'“Pay what you think it’s worth” massages – guilt trip pricing?' blog discussion

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  • spiro
    spiro Posts: 6,403
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    About a year ago I encounter a firm offering a similar service but this was on the P&O Dover to Calais cross channel ferry. They did back, arms and neck for a guide price of £5. They were 2 young (late teen/early twenties) attractive women.

    As I had a problem with a trapped nerve at the time I had ago and it lasted about 15min and was happy to pay £5.

    Looked like they were kept busy most of the crossing doing both men and women.
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  • jamesd
    jamesd Posts: 26,103
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    You could negotiate a fixed price for service.

    Consider that there are four idle women there. Costs being paid but no income being generated. As much use making money as an empty hotel room is at 2AM. And not even a couple of happy customers getting a back rub to encourage others to give it a try.

    The question is, what should you charge to be advertising models for them and help them to drum up some more business? :) What are your normal rates? :)
  • Frankie56
    Frankie56 Posts: 108
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    The trouble is anyone can offer massages for payment. I have spent five years training in various massages and it is very annoying that these girls can offer massage and suggest such extortionate prices when they have been given a very basic training. They probably haven't been told of any circumstances where massage is contraindicated and probably have no idea where the various muscles are and that they shouldn't massage over the bones. And do they advice their clients of problems which could occur after the massage? I would stay well away from them.
  • annie-c
    annie-c Posts: 2,542 Forumite
    I came accross these people at the Ideal Home Show. I walked on because of the embarassment of it all... I hate tipping (although I do it!) because of the anxiety about how much is too little/too much etc so there's no way I could relax through a massage worrying about how much to pay. I also didn't like the semi-public nature of the booths... again not very relaxing for me! :D
  • If I saw something like that and was after a massage I think I would ask for a guide price, see how the actual service was and then pay accordingly, I wouldn't be embarrassed to put 50p in the jar if it was awful but don't think that I would pay more than £5 for a ten minute massage even if it was really good if there was massage 'touts' involved!
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  • I pay £40 for regular 1 hour massage treatments for my stressed out shoulders and neck - but it has taken me over 6 years to find a masseur who has actually made me better instead of worse... please be very careful who you trust with your muscular health!
  • themull1
    themull1 Posts: 4,299 Forumite
    Not as extortionate as those women in the pub toilets handing you a bit of soap/towel etc, and expecting a quid!!
  • zagfles
    zagfles Posts: 20,277
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    Put it in the context of what you earn in 10 mins.

    If you're on an average salary of £25k you'd earn £2 in 10 mins. OK they have their overheads etc, but I'd probably pay £4 and tell them "that's twice what I earn in 10 mins!!"
  • zagfles
    zagfles Posts: 20,277
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    themull1 wrote: »
    Not as extortionate as those women in the pub toilets handing you a bit of soap/towel etc, and expecting a quid!!

    I can't believe many people give them a quid - a busy pub/club toilet may have 100 or more people using it per hour! I usually just dig out spare change, 10-20p or so.
  • If £10 is not the average that customers pay (and is actually more than the average according to Martin Lewis) then to say it is the average is surely illegal under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008?
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