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Thread: Seeking a redress of lap-dance surcharges

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    Veteran Member lethalsoul's Avatar
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    Default Seeking a redress of lap-dance surcharges

    Seeking a redress of lap-dance surcharges

    http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory...olitan/2075970
    lethalsoul

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    Veteran Member TrixieFL's Avatar
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    Default Re: Seeking a redress of lap-dance surcharges

    Every club I've ever worked in has the customer sign a paper agreeing to the extra charge, a lot of clubs even take a thumb print. He knew exactly how much he was paying and agreed to it. If it was such a big deal he should have just got cash.

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    Default Re: Seeking a redress of lap-dance surcharges

    This is weird.

    From a customer's perspective I think that the surcharges are wrong. I don't think that you should be charge more for using a credit card. I don't know of any other business where this occurs. Once I went to a club without enough cash, and the surccharges were crazy. I don't I paid for dances for it, but I am there were additional fees added for vip entrances and even for the drinks. Ever since then I just went to the atm machine and got a cash advance on my credit card. Sure I pay an interest rate think was 5% but not sure. Anyways it's cheaper than all the charges they add on.

    ok, it makes us look cheap. I just don't think that you should be charged more for something for using a credit card reguardless of what kinda business.

    Imagine going shopping and they tell you that the item that is marked as $20 is going to cost $25 because your using your credit card. I just don't think its right.

    I go back to what Trixie says, about just paying cash. That is probabally the best thing to do and is what I tend to do.

    Just my 2 cents.

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    Veteran Member TrixieFL's Avatar
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    Default Re: Seeking a redress of lap-dance surcharges

    I agree red, they shouldn't charge you guys more. But you can't sue because they do that guy is nuts. And you know what? The club charges us 10% to turn your funny money into cash! So I know how you feel honey, cash is best lol

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    Default Re: Seeking a redress of lap-dance surcharges

    I have never been to a club that did anything called funny money.

    I agree with you the guy is nuts. I was rather making an ethical statement rather than a legal one.

    The way these clubs are run bothers me so much. The owners or whoever runs them finds any which way the can to get some more money. I hate that the girls gotta pay to work there, I hate the credit card sur charges. I hate that the girls have no benefits. I was once talking to a dancer about it. She said yeah she agreed, but theres not much that can be done. If ya wanna dance you play by their rules and all the clubs operate pretty much the same way.

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    God/dess Emily's Avatar
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    Default Re: Seeking a redress of lap-dance surcharges

    this was discussed in another thread. One post made sense that it's how clubs get around the whole cash advance thing and how they can pay us cash. They have to report it as income.

    http://www.stripperweb.com/cgi-bin/y...num=1051286986

  7. #7
    Pamela
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    Default Re: Seeking a redress of lap-dance surcharges

    Also remember if he was not happy with the service, he can have the charges removed from his credit card. I heard of one guy down here doing this before. Too late for that however. he started a suit. And i also never heard of a surcharge at a club being thrown on a CC. Never seen papers of this "surcharge" either being handed out.

    Clubs will do anything for the money. he may be nuts, but when he got his statement, he saw this charge.

    Surley he must have been to other states at strip clubs. It did not seem to happen in any of them. Or maybe first time in these few clubs.

    We'll see.
    Pamela

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    God/dess doc-catfish's Avatar
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    Default Re: Seeking a redress of lap-dance surcharges

    I love the line from this guy's lawyer. [shameful]

    "He's just a fellow here in town who is offended when people stick him with an illegal charge," said Houston lawyer David George.

    Horse hockey. This guy knew what he was getting into and is just trying to start trouble. Sounds like this whole "crusade" was planned by this idiot and his ambulance chasing attorney.

    If he were so damn worried about a $5 charge, you think he'd just hit the ATM machine first. But no, he has to sue. If he succeeds, the clubs in Houston (quite possibly all of Texas) may just end up recouping their losses on CC transactions by raising the dance price another five bucks regardless of how one pays. Smooth move there moron.
    [beat]
    There's an unwritten guideline for customers about using a credit card at a strip club. --> Don't.
    Former SCJ now in rehab.

