Always meet in a public place first to verify identification. Also let a friend know where & when I’m meeting someone, and when I’m alone again.

Also if the person has good reviews and I know their name and mobile number. I like to meet for a coffee first before setting up a massage and I always tell a friend where I am going when I arrange a massage.

Reviews are a big help.

I would add that what makes you feel safe, then thats what you should do. Also, when that "voice" in you tells you that something is wrong, listen to it.

I always like to have a meet in a public place both to prove i am ok and to ensure the person i'm meeting is genuine and safe, or as safe as you can be! after all if you book and pay for a massage you don't know the person until you get there!

Feeling safe and secure comes after message exchange and then meeting socially first

I personally don't have a great deal of safety concerns learns I feel the Exchange site is safe.

We always go for massages together even though my husband does not receive one he is there for my assurance.

I have had great experience with exchange.

It's never been an issue to date. I think a few message exchanges helps clarify things.

I feel fairly comfortable and safe exchanging massages with everyone, after the initial email, text, but I require a phone chat before I accept someone in my studio or before I go where someone is hosting.

I feel it out before and if I feel unsafe I dont ignore that feeling. I am usually armed in some fashion and prefer not to defend myself...I prefer to heal instead of hurt.

I typically feel pretty safe during the exchange after having some correspondence with the exchange partner. Plus, my husband is always home. Not in the room with us when I do an exchange, but home. Although I probably would do an exchange with a member of the opposite even if he wasn't at home.

Being new to this exchange and just having set up my first exchange, I feel safer reading the reviews of the person.

Exchanging emails helps break the ice.

I prefer to meet for coffee or something first but I have no problem with a 'walk-in'

when two likeminded people are naked together it is a safe and comfortable environment

I prefer to have some email exchange and then use my intuition to determine whether to meet or not. I rarely meet with anyone who has not shown a picture.

I feel fairly safe and so far have had a few very good swaps.

Definatly advise a friend that you're hosting
Checking credentials hard as we need to trust others on here are honest
Email conversation and photos helpful
I would have no issue uploading copies of my qualifications and insurance

i think this question naturally comes more to a women but it applies to men too. Sometimes man can be more uncertain then a woman. Women are powerful and can be dangerous too :) I personally feel a bit uncertain when i do experience a certain type of massage for the first time and i don't know what will be happening :) it doesn't has any rational reason, just it is better for me when things are spoken in advance a bit. And of course to meet in person and speak to each other to get to know each other a bit. Safety doesn't mean only a physical safety but also emotional and let's say spiritual.

I think strongly that a meeting over tea or coffee is an appropriate way to get a sense of the person you meet for an exchange massage. Emails, phone conversations then meeting in person is my best choice.

And then public meeting before anything else

If I am trading with somebody who has no picture on the site and no formal credentials that I could check, I will always suggest a neutral spot. Coffee shop, mall, etc.. Someplace where both of us can feel safe. It should always be a fairly busy public place to meet.

I always listen to my instinct and intuition. If it doesn't feel right, don't do it.

Whether it is through here or a professional client, the risks are the same. I don't do much screening when a new client calls to book an appointment for a massage. Common sense... and if possible, either have someone else there in the home, or check in and out with a friend by text message when the person gets there and leaves. Let them know approximately when you will be checking in and out.

It is important to me to first exchange a few emails. Then, a phone call before any meeting to get to know each other. I know we all have busy schedules, but this will be an intimate experience and therefore both potential exchange partners need to feel comfortable before proceeding.

Confirm identities like AdultFriendFinder and their associated sites do.

I want to meet a person socially in a public place before being alone with them with no clothes. It would also be helpful to know what kind of dangerous situations to be wary of besides the obvious ones.

My guy is with me for most meetups so l feel quite safe,,,,l am also happy to meetup 1 on 1 on occasion

l like to meet in public first ,then l trust my gut feeling

l am quite happy to meet a woman or M/F Couple if it is their wish in a neutral place first and then if all agreeable proceed . l trust my instincts if it feels right then its all good.

