Hi. Is common for you as a house sitters to be declined without any interaction?.
I was declined 3 times, without any interaction or feedback. I think this is supper useful for us, specially if we have just a couple of sits.
The feedback is needed if you decline the application.
opinions?
@ManuelToroVelez and welcome to the forum! I took a look at your profile and I really donât see a reason for any rejections, but please note, this is not common for owners/pet parents to disregard applications and reject without a courtesy follow up message to a potential applicant. I think you just got the âluck of the drawâ with some who might even be new themselves and donât understand the need for courtesy messages.
Thank you for joining our community forum. You are going to find it is filled with answers to most, if not all, of your questions and enquiries.
My name is Debbie and I am one of the forum moderators, as well as a sitter member of TrustedHousesitters. I was an owner member for three years and have now moved over to a sitter membership, so I have insight into both sides of the memberships.
I am hoping this info will help you find your way around the platform and interest you to join in the conversations. It can be a little daunting and confusing at first, so we included this handy guide
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Debbie â Forum Team Moderator
eHH
Thanks @Debbie-L . great advice the introduce yourself forum. I will do it.
Also thanks for the answer. 
Hello - with the new â5 applications and pauseâ rule, a home owner may be declining your application which is the only option they have to allow more people to apply. They will then have a larger pool of house sitters to choose from. So although you may have been declined now, they will still have your details and may actually contact you about the sit once they make a decision.
I learned the hard way not to tell the sitter why I choose someone else. I had posted a sit and in the description said we were looking for a couple (any gender) as it was a long sit (3 weeks) and we wanted 2 people so if 1 was sick the other could take over. Just our preference at the time, we now are more open to a single sitter.
Upon receipt of the application, I responded that I would get back in touch with him. The sitter was traveling alone and I told him that was why he wasnât selected, as we were looking for a couple Took less than 48 hours for me to get back to him. I was told by him that i wasted his time and I should have let him know that before applying and never to contact him again. YICKS, I was shocked at his hostile response. Lesson learned, I now just say âsorry I selected someone elseâ.
I am also a sitter and have gotten some HOs who respond quickly that theyâll get back and other HOs that donât respond at all. Honestly, I really would rather sit for a HO that responds, even if Iâm not selected.
Yes, this happens quite a bit. Itâs a pity since we always spend around 1 hour to write the message and make sure that we can do the sit (checking connections, prices and our exact schedule).
@Peg This is a troubling response. I would hasten to add that this is probably very uncommon and Iâm sorry you had to deal with this hostility. I feel that it is kind to respond to someone, even if they havenât been chosen for a sit, or (as a sitter) you wonât be proceeding with their dates. I imagine most sitters would have appreciated you getting back to them, even to say they hadnât been selected. In fact, I too have received the âwe are looking for couplesâ (in my case, there was a lot of gardening involved) which is very understandable. Sitters are representing themselves. I donât think a hostile or angry reply will give off the best impression!
Hi @ManuelToroVelez, yes im afraid it does happen & personally like many others i find it quite rude.
Even just a âsorry on this occassion we/i went with another sitterâ, for me I find to be manners, given the time & thought a sitter has put into an application.
I do agree though that feedback as to why you didnt get the sit is great.
There are many other though conscientious HOâs who do make the effort to do this.
Your profile looks great & getting the first few sits is the hardest. Good luck.
Hi Gina. Totally agree with you 
yes @Timmy . Its super sad beacuse write a good application and create a profile takes a lot of effort and time. Also, you tak ethe time to choose a place,dates, etc to fit with your schedule and no receive any message is dissapointing. Say âhello, sorry but we choose other personâ or whatever is better than nothing and does not takes so much time
I firmly believe that HOâs donât provide rejection feedback because itâs something that not many people have the skill set for. Many people find it very hard to put into words why they like/dislike/feel the way they do about anything. Itâs also time consuming to compose personal responses. A personal reply is good manners, thoughtful and considerate but so few areas of life function like that any more; we are becoming a society - a world population in fact - who can include, dismiss and opine just with the click of a button.
Very well put!
Thank you @Saltrams you truly are back
I always respond to the Sitter with why they were declined. I think its only respectful but I understand some people just do not know what to say so they say nothing.
@Debbie-L I totally disagree with your comment
On the occasions that my application is declined, it is usually received as a message from THS to say that unfortunately the HO has chosen someone else on this occasion. It is rare that the HO sends a personal message but as others have commented, many lack the skills to do honestly an succinctly.
On the other hand, this week I received a lovely personalised message on being accepted for a sit! The HO even referred to the photos on my profile as well as picking up on parts of my application. Maybe this HO was as thoughtful with the applicants that she declined
I had applied for a long sit and had subsequently received two messages saying the owner was reading through messages, would get back to me soon. Then, radio silence⌠I eventually, almost two weeks later, messaged saying I assumed I hadnât been selected and would be pursuing other options (to which I received no response). It is so disheartening to be treated this way when you have put time and effort into an application and shown enthusiasm for the sit.
In the area where Iâve been applying for more than ten years it is completely normal for owners not to respond unless they are choosing one. Iâve never found it rude. If Iâm looking for a sit I generally am applying to several at the same time and donât pay attention until there is a positive/interested response.
All things being equal it is in the way a person communicates. I havenât seen what you have written but the way a person âtalksâ in that first communication, to me, is vital! Should someone write in a fashion that suggests they are âhipâ care free, or immature then I simply donât accept them, prejudicial, perhaps but I care more for my pets than I would about refusing someone. Not to say I would insult someone by telling them what I felt but I would decline their offer. Itâs all about âcommunicationâ and doing it the âright wayâ.
I have had both, no reply or declines without explanations. Itâs not what I would do myself, but I have learned that I am better off just letting it go and moving on. If I am meant to connect with someone, I will.
I always send a message with a decline, but sometimes itâs just: âThank you for applying! Iâve decided to go with another sitter, this time. Feel free to apply in the future!â
Sometimes, if I think it might be helpful, Iâll offer a reason/suggestion: âit seems like youâre new to THS, until you get some reviews, you might want to consider asking one or two people who know you well to write you a personal referenceâ or âyou seem lovely, but Iâm going to decline your application because, as mentioned in my listing, my home will not be safe for your toddler.â
It all depends on who is applying. If I donât think it will be constructive and/or kind to offer feedback in my decline, Iâll keep it simple and wonât provide a reason.