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    Default Re: Seeking a redress of lap-dance surcharges

    Gosh ,I wouldn't hand a credit card to a stripper for anything.

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    Default Re: Seeking a redress of lap-dance surcharges

    Imagine going shopping and they tell you that the item that is marked as $20 is going to cost $25 because your using your credit card. I just don't think its right.......Sure I pay an interest rate think was 5% but not sure. Anyways it's cheaper than all the charges they add on.
    Well the problem here is that credit card percentages and fees hit both the cardholder and the merchant. In the case of large retailers like WalMart, the credit card processing fees which WalMart must 'eat' are about 1.5% - meaning that if you buy something priced at $100 that WalMart actually receives $98.50 of your money and the rest is kept by the processing company. "Losing" $1.50 on a $100 sale is relatively small potatoes and not worth creating a stink over cash versus credit card transactions.

    However, when you get into adult businesses like strip clubs, websites etc. the processing fees charged by the credit card companies run much higher. For a club fees may range 10-15% depending on the annual dollar amount of credit card transactions, the number of "chargebacks" (where a customer later refuses to pay for charges that show up on next month's credit card statement) etc. For adult websites or other businesses with poor credit histories the fees can run 20%. This means that if a customer buys a $20 private dance with a credit card that the club only actually receives $16. Rather than stiff the dancers for the $4 in processing fees, the clubs instead charge credit cards $25 so that they will actually receive $20 after processing fees. What's so hard to understand about that ?

    Besides the processing fees, there is also a small issue that SOMEBODY must report those credit card charges as income and pay tax on them, where with cash it just might happen that the transaction would never be recorded or reported and no taxes would be paid ! This is another motivation for clubs adding credit card surcharges.

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    Default Re: Seeking a redress of lap-dance surcharges

    This is weird.

    From a customer's perspective I think that the surcharges are wrong. I don't think that you should be charge more for using a credit card. I don't know of any other business where this occurs.

    Just my 2 cents.

    FYI-When a club or any business for that matter accepts credit many times they have to wait 90 Days to see that sale money and a % is taken away from the amount to pay the credit processing company for processing the credit into bank deposit.
    Where I have a problem is when a club charges double surcharges from not only the customer but also from other "club employees"
    So lets say a club is charged 7% from the processing company.
    That club charges the customer 10% with that extra 3 to compensate for the 90 Day wait .
    That seems fair enough to me .

    But then the club charges the DJ's, bouncers and dancers 10% on the same money, even though the club have recouped their own processing costs in full and with the time gap taken into consideration.
    That seems wrong.

    I think it
    should work like this: the customer pays the 7% only and the employees cashing in that money pay the 3% to cover the 90 day return time.

  12. #12
    Jay Zeno
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    Default Re: Seeking a redress of lap-dance surcharges

    Reasons to use cash only at a strip club.

    When you run out, you're done.

    $1 = one dollar.

    "Honey, what's this $450 charge to 'Nipple Cabaret'?"

    Maybe you'll run for public office, or get sued, or divorced, or audited someday and you'll be acutely aware of the paper trails you've left behind.

    A strip club employee can't steal your "cash number."

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    Senior Member witt's Avatar
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    Default Re: Seeking a redress of lap-dance surcharges

    I think most of you are missing the point here. If it is illegal to add surcharges to cc in Texas( I have no idea if it really is). The clubs may have a problem. No amount of signatures, fingerprints, or blood samples can change that. A person can not enter into a legally binding contract for an illegal activity.

    Having said that I fully agree that cash is the only way to go at a sc and I have no sympathy for people that agree to pay those charges. Also as Dr C stated if the clubs can not add the surcharge they will just make it back another way.

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    Pamela
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    Default Re: Seeking a redress of lap-dance surcharges

    I agree, it's not wise to use a credit card at a strip club.

