Best escort forums are in the business of selling pleasure and seduction. It’s no surprise that their services are highly sought after by men, women and everything in between. But there’s another side to sex worker services, a dark underbelly of the industry where clients – and escorts – communicate via online forums. Known as escort boards or review sites, these online platforms allow users to review the appearance and skills of sex workers they’ve hired. And while many reviews are honest and genuine, a handful have a more sinister tone. VICE spoke to escorts, clients and reviewers alike to get a sense of what it’s really like to use these sites.

For sex workers, it’s a way to promote their services and gauge client interest in their offerings. However, it’s also a tool that can be used against them. “When someone is not pleased, they are more likely to write a negative review, which is detrimental to my business,” says Chicago-based sex worker Serpent Libertine.

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Many escorts say they use sex worker review sites to promote their business, but that’s not all they do with them. They also use them as a place to air their grievances, especially when they feel cheated by clients. “Some of the clients are very rude and disrespectful and don’t pay their bills on time,” says Libertine.

Some escorts wish there was a better way to combat inaccurate reviews. Currently, a provider can ask the site to remove a bad review, but that usually results in that escort not being able to advertise on the site. Most think a platform where providers can publicly rebut reviews is the best way to solve this issue.