@PawsAndPlaces Kind of last minute to be concerned about things that should’ve been addressed upfront. However, if they have multiple positive reviews on THS, you have nothing to worry about.
I’m surprised that part of accepting a sit doesn’t include providing a full name. Kind of odd having a stranger in your home and not knowing who they are.
I think we’ve only once been asked for our surname, in over 50 sits (via THS and another UK site). We don’t mind giving that info, but have only ever come to know the host’s surname when we’ve taken in mail.
Are these hosts new to THS, @PawsAndPlaces ? It sounds as if they’ve got a case of the last-minute jitters about this impending sit.
And yet you’ve confirmed the sit, without seeing where you’ll be sleeping and bathing? I take it the rest of the home pics were pretty reassuring, then?
We’d never do a sit without seeing a Welcome Guide well before our intended arrival date. That’s because we’ve previously noticed pertinent things in the guide, which weren’t mentioned in the listing (mostly pet behavioural issues) and which impacted our decision whether or not to proceed.
You’re clearly feeling a bit rattled by this host, which is in itself a red flag. I’d suggest you should listen to your inner voice., unless you desperately need this particular sit.
The date changes and asking for your last name are two separate things. Of course they can ask for your last name, and why not provide it? The date changes seem to indicate the HO may be disorganized, so that is a separate issue to consider.
I have requested the welcome guide. On more than one occasion; not just clicking on the button but actually asking for it in a phone conversation. I just asked for it again in another message through the THS platform and no, I have not seen and I have not been shown where I would be sleeping. I haven’t been shown in the bedroom or the bathroom and barely the interior of the house. and she said the exterior of the house doesn’t look like it did before on their listing and sent me a picture of the house with a different paint color on the outside that’s all. We had an hour and a half conversation almost 2 weeks ago and it was a FaceTime conversation where she could see me and where I was and I could see her and where she was/is, but not the actual interior of the home where I would be staying and this is not a traditional sit. It’s not a suburban. It’s not an urban sit .It’s a big sit with a lot of responsibility.
So we’ll see what she says. I just want the basics like any normal sitter would so you know what to expect when you get there where to unpack where to put your things where you’re gonna sleep or you’re gonna use the bathroom basic everyday things.
Like @Silversitters, we always provide our first and last names in the application to listing. We also typically see name of pet parent in their THS message that requests a call - if not, we ask in video call. So we have never come the situation in OP.
Indeed we find it rather odd that housesitter name (and pet parent name) has been neither offered nor asked at some point in the communications (application, video call, comms for date change).
Wow. Multiple red flags (esp including 5 x date changes). Suggests material trust issues.
If you want to continue sit then suggest schedule another video call. Exchange names 
. Agree timeline for Welcome Guide. Build trust.
Based on your evolving account of how arranging this sit has gone, you’re missing or ignoring a lot of red and yellow flags. The host asking for your real name is not either of those.
The home owner isn’t background check???
If I had not seen any internal photos or videos I would not be going. If where I am staying looks too cluttered for my level of comfort I will not apply. I want to see minimum kitchen, living, bedroom and bathroom. This is not unreasonable. The fact you have not seen this would have me running for the hills.
Paws and Places, how soon will this sit be? Personally I would feel very very hesitant to commit to a house sit where (1) the host has been unable to commit to a date [5 changes!!], (2) the host was unwilling to show pictures or videos of the interior of the house, and (3) the host has failed to provide a Welcome Guide even after you asked for it. Why are you still willing to do this sit with so many up-front problems; aren’t you worried about what unknowns are going to be sprung on you? I would give them a deadline to provide the missing information or you will cancel.
BTW, when we do a video call with a prospective sitter, we take the laptop around and show them the interior of the house.
100% !!! I firmly believe that a copy of the sitters ID/passport should be shared with the host - anything can go wrong and then I would have no idea of who is really in my home. The verification is really not that good from my experience - referees not honest in some cases as they were family members or friends. Had a sitter who came back to our building, she knew the entrance layout and our buildings open door policy, times etc and accessed the bicycle room and helped herself to a brand new e-bike. Was spotted by a neighbour who called the owner of the bike. It was a nightmare getting any support from THS as it was post sit - I only had her profile to offer the authorities. The sitter we later found out had a record in the Kanton she came from. I ended up paying a fine and loosing the trust of my neighbours. In Switzerland guest staying longer than 7 days should be registered with the local gemeinde - I ask all sitters staying longer than 7 days if they willing to accept this before we agree to to sit. If they not willing to share their official ID/passport and an emergency contact - I don’t even consider the sitter. I’m trusting someone with my cats and my home, the least they can do is register themselves. Far too many travellers without visa’s or legal paperwork to be in a country use these kind of platforms. I always give my full details upfront as I like knowing who I am communicating with and vice versa.
The HO’s comment just reads to me like she was a bit embarrassed about asking your full name - hence the slightly awkward comment about the weather. It wouldn’t bother me at all.
I always give my full name on the application, to avoid situations like this. (Which is me being a very Trusting Housesitter, since my name is globally unique.)
All the changes are annoying or possibly harbingers of doom but I always provide my full info and request ID when confirming a sit.
I think they have access to our full names and age on our profiles. Maybe they just want to verify we are the same person as the profile or perhaps need it for homeowners insurance or neighborhood security?
Our surnames do not appear on our profiles @PV592 unless we deliberately put it there.
Our full names are required for our account with THS and for the verification process. So, unless each party shares their surname voluntarily, we need to ask for it if we want that information.
THS probably has that information. But the name on the profile does NOT have to match the verified name of the sitter. Thus, hosts have no way to know the real name of a sitter unless the host sees an official ID.
Sitters, OTOH, can determine the real name of any US host once you have the address of the sit.
No, HOs don’t have any checks, not even an ID verification.
I’m confused, the Homeowner w THS are not required to have background checks or ID??? I thought every member was verified!!!
Nothing wrong whatsoever with what the host asked, but they were uncomfortable and made it into an awkward situation by attempting to explain why they were asking.
Better to say something like, “hope you’re ok with this but we ask sitters to provide their full names prior to the sit”. If they’re going to be using the car we get their drivers license info as well. I mean, hotels in Europe ask for passports and they’ve got a lot less to lose.
You also said it in an apologetic way. Once confirmed host says to sitter, what is your last name? Easy-peasy. Sitter doesn’t want to give it then decline.
Right?!! Crazy, huh? Sitters beware!! We rarely do sits unless we can meet in person ahead of time, so we see the home, the pets, meet the owners/hosts in person. This often occurs after confirmation, but we can cancel if something does not feel right.