Confirmed housesit cancelled on the first day

Sitter Questions, Advice & Chat
1

A housesit I had confirmed about a week ago was due to start today and last for five days.

Until shortly after midnight last night, the pet parent was still sending me messages about my arrival, the keys, parking and the cats. At 5:01 a.m. she had also sent me another message saying that she had woken up feeling very unwell, was no longer going on her trip and therefore no longer needed me. I only saw all of these messages when I woke up at around 7:30 a.m. My luggage was already packed and in the car, and I was just about to take a shower and leave for Porto. I am absolutely not questioning that she may genuinely have become ill unexpectedly.

I had organised these five days around the sit and had also made plans in Porto, including a lunch tomorrow. As it is August, finding last-minute accommodation in Porto is extremely expensive.

What concerns me is how vulnerable sitters are in situations like this. In my case, I had not yet started driving from Lisbon, but if I had been travelling from abroad, I could already have been on a plane or incurred significant travel costs before even seeing the cancellation.

I also find it worrying that, because the sit did not start, I apparently cannot leave a review. This means that future sitters may have no way of knowing that a confirmed housesit was cancelled literally on the morning it was due to begin.

I completely understand that emergencies and illness can happen. At the same time, a confirmed housesit is a commitment on both sides, and a cancellation on the first day can have a major impact on the sitter.

I would be interested to know how others feel about this and whether anyone has experienced something similar.

2

It happens, not that often, buts it’s a risk for which sitters and Hosts all need to have a plan for. I’m not sure a Review would help or put you yourself in a good light, the Host is unexpectedly ill what do you expect them to do? Realistically what’s their options? If it was you what would you do? Maybe because they know you’re ’in country’ it made it easier for them to cancel, who knows? If you’ve got Premium you can at least claim for accommodation maybe but as you hadn’t left home why would you? It’s certainly disappointing and frustrating, but it’s a known factor in all arrangements of this nature.

3

It sucks but it’s the risk you sign up for with this type of travel. The good news is that the sit was only 5 days and not a month.

4

Thanks for your answer, but I think you may have misunderstood the point of my post. I am not questioning that the host became ill, nor am I suggesting that she should have travelled while unwell.

My concern is about what happens to the sitter when a confirmed sit is cancelled literally on the morning it is due to start. I had rearranged and cancelled several commitments, prepared for five days away, and my luggage was already in the car when I saw the message.

And there is another very practical point: what if I had not seen the message before leaving? I could easily have started the three-hour drive to Porto, or even arrived there, before realising that the sit had been cancelled.

You ask what I would do in her position. I can answer that very clearly: I would do everything reasonably possible not to leave someone in the lurch at the very last minute after they had organised their life around a commitment I had made. I would first try to stay with a friend or family member, and if that were not possible, I would even consider paying for alternative accommodation, either for myself or for the sitter. That is simply how I personally understand responsibility towards another person when a commitment has already been made.

If there genuinely were no possible alternative, then of course I would have to cancel. But I would also fully recognise the considerable disruption I was causing to the other person.

I also have to say, respectfully, that I found the tone of your response rather lacking in empathy and even a little aggressive. This is a forum where sitters come to share experiences and concerns, and I think it should be possible to disagree with someone without comments such as “what do you expect them to do?” or suggesting that expressing a legitimate concern would not “put me in a good light”.

And if, as you suggest, knowing that I was “in country” made it easier for the host to cancel, I actually find that more concerning, not less. A confirmed commitment should not carry less weight simply because the sitter happens to live in the same country.

My point about reviews is not about blaming someone for becoming ill. It is about transparency. A sitter considering travelling a long distance or internationally may reasonably want to know that a previous confirmed sit was cancelled on the day it was due to begin.

I fully accept that unexpected events happen. What I am questioning is why, when they do, virtually all the consequences appear to fall on the sitter.

5

It is very unfortunate but, as others have said, it’s a risk we all take and have to come up with a plan b as do owners if their sitters are suddenly unwell on the day of the sit. I think it is fortunate that you were driving to the sit and not on a plane.

Btw, I don’t think anyone was lacking empathy, just stating things as they are. But, that’s your perception

6

That would be very frustrating probally for both sides.

No one would like to cancel a sit or be cancelled on, but I do get premium membership to try to cover it,but even then, that wouldn’t cover the hassle if it all.

If I was a host and had to cancel last minute, I would try my best to sort something alternative for a sitter, as I know the amount of effort sitters have to make to get there on time etc etc etc.

7

It’s a horrible situation you’ve ended up in, but it’s a sitters choice to put themselves in that vulnerable position though, because if a sitter paid to simply upgrade with THS then the insurance would have covered their hotel bills.

Even if you could write a review before a sit starts, there’s no way the one stuck in the lurch would end up looking anything but unsympathetic, so I feel it’s a good that we can’t leave a review beforehand. HOWEVER, given your sit was due to start today, I am under the impression that you should be able to review her, unless the new scheduled arrival time aspect of the site prevents that. But I really wouldn’t say anything negative against her, it could backfire on you if a future owner reads it, because it’s your personal choice not pay the extra to cover yourself.

