Hi sitters, im new to this forum but have been on THS for a couple years.
i just had a very negative experience where an HO canceled a sit that im currently sitting (with 8 days left..) because I expressed discomfort for an undisclosed ring camera. i didnt even know it was possible to cancel a sit during a sit like that.
i thought there would be a conversation, and it was absolutely surprising (inhuman feeling) and extremely stressful (i was going to live there for another week!)
she said she was uncomfortable with me being there because i am uncomfortable. but i thought we would just talk it out..
i also had left the apartment one night because i was so anxious about the camera (and wondered if there were other cameras) i of course returned in the morning to feed the cats.
i feel afraid of receiving a bad review. and i feel powerless.
also wondering how others feel about the THS site in general and if it is biased to HO over sitters. I wonder what others feel, especially if things have changed in recent years.
I think she will have cancelled the sit because you actually left the home. I assume your are referring to a ring doorbell which are very common now and are allowed because they are outside. Most owners will not bother to track sitters in and out but some do as we have seen in here. She will have probably got an automatic message when you left and came back. I personally would never leave an owners home overnight especially in mid stay and it would be against THS rules
A “Ring” doorbell camera is permitted( it is an external camera ) but it should have been disclosed by the HO before the sit was confirmed.
However, it seems logical that the host needed to cancel the sit , since you told the host that you weren’t comfortable staying there with the external camera and they had already observed ( or you told them )that you were staying somewhere else overnight .
I’m not sure what else they could they have done , or you expected them to do in this instance ?
If the sit has been cancelled officially ( no longer on your dashboard) then THS member services must have been involved because a host can’t cancel a sit that is in progress without contacting THS .
The cancellation may be covered by the sit cancellation plan , if you are a Premium member .
However , if the host told THS that you abandoned the pets ( because you left overnight ) and gave that as the reason for cancelling you may not be covered .
You can contact Urgent Support 24/7 phone line for more advice -and to explain your side of the story ( the undisclosed camera ) and find out if you will be covered for the cancellation in this instance .
It is an issue that you left the home overnight if that wasn’t discussed with host ahead of leaving.
I wonder whether the camera-issue came up between the two of you before or after you had been away.
If you have concerns you can also discuss this with member service.
Was there a prior conversation about the Ring camera before you stayed away? If so, please ignore the below.
Lots of owners have Ring cameras, and even though the Ring was undisclosed, staying away overnight is far far worse in comparison. So it’s no wonder she cancelled, not only for her pets welfare, but also for your welfare if you felt so uncomfortable that you slept away.
However, I’m very confused as to why you felt so anxious that you slept elsewhere but you still returned to her place to be on camera again, because you’re still on camera during the daytime too, just the same. night and day. Whereas if you were in her home, you wouldn’t be on camera at all during that time.
I’m a sitter and I’m just reading what you’ve said here, and if I’m confused as to why you felt the need to sleep away, then perhaps the owner is even more confused. Perhaps you’ve left her thinking there could be more to this story, and you’re using the ring camera as an excuse for sleeping elsewhere.
Given what you’ve said, look at it a different way. Given you were incredibly anxious, she did you a huge favour by cancelling the sit. It must have been hugely stressful for you.
If you saw an undisclosed internal camera, you could’ve raised it and reported them. plus, you could’ve covered it and/or unplugged it or put it away.
Leaving pets alone overnight was a bad decision. Few hosts probably would be OK with that and it would be hard to restore trust once that happened. And THS wouldn’t condone that.
If you get a bad review, you’ll be better off owning your leaving (as a misjudgment) versus trying to explain your way out of it or shedding blame. Few hosts probably would find that acceptable if they read that in reviews.
I am a sitter but if a sitter told me if I was a PP that they were uncomfortable with my outside Ring camera that would make me nervous.
I would think the sitter has something to hide like bringing in overnight guests or not walking the dog on the times we agreed on. I like outdoor ring cameras. If I am sitting and if PP is expecting a package and a porch thief takes it before I can bring it in it is on camera. I also find nothing wrong with seeing if a pet sitter you really don’t know is walking your dog on the times agreed. I am more curious why an outdoor camera would upset you. Most businesses in the US have outdoor cameras. They have helped find people who were abducted and helped solve other crimes so I am for them. As long as I have my privacy inside the house with not only no cameras but no devices recording my conversations, I am fine.
