Hello @NGC
Just observing that your posts are being rerouted not deleted.
For the most part the admin team here have been fairly responsive. The responses may not be to everyones liking or as fast as one wishes but they do respond.
Let’s make effort to be patient and peaceful.
It is also a major holiday season, let’s be mindful of those who observe and may be in preparation, travel, or just simply resting.
Your posts are not getting deleted @NGC they have been moved to the appropriate thread … your questions are about verifications and references not the review system … your post is in the applicable thread.
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I don’t see that as passive but insightful for future sitters Speaks volumes, actually.
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This is so true. The review system is not all right. Also, why can the house owners have reliable, clean and tidy etc. The housesitters should have the same.
Often you wonder why people have left a positive review and the only reason we can think of is that they want a positive review. But we feel that we can’t even trust reviews now! We have been disappointed many times arriving at sits… The balance between house owner and sitter is definitely not equal.
Maybe leave the star rating and let people just write reviews.
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Definitely agree on “leaving the stars” and only writing feedback!
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I’m wondering how long it’s going to take TH to sort out the reviewing system. High time it was done imho!
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Hi @Smiley - the good news is it’s in the plan for 2022 
I imagine this is a big project to undertake, but Ben’s announcement confirms it’s in the pipeline. I’m sure everyone’s input here will be taken into consideration and it’s so good to see forum members being consulted and called to help with feedback more and more as part of the process of implementing improvements. It’s one of the many benefits of this forum
For next year??!! 2023?! Come on, you’ve been saying it’s top priority for months.
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Haha @Smiley … that’s this year! He said that in December - I’ve edited that quote… it’s obviously confusing
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Am going to chime in on this long topic.
First, I agree with the blind reviews as on Airbnb AND I think it would be useful to send reminders automatically after a sit asking for a review as Airbnb does.
As a new sitter when I began a couple of years ago (then COVID so only few sits) I was never asked to review the HO and not being super familiar with the site, did not know I was supposed to do so. None of my HO’s sent me a note reminding me, if they had I would have done so! I feel badly now, but these sits were a long while ago. Only on one would I have been hesitant to be honest. From now on I will be sure to review them as well. On Airbnb we are sent reminders to review, which for busy people on the go, is very helpful.
I also wonder if it might be possible for members to opt-in to being willing to be contacted privately by other members, as can be done on Trip Advisor. I could see it being helpful to contact a previous sitter (or for HO’s to contact other HO’s) for more details when not many are provided. A sort of messaging system between members. I would be willing to be contacted and provide a better over-all experience description with context. I understand there could be the fear of bad mouthing, but I don’t think that would be the norm, honestly.
I find sit postings with few photos of the living space and short phrases about the care of the animals ie “dogs fed twice a day” just isn’t enough information for sitters to go on nor is “nice home in quiet neighborhood” enough details if there are no or few clear photos showing the inside of the home.
I understand everyone’s definition of “neat and tidy” are very different and feel that many photos of the living space should be posted so we have a visual to go by. It may not be 100% accurate but it would give an idea and it would be informative for the review “home was not the same as in photos” or “home was just as lovely/clean as in photos”.
I have not experienced one of these awful stories I’ve read of - filthy or cluttered sits but feel it is important that sitters know this in advance without asking for a video tour of the home to check for cleanliness. How does a sitter avoid this situation without being offensive in the initial contact/interview process? Who is going to ask “how clean is your home?” Even “can I have a tour of the home” seems awkward.
Perhaps a list of expectations and priorities for both HO and Sitters would be helpful? A 5 star system listing what is most important?
We all know the pets are a priority, but if people are finding molding food, cockroaches or silverfish, clutter and messes, I just wonder what can be helpful to avoid these scenarios.
We lean very much toward the very neat and tidy kind of people and would not make it through a sit that was very dirty or messy. Even when I rent on airbnb we usually leave the place as clean or cleaner than we found it.
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TH used to send an email to ask us to do a review as soon as a sit ended, which was useful, but for some reason this stopped a while ago. I did ask why a couple of times to be told it was still happening….when it wasn’t!
As for contacting previous house sitters that could be useful but, not sure I’d want my email inbox clogging up. If you’re unsure about a sit after reading the reviews, Ho profile and speaking to the HO then it probably isn’t for you. Also, if you’re not happy with the photos then it isn’t for you. I’m amazed how many people show photos of messy kitchens, unmade beds etc. I think the profile pics should be taken as if you’re selling the house which, in a way, HOs are.
I’ve only had one really awful sit with mouldy food in a dirty fridge, ants in a cupboard, dirty toilet and bathroom and gave them my only 4 star review (should have been less!) which they weren’t happy about. When they asked me why, I had to be honest and tell them why.
So, personally, I think there’s enough information and if a HO hasn’t given enough then they may lose out on applications. There’s plenty of information here as to how HOs should best show off their home and present their animals.
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As for pictures that show clutter, I actually appreciate these as it shows what the home is really like. Many times I pass these by.
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I do wish THS sent a reminder to post a review to both sitter and owner.
