1) If there is only one review, I consider it suspect especially if the reviewer says the provider is the best thing since sliced bread (what was the best thing before that?). I love it when a review is copied from a different provider and the description is all wrong. e.g. "Her dark long legs wrapped around me" when describing a 4'11" white spinner, etc.

2) If most of the reviews are horrible but there are one or two reviews like 1 above.

One more way is to look for great reviews but the person giving the review has only one review but how does one check on the number of reviews a person gave?

If so, then one or all the following things are in play:

1. Some of the reviews are fake;

2. The guys who had less favorable sessions are intimidated into not posting a review.

3. The provider has succeeded in getting the negative reviews pulled.

Be the change
you wish to see

1) She came out of nowhere with 5 reviews all in the same month.
2) All her reviewers had around 4-5 other reviews, all from around the same month.
3) Her reviewers gave her long, detailed reports. For their other reviews? Just a couple lines.

Everything pointed to the reality that she'd (somewhat) elaborately stuffed the box with her own reviews. Despite all this, I went to see her anyway.

Turned out she was pretty good -- the girl in the pics, RBGFE. In the end, I figured, even if she reviewed herself, as long as she delivered what was advertised, I would be happy.

I figure gaming the reviews is more rampant than ever these days. The younger generation knows how to use the net.

I say this because I once wrote a not so good review of a gal and the next day I get an e-mail of her crying about it.

spend some time in the forums - sometimes you'll find your work has been done for you. i've found that the payoff for paying attention to the forums results in higher dividends.

i've found (in my somewhat limited experience) that despite many seemingly legitimate reviews, it still boils down to one thing - one persons opinion of another. it's like any other reviewer.. there are movie reviewers, for instance, that you tend to agree with more than others. since the cost of admission for our hobby is considerably more than a movie, it's worth the investment.

search for posts by someone on your list of candidates - see how you feel about what they have to say on topics that are not necessarily related to the "main objective" of this site. it will give you a better idea of what the person behind the ad is like. you can get a lot of additional info if you lurk in the pink book (where only the ladies can post, but all can read)

start bookmarking reviewers that you tend to agree with, then check out the ads for other ladies they've reviewed.. if your favorite reviewer has good things to say about someone and you like what you see in the ad.. chances are you'll have a good experience.

Overall it is becoming a bit more research intensive for those doing due diligence before committing to a session, especially those seeking somewhat newer, lesser reviewed providers.

[*edit: Come to think of it these faux reviewers may be posting in order to gain access to "normal" membership to read detailed reviews. They may also be attempting to build false credentials in order to see better providers, to negotiate better rates with new providers by promising a review from a credible source, etc.]

Why the inflated reviews? A good question as well - and I think the original guidelines are still good - 10 should be a one in a lifetime experience for sure. I know I haven't given out any tens and I'm not likely to do so - although I've had a few that came close. I tend to rate the girls I like in the range of 7 to 9, and I take several factors into consideration when coming up with my subjective ratings.

Since I review using my handle, not a "review" handle I stand by the reviews I write, although I only recently started to actually write reviews and post on this board even though I have been lurking on it as a non-member since pre "Charter Member" days.

I recently had an experience with a relatively new provider, who I won't identify here, who I had a great experience with and wrote a very positive review. She wrote me a very sharp email asking me to withdraw the review because I had mentioned that she didn't normally provide GFE, and didn't provide those services but said that she like me and might provide those services if she got to know me better. So I mentioned it was a YMMV situation, well she hit the roof and said she would never, ever provide GFE, and since I had mentioned it was YMMV that she didn't want to see me again even though we had really hit it off well. I went out of my way to accomodate her wishes and edited the review to meet her objections (basically omitted the reference to YMMV), but otherwise left the details of our session.

She gave me grief until the review was changed to meet her objections on one or two minor details. In my mind the review was glowing - nevertheless she treated me badly and I will not see HER again. The ironic thing is that she has now raised her rates highly and advertises GFE.

I haven't had any other providers obhect to my reviews, and after that experience I will be very unlikely to be so accomodating when a provider complains about a review. I can be thick-skinned as well, but I like to think I'm a nice guy. I write them carefully and try to be informative without being dishonest to either other mongers or to the providers. If they are so thin-skinned that they don't want to be reviewed they shouldn't read the reviews, or they should ask specifically that they not be reviewed in advance of the session or in their ads...

My $0.02...

--aragonz