By Emma English. Original entry can be found here.

I love Twitter. It’s instant. I can express myself. I can expose my own stupidity, assist others and get assisted. I get admiration and a confidence boost. I know a lot of men and ladies enjoy my social media; even my family overseas occasionally read it (to make sure I’m not dead, apparently) but the boundaries must be defined and redefined.

Before iPhones had the ability to block numbers it would be frustrating to receive messages from men (punters) who were constant pests. There was nothing as an independent business person you could do. Occasionally I would give the threat “I will publish your number online if you don’t stop harassing me”, which would generally stop them but sometimes you would have to go through with the threat (all numbers would be removed as soon as the punter knew I wasn’t joking and he would retract his behavior).

Now with the block function messages can be permanently blocked but there is still the temptation to expose bad/dangerous behavior or even good behavior.

However what industry acts like this and gets away with it? Most companies have social media guidelines in how they represent the company directly or indirectly. Sex workers are our own bosses, the rules are non-existent because we are in an industry that is either illegal/criminalized/not respected/not accountable/immoral/stigma/etc.

The sex industry is built on discretion. It’s not my style to post pictures of gifts, talk about how amazing a punter is, tell the Internet world how ‘busy’ I am, and live tweet bookings. I expect the same in return. This is because I don’t want anyone knowing my movements. I shouldn’t be producing any photographic proof of my movements. I also don’t want to encourage any behavior where a punter feels like he should have to bring me a gift, or a competition between the best gifts as it could breed jealousy or a sense of competition.

The fee required for the booking is all you need to bring and of course repeat business is the best gift you could ever give a sex worker. Knowing that you had a great time and wish to repeat the experience breeds a sense of pride and accomplishment. What happens in a bedroom stays between us – which is why I don’t understand why people write reviews!

I have no issue with posting information online about rogue clients – but I also don’t take it lightly and the positives must out weight the negatives. It is a deterrent and also lets other punters know what behavior isn’t acceptable.

Arriving late to a booking, a no show, not following booking etiquette isn’t a reason to make punters identity known. However refusing to pay, pushing for unsafe sex and threats are behavior that shouldn’t be tolerated. There are of course Facebook groups, forums, emails etc where women share this information.

Other sex workers don’t think it’s wise to post details of rogue clients because they might change their number or do revenge attacks. Rogue punters are not stupid and they know sex workers have ways to share information. Not all sex workers are part of these groups – I had ask to be invited. Lots of rogue punters also don’t have access to Twitter accounts.

There is no absolute wrong or right in any situation – but don’t treat rogue punters as stupid. They buy disposable SIM cards and can’t be traced. All sex workers can do is be vigilant. I am however aware I am in a state where sex workers mostly do outcalls to hotels so I am not inviting anyone into my home. As a legal, registered, tax paying sex worker who has nothing to hide from my family, I have nothing to fear about going to the police or exposing your illegal or dangerous behaviour.

Of course there are times when I deflect bad behaviour by making a joke. One guy asked me to take coke with him all week, so I made a joke that I was only interested in real coke, not the coke with Stevia or diet coke. Haha! Or when you get random messages like “hi” I will reply with a random quote from the bible (would you expect anything else from a former catholic school girl!).

I hate having to talk about rogue punters, 99.9% of punters are wonderful and you cause no threat to my peers or me. It can paint the industry in a bad picture and perhaps turn off some punters. However it helps to write about topics and produced a balanced viewpoint that makes me accountable for my actions.

Hope you enjoyed reading and would love to hear your comments.

By Constance Azura. Original entry can be found here.

It has been said that a WL’s review can take her career straight to the top. Put her name on the map and get herself noticed. I remember when my first review went up, I was ecstatic, thrilled and could not have asked for anything more. Then the second, third and many more, each one giving me the confidence knowing I really did meet expectations if not surpass them, and the once shy and withdrawn me, found a drive and passion to excel and succeed with my newly found path in life.

As much as the expressions and opinions of others gave me a big boost of confidence, I never thought how much it would actually affect me mentally and emotionally. To the point where it makes a massive impact on everyday decision making, the way I felt and saw myself, and realising how much I actually believe those opinions to be true and probable not only to the reviewer but every reader and commenter also.

Sometime last week I read a reflection on an encounter that had been long planned, by months. Preliminary communication was constant, dedicated and the suspense of finally meeting was high up on the pressure bar.

The evening itself had already set a high bar, the feelings of anticipation not making it any better, the Friday evening bumper to bumper traffic made it even worse with the icing on the cake having to deal with issues on the personal side of things.

What I thought was a pleasant and enjoyable evening was not the case when the apparent truth came out. I read descriptions of my character as being ‘common’, ‘vulgar’, ‘simple’, ‘fake’, Highlights of the evening being ‘the champagne’ and the low points ‘not worth even talking about’.

I still tortured myself by reading it about ten times over, each sentence burnt and engraved in my memory never to be forgotten. I believe every word he’s written and I have begun to self sabotage. I would be interstate and I won’t advertise a tour, I hide at home most days and think about how disgusting and ugly I am and doubt myself more and more. Thoughts would follow and I would just ask myself:

“Who am I kidding? Who are you?”
“You’re nothing but a disappointment not worth thinking about.”
“You’re not worthy”

I guess with the positive praise I have received over the years, I can’t be everyone’s cup of tea. But I just want to say that as much as I appreciate praise, I need to also be set for some that are perhaps not so nice to read or hear about.

