I just wanted to share that I recently got this lovely rejection message from a first time HO following a video chat.
“Hi Robin - we could not decide between all the lovely people we spoke to so ended up pulling names out of a hat!! It came out as one of the others sadly. If they pull out for any reason I’ll check back in with you to see if you are free. Sorry if its a disappointment”
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I’ve had a couple of those in the past who said they would keep me in mind for future sits and did end up sending me a future invitation. As a sitter, it’s definitely appreciated to receive a personalized rejection rather than a homeowner just hitting that “decline” button!
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Nah, sorry, we don’t view that response as a ‘lovely rejection’. We prefer to be consciously chosen, not to have things decided by a random prize draw! If the HO cannot discern between applicants after reading profiles and reviews, we’d rather pass.
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Sounds like this was after the applicants underwent video chats too, which makes the random prize draw element even more iffy.
I would rather, having given time to apply and chat with the HOs, they gave consideration to each individual’s reviews and experience rather than just pulling a name out of a hat and hoping for the best. In saying that, kudos to them for actually responding (that’s how low the bar is at the moment 
).
Even worse! We always know, after a video chat - and sometimes, during - whether or not it’s a good match. If the hosts didn’t feel that vibe about a particular sitter during what sounds like a multitude of video chats, they’ve missed something vital.
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honestly, HOs who are so wishy washy they can’t even make a decision aren’t particularly someone I would want to sit for anyways. and as the chosen person if I was told ‘no one stood out so we picked your name randomly, congrats’ i’d turn it down.
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Agreed. To me, there’s no way that a bunch of sitters can be equally suited. It would probably have to be someone who can’t discern differences or who doesn’t feel comfortable making a choice. Or maybe they just said that, so it would easier for them to turn folks down. Some people are very cowardly.
Maybe it was an answer who was generated by ChatGPT?
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Well i think its nice @robinstent …
.
On a sit we got once the owner had said she’d had many applicants (before the 5 limit) and felt bad about letting some down. She was mainly between us & one other couple but was more drawn to us.
Its good to see from different perspectives.
Would i mind if i got that rejection?
Not at all & id know the universe had other plans & worked it that way.
Thankyou for sharing.
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They sound lovely. Sometimes it honestly is a really close call and you just have to pick!
I have selected one HS when it was close and I did in fact loop back around to the others that I declined. Said others are now coming for our next sit 
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People are unhappy if they dont get a response and unhappy when they do if its not the right response!!. I’ve had that happen too and I told the homeowner, I’m excited they actually have 5 great applicants! I appreciate the honesty and have no ill will if they pick another person. I know my worth and that I’m a good sitter, so it does not bother me if they choose someone else. My hope is they always choose someone that keeps them coming back. Especially after reading some horror stories on here!
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It’s not that we aren’t happy with getting a response. It’s that the response doesn’t appear to do justice to the effort that has been put in from the sitter. This applies whether you receive an auto-decline message or (as in this case) the home owner picks a name randomly after a video call (which, for some sitters, can be a nerve-wracking affair).
Picking sitters out of a hat kind of suggests all sitters are made equal and will do an equivalent job, and we all know that’s not the case.
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Honestly, I wish they had reduced the number of video chats they had in the first place. It sounds like they met people they liked and wanted to have sit. They continued to have interviews then chose at random. I would prefer to not have had my time wasted, but maybe that’s due to how difficult it is for me to carve out time for calls. Others may not have that issue.
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That’s precisely why I archive such HOs. I want to remember not to apply again.
I agree. Nice that they let you know it was so close but sometimes just a “no thank you” is better than we “pulled names out of a hat.”
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This post makes me very happy . I have had to reject sitters in the past only because I have so many wonderful applicants. I always send a personal message as I think the HS has gone out of their way to read my listing or spend time on a video chat. I didn’t know if it meant anything, so nice to know it’s appreciated
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It’s not cowardly at all. Some people find choosing very difficult, especially in situations like this where the hosts thought all the applicants were worthy of inviting. They obviously wanted to let down the other applicants as gently as possible, perhaps with a view to inviting them for future sits. You’re being too judgemental.
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The message is essentially saying, we can’t tell whether there’s meaningful difference among any of you, and maybe you can apply again and be chosen randomly or not. LOL. No thanks.
And of course I’m judging hosts. What logical sitter doesn’t? We’re all assessing for mutual matches.
Of course I’m going to use my judgment and rule out people I have no interest in sitting for. If that doesn’t suit you, sounds like you’re being too judgmental about how I pick matches.
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I think it’s a lovely rejection and would be happy to receive this. At least they didn’t go down the road of Ernie, meanie, minii mo…
(edited by Forum team to remove reference to parts of discussion that were removed to keep things on topic )
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Just a quick note to say that I’ve moderated this discussion to remove comments that were getting off-topic…
It’s fine to disagree with someone, but rather than get into a debate, flag anything that concerns you using the little flag under each reply and let the team take a look.