Ring has indoor and outdoor cameras. I’m guessing that the OP left because of an indoor camera, because it would seem extra odd to leave over an outdoor camera.
Didn’t know they now have indoor cameras. OP just said Ring so I assumed outside as I wasn’t aware they now offer inside cameras.
Ring started with doorbell cameras, but expanded into various other cameras years ago: Ring (company) - Wikipedia.
Were they indoor or outdoor cameras out of interest? Even if the HO is in the wrong you can’t leave overnight without authorisation, the only way to leave if you’re uncomfortable with undisclosed cameras is to end the sit.
Sadly I’m not sure what can be done here other than finding alternative accommodation and chalking it up to experience.
I am with you, I really hate this surveillance trend and don’t like being watched. I’m on a sit now where there’s ring cameras everywhere and the HO didn’t say much about them. I am trusting they’re not spying on me because I’d like to think most people aren’t weird like that, but if they are then I think that says more about them than it does about me, and in the future I will be asking more explicitly during calls about cameras.
Thank for this information.
I had assumed outdoor since it seems that the host knew that sitter had left overnight .
Also an indoor ring camera can be easily unplugged ( which is what I would do immediately on discovering an internal camera ) The situation seems odd either way.
Good to know, I was unaware they did both, but if it is an internal one, why it wasn’t just unplugged instead is still unknown, rather than sleeping away.
I wish the OP would let us have a few more details.
You say that but I’m on a sit now where one is high up on a piece of furniture and the wiring runs down the back of it to a plug I can’t get to - so just have to trust they’re not recording audio because a moral person wouldn’t do that.
Already been said but if it was an indoor camera, I would have contacted HO, disconnected it, reported to TH and then waiting for outcomes.
Leaving the home overnight though and compromising the pets is a non-starter, even if they are cats. As an HO, I also would have cancelled the remainder of the sit cause that would have been a hard limit for me…trust broken.
If someone is in such a situation and really concerned, I’d suggest looking for a ladder (or borrowing from a neighbor) and wrap some aluminum foil or put a box around the camera. That’s because all you need do is disrupt the camera’s ability to pick up picture and sound, if any.
Many people have ladders, especially if they were able to place a camera high up in the first place. And many folks use them to change lightbulbs and alarm batteries that are high up.
That’s clever about the foil!
I did stand on a chair but it’s surrounded by ornaments and knowing my luck I’d smash something and the attempt would be like something out of a Mr Bean movie.
If they’re listening in on my conversations and don’t like something that’s on them for invasion of privacy.
The foil thing comes from the idea of building a Faraday cage or RFID container.
With electronics and digital equipment, the key thing is to build a field if you want to disrupt or protect in various cases.
Like some people buy or build RFID cases, bags or other containers to block people from secretly scanning their credit cards, passports or such. Or Faraday cages to protect electronics from electromagnetic surges.
THS policy on ending sits early is as follows: “Both pet parents and sitters cannot cut a sit short, unless agreed by both members. This means you must not return home early and a sitter must not leave a sit before the agreed date. This policy is in place to keep all pets and people safe, and anyone risking this safety will receive disciplinary action against their membership. If you’re faced with an extraordinary circumstance that means you need to end a sit early, please contact the other member immediately and give them reasonable time to make alternative arrangements. Once this has been arranged, the next step is to contact Membership Services to ensure we are aware of the situation. We will then update the sit to show the correct duration dates on both accounts.”
I hope this helps
@sparrow, like @Silversitters then we’ve completed many housesits with Ring doorbells (or equivalent). Fair game and permitted under THS Camera & Recording Device Policy, provided external to property. Internal cameras and recording devices are different matter. Ideally the Ring doorbell should be included in Welcome Guide but this seems unenforced by THS - we have not made a big deal about infractions about external cameras but do clarify their presence with Pet Parents. We disconnect from power any internal cameras or recording devices (unless essential part of home technology).
" In our Terms and Conditions, our Camera & Recording Devices Policy states that during a sit, no internal recording or monitoring devices can be enabled.
We do allow devices fitted to the exterior of the property or doorbells that monitor the security of the outside areas, such as the porch, driveway, and garden.
However, all devices must be disclosed to a sitter before a sit starts, and a pet parent must display this information on their listing as well as their Welcome Guide.
If monitoring equipment is not detailed on a listing, we would still encourage sitters to ask about it anyway to have an open conversation."