I care about the safety of others And I would go out of my way to make sure other people are safe. Personaly I know I'm always safe

Neutral location recommended for initial meet.

Chatting on phone first ,get an idea what the person is like.

Must have photo.

An exchange is very safe after boundaries have been discussed and commitment to honour them has been agreed.

I only exchange after several emails and a photo exchange.
I also like to exchange phone numbers and speak to the potential exchange partner first.
Location for the exchange is important for me because I can't accommodate, so I need to know where I'm going.

Only exchange with fellow therapists... bad enough getting a half decent massage from someone WITH credentials, so why would I want to exchange with someone with no training?!? Maybe crazy, but I'd like to think that, given the amount of time, money and effort they put into getting these credentials, the chances of them being some kind of psycho is fairly limited...

In my eight years of professional massage practice I have never encountered a situation that I felt threatened with a client, new or current. Of course performing a constant 'due diligence' during initial contact via email first, then voice telephone conversation should be paramount. Learn keywords, and how they are said, to help determine if the person is (hopefully) legit. Yes, I have declined new clients based on just how they answer simple questions.

I have concerns on site safety which have led me to stop using this site altogether. When I joined there was no sexual massage option to choose, I only wanted therapy massage. When I asked my husband to look at the site he pointed out to me that there was a sexual massage alternative, and the users who select ONLY therapy, cannot see from others profiles that they have selected sexual. The only way you can see this information is if you add sexual to your profile then you will see that the person you have been connecting with also has a sexual massage fetish. So people who think they are meeting with someone who is for therapy only WILL NOT KNOW that this other person is getting a sexual "turn on" from the massage. I believe that this blind aspect to the profile is nefarious and can put people at risk, and 'therapy only' users would not want to be massaged by someone who is getting a sexual turn on out of it. I believe -like I was- there will be thousands of users of this site who are being duped into thinking that the person they are trading with is only interested in therapy. This is NOT ACCEPTABLE! At the very least, you should have a "block sexual users" option. But people will just create 2 user profiles to get around this. Why make the site sexual in the first place? And to those other females who have found this out, seleting females only does not protect you. Some females out there will have hidden profile information telling you (if you could see it!) that they will be getting sexually turned on by massaging you.

I have meet some lovely people on this site, have felt safe with all of them.

I feel safe because when both are nude, there is nowhere to hide anything and the goals of massage are clear

I only exchange with someone I've met in a public place and spent some time getting to know. Seems like a no-brainer to me.

Meeting in a public place first.

I have had more than one client bring a gun into the massage room & I would have not known if they did not tell me. So yes necked people can hide guns.

I like to share a few messages here, followed by a phone call. And...we have to share photos. From these 3 I'm usually going to know if I want to proceed or not. The next step might be meeting for coffee or tea, or moving straight to a massage trade if a good sense of trust has developed.

Reviews are the very best way to ensure safety. Members need to be encouraged to provide an honest but respectful review of every exchange .

Keep up the good work

I look first for a photo and then for reviews. There seems to be a lot of members who have neither.  I usually skip over them.  At some point I want to talk over the phone to compare intentions and clarify limits.  I always leave a review comment if I can. The down side of phone conversations is that you may get into a situation where you time out on email exchanges and are not allowed write a review.  I always make sure that someone knows where I am going and the contact info for the person I am going to meet. So far I have never had a bad experience on the Exchange.

I feel safe if the person has been reviewed, especially by someone I have exchanged with previously.

I would feel safer if you had a way to screen escorts/prostitutes from soliciting. 

MassageExchange Comment

I see many already stating DDF in their commentary

We feel safe meeting at a neutral public venue fist to let our intuition say yes or no.

Keep to common sense. Meet publicly before hand, let others no where you are going and when you are expected back, keep aware of your surroundings and always trust your instincts.

e-mails can tell a lot about a person even with only a few words.

When I send a message I can see if that member has opened/red my message. It would be good to see if they have then deleted my message as on some other sites. This gives an indication of whether that member is interested or not. Some of your members open/read a message and never bother to reply.

yes with photo I think u not going to be cheated

I prefer to at least have one conversation with the other person first.