But as a reviewer, if you should feel so strongly about an encounter that did not meet any goals and expectations, I would want to know that is the case and not be led to believe that the evening was enjoyable, fun and positive with a courtship that was honest. To find out months later that it wasn’t the case, that your date was actually disgusted, bitter, disappointed but yet still happily continued past the agreed four hour duration instead of ending it earlier due to conflicting personalities ..

Let’s just say it was not an easy piece to have read, especially when you thought differently. But it also made me realise how much of an impact it really does makes on your psyche so much that rather than an informative piece for a forum I believed it to be somewhat of a gross misjudgement of me as a person that was rather one sided.

Point of what I’m trying to say is, everyone is entitled to their opinions and it as their experience, but words really do hurt. We are merely sensitive mortals at the end of the day.

While most escorts in Australia are able to advertise with photos that show their full bodies, Melbourne escorts ads are restricted to the display of head and shoulders only. When an escort blurs her face for privacy safeguard, what remains is pretty much next to nothing. While most escorts in Australia can work from the safety of their own home, laws in Victoria force escorts to a level of increased danger by only allowing them to offer outcall services.

Although sex work is legal in Victoria, it is heavily regulated by laws designed for the world of 20 to 30 years ago. Even if the 1994 Prostitution Control Act came into effect that year, you can easily imagine that it gathered even earlier ideas and concepts. The act was amended in 2011, and despite a friendlier name (Sex Work Act), it mainly was just tweaked in response to complaints by brothel operators. There wasn’t much acknowledgement to the fact the world had changed in a thousand ways since 1994.

With its 2011 name, the act acknowledges that sex work is work, and that is not a small thing. However, the rest of it lacks coherence in that respect, as most of its content discourages anyone from choosing sex work as an occupation, or at least makes it very difficult to do so. Melbourne brothels may not advertise looking for staff, and Melbourne escorts, apart from the restrictions noted before, may not list the services they offer, nor add any description about their ethnic background. So, whether you are a high class Asian escort or a beach bunny Aussie blonde, you are not allowed to say so.

All this is just plain ridiculous as Melbourne escorts also tour around the country and visit other states with advertising-friendlier laws. Therefore, most of their websites need to cater to two target audiences and two different sets of rules. On Punter Planet we offer an interstate profile for Melbourne Escorts at no extra cost, so at least non-Victorian visitors can get a better idea of what escorts look like, and the type of services they offer, leading to a better understanding between service providers and their clients. But this is possible at the expense of extra work and a bigger cost for us.

These restrictions that apply to Melbourne escorts ads also conspire against an even level playing field when it comes to advertising directories. If you are an Australian company offering advertising to escorts and brothel services in Victoria, and therefore paying your fair share of taxes too, you’ll need to comply with the Sex Work Act. On the other hand, if you are an international social media or classifieds provider, profiting from selling ads to Melbourne escorts among others, you probably won’t even know about the Sex Work Act (nor about the Australian Taxation Office for that matter). Websites like Twitter, Backpage, and similar others are lucky to be put in the “far away”, “too big”, “too hard” basket by the local authorities.

In 2016 it’s time again to revise the Sex Work Act in Victoria. The inequalities and unfair situations these Draconian rules have created go also well beyond the advertising domain. Just ask Melbourne escorts, Melbourne brothel managers, and Melbourne escort agents. They will all agree that if sex work is work, Victorian governments have certainly made it an extremely difficult line of work, particularly for whoever chooses to operate within the law.

Far from advocating for the creation of more restrictions in order to create a fairer, safer environment, we suggest that the Sex Work Act should be locked inside a shelf in a museum, and its key be thrown to the murky waters of the Yarra river. The 1994 Sex Work Act, even with its 2011 revisions, should have never overlived the 20th century. It’s time to fully decriminalise Melbourne escorts and brothels, and treat them like any other line of work, ruled by the many laws that already oversee the functioning of any type of business.

In the meantime we can only hope so; and whether you are a potential client or a professional companion looking to advertise yourself, we invite you to see our great selection of Melbourne escorts and brothels by following this link. Thank you.

Are you an escort looking to advertise in Sydney, Melbourne or any other Australian city?

This can be expensive and time-consuming as the offer is big and diverse. It is hard to choose successful ways of escort advertising.

Ask established escorts and each of them will give you different advice. There’s no magic formula; each escort is unique and individual circumstances should be taken into account too.

Are you going to work in a single Gold Coast suburb? Or do you plan to tour Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and other places? Well, the answers to those questions will start helping you.

For example, the escort who offers her services in a single area may benefit from using publications that target her own region. However, the ones who tour around Australia, or the ones working in the largest cities, will probably benefit from advertising in websites with a broader reach, such as this one.

That’s just one of umpteen things to consider when looking for effective escort advertising. We can’t cover every scenario, so let’s cut to the chase and see if Punter Planet is the right vehicle for you.

