@clscanlan I’m so sorry that you have experienced sitters who appear to be on the TrustedHousesitters site for the wrong reasons. You will get lots of good suggestions from experienced members here. In reading your post I couldn’t help but think of the inappropriate marketing that has been done by TrustedHousesitters over the past while.
The rapid increase in membership numbers has been promoted as a success story by the company. Your experience seems to be an example of what this deceptive marketing can produce. The reverse of your experience is owners who have unrealistic demands and expectations of sitters, oftentimes after the sitter arrives.
Please don’t judge the community by this one horrible experience. Many of us are dedicated to what we believe is the core reason the company originally started - a win-win-win (3rd is pets) for all concerned.