Hi,
We recently hosted a sitter that had almost 30 5* reviews and references and we were shocked by how she left our place. We left the condo pristine and even bought her things so she didn’t have to use our old one or see anything uncomfortable like an old drain for the sink, pillows and other little things; but when we got back after a trip of 17 hours with flight, layover, car transfer and the night before not sleep because we started our coming back at 1 am, we had to star cleaning after our pet sitter. I had jet lack and I had to work next day.
We chose this person for the amazing reviews she had, but she even left one day earlier because a tropical storm and left no food enough for my pets in case something happens to us during the storm and can’t call anybody to take care of them. As well almost no litter for 3 adult cats!!! we have no idea how much litter she was using but we gave her a 200$ Walmart card for the pets and we found out she was no even buying treats and other product we use for them and let written in the welcome guide. She never said what happens to the card and if was anything over, but we doubt she used everything.
We are extremely disappointed how other PO are not honest with their reviews because they are afraid to get a bad review as revenge and some of us are willing to scarify the quality of the pet sitter for the need of having them back in case of emergency, but that is not ok! The PO are exposing the things we love the most and in return we don’t feel much support form THS and consequences for the pet sitters.
I have read some Pet sitter forum conversation and some of them write that they are not working for the PO if they expect to clean the hose. That is so disturbing for us!!! So, as PO I have to clean before me and after someone else in the worst of the timing?
The funny thing is that even if I leave a honest review, she still can say that I lie or exaggerate or it was due the weather when she drown the plant that was inside!!!
This is my 3rd PS and I do it because I don’t want to cage my kitties in a hotel or keep inside my indoor/outdoor cat, but honestly this site is not working for us, at least until the PS get more honest reviews and consequences if they cancel on you days before the sit.
Maybe there were several pet owners that did not want to leave a review. There is a problem that THS does not show how often that was the case.
Edited: added “not” - thanks @Newpetlover
Do you mean “didn’t want”?
Massive presumption to make - that the vast majority of the 30 or so HOs who gave the sitter 5-star ratings did so dishonestly.
That’s true but it works both ways. And, in my opinion, when the review is clear and factual it’s difficult to contest and the reader can usually discern what happened. I have chosen airbnbs or hotels or excursions in spite of some negative reviews because it was clear the complaint was not justified or was about something which is not at all important for me. The same applies to THS except that here, I agree, bad reviews are rare both by HOs and sitters.
Welcome to the forum @Bella77 .
The tropical storm sounds like a very stressful situation for you and your sitter . You don’t mention anything negative about your pets so I assume that they were safe and well on your return and that your home didn’t suffer any major storm damage.
I would tend to believe 30 previous hosts had a good experience with this sitter and their reviews are an accurate reflection of their experience . It’s unlikely that the sitter had to leave early because of a tropical storm for the previous 30 sits .
There are categories for reviews now so if you feel that the cleaning was not up to your expectations you can deduct a star(s) for that category. However, have you considered that she may have not been as thorough as usual since she had to adjust her plans and leave early due to the impending storm which would have impacted her onward travel.
Did she discuss her early departure with you before leaving ? The most important thing is were your pets well cared for? Were they healthy on your return? Was your home left secure?
Do you mean she didn’t feed them or that she didn’t buy extra supplies incase you were delayed getting home ? Was this something that you asked her to do ?
I’m not sure what you mean here but it is true that sitters don’t work for HOs, this is not a job, it’s a mutual exchange.
If that is your experience, you have been unlucky. I always leave the house at least as clean as I found it, often cleaner and it has been mentioned in the reviews. From what I read on this forum that is what most sitters do. Perhaps it would help next time to ask some questions about prospective sitters’ cleaning standards. Some people are more comfortable with some level of uncleanliness than others and it’s worth to try and find out before the sit is confirmed. As a sitter, I learned that lesson.
When reading your post a couple of times, I get that you had a very long and exhausting journey and of course that would add to your disappointment and for your concern both for your pets and the storm coming.
From your post I see three concerns;
- The house wasn’t as clean as you expected
- There was little food left for the pets and might not been enough if you weren’t able to get out during a storm
- Litter sand same as 2 (?)
