Ethics of being a webcam customer

[evens]

Firstly, thanks for setting up this very useful site and forum! Sorry that my first post here sounds so serious

I'm basically just a prospective punter - I've been looking at some cam sites and I'm quite interested to sign up to some and chat with some of the many lovely girls that are out there. However, I'm also a bit of a prude (I am from the UK after all ) so still have cold feet and a few other concerns that I wonder if anyone could shed some light on...

Mainly, I'm wondering about what kind of deal the girls get? At first glance, it seems like quite a good business to be in, especially for those who can work from home - decent money, hours and few of the risks that are (I assume) associated with, erm, more conventional forms of adult employment. (Please correct me if I'm wrong!)

However, especially given that I'd like to chat with asian girls (eg at LiveJasmin or LiveAsianGirlCams), it looks like many of them work in studios, and I'm wondering what conditions are like? And what sort of money they can make - relative to their local economy, and/or compared to other work? I'm not sure that I'd want to chat to someone knowing they were in a miserable situation.

In a similar vein, WRT to the sites reviewed here, how strict are the webmasters (and/or studio bosses?) at enforcing age limits? For any number of reasons (not least moral!) I wouldn't want to be in a situation where I was exploiting anyone, let alone anyone underage.

Lastly, how reputable are the credit card processors, eg CCBill? I use my credit card a lot online but have never done so at adult sites and I wouldn't want to be overcharged, or have something awkward to explain...

Phew, sorry for the long first post. And sorry for being such a scaredy-cat Thanks in advance for any advice.

[blacksexxx]

No need to be scared. Never be afraid to ask. I'd say anywhere between 50 to 60% of webcam girls in gneral work for studios. Especially if it's geared toward an American market and the girls are not American. Most of the studios that I've heard about pretty much use the girls and give them pennies on the dollar. Working conditions are not ideal for the girls to say the least so if you're not looking to support that type of operation than you can go to websites that feature only independent camgirls (girls who work for themselves and not another website or studio). Check out: Webcamlive.co.uk, camgirlshide.com, and camsturbate.com...I can personally vouch for the first two as I work there. Webcamlive.co.uk only uses CCBill which is a very reputable company. You can check out their site if you want. The girls on camgirlshide have a variety of payment processors, most of which I recognize so your payments are safe. If you feel unsure, make sure to read the camgirls comments before buying a show. If any type of shady business transaction has taken place with that girl, the guy will more than likely post in on her profile because he's pissed. But the majority of the girls are just trying to make an honest dollar is all.

Yes it can be great some days, but we all have our days where we make close to $0 for hours online and all we get for it is insults and begging from guys who don't want to spend money. It's much harder than it looks, but it has its rewards. So best advice to you is: Be nice to the girls. You get more from them if you're respectful. I don't mean more for free. I mean a genuinely better show. And don't be cheap...lol....not to be mean but if you go to a website and pay 2.99 for example, the girl only gets a small percentage of that per minute fee. We bust our asses, literally , but having a nice customer like you seem to be always brightens our day.


Good luck and happy camming

[VioletSin]

Heya evens, welcome to webcamming

If you want to make sure that the girl you hook up with is not being exploited, the very best way to accomplish that is to find an independent cam girl. Check the listing services like camgirlshide (www.camgirlshide.com) to track them down. There are a few Asian girls there and on a few other sites, as well.

Most of these girls use CCBill, either their own, or a subaccount like on webcamlive or realcamgirlsonline. The split is very fair at both of those sites. Without getting into exact numbers, the girl is keeping in excess of 75% of what she earns at both of those.

[evens]

Thanks to both of you beautiful ladies for taking the time to reply to me! I really appreciate hearing about the business from your POV and am already feeling a bit braver

I will definitely check out some of the independent cam listings you suggest. As I said, I like Asian girls - not because of any dubious schoolgirl fetishes or any perception of subservience, rather because I'm interested in chatting about asian life and culture and, well, I think they're pretty too - but no offence to all the other equally pretty girls reading this and I'll keep an open mind

So initially I was drawn to some of the larger more obvious sites as I mentioned - but it looks like there is plenty of choice on the independent sites too so I'm sure I'll find some girls to chat to! As I said, I don't want to exploit anyone (happy to be exploited myself, which is how I see it in a way) and I know I'd get more turned on knowing that the girls are working on their own terms rather than someone else's.

Thanks again!

[Babydolly]

a good site for independant girls is www.adultwork.com , you can find pretty much anything you want there.

[ColombianWebcamGirls]

Hello,
As a studio owner and after reading what some of the models wrotte, I must disagree.
Most of the Studios do not abuse their models or take advantage of them.
Saying this would be like saying that all LiveVideoChat pages abuse of U, because all pages keep normally from 50 to 70% percent of all sales. Why do U work for them then ? Dont let them abuse U, open up yourself a page and earn 100%, if is all so easy as u make it look.
Thats not abuse, thats business everybody has to earn a piece of the cake.

The visitor maybe does not know that the pages have the same payout (%) for a single model then for a studio with 10 - 20 - 30 models. Is that fair ? I personally believe is not.
That maybe the reason why models in studios earn less then U working 4 ur own, and this does not mean that their been used, it only means that the 30 - 50 % percent that we R been payed has to be share between Studio and Models.

R u aware that in many of this "Poor" countries, models earn 2 - 3 or up to 4 minimal wages (So much as a profesional) working for studios like ours. And that many of the models that work every where have started at first working for a studio.
So I believe the work that Studio offer and teach models is in most of the cases a "Huge" opportunity for people with almost no opportunity until then.

......................
Regards,
Andreas

[minniesoporno]

Most of the Studios do not abuse their models or take advantage of them.

this line made me laugh since the studio i use to work for the owner use to beat and rape me everyday for almost 2 years.

I couldn't even read the rest of it just because of this line trigger a serious panic attack and flash back. and a giant burst of laughter.

[xerothemaster]

Ehh, just treat them how YOU think they are treating you. If they are being fake with you, be fake with them. If they seem genuine, then be genuine with them. It's only right to treat others the way they treat you.

[ColombianWebcamGirls]

Well Minnie,
Im really sorry that something like that happen to U.
But still u can not say that "ALL" studios R evil. ........R all germans NAZIS then ? I hope u believe they (We) R not.

Im glad still thought that u had no Trauma from the whole situation, because with all respect is hard to believe that u were abuse, raped, etc for 2 years long in TORONTO and that u still can work on the same thing.

Hope too that Ur not one of them people that bite the hand of the ones who feed them before. One of the performers who still all the ideas and experience from a Studio for their own business. One of the models who does PV shows through MSN and earns money without the boss knowing. Or one of the girls who have their own site and work at other pages to be able to gain (Steal) customers.
I really hope U R not because those R mostly the people who talk bad about others in the business.

A BIG HUG 4 U

Andreas

[minniesoporno]

Yea I know it was a horrible terrible thing but it happens more then people think,

Yea I have a lot of trauma to deal with who wouldn't. and as for ruining my own studio I was running the studio because the owner made me. so I have no intentions of starting my own because I have been there done that and hated it because it was not something I wanted to do.

I have my own hardcore site. I fly to LA and work with porn star and shoot videos, and photos and webcam shows on my own site and keep 100% of all profits.

but with the way this industry is and with my expereince it's very unlikely that I will ever trust a studio, they feed to much bull shit to the girls and don't pay them the way they deserve to be too many of them are running around in Toronto, and they get away with it because the law has nothing in place to stop them. So the half decent ones get mixed up in the shuffle.

[VioletSin]