Walkups, like cannabis, are what we call a "gateway drug". Erotic massage is the gateway for other, more hardcore activities. In Hong Kong, I do not know of any men older than 30 who are not sexually frustrated. For some of them, their partners are sexually conserved or boring; for others, the lack of space in Hong Kong homes prevents them from having sex. Many of these guys will end up using prostitutes but most do it in gradual transition. Walkup massage places are the first step for everyone. These are where an uninitiated, sexually frustrated guy can get naughty with a minimum level of guilt. There is no sex, so they are exactly cheating on their SO. And they can convince themselves that all they wanted is a massage and “things got carried away”.
Therefore, guilt, NOT money, is the largest deferment factor for a guy who is starting to pay for sex, and they would rather paying more than to face this guilty feeling. In other words, if you were to ran into your wife’s cousin at 11pm after having some fun, where would you prefer it to happen: outside an elegant building on Wyndham Street where you can say you are drinking with friends in the neighbourhood, or outside a dodgy KTV with flashy LED signs on Shandong street, where you have no reason to be? Even if the latter is much more fun and $300 cheaper, most people will still choose the former. Kama deserves an award for business innovation, as they are the first shop to remove the tipping system. For novices, the negotiation for tips before the deed is an embarrassing process because it confronts them with the fact that they are paying for sexual needs, the very psychological barrier they are trying to avoid.
The number of walkups, and their charges, depend on the existence of sexually frustrated men who are experimenting with this gateway drug. As long as this population is growing, their pricing strategy will not need to change. Also, while we are complaining about being ripped off, we should remember that walkup HE joints are actually the most risky sector of sex business in Hong Kong. While 141 is legal, HE parlours are not. In the first three weeks of June only, three massage spas have been raided by the police. The latest one is Club Avenue in Wanchai two days ago. This business is therefore being run on a high level of intrinsic risk, and the financial incentive must be high enough for them to bear this risk. Therefore, even in this climate of cutthroat competition, these massage spas will not compete on pricing.
Sex141 is a consumer group. As our "sex god in residence", Twiceaweek is right to raise concerns over the costs of walkup massage parlours, which have doubled in the past 5-6 years. Of course we are being ripped off, and of course we all wish to pay less. However, the market is always right, and here the force of the market is undeniable. As Twice pointed out in his analysis, the cost of going to HE massage spa is now catching up with genuine saunas with superior service and facility. One should assume that consumers will flock back to saunas and the number of walkups will decline. But the fact is walkups are proliferating like wild fire and they are killing off traditional saunas. In a short stroll in central, from cochraine street up Hollywood road, you will walk pass more than 15 walkup massage spas, all of them offering HE. So, walkups are overcharging and still people are flocking to them. As a consumer watch group, there is very little we can do. A return to the pre-2010 prices will immediately kill this business, as no one will take the risk without an attractive income.
For the veterans, the inflated price of walkups won't affect them because they know better and cheaper place. Twice can go to his BSS every night. However, for inexperienced punters, they will always rather pay more in exchange for the absence of guilt and awkwardness. I think in Hong Kong there are always more novices than veterans.
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