Everyone wants their ad to 'stand out'....

However, what they don't seem to realize is that it makes it VERY difficult to read. Geez, it reminds me of a some kind of word search...searching for the letters in between all of the symbols they use. I recommend having a pad of paper and pencil handy, while searching the CL ads. When you see a letter just jot it down and eventually you'll solve the puzzle.

One is so they don't get removed by CL.  CL will remove ads (or CL readers will remove ads by flagging) if they contain certain keywords.

Two, and this is especially true of phone numbers spelled out as words, it makes it hard to search for similar ads.  Certain agencies flood CL with fake pictures.  By doing a search on the phone number it's easy to spot a B&S operation - they have tons a great looking women using the same number.

Re: You just need your...

secret decoder ring.

So they do not get flagged by CL and don't appear at all.
Some just think they are being different and creative, but I find them annoying and childish when used to an extreme.
When I see them on TER my first thought is NEXT.

Has anyone noticed a drop off in provider ads on CL since their new "get tough on escorts" policy?

verify the lady through her TER reviews.  No reviews is a "pass" for me.