he had no time to pick up another burner between the day he was making the appointment and the day he wanted the appointment?  As soon as she said, "It must be a phone," make the appointment for three days from now and go get another burner phone after work tonight.  Problem solved and girl seen.  Sticking to the idea that this problem can't be fixed with this provider unless she will accept email only still makes it look like there is missing information.  SMH.

I seem to recall he got into trouble for it, though I don't think any hookers were on the call.

"It is developed by a 501c3 nonprofit organization and supported by donations and grants, ensuring privacy-focused communication."

The fact that whistleblower Snowden uses Signal is a good enough endorsement for me. Fyi, the Proton Foundation which is in charge of Proton Mail operates as a Swiss non-profit. If you have some better ideas on secure non-military communications, let us know what they are and why.

Ok, I very much so prefer Signal for all of my direct client communication after they've filled out the booking form. And I'm game to offer context because Signal is pretty legit.  

Use Signal if you want. That was not my point. But DON'T assume it's safe merely because it's from a non-profit or suggest others view it as safe for that reason.  

I installed it and tried it. Needing to use my real phone number for communications is a NO for me so I wouldn't use it for making business arrangements.

But ... why would you choose your real phone number, rather than your hobby phone number, in Signal?  

Why wouldn't you use a burner phone number?

*takes a very deep inhale, rubs temples, softly chuckles*  

Wouldn't work.

App doesn't work unless it's a legit phone. I don't have a separate physical phone.

Thanks. It wasn't obvious when I was poking around the settings and I've never been asked to use it so I never devoted much time to exploring.  

Yes... when you go to compose a message on Signal (upper right hand corner), you can look people up via  

Hegseth accidentally included a reporter's number in his list of Signal recipients, who were not authorized to receive an outline of the attack plan on Yemen. The reporter blew the whistle, but nothing was ever compromised by the Signal app itself.

I got my answer in the first two or three replys.  This unending grinding about signal is not what this was about.  a provider decided to not take a two hour date because I couldn't text or call from my phone. I offered a secure email alternative and it wasn't accepted.  she lost a two hour booking i lost a good night of fun no winners here. Please let this end, idk about signal or anything else, my burner got destroyed and my occupation would not allow me to have an unusual number appear on my call list.  sorry but thats the way big brother runs the show.  It was a one time thing and today it wouldn't happen.  My burner has been replaced and life is good.  no need for signal or anything else.  I just wanted to understand why a secure encrypted email would not do.  I have my answer.  Thank you.

I'm not telling others to do what I do, nor am I saying they should not be using Signal, proton or some other tool. What I have been saying is don't just blindly accept something is secure or that your information is not be logged or stored, or if it is currently not getting logged that it will be that way forever. (And the same holds on the flip side, just because a certain communications path used not be less secure or logged it might also change.)

The follow up discussion concerning Signal and Proton Mail was for the benefit of everyone in the community, not just to you.

We all try and help each other out here, and if there is a method to keep our communications more private, why shouldnt we discuss it? That's just the way these threads evolve sometimes. Its all good!

This is so much better than what's app! I'm sold!

I've often wondered if it's due to some coming to TER from other boards that are more forum-based -- where the thread is started and only that topic allowed. While I know TER has some bits about staying on topic the boards are not really forum-like but more discussion where the flow of the conversation is the driver not the OP subject line. I think of them more as conversations at a party -- they move around a lot.

It would’ve been great for someone to start a new post about Signal pros, cons and security, which also would have made it easier for people to find later. In a more heavily moderated space, a mod might have stepped in to recommend that.

It was developed by the same team that created Proton Mail and is a secure video/audio conferencing app that utilizes end-to-end encryption, so their servers have no idea of what your communications are. The Free tier is quite capable.  
http://proton.me/meet

I'm willing to bet that he set up his post with the notify by email or pm with every reply boxes checked, so he is probably inundated by notifications that aren't relevant to him.

Oops, the Free version only allows the creation of five meetings per day. The Professional version allows unlimited meetings, plus it has a lot of other nice features.
http://proton.me/meet/pricing

Or does that also go on phone records…

Would you like to be a moderator for this forum? I bet TER would accept you.

How about “Ask a Provider” board with Claire and Paige as co-moderators??? That would be pitch perfect!

…the provider insisted i call her when i arrived ag the cross street and she would verbally tell me the address and buzz me in

Thank you

Thank you so much.

I burst out laughing..

Now, to be fair, he doesn't tell anyone that people should do what he does (ie, SMS and real number)

"binary thinking or black-and-white thinking, suggests that absolute perfection is the only standard for success, viewing any error as total failure." - Gemini
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Personally, I assume state sponsored hackers,  e.g. Israel's Mossad and Fancy Bear, will eventually find a way to get into  "secure" devices and servers databases. But it's the amateur hackers, scammers, thieves, blackmailers, extortionists, stalkers, anarchists that I want to protect myself from. Just because I can't protect myself from everyone, doesn't mean I can't try to protect myself from most everyone else. Otherwise, it would be like declaring, "Since I can't be assured a seat beat will protect me 100% in a car crash, I'm not going to wear one, since I'm such a great driver." [Note, even using front airbags in combination with seat belts only reduces the risk of dying by about 60%.]

Nice try but in no way did I say what you claim. So go back and read my post, link below, and you'll be able to see what I did say.

on binary thinking on a number of occasions on the Kgirl board.  Do a search and you will see what a broken record he is when it comes to all-or-nothing thinking.  I wasted my time and he will eagerly waste yours, too.  Lol

Yep, agreed.

"Like chains, Signal's security and encryption is going to be a strong as its weakest link -- which might be that it is a 503c non-profit dependent on donations and grants." - 36363jensen
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"Messaging apps that lack end-to-end encryption (E2EE) by default or are owned by [for profit] companies relying on data monetization—such as Facebook Messenger, Instagram, Discord, and standard SMS/texting—are generally considered the least secure. These platforms can access user messages, often collect large amounts of metadata, and are vulnerable to data hacks, subpoenas, and surveillance." - Gemini AI

I haven’t read the other replies. I just wanna say you do you and only do what makes you feel comfortable.  If that doesn’t fly with a provider, there’s plenty others that will be OK with it.  I haven’t had a second phone for a couple of years now everything is done by email.  Everyone has her comfort zone..  don’t get weak can cause yourself big problems!