As for email box clogging up, it would be optional to opt in or out, so that would be easily solved. I would like more context by contacting someone who had been there. On Trip Advisor there is an in box on their site that is your communication with another member, it’s not your personal email (but you get reminders that you have a message, just like THS). Personally, I would find this very useful to get around the whole “vague review” or “not totally honest review for fear of reprisal” - something I don’t think will be solved entirely.
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Yes I think such a reminder would be useful @carpediem16
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They always used to.
I didn’t get them all over last summer, and reported it every time. They eventually decided it had something to do with having next sits lined up!
Not particularly helpful!
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First I want to say, I’m new, but I love the idea of this website, and falling fast in love with the community I have been interacting with the last several days almost nonstop in the forums.
However I’m finding this extremely concerning about this post. First this appears to be a major complaint that a lot of members keep bring up, and asking about, and honestly it was a major worry for me even before I joined. As just browsing on the app before I joined, I could see where people supposedly stayed, but no review was left. So even before I paid to join, I saw this is already a major flaw with the system. I’ve gone though a bunch of different topics, and have read even this one from start to finish. Complaints have now been posted and coming in, for at least close to a year, or at least next month is one year mark(I’m sure way longer than that), and yet I can not find any word on the subject in News(Which I had to completely search for to find, but that is another suggestion for another day),blogs or anything for that matter. However in my very short time here, and having paid the premier sitter membership, now have a “Upgrade” button trying to upsell me on changing my membership to a combine one, when I do not have a “home” for people to sit. This makes me to believe that Upper management in the company, maybe even the owner cares more about profits than member support. Hey the company just scored a major deal in the USA last year, “In the news
TrustedHousesitters defies travel chaos and lands $10m to fund US expansion | Press Release, Oct 2021”
Which is wonderful, as that would bring in more HO, and Sitters. However yet going on March 3rd, No updates of status on something I consider major. I’ve learned and trust my judgement on post with and without reviews, because honestly unless there are several well typed out reviews, I don’t feel I can trust them. Just to restate what many people have said over and over again. There needs to be a blind review system, one similar to Airbnb. Where you have a limited number of days to leave a review, and can not see the other person’s review, until you have submitted one as well. I also agree with airbnb in the fact that the reviews need to be done in the first 5 days. The reason for this, everything is fresh in your mind, it just happen. Where as if you wait longer, other sits could of happen, things in life in general will happen, and yes some things will never leave your mind. However anything after 5 and you risk mixing wrong information into your review as well.
Also reminder emails to submit a review needs to happen again. Even with notifications or emails are turned off, users should still get this email. Reviews are important for everyone, so I would like to see more seriousness taken in this fact. Give Sitters the same rating system home owners have, because the same things they can rate us on, are just as important to us when going to a sit. Except there is needs to be a few rating in regards to pets(Temperament, walking, just to new a few).
Another suggestion when it comes to the reviews, should a sit be cancel, there should be a auto message added to the review sections, that states:
“Homeowner canceled Prior to Sit”
“Sitter canceled prior to sit.”
These types of messages would at least let us know, hey there is appears to be a history of canceling, or at least remove the “Maybe there is something wrong, because they didn’t leave a review”. There should even be a “HO/Sitter Did not leave a review after time has expired.” Help make it easier for us to decide whether or not, we want to apply, or accept.
There honestly is too much guess work on here, that I feel is completely unnecessary. The amount of money spent on both sides to join this website, and the fact that only sitters have background checks, and “ID” verification in the US(that’s another subject that appears is too heated to post about, and don’t want this removed, so will avoid anymore than that.(by the way I feel that is wrong to censor)) At least get the review system revamped. Until then, I know I’m going to be extra critical of pictures, and will have to have a video tour/chat prior to fully accepting a sit, because that appears to be the only full trusted method there(I’m sure I will still do this later, however I would really like to trust the reviews, as I do in Airbnb).
So to the admins I have interacted with and think they’re pretty dang awesome(They do a killer job on this forums btw), please spare me “It’s the top of our priority line, and we’re working on it”. Please let actions speaker louder than words. Actually move News from the blog, so it can be found easily, and make post on that about upcoming changes to the site, project/ideas being worked on and updates on them as well. All I do know, as much as I think this is the greatest idea EVER! I know I will be more inclined to not renew my membership at the 1 year mark, if something this important hasn’t been taken care of.
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Well said, Blue Diamond Rose.
Here, here.
Thank you for articulating what many of us feel.
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Thank you very much for this statement, because you’re exactly right.
I also have this upgrade button appearing and I have absolutely no intention on becoming a sitter. I clicked on it and found that prices are now 20€ higher for my next year membership and I ask myself: what for if THE most discussed topic has not been changed at all?
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Very good suggestion. Furthermore, the UK sits tend to be in worse shape than the US sits – fewer reviews, many with insufficient pictures.
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Here I am not completely with you. Neither THS or other users, be it HO or sitters, know what has been agreed upon between sitters and Owners beforehand.
For example, we had a South Africa vaccination planned in December and had to cancel because Omikron came along.
The sitters we had confirmed and us talked about a situation like this and they knew it might happen. When it did it was no problem for them and they told us not to worry, because we weren’t the only ones affected.
If this was part of the rating system nobody could know if the cancellation caused problems.
Also you couldn’t blame anyone for canceling because of medical reasons.
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