I have just been offered a sit and the Homeowner has requested that she retain ID, original passport or driving licence, for the duration of the sit. When i refused she has now requested a refundable deposit of £300. Plus she wants me to contribute towards the cost of electricity.
This seems totally against the ethos of THS. I thought we provided free pet care in exchange for free accommodation.
Interested in opinions of other sitters.
3 Likes
Walk away from this sit, these are not appropriate asks.
21 Likes
The HO may request a contribution to utility bills but it should be mentioned before now. The rest is against the T&C’s of THS so please contact support@trustedhousesitters.com.
9 Likes
Decline. That’s ridiculous. I would also report this to THS. It feels completely against the rules and I’d hate to see a niave new sitter fall for it.
Actually wants to “retain” your passport??? That is insane.
18 Likes
Run for the hills and report them.
22 Likes
@marion Well said. Decline immediately and report this listing to THS.
14 Likes
No way, report that person and don’t give her anything!!!
13 Likes
And don’t look back.
10 Likes
This is deeply insulting on many many levels. I would make sure you communicate this, then decline the sit. Maybe report it first so other prospective sitters aren’t also duped into accepting on these terms.
13 Likes
Not a chance I’d take this sit. I’m never going to give up my ID (even though that used to be the norm in European hotels years ago). Nor would I pay a deposit. I’m not staying in an airbnb, and I would think that the terms of getting the money refunded could be a bit vague. As for electric contributions, only if we are housesitting and there are no pets involved. For a longer stay, under those conditions, I’d consider paying whatever is over their usage for the same time the past year or so. But I would want to see documentation of those bills. At some point, this just feels like a very unequal exchange, with very little trust, so I would pass. I’m curious what you’ll end up doing though?
9 Likes
Uh yeah, no. I would tell the homeowner they do not understand TrustedHousesitters and reject the sit immediately. These things should have been said up front so you wouldn’t have wasted your time to begin with. Very disappointing.
10 Likes
Don’t walk away from this sit…run away as fast as you can!
9 Likes
To quote Monty Python And The Holy Grail, ‘Run Away, Run Away!’
7 Likes
It seems to me the HO has missed the “Trusted” in TrustedHousesitters.
11 Likes
Hi i declined the sit and told the Homeowner that it was against the spirit of THS and was against T&Cs and reported it.
I have been doing sits all year in Australia, New Zealand and UK and have been really lucky, having been given cars on 3 longer sits and looked after some lovely pets.
However i have declined many sits. I feel that the Homeowners benefit most from this arrangement as they save a fortune in pet care costs and have the security of knowing their property is safe whilst they are away.
I’ve only had 1 bad experience when the property was not as expected and the animals, 2 dogs, were neglected and abused. THS investigated my complaint and the HO has been struck off.
Unfortunately there are always a few rotten apples.
14 Likes
Well done!
2 Likes
Absolutely zero chance. Refuse and report her to support. Not in the ethos at all. “trusted” is in the title for a reason @MichelleD
3 Likes
The only surprise is that you want the opinion of others!!! I wonder what the £300 was for?
2 Likes
I’m very glad you walked away and reported the ho. However, I cannot agree with you that the ho benefits more than the sitter. I’d say it’s an equal exchange. I’ve saved a fortune on accommodation, car hire and eating out whilst housesitting in the UK, New Zealand and Australia.
10 Likes
Maybe she’d like to have you give her a DNA sample and fingerprints, too? LOL. Shake my head. Some people really are outrageous.
4 Likes