AW verification?

[Jenny 2]

Hello all

Yesterday I went into aw and was looking at reverse bids.  Looked at one and tried to look at the client's profile but it flagged up saying "You can't look at this person's profile as they will only allow verified members to view them". 

I have also noticed in the last few days a red notice keeps popping up advising me to verify myself either by the photo which would show on my profile page or by supplying aw with some form of ID. 

I don't show my face anywhere and am damned if they are going to get a copy of my passport/driving licence etc. 

Something is going to be changing on the site also on 21st regarding verification as that flagged up too. 

It would be nice if they verified themselves though wouldn't it and made themselves more accessible to us in light of this move which I think is totally inappropriate and unfair to those that obscure identity. 

Anyone else noticed this? 

Thanks
Jen

[amy]

Hi Jenny 

I looked this up too after seeing it mentioned on another board. The thing starting on the 21st is called 'Client Connections' and is basically a way for the thin-of-work to make unsolicited contact with the AW members in their area - previously you could only view a punter's profile details if he had got in touch with you but this is going to change and will more than likely result in the last few nice, decent blokes who do use the site bogging off elsewhere having been bombarded with unsolicited touty emails by the resident desperados.

However, like you said, you do need to do this 'verification' in order to use the service and I can't personally see many sensible people being happy to send scans of their passport to the good folk at AW. I do have face pictures and have never lied about my age, but I'm fooked if they're getting their hands on my legal details and I can't imagine anyone who would happily hand them over apart from the terminally naive.

It's not obligatory and will more than likely go the same way as that stupid premium-line voicemail thing they tried a while back- the men can, and probably will opt out of it and no more will be said on the matter. It'll be a pain for a few weeks and I daresay normal service will resume shortly afterwards. Just grit your teeth. Or go on holiday till it's forgotten about .

[Dani]

Quite a few adult sites insist on ID before allowing members to join.

It sorts out the underagers and alot of the scammers. I am not terminally naive but I have already given them a copy of my driving license ( I blacked out my address and passport number. They already have all my details, name address, bank details etc as I use that to transfer all my credits each month.

For me it is a great idea as none of the fake profiles will be verified and it will make it far easier for clients to see who is genuine or not.

I really dont think it will fade away tbh as to protect themselves they do need to be able to show they are doing something to prevent underage use

[amy]

That's up to you Danielle, but I read Jenny's concern as being that this would be necessary to continue using the site, which it is not. I have never, ever come across a site where I have had to show ID and I'm on plenty - I'm still catching up on updating the tin-pot ads from before I stopped doing OWO. The day I have my legal name attached to a site I have no control over in any sex for sale context is never going to come. I'm not particularly interested in looking at punter's profile anyway; why would I be?

If I was a punter I would regard this invitation to people to send me unsolicited 'flirts' or whatever they're calling them as a gross invasion of privacy - we on the provider's side are marketing our services and it is right that our pages be visible to all, but the gents are not; this is horribly indiscreet and will encourage exactly the sort of behaviour that's banned from the majority of sites. If they want WGs to contact them, they can make a reverse booking - allowing people with nothing better to do to comb their locale for unsuspecting guys who maybe use the site rarely (and thus won't know about the opt-out) and pester them is going to cause far more harm than good IMO.

[Harlow]

Hi,

I'm very new to AW but I thought verifying your profile was just emailing them a photo of your self, holding up a bit of paper with AW written on it. Have I got it wrong, cos I'm not sending them personal details either?
Can anyone clarify that please?

Harlow x

[amy]

Hi,

I'm very new to AW but I thought verifying your profile was just emailing them a photo of your self, holding up a bit of paper with AW written on it. Have I got it wrong, cos I'm not sending them personal details either?
Can anyone clarify that please?

Harlow x

Right, I've been trying to make sense of this all afternoon, but from what I can see there are currently two different levels of 'verification'; one being the usual one where you upload a face photograph holding the bit of paper with Adultwork and the date on, and this new 'Full' verification, where they want the personal information as well. Neither are compulsory, although I would guess that they will try to phase out the former in favour of the latter, and be pushy as f*ck in the process until it all gets underway and we can forget about it.

Punters or 'service seekers' will have the option to tick a box where only the profiles of 'verified' members will show when they do a search, but I don't know whether this means the photo-only one or the 'full' one. I suspect the gents outside the major conurbations will get fed of only being to view three profiles in a town of 50+ prossies though so how long they'll bother with it remains to be seen.

[Lucy Chambers]

Bastards! Exactly right Amy, who is going to provide, and I quote,

'a full scanned copy of driving licence or passport'

Why? Your licence and passport have unique numbers, that we are required to submit at any point of booking..well anything.

If I have a aw client, does he go through the same verification?

But we pay? To be scrutinised. When they know only too well who the fakes are but penalise all, in the name of democracy. mmmm

[EmilyJones]

Quite. If it was just a case of getting rid of fakes, they'd put more effort into heeding client complaints and investigating the profiles of those complained about. I know I've heard they do this to a certain extent but if so, why are they bringing this godawful new feature in? I wish I could put something on my AW profile like "Not Fully Verified Cos I'm Not Showing Random Anonymous Wankers My Passport" but they'll probably find me and delete my profile within seconds if I do.