Massage is about the body, mind, and spirit. If we are talking about "safety" it truly depends on the two people involved in the session and their comfort level. Boundaries MUST be observed! Beyond that, if there is consent to move into a more sensual session for the purpose of relaxing at all levels and addressing all the clients needs there should be issues. Clients or other massage professionals receiving a massage should bee comfortable, wether they are partially clothed or all natural. Thanks for the poll.

When you hear reviews and there picture I hope people feel safe. And going threw this site it's all logged so,it makes people feel more at ease.

Before massage there should be some meetings between the partner in coffee bar or any other suitable places. after that you can understand the nature of your partner

You never know 100% if the home you're going to isn't the home of a nutter, sadly! Trust your instincts, and get to know someone as best as you can before agreeing to massage, ALWAYS tell someone the address you are going to. :)

I always meet potential exchange partners at a public neutral location before even deciding to exchange massage. For me, an in-person meeting is essential to discuss intentions and expectations. But even a face-to-face meeting is no guarantee that communication will be understood. However, as one person said, if one can establish the necessary trust and safety, the benefits of compassionate human touch is worth the effort.

Safety is common sense for adults. Profile pics should be mandatory and date-stamped.

I like to chat to someone a little first so I feel I know a bit more about a person

Fairly safe seeing photo

I am extra cautious with someone who doesn't show a photo. I feel concerned about possibly hosting an exchange and letting someone in who might plan to return and rob my home. In some cases want to see and talk with the person before offering to host.

I think photos are very important to get a sense of who someone is. An exchange of a few emails can help also but if someone is not willing to share a photo that should be a major red flag.

How sad to need to concerned about others with a weapon. There are indeed nut cases out there so you have to be careful. On the positive side, oncevyou're comfortable with someone the benefits from massage are huge.

I have been a LMT for over six years. I have done house calls & had several new clients come into my office. You never know a person until you meet them, and are around them often. I have no safety concerns because I can, and WILL protect myself! I am new to this site, and look forward to trading with my fellow therapists!

I think profile pictures should be mandatory.

safety is responsibility of all of us

I prefer that ALL members must have a recent photo to post with their profile that is an accurate representation of their person (no photographs taken 20 years ago)

I think people need to apply common sense when it comes to making arrangements to meet strangers. All of life is a risk and a person is responsible for their own safety. In my experience stupid people do stupid things.

I've recently had cause to be concerned about mentality unstable exchange partners

I feel safe after a few messages, pretty good way of communicating. I am open and honest about what I am looking for in an exchange and found that is the best way with meeting people online. I have never felt unsafe at any of my exchanges so far. I also do a mobile massage business part time so I am used to going into other peoples homes to perform massages and have never had any issues concerning my safety.

I'd never exchange without being fairly sure of the person's identity. I don't mind if they are not qualified, but am wary of people with no photos.

Depends on the individual safe is what you feel deep inside

I like to converse on phone first then meet in public first to feel each other out first.

Meet some place public first. Do an exchange in a neutral place like a hotel, where you both check in and you have your records on file with the hotel front desk.

I am new to this site. I have no safety concerns--as long as I get a chance to talk to the massage partner over the phone.

In twenty years of trading I've never really felt unsafe. I do like to trade a few emails or talk on the phone first, just to weed out the flakes. A picture helps in that regards too. I've had a few lie about their age, weight, and appearance.

I do not trade with non-professionals. I know I give a good massage, I don't expect to receive a good massage from an untrained person, so I don't waste my time. I also wouldn't feel safe meeting an untrained person. In e-mail exchange, it's important for me to find out if their credentials are real - I do that by asking where they work, what kind of CE courses they've been taking, and where. it's simple - you need to do all that to keep your license valid. anything less, creates doubts as to their authenticity. that said, if I'm not comfortable in their presence when talking on the phone or when we meet, I wouldn't trade.

To the person complaining about people wanting free massages, nobody forces you to accept a 'receive-only' situation. I do because I need to practise my technique on 'practise-bodies', not having massaged professionally for over 2 decades. They get the benefit and so do I. Win-Win situation. Once I get up to speed (which is already) and before I start to charge for treatments (away from this site), I'll stop the freebies here and only engage with therapists who are accredited massage therapists for the 'massage exchange' as espoused here.

