In all client-escort interactions, episodic or enduring, trust is essential. For the most part, professional swiss escort girls approach their job with integrity and are keen to uphold the industry standards. They rely on repeat customers to grow their clientele and are not interested in dubious commercial stunts for a quick buck.  Unfortunately, every trade has its rotten apples. Occasionally punters can be scammed by dishonest sex workers, incur money loss, and/or have their confidence betrayed. And rarely is a betrayal affected more brazenly and shamelessly than in the bait and switch hoax.

The shady "bait and switch" tactic has a long history in the business. It is defined as a method of luring customers into entering a transaction on the basis of false promises, with an attractive item or premium services used as an incentive. Once the customer has entered the deal, the retailer switches the offer to a product or service of inferior quality or higher price than those initially advertised.   To understand the basic model of the scam, think of a market seller who puts on a display the best fruits at the stall at an ostensibly average price to attract customers. Once the buyer engages with the purchase, the seller selects fruits of lesser quality from underneath the display and then takes payment from the buyer who might be too slow, too confused, or simply too self-conscious to react immediately.

All amazingly sophisticated forms of bait and switch employed today can be traced back to this simple prototype. Cars, TV packages, laptops, and even property can be advertised as great deals, only for the shoppers to find out subsequently that what is actually on offer is not as attractive or costs considerably more. Psychologically, the method taps into the shoppers’ desire to get their hands on a good deal, their emotional investment in the transaction, and the state of confusion and unease induced by the switch in terms. This makes it hard for the customers to decline or re-negotiate the offer, or to walk out.

The adult industry is affected by all general business practices – good and bad.  Unfortunately, there has been some rise in bait and switch cases when booking an escort in Geneva. As communications prior to the booking are conducted almost exclusively online, the clients rely on the information the agency supplies on its site. This of course includes the photographs and the details of the companions.

 Occasionally, suspect agencies will use completely false pictures on their websites to attract customers and persuade them to book an escort girl. Once the client actually meets the girl, he realizes he has paid for someone who is not the escort in the picture. Naturally, this causes him disquiet and disappointment.

Worse even, in these circumstances, the girl may start to insist that the client accepts the situation and carries on with the session despite the obvious deception. Often customers are being told that they can never get the booking canceled or claim a refund. The escort agencies employing these fraudulent schemes acquire photographs illegally from genuine adult websites and modify them to give them an air of authenticity. Individual companions can also use someone else’s pictures on their adberts in an attempt to lure clients. In those cases, the agency and the independent companion act unscrupulously to create false impressions and expectations. They take advantage of the lack of a quick verifying mechanism. This allows them to use the photographs without permission for a short while and gives them enough time to entice customers into paying under the pretext they are going to meet the girls from the pictures.

Some Lausanne escort agencies and companions also exploit the tactic of image blurring. Usually this is an accepted method to secure privacy for adult workers who are not open about their occupation in public. In the hands of fraudsters, these partly obscured photographs become means of deception. The escort claims ownership of the image while downplaying the differences and gaslighting the customer.

When the client does not fall for the trickery or is unwilling to accept it he might be accused of getting things wrong or being insensitive and rude. He might be pushed to accept the deal, especially if persuaded he will not get his money back.

"Bait and switch" is an unpleasant and morally wrong tactic in any business, but using it in sex services is particularly bad. Customers search for escorts on the basis of personal preferences and make the booking in good faith, mentally preparing for the meeting. There is a build-up of feelings - anticipation, apprehension, desire – all natural human reactions prior to seeing the girl they have chosen.  Substituting a human is not like substituting an item for promotion.  Playing with such intense feelings is callous and offensive.

Scammers in the sex industry count on the customers’ natural instincts to keep things confidential. Once a client has realized he has been scammed, he may be unwilling to kick up a fuss for fear of compromising his privacy. Men worry about the possible consequences if they were to make a complaint, so opt to keep quiet and either accept what is being offered or pay up and leave. Some clients feel they can hardly claim consumer rights in this setting and may feel embarrassed by the whole thing, especially those who are less experienced or naturally shy and reticent. Sometimes Lausanne escorts can even claim to be hurt and insulted by the customer’s insistence on cancellation, or blame him for making a mistake. Do not forget, most of the companions are seasoned professionals and experts at reading clients’ emotions. And all switchers are master manipulators. They can easily detect indecisiveness and nervousness and use them to get the client’s approval despite the initial refusal.  

If this happens to you, don’t accept the switch, and be prepared to argue your case with the agency. The booking can and should be canceled. This con is based on a blatant abuse of trust – the personal nature of the service makes the choice of a particular companion essential– so there is every reason to claim back the payment. If you are swindled by an independent sex worker rather than an agency, you still have recourse – inform her you will warn other clients on the online forums and notify the websites where she is advertising. Reviews and customer feedback have gained enormous popularity as means of praising or criticizing adult services, so consider submitting your comments online to relate your experience to a big audience. Confidence is crucial in this business and bait and switch damages the industry as a whole, giving a bad name to many beautiful, honest, hard-working Geneva sex workers. Do not be afraid therefore to expose the dodgy dealings of the switchers – this will protect other prospective clients from falling prey to them.