    They are used for their fare share inside believe it or not. I always wondered about the use, especially if the guy was married etc. I have seen my share of corporate cards come through :o

    But it's relative i guess.
    Pamela

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    God/dess velvet's Avatar
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    Default Re: Seeking a redress of lap-dance surcharges

    Gosh ,I wouldn't hand a credit card to a stripper for anything.
    you dont hand the card to the stripper, dreamer. i wouldnt hand my credit card to guys named dreamer either....
    As quoted by Luckyone:
    I asked directions from a genie in a bottle of jim beam and she lied to me.

    Methodus saved my life!

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    Default Re: Seeking a redress of lap-dance surcharges

    I do understand what you all are saying, and I must say that your argument or rather statement is said very well.

    I still disagree on a matter of principle that you shouldn't pay more for something just because you use a credit card. If I go shopping or go out to dinner or buy flowers or groceries or almsot anything not related to strip clubs I pay the same price reguardless of the method of payment.

    As many of you have said things are not going to change, best thing to do is just use cash or forget about using credit cards in strip clubs.

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    Default Re: Seeking a redress of lap-dance surcharges


    I still disagree on a matter of principle that you shouldn't pay more for something just because you use a credit card. If I go shopping or go out to dinner or buy flowers or groceries or almost anything not related to strip clubs I pay the same price reguardless of the method of payment.
    Maybe you didn't read my first reply , you DO PAY MORE using credit cards other places. Just about anyplace that accepts credit cards charges the customer a surcharge in one way or another, often businesses just add on their purchase prices. You are paying it and don't even know it.

    The reason for this is because when a business accept credit they must wait 90 days to see that money AND they pay a % of the sale to the processing company to process the sale from credit to cash deposit. I know this first hand as I have helped with a clubs books for many months and the processing company charged 7% and had a 90 day wait .

    By your theory Red a business should eat the 7%(or whatever the processor charges the business) on every
    single sale.

    Sorry I disagree.

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    Default Re: Seeking a redress of lap-dance surcharges

    Red,
    Here are some quick cut n pastes to show you some of the facts about credit processing costs a business faces. maybe it will help you understand a bit better

    Credit Cards are used for over 90% of Purchases

    What's the main factor that can cut into your profit margin? Credit card processing fees! Fees are charged 2.5 to 10 percent of each sale in card processing fees (discount fees, transaction fees, support fees, statement fees, and Gateway fees).


    And this one explains thing in detail. Note all the small differnt fee's a business must pay to accepy your credit card- all those fee's add up quickly , trust me its a big amount when looked at on paper in relation to actual business sales.


    [i]A Merchant Account Is a bank account in which funds are collected by a bank from credit card purchasers and disbursed to the merchant. Banks consider Merchant Accounts to be a 'loan' and underwrite the issuance of a Merchant Account much like a loan, requiring an application, supporting documentation like tax returns, acceptable products/services and good credit. Non-bank institutions tend to be more liberal in issuing Merchant Accounts, requiring only name, address, a form of ID and a heart beat.

    The bank takes a percentage of each sale (~2-5%) as a processing fee. It may also impose a transaction fee (~25¢-50¢) for each attempted purchase, even if no sale is completed.
    A credit-card processor is an institution separate from and independent of the bank issuing the Merchant Account, or the processor may be a stand-alone institution providing both the Merchant Account and processing services.

    The processor acts as an intermediary between the purchaser and merchant, receiving the purchase request from the purchaser, verifying funds available in the purchaser's credit-card account, transferring the funds to the merchant's Merchant Account, and confirming the successful transaction to both the purchaser and merchant.

    For it's trouble, the processor assesses a transaction fee (~25¢-50¢) for each attempted purchase, again, even if no sale is completed. (In rare instances, certain processors only assess a fee for a successful sale, but in turn may charge as much as $1 per successful sale.) All processor's transaction fees are in addition to the merchant bank fees.
    The processor may charge additional fees (up to $1 per sale) for 'customer service', acting as intermediary for purchaser's questions regarding billing only. Processors do not provide customer service to purchasers for support regarding the merchant's product or service itself. Some sales reps, however, will be sufficiently vague about 'customer service' so as to insinuate that their customer service goes beyond billing support into product support.