I am comfortable with any woman any were any time no matter how many precautions you take it's impossible to predict danger I tend to see the good in everyone 1 out of 1 million chance it will be a dangerous situation have more chance of dying in car crash.    I am a man might be different for a woman

I wont exchange massage with any guy that will only exchange with females, as I feel these guys are not professional and are looking for the sexual side of things, I make sure they have a photo and message a few times

I have run into a few men that try to push the envelope. I have changed my criteria to female only for exchanges, although I did have some great male therapists that I traded with through this site.

some men still have inappropriate boundaries even if they are a good massage therapist. I feel cautious when I see that a man is only looking for females to massage.

I do no have any ideas except listen to your intuition and do what it tells you

There is sometimes an issue with a trade looking for a sexual release experience. It perplexes me as they could list under sensual massage and not try to cross the therapeutic line. Just makes me cranky.

I almost checked the one about naked people having no weapon, but if they have a Black Belt in Karate, they don't need to have a weapon concealed anywhere. In the nude, they could totally kick my ass. The likelihood of a female to claim sexual abuse when a male is the therapist is higher than with man to man. Sorry ladies, but I believe that is basically the case. That is why I will only do exchanges with the same sex.

I used to think that if a person was formally trained/certified they would follow professional etiquette. But now I know that's not necessarily the case. It seems some people see this as a dating website or something. Thats not what i signed up for. I don't know if you could have some sort of pop-up reminder when they first contact someone in the non-erotic section that they must agree to follow certain guidelines of appropriate behavior (both on site & in person). That would be my suggestion.

I would like to meet some-one first like at a coffee bar or some open area to talk to and get to know them

I have met and traded with a couple of guys on this site and it seems they are just looking for "free massages-too cheap to pay" They lie and say they have massage training and in some cases they do not. They pushed me in inappropriate massage. I would NOT meet anyone else as it seems to be misused and a place to hide for fee massages.

Meeting in a public place first would be nice

If the partner has no formal credentials, I confirm identity with a photo ID and offer the same. I typically meet the person in a public place ahead of time. I feel safer with someone who is licensed than someone who is not. However, the true test is during the first massage. Your instincts can tell you if someone is trustworthy, safe, educated (about the body) and knows draping. If I get one or more red flags during the process, I cancel or will never see them again. Fortunately, most of my trades range from good to amazing.

If I'm meeting a man for the first time, I generally suggest a "get-to-know-you" coffee on neutral ground before going any further. And not at the coffee shop at the entry to my apartment block! Any weird feelings and I'm off. Trust your intuition. Once I've got email, mobile number and other contact details ( i.e. their address), I actually feel safer exchanging at my place. Never had a creep yet...so far.

call and meet .

even for a sensual exchange, I will never agree to a personal meet through email exchanges. I need to see pictures, have phone conversation, and get verifiable personal information (which I share with a couple friends) before I will agree to meet. I make sure someone knows where I'm going, who I'm going to meet, email address for the person, etc. some men don't want to jump through these hoops, but I won't meet without these precautions. and I never give anyone access to my home, home address, etc since i feel more vulnerable as a woman.

I always exchange e-mails for a few days to size the person up, I never agree to an exchange until after meeting in person in a public place, and never exchange immediately after the meeting. I always let a friend know who I am exchanging with and where. Anyone discouraged by this process is probably someone I wouldn't want as a partner anyway.

Therapists should be only allowed on this site if they have verified their qualifications & their licence can be found on line easily.

I get the persons Credentials prior to the trade and drivers license that has a picture photo and or their State of California license from the Massage Board after that there is no reason to feel unsafe.

I would like a background check and status , and a review survey of do and don't completed by both exchangers

Meeting in a public location to discuss training and other important issues prior to giving or receiving a massage.

I feel safe after meeting a potential exchange partner in person before agreeing to exchange. I use my intuition to say safe or not safe.