I have looked through the questions and haven’t seen this particular thing. The sit begins in a week. Our sitter seems very nice and competent. We have given the sitter all kinds of information for this sit, which will be for about a month and a half, while we are out of the country. However, although asked several times, the sitter has not provided an email or phone number or any other contact info during the sit. We do not feel comfortable depending on the THS email system for communications as we are traveling overseas. At some point, is the sitter required to give us some contact info???This is just weird. The sitter will have access to secured WiFi, a gated community, etc., and we don’t get an email address or phone number? Are we overreacting?
I routinely give HOs my contact info. We usually do that early, when we’re going to video chat about the sit. And my full name is available on my LinkedIn profile.
I don’t host, but if I did, I wouldn’t have anyone sit if they hesitated to give me their info as you described.
As a sitter, I find this peculiar. Once I’ve accepted a sit, I ask if I can have the homeowners’ personal email address and phone # just in case something goes awry on the THS site. Also, to keep in touch with the homeowner while we’re doing the sit. I don’t think you’re overreacting at all.
@GiGisMom , you need to have their phone number and preferably, also their email address. Please contact them now and tell them you need this information right away. In the future, before selecting a sitter, make sure to have a phone or video call in which you exchange phone numbers. The THS email is not always reliable. I hope your sitter is reading and responding promptly to your emails sent through the THS email app.
And set up WhatsApp (I use it, although Google has a text app as well) for text updates while you are out of the country. Let the sitter know how often you want updates.
There is no “requirement” per se.
Our personal method, which has worked very well for us, is as soon as we agree to a sit, I provide the HO my email address and request theirs, so we can take our future conversation away from the THS site.
Next step is requesting the Welcome Guide and exchanging more detailed contact information, travel arrangements, etc.
I agree with you, I would be a little nervous if I were you. Have you reached out to THS support?
Same question as @mars - Has the sitter been reading the messages you’ve sent via THS?
@GiGisMom - I’ve just read you other post and now realize this is your first THS experience. Hopefully everything works out!
This is extremely odd. Has the sitter actually refused to provide contact information, or are they just ignoring your question?
I agree with @mars - I always get an email and/or phone number to set up a video chat before confirming a sitter.
Here is hoping all goes well and this is just a weird quirk
Just seems to be ignoring it. I find it odd too, unless he is distracted by other matters. However, so I am–like a long overseas trip!!
We actually met since the sitter has been living in this area and i wanted to introduce him to the pets and I thought that a face to face would be good for both parties. I then gave him all of our info, but have yet to receive his although I have asked. He might just be distracted, he has had to leave the area and will return the day that I fly out of the country. We also use WhatsApp when we are overseas–I mentioned and he seemed agreeable. I will contact today and remind him. As I said, he seems like a very nice person, it just seems odd and time is getting short. I am very appreciative to have someone look after our home and our pets but I have a million other worries right now. Didn’t know if there was some secret code or other means of communication that I wasn’t aware of!
That makes sense to me also. Maybe the sitter is just distracted. He actually lives in this area, so we have met, but he has had to leave and will return the day that I fly out of the country. However, we do still communicate via THS.
I like to keep the important things (like dates and times) on THS, just in case any problems should arise.
Yes, for other stuff my phone number and WhatsApp. Like for sending photos of the pet.
This is very interesting indeed, and further demonstration of the need for THS to simply reveal all of this contact info (for both sides) upon confirmation of a Sit!!! Let’s take some of the awkward guesswork out of the equation.
I’ve had the exact opposite problem where the homeowners won’t fill out the welcome guide and I’m having to repeatedly ask for their contact info. I wish the system automatically sent that over as soon as a sit is confirmed
Strange that he didn’t give you his info when you met. Didn’t you ask for it at that stage? Presumably not.
You know, I don’t think that I did ask when we were face to face at our home. That one’s on me. I’ve asked several times in writing via the THS. But–good news–he did respond today! So I do have the number, and now I need to ensure that he sets up a WhatsApp account–I’m not going to pay for phone call overseas. In the future, I’ll make sure that I get all the info right away.
@GiGisMom , why don’t you set up WhatsApp and send him a test message to get the ball rolling?