    In this fee-happy environment, there's also fixed monthly fees like statement fees ($10-$20), gateway fees ($10-$20) and minimum processing fees ($20-$30). There are application fees ($50-$500), licensing fees ($100-$1500), set-up, start-up and make-it-up fees .
    The only thing that exceeds the fees in this industry is the attempts to avoid disclosing them until the very last minute.

    The mother of all fees? Some banks and some processors are so bold and so greedy as to charge transaction fees for returned items! (Not one bank or processor, in our quest for information, volunteered this information. Several 'sales reps' even had to place us on hold or call us back to ask supervisors if this policy applied in their companies!)

    That's right! Worst case the merchant pays a processing fee (2-5%) and a transaction fee (~25¢-50¢) to the bank and a transaction fee to the processor (~25¢-50¢) for a successful sale, then pays all those fees again when the purchaser wants his or her money back! No sale. No profit. Just pure fees. If the purchaser successfully contests a purchase and is awarded a charge-back, the merchant will also pay a $15 charge-back fee!

    Beware of providers who trumpet no "application fee" or any other specifically-named fee. Start-up fees are usually hidden somewhere by some name and surface just before it's time to sign the bottom line. (licensing fee, processing fee, equipment rental, software rental...)

    The ultimate 'catch' for many many merchants however will be that they will either be declined a Merchant Account or they will be offered a higher fee because the issuer has classified certain businesses as 'high risk'.



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    Default Re: Seeking a redress of lap-dance surcharges

    I did read what you said and I understand what your saying. I just have never seen on a surcharge ona recipt or anything when using a credit card. Maybe it is already included in the price. I just got rid of all my credit cards, until recently I was just using them for gas and I don't remember ever seeing a surcharge for using credit card though, maybe it is already included.

    I never used mine very much, usually just for going out to eat, dinner and sometimes for shopping.

    I do understand the point with processing fess though. I am sure there are also processing fees for checks, but I don't recall having to pay more with those either.

    If I sounded like I was making a judgement that the dancer, employee, business should just eat the processing fee instead of passing it to the customer, then I appaologize for that did not mean to.

    I just don't recall ever seeing two prices, one if using a credit card and one if paying with cash in any business. Isn't that what the article is saying that if your paying cash the dance is $20 and if your paying with credit card it is $25.

    Somewhere it seems that I have paid more by using my card than not as I am sure somehow that I have been charged surcharges acording to what you have told me. I just don't remember ever seeing them. I knew I was paying more via interest, but I don't think I have ever seen surcharges on any receipts or on any credit card statements.

    I am sure my entire psot makes no sence, as I am very confused. Soryy for babbling on.

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    Default Re: Seeking a redress of lap-dance surcharges

    No you made sense , I understood I too pay cash for most everything.
    I think maybe you were just uninformed of some things,thats all.

    Apparently things work a bit differntly in TX regarding surcharges though- I'm curious as to how that law reads considering the first hand experience I have had regarding credit sales in FL.

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    Default Re: Seeking a redress of lap-dance surcharges

    you dont hand the card to the stripper, dreamer. i wouldnt hand my credit card to guys named dreamer either....
    LOL- well they shouldn't but they do. I have been handed credit cards and bank card on a number of occasions ! The manager comes over for credit card stuff for signature and Driver License info and/or fingerprint. But many times I have even been given password for bank cards and sent to the ATM .
    I have even been given keys to a new BMW to hold because a customer didn't want to drive drunk and he didn't trust the valet service! I received a huge tip for holding those keys too!

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    Default Re: Seeking a redress of lap-dance surcharges


    Maybe you didn't read my first reply , you DO PAY MORE using credit cards other places. Just about anyplace that accepts credit cards charges the customer a surcharge in one way or another, often businesses just add on their purchase prices. You are paying it and don't even know it.

