Twitcher for sure, but at least if people do that a lot we can see a pattern!
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@Ben-ProductManager To amend my earlier feedback: I think it would make sense to both indicate a cancelled sit, AND allow both sitters & hosts to leave reviews of each other for cancelled sits. That way a sitter could say, for example, “Host cancelled due to personal issues but was very considerate of the inconvenience caused, and refunded me the cost of my travel” vs “Host cancelled and would not help reimburse my lost travel expenses.” This could be accomplished by allowing both host & sitter to leave a comment on each other’s profiles below the cancelled sit.
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@Ben-ProductManager Although a good idea in theory, I don’t support this idea. In part because I want TrustedHousesitters to stay on track with key priorities that have been identified more than a year ago and still not improved.
However, my main reason is that a system for logging cancellations is likely to have the same inadequacies as the review system. Unscrupulous members - sitters or owners - are likely to provide explanations that cannot be verified. I know of a person (outside of TrustedHousesitters) who often gives the explanation that his grandmother died. It’s a true statement, but she died many years ago. No one ever questions him though. 
Members who cancel with valid reasons will be difficult to distinguish from the others.
You’ll be left with another system that needs to be revamped and, in the interim, will have little value.
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I think you’re probably right @Snowbird. I may be wrong but it seems to me that a lot more US members seem to be cancelling sits
I have a couple of thoughts to add -
1 - Although in an ideal world, cancellations should never happen, the truth is that in every profession you can think of, they do - for a variety of reasons, some poor and some very valid. I am sure we have all experienced events, services, operations, and appointments being cancelled at seemingly the drop of a hat!
When a home host or sitters get cancelled it tends to be posted on public forums which makes it appear to be a much worse problem than it actually is. I have no idea of the statistics but my guess is that sits that go through without a hitch will be above 99%. Alas, very rarely do I see anyone posting how amazing and stress-free the whole sitting process has been for both the sitter and home host so it is important not to think that cancelled sits are a worse problem than they are in reality.
2- @Ben-ProductManager I think adding a cancellation note to reviews is a good idea but please, please, please - if you do decide to implement this, put it, fairly, at the bottom of your ‘things-to-do’ list and do not make doing this delay even further the desperately needed revamp of the review system that has now been on your top priority list for at least two years
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@grahampeg I can understand your concern over sitters and even pet parents/owners cancelling but I really do not feel this happens very often. We only hear about an occasional cancellation on this forum site because members are more likely to come forward to tell their dismay. We must all keep in mind though, that we are in a different World than we were a few years ago. The Pandemic has put so much fear in our lives. If we get sick, we are fearful of any kind of travel for a while and even the transportation issues have become devastating for travelers. Cancellations of flights, trains, etc., has really gotten bad over the last year. A sitter might have a reservation, but then learn their transportation was cancelled with no way to get there in a timely manner.
I stress again I do not feel this is the norm…more the exception to the rule but know that TrustedHousesitters WANTS to know if a sitter cancelled so they too can investigate the reason. Most people are honest and would not cancel without a very valid reason.
I agree @Snowbird - I don’t support the idea in part for the reasons you’ve outlined. I also think there are two issues being confused here. First, creating a “super sitter” designation which, if anything, should be an “above and beyond” situation rather than simply turning up to fulfil a commitment. Second, the need to alert others to the reliable and responsible sitters and home owners and/or highlight those less reliable. These two aims appear to have been conflated in this idea of a “super sitter” (and why wouldn’t there be a “super home owner” category as well following this logic?) I really think that not cancelling sits should be a given for both parties (genuine emergencies notwithstanding of course). Following through on a commitment in my mind does not warrant an accolade.
Love this idea, and also designating superstar sitters that have never cancelled.
I’ve never canceled a sir and have done many since i joined a year ago. My only cancelations have been from Homewowners and they were due to the pandemic. I would never consider booking two at the same time as I’m very loyal, unless it’s due to an emergency. Unfortunately in life as we know they’re are no guarantees on anything these day’s.
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Thanks for all the feedback, would be part of looking at the review work 
Have a good day!
Ben
We had the combined membership for a couple of years until we had a bad sit (our 4th sit) that resulted in our whole house being left in messy disarray, a few things, damaged or missing, and worst of all, our rabbit ailing and ultimately dying 6 days later. After that, we cancelled the “homeowner” side of our membership. But back to my main point: 3 of the 4 times we needed sitters we got sitters confirmed, only to have them cancel on us. We always managed to find replacements (not good ones, in the case of that last sit), but “feeling like” or “thinking” cancelations don’t happen all that often don’t ring true in this household. It’s probably like many things in this world: vastly underreported.
And in response to homeowners cancelling? Just because we’ve never done that to a sitter, I don’t assume it doesn’t happen that often. What TH needs is data collection and facts, not assumptions. Maybe there should be some sort of SuperHO as well as SuperSitter. Again, just like Airbnb, just because someone isn’t a Superhost doesn’t mean their place is bad or shouldn’t be booked. It’s merely a reward for someone who consistently shows greatness. It’s another option. But whether TH creates a version of SuperSitter or not, please don’t assume cancellations aren’t a regular occurence.
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Hi Ben - personally not keen on the status of super sitter or owner. I would just like to see more accountability when cancellations occur. Sitters and owners should be able to see if there is a pattern of cancellations before deciding to go ahead.
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Very good idea
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A lot of you have said that they don’t think cancellations are a big problem. Does THS collect this sort of information? Does it exist in any form? If it is in fact unlikely, it probably doesn’t make sense to spend programming resources to address it. But, if it is a more widespread issue, perhaps it does.
It seems that there are an awful lot of recent postings of home owners scrambling to find sitters for the holidays due to cancellations.
Hi @grahampeg, believe it or not but THS used to give Super Sitter certificates with a gift as I received one in 2017! It came as a complete surprise in the mail to me in Australia. There were far less members back then and perhaps THS was able to monitor sitters’ performances better. I just don’t know. I had only started sitting in 2016 so was surprised by the recognition.
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@Cleeflang we tend to only find out about cancellations when owners or sitters post here on the forum or occasionally read it in a listing. We do have to take into account THS has over 100,000 members so what we are hearing about are really small numbers of cancellations. Like @Colin said, cancellations occur in our everyday life and that’s the way it is.
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I understand. But it seems to me that this would be a fairly important data point that THS would want to capture. I was actually surprised to learn that there is no possibility to leave feedback once a sit has been cancelled, by either party.
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I am a new-ish sitter, but I cannot imagine cancelling on something once it is confirmed. I just don’t go back on my word and go out of my way to ensure I follow through on what is scheduled. I’ve had one HO cancel on me after confirmation before I even had my second sit on THS, and it was a feeling of almost betrayal -LOL! I may be dramatic about it, but I wish everyone keeps confirmed sits in place.
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I think that @Ben-ProductManager’s suggestion is good but without the ability to comment or feedback. Any reasonable person can accept one cancellation happening; Ben’s system would highlight repeat offenders. (But it would be essential that the data appeared equally prominently for sitters and HOs)
Super-sitter doesn’t enthuse me though, the two proposals sort of counter each other, by either highlighting the “good” or quietly demonstrating the “bad (cancellation) and there would be by far more of the former. The review system is already not ideal and the Premium Member rosette adds to the confusion; I don’t think we need another badges-and-stars complication.
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