Because people want and deserve privacy. You think it would be a good idea for someone to publish their first name, last name, location, and dates they will be gone to anyone with an internet connection? If you want to know their last name, you can always ask them. I don’t know the last name of most of the people I’ve sat for and they don’t know mine.
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A couple of my referees used my surname in their write up about me, I contacted admin and they edited it out. I don’t want my full name on display, but when the time comes to (hopefully) get my first sit then I will provide it, and would expect the HO to proved theirs.
@CreatureCuddler Obviously it suits you but I would never sit for someone without knowing their full name! I am gobsmacked that you’ve done sits where you are all first names only! I wonder how many others have done the same as you?
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If someone asks I’ll provide it. I’m not hiding anything. But it just rarely comes up. I just started a sit today. The only reason I know his last name is I saw it on the mailbox. He never asked mine.
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We’re up to about 40 sits and the first time we’ve ever seen a homeowners surname is when we pick up their mail. It’s just not relevant to us, and apparently not to the HO either 
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Same here @Myhnabird. If I see the HO’s last name, it is accidentally seeing it on mail or another document in the house.
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I have.
What’s in a name?
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Would you wave around with your name an the dates you are going to be away on the internet?
This would be a great invitation to burglars even with sitters staying in the house.
I am the only one with my last name in town so finding our house would be one click away…no thank you.
There’s time enough to give away last names after the sitters are confirmed.
Surely THS doesn’t display all our information on the internet? I presumed, maybe wrongly that now I had paid to join my listing e.g dates I want sitters etc would only be viewable to members, and not everyone on the Internet?
In a public forum (which I believe these forums are) I understand using a user name and not giving away too much information etc, but when you’re looking to invite people into your home surely it doesn’t hurt to know who the sitters are?
I think you’ve misunderstood my question; I’m not so naive as to want to expose such information on the internet.
I do, I sign off at the end with my full name & phone number. I guess it doesn’t really matter but it just feels like the right way to sign off for me.
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I just checked. It’s better now. People can still see the top of your listing, but not details. Used to be that anyone could see all of any listing.
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oh, i didn’t realize you could do a free account still.
I would never leave home without full information about my destination.
I share my family name with the HO but there is no reason they need to know the sitters home address, it is not relevant to the exchange.
I have provided my first name and mobile telephone number to home owners. I left an item at one of the sits and sent a stamped addressed envelope to them to send it back and they did which had my surname and I had theirs. I have a post office box luckily.
I follow another home owner on instagram. She asked me to see her business and she even invited me to another sit. She doesn’t follow me back but she will know my details but I met her prior to the sit.
The other homeowner I met on the day of the sit as she was leaving as we got there. I know that she doesn’t know my surname. I think my profile gives an indication of who i am, what i do but doesn’t mention where i work or where I reside or where we are both from (me and partner).
I figured that providing my driver licence was enough verification on the site.
I never got asked to disclose my full name by any of my previous host. Do HO get our last name through THS tough?
Anyway, if one would ask, I wouldn’t mind showing them my passport and ID. I actually did this once on my own intiative as the HO asked to see me again prior the sit. I was afraid she had a change of heart so I did this to reassure her, but brought her keys just in case. It turned out she was also afraid I changed my mind as it was a long sit of 9 weeks, so she just wanted to see me and to go for a walk in the park 
I’ve used my full name in correspondence and my Linkedin profile is available to look at too. I’ve absolutely nothing to hide and I want the homeowners to feel totally confident in the trust that opening their home requires.
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Again, full identity given from the beginning helps in case of liability insurance involved (there i a thread devoted to that topic)…
Owners, and insurers, need to know name, adress of the one who has broken an item, been involved in a dogs fight, or burnt a house…
It’s always better to know before a problem happens, than ask a sitter, whose full name was ignored, to give his full identity afterwards…
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