If I understood it correctly (?)
I cannot (?) se any factual concerns that the pets were not cared for during your absence (??)
As i interpret it, all three points may have basis in the uneforeseen storm coming. The sitter had to cut short because of the storm, and the storm was also the reason why you were worried that you would not be able to stock food and sand.
As a sitter, I always plan for a clean the day before I leave, and a finishing touch on departure day. Cutting a day short, and also finding other transportation in a time Where many others will do the same, most likely, would surely have effects on my ability to do what I normally do. And I can say quite surely that if I was in a stressful situation, getting home in time before a storm hit would have priority before mopping. If you had the sitters perspective - would you prioritize vacuum-cleaning over preparing pets and your departure?
In a stressful situation I would prepare the pets and myself, and I can’t say for sure that I would be calm enough to think : «Hey, maybe I should go shopping for some litter sand!»
So although I recognize your concerns and the stress for you, it must also have been very stressful for the sitter. My vote goes to - you’re both right and it is nobodys «fault». You just were hit by a tropical storm.
How clean is «clean». That can be discussed in lenghts. I leave that to the other threads.
We have given 3 reviews,
One good and honest, one good and dishonest and one bad and honest.
Most of the time I read bad reviews they were starting with… It is so hard for me to write this review…
I know it is hard, you really think if it is worth it or not! She has my private nr and I dont like confrontation, she knows where I live and hadvthe key of my house. Not that easy to decide to write a bad review or just let it go and never take her again.
It sounds like the sit was very recent. Give yourself some breathing space to calm down from your upset, and take stock. You may find yourself thinking differently by the time the 14-day deadline to write the review approaches. (Amended)
First, she said in her answer to my review it was a huracain, wich was a lie, my flight came puntual and sunny day, but she had to go to another sit the day after at the other side of the state.
2nd, no, she didn’t discussed it with me, she just said she was leaving, informing, not asking.
3rd. She didnt feed the cats in case of delay or cancelation. No food to see no where for the cats whe we arrived puntually at home. No way the cats would have anything to eat in case of delay or cancelation and just a little bit of litter for the 3 adult cats.
I add pic of the litter box for 3 cats for in case of not coming back 24 hours later
No, I know it is not a job, this is not what i expect, it isbwhat the PS wrote in the forum; “I am not working, I am not going to clean their houses”
But yes, I learned from my mistake and be clear from the beginning what is my level of expectation about what is clean and what I expect from them.
Take all what she didnt wanted in my house and shove it in the spare room and not putting it back I dont think is the definition of leave the home in the same conditions.
No. On THS there is no way of seeing how many missing reviews there were for sitters.
This is very unfortunate. And I say this while having two missing reviews myself.
As well in you hability of leave more food in case we dont make it? So you are thinking for your well-being leaving earlier but not in the pets well-being?
A missing review does not speak volumes it says absolutely nothing except to the person who didn’t write it.
THE LITTER PACKET WAS RIGHT THERE AND FULL!!!
It was litter, just there, she put just a little bit and let the rest in the packet!!! It just let me think she used a little bit the whole time to not to have to buy. I mean, we left 200$
Edited to remove duplicate photo
And finally, that was just a storm like the other storms she went through this summer in Florida, next day, the day she had to go, the storm passed and apparently everybody knew, but she made it seems like it was a hurricane (wich I believed) but she had another sit in the other side of the state and she had to drive there.
Well hopefully now you’ve vented all your frustration you can chill a little and pick out the key points to include in your review.
It is not about venting, i already wrote my review. Is about letting other POs know that not being 100% honest is not supporting each other. In other words, we are not making us a favor because the reviews is the only thing we have to be able to choose appropriate to our expectations
Several things can be true at the same time. The other HOs can have given honest reviews at the same time as you are dissatisfied.
I don’t know what the «truth» is. Based only on your post it gives the impression that it would have been the better option to get the situation on a little distance before reacting, and take into account that there could be several possible ways of looking at it and several possible ways to handle it. I am a little fearful that your review now is based on strong emotions and the risk that that might backfire.