Bad experience insurance claim

THS News & Feedback
1

I have a question.
We are petsitters.

What about having to leave the house by arrival (1/1/26) because 4 tenants in the same house (where we were not informed about) + very dirty, total mess, unsafe,…

We called emergency line (everything recorded).

THS said :

  • we could leave
  • as premium member book hotel
  • THS will contact HO
  • THS removed the HO (not on THS anymore)
  • I asked several times on the phone if I should do something (like take photos, …) => no, you just can leave I’ll take care of it

Next day mail from THS where they asked “tons” of info/proof :

  • photos (luckily we took skme + have phonenumber of person we could call in case of emergency - she didn’t puck up the phone)
  • proof tenants (name, telephone,…)
  • …

Why ? THS agreed HO to be on THS + THS removed HO + during call she didn’t ask us these things ???

I’m the victim of this and if THS has removed HO it’s very, very, very clear that THS agrees with “against codes of conduct” and that they have to pay our hotel (insurance claim without an exemption !!!).

Not ???

I’m daily mailing for 3 weeks now + last mail I asked to call me … we agreed a day/time … no phonecall … I’m still mailing and asking to please call me.

So … sitters … always take pictures, ask names,… !!!

I’m still waiting for the phonecall from J :wink:

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2

It’s annoying but we did the whole insurance claim thing on email, no calls needed. Faster and easier especially internationally. Also, over the NY period it’s only been about 10 working days that MS have had to sort out your paperwork, so am sure it will come soon. As long as you have screenshots of all the evidence, a bill for the hotel within 20 miles of the original sit & proof you couldn’t get another sit then it should work out. #takeabreath

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3

Hello @LOVEANIMALS

Just to let you know that I have passed this across to the relevant team and someone will be reaching out to you shortly.

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4

Just wanted to say sorry to hear about this. I am sure it is frustrating. I imagine like many businesses and organizations of all kinds, the customer service experience at THS often largely boils down to the specific people to whom you connect. People in this role–regardless of the nature of the business– are usually not all equal in their knowledge of various procedures, policies,etc..

That was something I experienced for myself a couple of times on some very important matters! Never had to deal with THS customer service except to assist me with a sit cancellation a few months back and they were very quick and easy with that.

Good luck and hope it all works out!

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5

I’m so sorry you had to deal with this completely unacceptable situation and I hope that THS takes care of its responsibilities .

Somewhat of a side -note : Your synopsis was wonderfully written here - easy to understand, brief and to the point, well laid out, etc.

6

Thank you for your responses.

I called J yesterday.

She keeps asking for more info and proof.

We still find this is not about an insurance claim at all.

But THS treats this as an insurance claim.

This isn’t about a canceled petsit.

  1. THS admitted the HO to their platform.
  2. They “immediately removed the HO” after our recorded emergency call when we arrived at the house.

There were four tenants in the property (shared entrance, use of the kitchen, etc.) that we weren’t aware of.

The property was dirty, unsanitary, messy, and unsafe (including electrical wires everywhere).

This is 100% against the rules of conduct!

THS fully admits this… otherwise, they wouldn’t have immediately removed the HO from their website… right???

We are the victims of this.

In our opinion, this isn’t an insurance claim.
If it were:

  1. Will the insurance company approve the claim???
  2. Why do we have to pay a deductible???

We believe that THS should reimburse us 100% themselves and that this shouldn’t be sent to the insurance company!!!

Again: we are the victims of THS.

It’s absolutely not about the money, but about

  • the principle
  • the injustice
  • we’ve been emailing and calling for weeks now
  • we have to justify ourselves, provide proof…
    We are extremely disappointed.

Fortunately, we enjoy petsitting immensely and will continue to do so… because they are always fantastic experiences… if not through THS, then in another way…
Have a nice evening, everyone x

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7

@LOVEANIMALS first of all , I’m really sorry to hear about this terrible situation that you encountered.

THS don’t vet hosts so they are not responsible for the conditions you found . You were mislead by a host - who has as a result been removed from the platform .

The T&Cs that all members agree to say

“You are solely responsible for making decisions that are in your best interests, including in relation to properties and pet(s) and vetting any potential Pet Parent/Sitter.”

The sit cancellation plan (which is only available to a premium member ) does have a deductible and other terms for a successful claim . Here are the T&Cs of the sit cancellation plan - whether it covers leaving an unsuitable sit is not clear …

https://support.trustedhousesitters.com/hc/en-gb/articles/360015619898-What-is-the-Sit-Cancellation-Plan

8

THS operates much like a dating app. You look at pictures and descriptions and mutually agree on whether you’re a match. If you go on a date and the person across from you is 25 years older and 150 lbs heavier than they claimed, what would you expect the dating service to do more than removing the person from the platform? Same deal on THS. There is no insurance for liars using a platform.

Good luck but your expectations are not very real world.

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9

I’m sorry, I too would be disappointed, frustrated, annoyed, etc. Unfortunately this is what we all agree to when signing up with THS, and “insurance” reimbursement is your only recourse. Of course they require proof of conditions because you need cause to leave a sit, and THS themselves don’t look at listings. It is entirely up to us users to judge from photos and previous reviews as to whether a sit or sitter is suitable. The situation stinks, and I’m sorry. I hope that venting here helps a little, and you can leave a review of THS on Trustpilot if that helps you feel better. Good luck with your claim.

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10

Unfortunately the host lied to THS as much as they lied to you. The payout can only come from an insurance policy and all of those have deductibles. For this one it’s $150. The situation sounds hideous and stressful but as @OnTheRoadAgain says, it’s the dating app scenario and there are tinder swindlers in all walks of life. Am glad you’re out safe & at least in comms with THS. Other than ban them from the platform & process your claim there’s not much more they can do. As @Shafofo says, when we all sign those Ts & Cs this is what we agree to. #onwardsandupwards

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