We had a sitter we confirmed in October cancel a sit that was 6 weeks out becuase we didn’t respond immediately to a message. (Well actually it was 14 messages one after another on WhatsApp). We were on a cruise, they came in while we were at dinner as we must have come into a cell signal and the “ping ping ping ping” you get the idea. When I looked again later that evening to see what she had written, we were out to sea and no signal to respond.
The next day, we got off the ship, taxi to the airport etc, to catch a plane and and while our plane landed 22 hours after her original messages, my phone lit up with another 6 messages chastising me for not answering- she saw 2 blue checks so she knows I saw the messages- she felt disrespected- I should be grateful, she is spending a lot of money to get to me and caring for my pets for free- she didn’t want to hear my explaination, just more shotgun messages….
She then said she was busy too, running two businesses and that I should have taken one minute out of my vacation to acknowledge her messages and she will look for other sits and asked me to cancel.
After this crazy-train exchange I was happy to cancel.
I have the utmost regards and respect for all sitters on this forum as you can see from our reviews. I was blindsided by this but if I had argued this with THS what would have been the outcome?
I feel like We truly dodged a bullet with this one and hoping we will find a sitter for our January trip.
All your reviews are wonderful. You’ll definitely find the right sitter for you. This sitter sounds a little irrational, I’m sure cancelling was the right thing to do.
@BarbnGlenn, yep dodged bullet. Based on presented facts, that seems very odd.
If there were “busy too, running two businesses” then it does beg the question of how they’d satisfy pet care responsibilities. Encourage reflection/upgrade of your due diligence practices, including questions on video call.
Most THS members - on both sides - seem good people. But there are exceptions. Bit like car drivers on the road (in most countries) … avoid the crazies.
You definitely dodged a bullet @BarbnGlenn. What I suggest you do now is remove your dates briefly then re-post them to make your listing New as it is showing Low Applications. All the best.
I never understood when I read on the forum how some sitters will withdraw their applications if they don’t hear back from someone within 24 hours of seeing they have read their request to sit. I am a sitter and just in life in general I will read an email but unable to respond at that time. On a cruise I know how difficult that is with it being iffy if you even receive that message let alone able to respond. I do think you dodged a bullet with her. Sounds like anger management issues and a little immature, me, me, me. I hope you have no problem finding a good candidate in time for your trip.
Yes 100% you escaped a problem person. Sitters need to be flexible and reasonable. I might have been annoyed or concerned about no response, but wait and see what the deal is before jumping to conclusions. And repeated messages in a short amount of time is super annoying.
Like others have said, absolutely dodged a bullet.
And sitters need to stop complaining about travel costs and the fact they are doing this for free. It is a completely voluntary activity. if they don’t feel like they are getting a fair deal out of the exchange overall, then they shouldn’t do it. It is also their choice to take non-local sits that come with various travel-related expenses.
I’m a sitter and I don’t get the complaint about travel costs either, you are choosing to sit there, duh if you can’t afford the travel don’t go. People are getting really hung up on “I’m providing free work”, yeah in return for free accommodation!
I never complain about travel costs. One’s choice entirely. I do say I’ve travelled 5 hours by car and need to sleep over before I set off the next day. I’m 68 and solo sit quite a lot so driving at the “ wrong “ time owing to poor weather conditions or traffic/ road works etc have an impact when faced with several hours’ journeying (but yes my choice too! ). Home Owners have always realized that and want me to live another sit!
The instant answer is something I have met with a Home Owner. My van got stolen in the gap between reading a message at 3.00 am ( stormy night) and responding to Home owner. I had to fill in a report before search for my vehicle could begin, so yes much more urgent!
First time I’ve withdrawn my application, but soo glad I did!
Empathy ? Zero!
@ChiaGrowth, no such statement was made. If someone is looking after their own pets then that’s their business. But looking after someone else’s pets is a different situation. All good if fully transparent dialogue and expectations between pet parent and housesitter.
To be fair — if you are working for the accommodation, it’s not free. The issue is that some sits (and homeowners) are more work than others, for that same accommodation. Some are a LOT of work, and that’s more likely to be where you’ll find pushback — it no longer feels like a fair exchange.
Insofar as whether you’re paying us via the accommodations, consider it this way: you cannot board your dogs at home without providing accommodation to someone. Under any other circumstance you’d be paying a (significant) daily sit fee AND providing that same accommodation.
@MerryPuppins just to clarify I am a sitter not an owner. I just get a bit sick of “free” being bandied around by both sides. It’s not free, it’s the exchange. And definitely some sits are more work than others which is why personally I’d never sit for a menagerie or difficult animals. I see so many sits offered, very ordinary houses in bog standard suburbs with a stack of animals and I think what’s in this for me? Why do HO’s think I will want to do this? The goodness of my heart is not that good.
