Just arrived at a sit that left the key in a lockbox. Must have left the wrong key because this key does not unlock the door. There is no emergency contact in the welcome guide now ( there was when I originally looked at it a few weeks ago). The HO hasn’t responded to texts yet and I’m just standing here with my luggage.
I’m going to have to leave to fond a place to have meetings. I have two really important meetings today that are time sensitive and can’t be rescheduled. I might just have to get a hotel to do meetings and I can’t just stand on the street with my luggage indefinitely.
Bet it’s one of those fiddly keys that you have to stand on your head and turn around three times anti clockwise to make it work. Have you given it lots of jiggles and tried it the other way up? No back door? It’s not a good situation and I feel your pain. Any neighbour that might be familiar with the problem? I’m sure you have tried everything. Good luck
I have always hated lock boxes, generally, (even outwith pet sits) but for HO to do this to you is downright unforgiveable. No consideration even for their on pets.
That’s not a great situation you’re in @systaran. I’ve only used a lockbox a couple of times and prayed I could open it then that the key would work smoothly in the lock.
I’m assuming it’s a cat you’re going to be looking after so hopefully it should be okay until you can get access. Hope you manage okay with your important meetings.
Out of interest, there’s a new thread on the Forum re Compulsory Handovers and the updated Terms of Service say “face-to-face” handovers"!
When you get a moment definitely contact the urgent helpline and ask them to contact the homeowner. Hopefully they will have better luck.
Hope you get sorted soon.
Look at the key, is it bent, twisted or rusty? Maybe it’s an old spare that hasn’t been used much. Is there another entrance that the key may be intended for?
I was going to post about lubricating the lock but I see @oxalis got there first. If the key is marginal, the WD-40 trick may work.
Thanks for all your responses and support. Someone has come over with the correct key and I am in the flat. Not a great start to the sit. Going to have to clean out the fridge because it has a bunch of take out boxes and something reeks.
I’m super careful about choosing sits and I don’t typically get surprises, but this one is not as expected.
In case useful for future: I always take screenshots as soon as I get welcome guides, which I request early. That’s because if the host changes info later, I still have on record what they shared previously.
In the case you mentioned, with the emergency contact being shared and later deleted, that would not be OK to me.
As an avid quizzer, one of my fave questions is What does WD40 actually stand for? And I will tell you, as I don’t want this to become a guessing thread. Water DISPLACEMENT 40, It was the creators 40th attempt to get it just perfect.
how stressful.
