So far I’ve done 21 sittings in 4 different Countries where I’ve never caused any damage with the exception of three sittings, for some reason it always happens in France, nowhere else
First time, I broke a breakfast bowl. I told the HO, she said not to worry, but I could find a quite similar one and bought it anyway.
Second time, it was a glass. I looked for the same anywhere and also online, in the end I told the HOs who said not to worry, it was a very cheap glass.
Last, I broke a glass again. In the misfortune, it happened during the last hours of the sitting while I was dealing with cleaning and packing. I asked the HO and to be honest, I hoped she would say not to worry. Instead!.. she told me where the store is and she said some sort of hurry up as the shop was closing (she knew I was leaving the morning after). I checked the store and I saw that the shop had closed one hour before.
I apologised with the HO again and said about the shop being closed, she said that the shop was open on the day after I checked the opening hour, it was exactly the same time I was meant to leave and I had a long route to drive. I didn’t comment on that and just texted the day after and said that I was very sorry, but I couldn’t delay myself and had to go.
The difference from the previous sittings, is that this HO is a very wealthy person. I understand that the glass is a unique piece as this is handmade and all that, but it is one glass out of 21. Would somebody live without a glass? Would somebody force a sitter to buy a glass on the last minute in the middle of packing and ready to leave?
I admit that I didn’t offer to leave the money for the glass, by the way I checked online and the glass costs 28 euro
To me, it’s irrelevant whether a host is wealthy or not. It’s about my responsibility if I broke something out of clumsiness (versus if an appliance died, for instance, without misuse).
If I broke a glass, I’d automatically offer to replace it. If I didn’t have time to get it or order it sent, I’d at least leave money for its replacement.
Going forward, to save yourself grief, maybe bring your own mug.
I believe the number of glasses she has is also irrelevant. She most likely purchased the quantity she wanted. You may be able to contact the shop and have a glass sent to her.
“I’m so sorry — I accidentally broke a glass while cleaning up. I looked for a replacement, but the shop was closed before I could get there. I just wanted to let you know.”
To me, that’s already enough. Things break sometimes, even when we’re careful — it’s part of life, and it can happen to anyone, homeowner or sitter. What matters most is honesty, respect, and keeping communication open. Offering to replace or reimburse is kind, but it shouldn’t become a big drama over a simple accident.
A good host or friend understands that accidents happen — it’s part of having someone stay over who looks after the home and pets with care, responsibility, dedication and affection.
I agree with @Anniek that breaking a glass is not such a big deal but the thing is the owner insisted on the sitter replacing it and told them where they could buy the glass, so this note
would not make much sense.
I also agree that
But I do understand that @Mokina must feel frustrated by the HO’s attitude, which does not sound very empathetic.
@Maggie8K I understand what you say, however, its also the petsitter that addresses the issue, and the petsitter can also make it a bigger issue than it is. Bottom line in my experience is: What if you sat for a friend? And given the situation as I understood It would have been enough to make a genuine apology. Any reasonable homeowners i.e. friend would not quibble over a replaceable item. it off.
It would’ve been nice if the host had said never mind about the glass, but they didn’t. When you break someone’s stuff, they get to decide whether to be gracious or not. This host wanted the glass replaced. The person who broke the item is now trying to decide for the host, which is shirking their responsibility.
If you ran out of time to buy the replacement, that is fine. It was not fine to leave without paying for the broken glass. It doesn’t matter how many glasses they have or their wealth, this is just common courtesy.
I stay at a friend’s when in Toronto and have broken a wine glass while cleaning. I went out and got 2 replacements. Since I figured I would break one again…Even at a friend’s I would replace.
I like to reflect on too strict interpretation of responsibility and bring in empathy and nuance. Such a situation is not purely transactional (“you break it, you pay it”), without considering context. The sitter was cleaning, the shop was closed, and they communicated honestly. Common courtesy also includes care, good faith, honesty, and respect, not immediate payment.
I would advocate that accidents happen and the homeowner was informed when she got home. That offering to pay for or replace the glass is a nice gesture. it’s true that offering to pay shows courtesy and by getting a replacement you show responsibility.
Courtesy is not just rules, and I would never want a sitter to replace such a daily used kitchen item as a wine glass.
I am a sitter now, but previously I was both a Home owner and Sitter on this platform.
