Thank you! I was putting off calling as I didn’t think it was urgent enough 
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Hi @kirstyS
I can see you’ve been communicating with one of our agents since posting - let us know the outcome - and if you need me to check in on anything just let me know!
Jenny
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Hi yes, thanks Jenny, received a response this morning, but it didn’t really help. Just boiled down to trying to work it out with the HO. There really are some incredibly unreasonable people out there, though, who cannot be negotiated with. I missed 6 calls from her yesterday in the space of 13 minutes because she’d lost her banking details and wanted me to find them, and then was annoyed with me for not having my phone with me every second of the day. Also told me today that I will need to buy the dogs more treats as she only left 1.5 week’s worth. This is not a woman who can be reasoned with. Also evidenced by the information I received from the local community.
What I really need is the answer to this: how can I make alternative arrangements for another sit, giving this HO plenty of notice, when my status on the website means I cannot apply for any sits?
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Hi @kirstyS
I’ve asked the team if they can advise on what would be best for you to do - bear with me and I’ll come back to you when I have a response 
Jenny
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Thanks, Jenny!
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I think the hardest thing about deciding on a course of action is that there are some aspects of the sit which are really good. The house (though dirty) and pool and doggies are lovely. The HO made an effort to be accommodating (she bought a wardrobe for the bedroom) and to clean, and she is extremely generous with towels! It’s like she fully intended to be a great HO but just couldn’t quite go through with it!
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-
Contact the Urgent Support Phone Line for help
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Give the host a minimum of 24 hours notice of the date you will be leaving .
Provide proof that you have done this to THS (e-mail support @trustedhousesitters.com)
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Ask THS to amend the sit end date on the dashboard .
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Put your Plan B into action - (Apply for more sits / book hotel / return home / stay with friends )
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Thank you, that’s really helpful
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If anyone is still following this thread, could I ask you to take a quick look at this message I’m sending her before THS contact her? Just need to check I’m in line! Many thanks to Garfield!
Hi (HO). Now that Phil and I are settled in and have got to know (and love) the dogs, I need to raise some concerns with you. We are taking excellent care of your girls and your home, but there are some unexpected arrangements we need to discuss.
We were surprised by the overlap at the end of the sit. That you are returning 2 days before the end of the sit wasn’t mentioned until I asked about your plans en route from Alicante airport to your home, and we were not expecting to be sharing the house with you again.
Also, although you told me months back that you were nursing Simba after her major surgery, and considering adopting her, you never advised me that you still had her and were fostering her. Moreover, as she is suffering with a previously unmentioned spinal injury that causes significant pain (resulting in frequent night time disruptions), requires twice daily medication and ongoing frequent liaison with the rescue centre and vets, this should have been disclosed.
Whatever your reasons for having an outdoor camera, its presence wasn’t mentioned to us until you requested help charging its battery. I was willing to overlook the non-disclosure until it became apparent the camera was being used to monitor and comment on our movements. Please see this link to THS policy regarding outdoor cameras.
https://support. .com/hc/en-gb/articles/4419467716241-Camera-Recording-Devices-Policy#:~:text=In%20our%20Terms%20and%20Conditions,porch%2C%20driveway%2C%20and%20garden.
We greatly appreciate the efforts you made to make our stay comfortable - the tidying, new wardrobe and plentiful towels and bedding- but the house’s cleanliness was not as expected and I have spent many hours these past few days cleaning in order to feel more comfortable.
Unless previously arranged, I feel it’s inappropriate to ask us to pay for the dogs’ treats. Usual protocol would be to leave sufficient supply or a cash float to cover topping up their snacks.
You very kindly offered us use of your car as your home is so rural, and several weeks before the sit you confirmed that Phil and I were already on your motor insurance. However, when we arrived in your home, you had typed up a separate document which you asked us to sign, stating that in the event of any damage to the car not caused by a third party, that we would have to pay directly. This concerns me as it’s not what was agreed upon prior to our arrival.
You did tell me before the sit that you wouldn’t be writing everything down, but it is one of the THS rules that a Welcome Guide be compiled for the security of both the sitter and the homeowner. I believe the presence of this document would have negated some of the issues that have arisen.
Finally, it’s important for me to make clear that the THS experience is designed to be an equal trade: the free use of your home in return for the free excellent care of your home and pets. We are not employees and our experience is no less important than yours. With this in mind, I would greatly appreciate if your requests could be framed as such, and not as orders. It’s important to maintain a respectful relationship, and from the start, it has not felt that way from our perspective.
I look forward to your response.
Any thoughts?
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Well done @kirstyS. You have been polite but assertive.
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Well said Kirsty. You might want to mention that you have been in touch with THS for advice.
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I like the tone of this, assertive but respectful. I would add a request for the owner to arrange for online ordering & delivery of the dog treats.
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That’s a great message, you are generous and nice and very clear @kirstyS
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Thank you Garfield so much for the guidelines to get me going! Not sure I could have even started without them!
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Bit the billet and sent that letter. I’ve been met with immediate absolute rage and incoherence. She has revoked the use of the car and accused me of all sorts, but yet still somehow expected me to complete the sit. So I’ve told her she has the day to look around for someone (she won’t use THS), and then we agree on a date of departure. I saved up for this trip over three months of teaching, and have spent a fortune on 5 days of stress and uncertainty instead of 2 months of sunny bliss surrounded by loving dogs.
What a waste. It’s so sad.
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So sorry to hear this @kirstyS - have you been able to update whoever is handling your concerns within THS or would you like me to pass this update over to them?
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@kirstyS I’ve been following this thread and I thought your message was excellent. If that has been met with outrage then you are definitely better off getting out of there asap. So sorry it has been such a disaster for you. I hope you can figure out the best way forward now.
Please do update us on what you do next.
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Thanks, Jenny. I’m just waiting on the HO to propose a date before I email same to member services. Should be ok after that. Thanks for checking in!
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It’s so unbelievably stressful. I should have listened to my gut…
I will indeed keep you posted!
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@kirstyS it can happen to any of us. Thankfully I’m never too far away from my home or my daughter’s home if such a situation should ever arise for me.
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