Roxy, payment is upfront from the punter and in cash - don't let them tell you otherwise. You are not their employee, you are paying them to find you work and they need you far more than vice versa. I'd be tempted to tell them that you'll be deducting the value of the clothing they've insisted you buy from their commission, too. You could even do them an invoice.

Well apparently payment is half card and half cash depending on the customer

Just tell them you'll only do the cash ones 

There is clearly a 'how not to run an escort agency' resource out there, and this bunch haven't realised that you're supposed to do the opposite of what it says.

I read 'half card and half cash' as 'half the customers pay by card and half pay in cash', because I thought that 'they pay us 50% in cash and 50% by a card, like someone settling a group's bill at a restaurant' would be too weird even for this bunch.

But yes, I agree with everything else. Is it time to name them?

The whole set up sounds dodgy.

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I can also imagine the clients face when you ask him for his passport so you can write down the ID number.  You will be told exactly where to go.  That might be the case in the US but here a client will run a mile if you try to do that.  The whole point of booking an escort is the discretion we are supposed to offer as well as there being nothing traceable in paper.  For them to expect a client to give his passport id number to you is laughable at best and could put you in a rather awkward or even nasty situation at worst.
I do not know of any client that would give those details to an escort or an agency so for them to expect this shows they do not have the experience they are telling you they have.  10yrs+ my arse have they as they would know that no client would do this. 

As for them taking 50% they really are having a laugh now.  There are 1000s of agencies out there and it seems you have found one of the very worst ones and would be better off looking at another if you do not want to go indy just yet

Well if he doesn't want to give his passport number which I can understand then he has the option of paying cash. I don't see how that in itself is an issue. They take ?100 of every ?190 so just under 50% I'm fine with all of these things, I'm comfy with their safety procedure, I know this board doesn't like agencies for many good reasons I'm sure but I am comfortable with this, I'll ask about chargebacks but I see no issue with giving them a chance, anyways it's my first shift today can we think of all the ways it can go right instead because I was calm as owt this morning now I'm getting more and more nervous.

Have you had a chance to meet any other escorts who hire this agency to find them clients? Perhaps it would be a good idea to sit down with one of them and chat. And not a woman who says she "used" to work for them but is "now" a receptionist/manager/etc, as she could just be the handy female accomplice (or the ringleader of the operation, of course) put in place to reassure nervous marks. You'll want to chat to one or more other women who are maybe also just joining this agency so you can share your experiences and look out for each other.

Finding a safety buddy - someone who'd never earn any money from you, but who is looking out for you because they actually care - is important with agency work, too.

I know this board is very anti agency work (and I know I'm very negative about them in particular), but that's because of the many, many, many, many ways in which "agents"/pimps have been known to take advantage of industry newbies.

That doesn't mean that it's impossible to work for an agency safely. Far from it. It just means that you must never TRUST an agency. Don't listen to anything they say. Get your own security buddy. Take your full payment in cash up front from each client, or terminate the booking immediately and leave if he won't pay. Never give personal details to an agency. Don't trust them or anything they say (that one bears repeating!). Never perform sexual services until you have received the payment, counted it in front of the client (so you both know the right amount is there) and checked it with a note-checker pen. No genuine client will be offended by this as they'll understand you're just protecting yourself.

If you feel nervous now, that's probably your gut instinct perking up at hearing the sound advice from this thread. As I've said, we're not telling you that you cannot work however you like - that is every single sex worker's prerogative and it's very important - we are just suggesting ways that you can work safely, and without getting horribly ripped off, because that is what this whole forum is focused on.

To be honest, I don't think there's much point asking the agency about chargebacks. Considering that they've already said they'll "take you to court" if you steal their "intellectual property AKA clients" (my mind is still boggling over that one!) and are sounding a bit hostile/paranoid in general, they'll probably not take kindly to you asking them to confirm that credit cards are a viable method of payment for escorts. Because, well, they're not.

If you're honestly comfortable risking not getting paid (partially or fully) for providing full personal sexual services to men, and with not having a genuine safety buddy, then none of us here can argue with your own personal feelings and choices. I have my fingers and toes crossed that everything will turn out okay. Maybe this whole "credit cards" and "uniforms" thing is just a bit of faff and underneath is all they're a cash-up-front, on-site security, sensible little incall agency? *hopes!*

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