    The reason for this is because when a business accept credit they must wait 90 days to see that money AND they pay a % of the sale to the processing company to process the sale from credit to cash deposit. I know this first hand as I have helped with a clubs books for many months and the processing company charged 7% and had a 90 day wait .
    I don't know where you are getting your information, I really don't. But here is what I know from two businesses. First, my dad owns a full service garage and full serv/self serv gas station that is branded. The oil company charges him 0% for processing their own cards and those of affiliated companies. That's on gas, services and parts. They charge him a flat 1% to process other companies cards and charge cards like Master Card, Barclay Card and Visa. His account is credited every day with the previous day's charges, less the processing fee if he took any out of system cards. He gets those all the time at the selfserv pumps.

    Second the company I work for now has a merchant account. We pay a flat 2% processing charge and there was some small fee to set up the account.

    Both the BP America and BofA prohibit a surcharge for credit card charges.

    Z

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    Default Re: Seeking a redress of lap-dance surcharges

    I did read what you said and I understand what your saying. I just have never seen on a surcharge ona recipt or anything when using a credit card. Maybe it is already included in the price.
    And outside of strip clubs you probably never will.

    Consumers pay CC surcharges in much the same way a renter pays property taxes. Indirectly. Businesses that accept credit cards just figure the processing fees as one more expense of doing business and just tack that expense on to the base purchase price of whatever goods and services it sells. They figure its a small price to pay compared to the money they would be out by not accepting plastic.

    So while you in most likelihood won't see these surcharges directly on your statement, if someone you do business with accepts credit cards, you DO pay for them regardless, even if you pay cash or write a check.
    Former SCJ now in rehab.

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    Default Re: Seeking a redress of lap-dance surcharges




    Second the company I work for now has a merchant account. We pay a flat 2% processing charge and there was some small fee to set up the account.



    Z
    Where did get my info, well-

    the 7% and 90 days was what that club paid ( 1997) I was considering day manager and had to learn how to do everything- books, purchase orders and so on.....

    The cut and pastes I got today off the net-
    I punched in credit card processing fees in my search.

    This much I do know
    gas/oil is the least "high risk" business of all. I didn't include the sample list of typical High risk" business that was on that one site, maybe I can find it again if ya want.

    I imagine that just like a person with no or bad credit is considered high risk and charged a higher interst rate , high risk businesses such as a SC are charged more % wise as well as set up costs etc etc.

    I also know the more modern (much more expensive) equipment & services a company buys the less turnover time.
    There is equipment out there than you can do what is called a "batch out" nightly and get your deposits cleared as you described your Dad doing on certian purchases done a certian way only though. I've used those, but in my experience most business are 5 years behind in their credit equipment/services. Just look at the swipe machienes places have..... the newest are tiny wireless ones that are SmartCard compatible. I rarely see any of those around.


    My real point anyway was to show that it does actually cost more to accept plastic than cash.


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    Default Re: Seeking a redress of lap-dance surcharges

    Okay, my nick gives away my residence, so I just had to reply to this one! I've danced in Houston for many years, and the credit card processing fee is nothing new. EVERY SINGLE TOPLESS CLUB in Houston charges this fee (and there are many). From a common sense point of view, I can honestly say that they are not doing it to "screw" the customer over. They are not playing "follow the leader", ya know. They have valid reasons for doing this (shown above), not to mention cancellations cost the clubs lots of money. And in a city this big, it happens too often, AND whenever a customer hands his card over to a waitress (in Houston, YOU DON'T HAND YOUR CARD TO A DANCER), they inform them that (and I do this myself in addition) they will be charged an additional $5 per dance for processing fees. ALSO, when they OPEN a credit card they sign a statement agreeing to the fees. AND when they close their card they sign two more times. This guy cannot convince me that he visited three different clubs in Houston and wasn't told that he was going to be charged the extra fee. I think he just woke up one morning and realized, "OMG, look how much money I've spent in the topless bars! I guess I'm going to have to find a way to sue them to get my money back." As a matter of fact, most clubs in Houston refuse a certain cc company because they had so many "cancellations". It's not the club's fault, or the entertainer's fault, that the guy wakes up the next day suddenly feeling "conciencious".

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