(Jump to our ad features page)

Let’s take a look at Punter Planet’s advertisers, particularly those who have published their profiles here for years, and see what they have in common.

Well, this is a site with a modern and stylish escort directory, and one where clients discuss and post reviews about escort services. That generally appeals to escorts whose offer can match most reasonable expectations. Those who have a sense of pride about the services they provide. The typical Punter Planet advertiser is a true professional and believes in honest advertising. She knows that word of mouth recommendations from real clients – what we call reviews – can really help her career and her bank account too. Does this appeal to you?

Naturally, we cannot provide reviews as part of our escort advertising. They wouldn’t have any value. However, our packages are designed to give you visibility across our entire online community. We are so much more than just a static directory. You’ll gradually enhance your presence and be able to attract clients who will tell others about you. The more hands-on you are prepared to be about your ads and news, the better it will work for you.

We are consistently the Australian escort-related website with the most traffic. That gives advertisers great exposure, and punters get the best selection of escorts the Internet has to offer.

Please step inside our site, take a look around, and do feel free to contact us. We’ll be very happy to assist you.

If you are familiar with escort reviews sites or forums, you’re surely aware of the amount of time people spend discussing about how to write a review. However, not much is talked about how to read reviews. It may seem a minor theme but often its importance is simply taken for granted.

It’s true that reviewers generally learn over time how to read reviews perfectly well, but online communities include much more than their hardcore members. On any given day, Punter Planet’s active membership is often doubled by non-registered visitors. They are people who may have just found out about the site, after following a link or after searching for an escort’s information on Google. So, a few tips on how to read reviews won’t go astray.

It is very important to know the purpose of reviews before anything else. On a site like Punter Planet, reviews are written to help potential clients make their mind about booking a service provider, and the philosophy of horses for courses prevails. On other sites, particularly sites that act exclusively as advertising directories, reviews are simply recommendations. They are almost invariably positive, as they are often requested by the escorts to their clients as a way of enhancing their advertising potential. So, this second concept would appear as more escort-friendly at first sight, but in reality lacks genuine “word of mouth” punch. It falls short from being convincing to whoever reads with a critical eye. Hence, one could say that when it comes to the reviews landscape, a few clouds here and there help to make a bluer sky.

A true review is always only a partial and very subjective view of a session with an escort, written from a client’s point of view. We sometimes see escorts saying that reviews contain a certain dose of fantasy, but in a business where “make believe” is a much desired skill, there are at least two “realities”. It is just like if we were to ask a magician about one of his tricks, and then ask his audience the same. We would get two different answers about it and none of them would be mistaken. So, the first acknowledgement people need to make when reading a review, is that they are reading only a partial and subjective side of the events. With that in mind, everything else falls right into place.

Another thing readers should keep in mind is that a review may define the session as experienced by the reviewer, but this may vary for others. This is a concept commonly known as YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary). Sometimes we see reviewers include this acronym towards the end of their reviews, but even if they don’t, please remember it should always be at least implicitly there for you as a reader. It generally takes two to tango, and some clients may help it all happen, while others may sabotage their own sessions in ways they maybe can’t even detect. This is when a multiplicity of reviews about a same escort comes in very handy, as readers tend to see clearer tendencies instead of just one person’s single experience. So, one could say that the lesser amount of reviews you have, the more uncertainty a reader should expect, for better or worse.

Several reviews also help readers identify what reviewers have similar likes and expectations to them. If I know a reviewer is almost consistently after types of service I am not, his praise or criticism of an escort is also seen under that light. So, the effect of a review, whether it’s a raving or a scathing one, is always relative too. It depends on the rapport between writer and reader, and it’s up to the latter to work this out before putting too much credence on what has been written.

On the other hand, people need to understand that, even in cases where reviewers make it all sound far too personal, no person is actually being reviewed in his or her totality as a human being. Reviews often sound like the escort is being objectified, when in reality it’s never the scope of reviews to go further than the service and those things that influence the experience. Naturally, in a sexual service, physical attributes do matter and almost become “tools of the trade” in the client’s eyes. This is when readers, particularly those bothered by graphic descriptions of looks and services, should see them in their right context. That is, just an aspect among others that may relate to the person offering the service, but one that here is circumstantially highlighted for a matter of purpose. This aspect alone does not define nor aims to define an individual in her totality; something that would be outside the scope of reviews.

Last but not least, since humans have been humans, there has been a need of story-telling or communicating events out of the ordinary. Even for the most blasé of punters, an intimate sexual experience with a stranger always has some novelty elements. The more unusually good or unusually bad the experience is, the more a person has the urge of sharing it with others. In fact, the most difficult reviews to write are those where everything in a session just goes as expected. So, readers should recognise this basic and probably primal need when reading a review too. It also acts as a sort catharsis for the client, as it allows him or her to put some closure to the sexual fantasy just experienced.

Online reviews, whether you love them or hate them, are here to stay. It is becoming second nature for anyone in need of any service to look for reviews as a great form of assistance. The least we can do as readers is to understand how they work. You can get yourself started in the art of writing them or simply reading them by visiting our forums.