I don’t mean that in a harsh way, it’s just the way it is.

It’s a terrible situation you’ve ended up in, but try to look at it in the grand scheme of things. In 3 years of us sitting full time, I can only think of 1 situation where something happened on the day we were due to start, but it ended up being ok for us in the end anyway. But that’s a huge amount of days where it went totally smoothly.

The HO is probably a very nice HO who just took very ill at the last minute, so I don’t feel future sitters need warning about it at all. From everything you have said, it sounds like a one-off scenario given her previous contact with you.

Don’t waste head space thinking dwelling on the owner cancelling last minute, focus on where you are going to stay tonight, put your energy and time into that.

If you don’t want to pay for a hotel, get on several very local facebook groups and explain briefly what’s happened, and ask if anyone wants any free pet care or their house spring cleaning in exchange for 5 days accommodation, or offer any other skill you have, baby/child help etc.

8

It is really awkward isnt it. I hope you get something sorted.

I - the homeowner - have had to cancel sits at 24hr/48hr notice (because my pet was unwell so I cancelled the trip). In that case I refunded the cost of their train and my sitter just simply stayed/went home.

So I think in my head I want to understand the context of the sitter’s circumstances (when agreeing a sit) because I want to understand what the ramifications are of last minute changes. For example, I would not be refunding an international airfare (!) but I would probably offer 1-2 nights accommodation either with me or in a hotel.

9

Depending on circumstances it’s fair for the host to compensate for travel costs you won’t get back and even better to pay for some or all of the costs of a hotel at your original destination. If not I would DEFINITELY put something in a bad review about last minute cancel and host not willing to help at ALL.

10

So, if a sitter cancels at the last minute, should they pay for any HO pet sitting costs? Unavoidable cancellations are a chance we all take. The problem is when someone cancels without a reasonable justification. Those are the people that need to be exposed.

11

Do you have premium membership by any chance so you can claim the accommodation back? If you’re three hours away could you stay where you are and ask the lunch friend to meet you halfway if it’s cheaper/easier? You could ask the host if she knows any cheap places to stay in Porto and she may offer a night or two or know someone with a Spare room? We had very similar landing on the tarmac in Zurich to a cancelled sit. It was an emergency operation and our hosts offered a couple of nights in a hotel or use of their spare car so we could find another sit and we did some paid accomm and a sit in Germany. It was expensive but solvable. We now have premium as back up. Host a sister also worth a look plus local FB sitting groups. #goodluck

12

As others have said this situation is covered by the Sit cancellation plan that comes with Premium membership .

13

As you don’t know the seriousness of the Host’s illness, which could be an emergency with all the uncertainty associated with it, I dare say their thoughts are more focussed (quite rightly) on themselves rather than you. You say if it were you you’d try to stay with a friend or arrange accommodation (if you were ill seriously?) I don’t believe this is realistic. When a sudden illness occurs eg requiring serious medical attention the last thing on your mind would be a sitter’s inconvenienced holiday trip.

14

It would definitely not he last thing on my mind… unless I was unconscious

15

Life isn’t fair sometimes. I’m sure the host is sad they aren’t going on their trip too. This happening is a risk we take when we agree to sits. I haven’t found any of the responses lacking in empathy and certainly not aggressive. I almost had to leave a sit early and I didn’t like the £150 charge sitters have to pay under the cancellation policy, but for 5 days in Porto it might be worth it!

16

Things can and do happen … to both parties. And both parties are affected by cancellations. What I find disturbing in this situation is the quoted statement. I no longer need you.

17

Now that you wrote more I see you are only three hours away from the sit and were driving to it and didn’t leave yet. Why should you be compensated for anything. I don’t see any sympathy for the host being ill and ill enough to cancel a trip which who knows how much financially she lost on it. She may have a serious condition that flared up. You having to cancel fun times there was your choice. You were meeting a friend, why not stay there. So many creative ways to find accommodations if you wanted to. No I don’t think the host owes you anything in this situation.

18

@Ondrej you cannot leave a review for a canceled sit.

19

This happened to my husband. He bought a flight from Marseille, France, to Seville for a sit. He booked a hotel for the night before the sit was to begin and upon checking into the hotel received a note from the Host that she had injured her back and needed to cancel her trip. She offered to help compensate some of the cost of staying in the hotel for the 4 nights or so of the sit and thankfully the hotel offered him a discount for an extended stay.

At that time we did not have Premium - but upgraded after that experience. The flight was a lost expense but we learned from that and he had a great stay in Seville.

It sadly is a risk for sitters every time you book a sit that requires travel expenses. I think it’s a good rule of thumb to always have a plan B -both hosts and sitters! My husband likes to say “hope for the best, plan for the worst”

20

I suppose I’m thinking about a recent incident where we had guests staying with us, we had a medical emergency and I had to accompany a family member in the ambulance to A&E early morning with a suspected heart attack. I’m afraid our guests had to sort themselves out and go home, they were generous and kind even getting their own breakfast sorted and doing some clearing away before leaving our place and popping the keys through the letterbox. Illness is a deal changer, and ‘no’ whilst I was at the hospital I didn’t think about them once…I assumed as adults they’d understand. They did.