I once burned the plastic handle of a pot, boiling water for coffee in a limited supplied home, since the house was sold and she was moving. I could not replace it and I left $20. The HO said I didn’t have to, but I believe that is the courtesy with which I would like to be treated.
$28.00 is not a lot of money. I would have said, I am so sorry I broke one of your glasses. I looked it up online and it cost 28.00 to replace. I am leaving the $28.00 and again please accept my apology. You said she has 21 more. 21 is an uneven number. She may have dinner parties with couples and need 22 matching glasses. Your lifestyle is not hers. I honestly think since you have broken three things already in three different homes, to bring paper cups and bowls. You seem to be prone to break things.
I have had sitters break glasses quite a few times. They’re no big deal and we really don’t care.
I also have some €28 glasses. They are NOT daily use glasses. If they want to use my spiffy €28 glasses, that’s the sitter’s call. But if they break it, I’d be seriously annoyed if they did not offer to pay for it.
@OnTheRoadAgain The host of @Mokina was apparently okay with her using these glasses. I understand, your annoyance, but I still would see such an accident as collateral damage, I could have broken the glass myself in the past week(s).
This brings another topic to life. What would the gray area be, that damaged is mentioned, and repaid. How to handle that, and who would pay for the damage when the damage is serious and what is serious? 50 euro, 100 or maybe 250 ( like most insurers mention as an own risk )? THS need proof, insurers need proof before they even take on a case.
If it were other more expensive items, like a sun canopy of 2200 euro, damage to stucco of the wall (very expensive to repair), oil on the mattress (needs a new mattress) or the ruined bed covers, damaged wooden table tops, and if these damages were not mentioned or tried to be covered up. …. Yes, these situations are unsettling, uncomfortable and actually happened to us. It so annoyed us that we stopped hosting on the platform.
We therefore obtained a liability insurance as sitters, as damage when using used items or old and worn items can happen.
If you break it, you fix it. That’s common courtesy.
A 28€ glass is not an insurance claim. That’s between sitter and HO. A sitter who does not offer or attempt to pay for damage they know they are directly responsible for causing is someone seriously lacking in personal integrity. A host who makes a big deal out of a small issue lacks grace and tolerance.
The OP acknowledges fault over the breakage, hoped the HO would shrug it off, went to the trouble of finding out the cost to make good when the host did not shrug off the breakage and just then walked away.
The sitter’s lack of integrity over 28€ reflects very poorly on the sitter regardless whether the host was arguably intolerant (we have only the sitter’s version here). I would definitely NOT choose the OP to sit for me if the circumstances they related here were reflected in the sitter’s reviews.
@Mokina I have accidentally broken an expensive glass on a sit ( the only glasses available) I told the host and they said not to worry . I replaced it anyway. I found the same glasses , new in a box on eBay and so actually replaced with a set of two .
I would do the same if I stayed with friends or family . If I break something by accident or negligence I would replace it ( even though they wouldn’t expect me to )
In the situation of not having time to go to the store as it was a last minute breakage , I would have either left the money for the glass and a note apologising that I hadn’t been able to get to the store - or order it online to be delivered (if that option was available) .
Breakages happen to all of us at some point ( who has never broken something in their own home ? ) There’s a previous thread on this same topic
I was making chicken and was not holding the pan well and the sauce spilled all over the gas stove top, built in stove top. I could not lift it to clean it. It cost me $400 to get a repair person to take it apart, so I could clean it and then he replaced a couple of items that got damaged with the sauce. $400. My fault, my repair. And that was the lowest repair guy with good reviews. It could have been worse. It was an accident but my fault.
Over the summer, one of the sun shades on the portico broke. Now it was age but I was on a 3 week sit and this happened in the first week. I went to Home Depot to get the $5 part, but ended up getting it for free from a discarded item that the salesperson allowed me to keep. I think much better to take care of these things than letting the HO coming home to a broken item.
As strongly as my last post was worded, this would change the calculus entirely, in my view. Everyday glasses get broken. If a host leaves only 28€ glasses for everyday use, their attrition is on the host. I think it important that you make that detail very clear in any review or accounting of the misfortune
We have had HOs use very nice glassware for our welcome dinner. We don’t use it again, and look for the he ordinary stuff. But if there is no “ordinary” stuff……
I checked the opening hour, it was exactly the same time I was meant to leave and I had a long route to drive. I didn’t comment on that and just texted the day after and said that I was very sorry, but I couldn’t delay myself and had to go.
it off.