I know that a site like Adultwork must have a lot of potential for moneymaking but I wish the owners wouldn't try ALL of them. They have almost completely forgotten why their site is even used - by sex workers to advertise and by punters to search through + get in contact with said sex workers. I can't think of many more stupid fancy features that could possibly be necessary, especially when just listening to complaints and acting on them would do perfectly. We don't need an automated feature for everything.

I occasionally get emails from wannabe AW competitors begging me to join their site (then making me a fake profile for me anyway when I don't ) so am keeping an eye out for anything that could be serious opposition. Some competition here might work wonders!

[Alexa Shelley]

Good morning, and hello ladies and gents ... I am new to this forum having just begun working a couple of weeks ago. I feel much happier learning that the majority of those who have posted feel the same as me re aw verification. I have no face pics on my profile due to my personal circumstances and there's no way I am going to be bullied into doing so. Surely punters can tell who are genuine wgs from feedback? I consider the actions of aw to be an attempt at the invasion of privacy of both the providers and those seeking services.

Is there no way we can start a petition/do something to get aw to reconsider? I agree with the pp that if I were seeking services, I would not like to be bombarded with 'flirts' I would like to think I was intelligent enough to suss out an escort for myself and may be put off by this proposed carry on...

I hope Amy is right and that aw will re think this idea, as a newbie trying to build up a business I found it pretty damn depressing reading aw's latest plans. Ditto re my documents, that's got to be a hell no from me! - I hope too many punters are not put off using the site...

Ax xx

[Harlow]

Hi,

Thanks Amy

I am happy to upload a pic to verify I am the prossie up for service, but I am not giving them the girl at home by any means! I can't see why to be honest? I mean I understand verifying photos from a clients point of view, but what & why to the other???

Harlow x

[Slick]

It sorts out the underagers and alot of the scammers. I am not terminally naive but I have already given them a copy of my driving license ( I blacked out my address and passport number. They already have all my details, name address, bank details etc as I use that to transfer all my credits each month.

For me it is a great idea as none of the fake profiles will be verified and it will make it far easier for clients to see who is genuine or not.

So would you be stupid enough to give out your name, address, bank details, passport (which contains your signature), driving license to a company that phoned you up asking for your details.

So let me get this right, You have given a company that now has all the details it needs to clone your identity where the said company doesn't have to conform to any of the UK company laws, i.e data protection, listing directors, accounts, company house etc because their company is based in Belize which exempts them from those laws stated.

But you say your not terminally naive. Personal information is just that personal to you and should never be released to a third party

I'm a member of a swingers site where they have just mentioned this and the girl called it a legit escort site because its verifying people this way

Openness works two ways. How come adultwork aren't saying who they are instead of hiding behind a Belize company

[GreyEyedGirl]

Hello all,
                    Just wondering are there any good alternatives to AW now that they have this silly verification thingy?
As  there is no way on gods concrete paved earth that I'm sending a picture of my face or any I.D of any kind. and now I'm kind of pee'ed of as it was AW that I was going to use to get my feet wet so to speak.

Grateful for any help

xxx

[amy]

Hello all,
                    Just wondering are there any good alternatives to AW now that they have this silly verification thingy?
As  there is no way on gods concrete paved earth that I'm sending a picture of my face or any I.D of any kind. and now I'm kind of pee'ed of as it was AW that I was going to use to get my feet wet so to speak.

Grateful for any help

xxx

GEG, if you rerread the thread carefully you will see that this verification is NOT compulsory; nobody has to send them anything, and I suspect that few people will, mainly for the reasons that Slick has outlined above (and I couldn't have put it better meself  ). I can see the reasoning behind it when in the larger cities there are so many fake profiles, but as has been said, credible feedback speaks for itself and the people it is more likely to affect will be the ?50-an-hour-BB-all-holes types and the people who try to book them, which I wouldn't have thought applies to many on this board at least.

I still think that most of the blokes will opt out of it once they realise they can; if they are only being shown 'verified' profiles then they will soon come to realise that they are missing out on a hell of a lot of other ladies who weren't prepared to bow down. Plus I doubt many will be too happy about their transaction details being made viewable; the new scheme allows verified members to see who has paid for their private galleries, for example, which isn't currently possible and another invasion of privacy IMO.

Anyone who wants to complain about it can email the admins if they dont mind jumping through hoops a bit; I've tried to find a way to post a link to the Contact form you arrive at eventually, but it doesn't seem possible. I don't think there really is an alternative site that's similar, but if it's any consolation I know and have known a good few ladies who didn't use it at all and did fine - there are plenty of other sites and for the most part it just means a bit more legwork; sorting out a website for example. I get virtually nothing from the site unless I'm away somewhere anyway, and will be happy enough to delete myself if all this gets to be too much of a pain in the arse.