We’re new to THS joined about three weeks ago and unbelievably have secured 3 homesits already . We applied for another sit 3 days ago and the HO has not even read our application. The sit has I think received 5 applications and is now marked ‘reviewing applications’
I think it’s unbelievable that a HO would not even bother to read an email they were sent.
They are still listing an earlier date that has 2 applications so far. I’d be very interested to know if they’ve bothered reading any of them!
NB I’ve tried to link our profile but I can’t seem to be able to do it on my iPhone !
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Hi @Bookworm
I have linked your profile to your forum profile here now.
Do use the spyglass to search for other posts that may help you answer any questions.
Best wishes
Therese
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Thank you very much
We got knocked back this week with no message. The host only had 5 applications, but still, they couldn’t find the time to say “sorry - we were looking for a single sitter”, or share whatever other reasoning might be behind their choice!
I have a tag in my inbox where I mark non-responsive hosts so that I won’t accidentally contact them again. They’re not the right fit for us.
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Hi Bookworm you’ll have to get used to it. Waiting hours, days, months for a reply or acknowledgment is the normal. To give them their due they are probably concentrating on the earlier dates first.
A rejection without a note is usual as well. There are some pet owners who soften the blow by sending a note. I would say it’s actually improving.
Welcome to THS and toughen up. Not everyone has our manners.
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People will be people.
We have applied 9 days ago for 2 sits. Both messages were read within the hour. Both sits have been on “reviewing applications” for 6 days now. You’d think they would have had time to choose a sitter or at least decline some people by now. (Sits are for January, so soon enough)
As @Pips says, we bookmark them to avoid applying in the future. It doesn’t give much confidence for future communication.
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@Bookworm Yes, it hurts if they don’t respond. And yes, it hurts when they reject without even a comment or acknowledgement. But it becomes easier with time, to just accept that it wasn’t meant for you.
Interestingly, on the other hand, on two occasions I followed a very distinct instinct to offer date changes, and on both occasions it paid off! One was where there was a one week gap between the end of the sit I was applying for, and the start of our next confirmed sit, so jokingly I said: “Hey, you can even take 2 weeks holiday instead of 1, if you wanted to!” And she responded that she was actually thinking about it before I mentioned it and took it as a sign to go ahead, and it worked out very well in the end! We got a 2-week housesit and no gaps, instead of a 1-week housesit and a 1-week gap.
A longwinded way to say: trust your instinct and trust that good things are coming to you as/when the universe planned it. Let go… 
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Hi @Bookworm , welcome to THS and well done for getting a bunch of sits so quickly. Just to let you know that there is an anomaly depending on whether the home host is using the THS App or THS website. If they read an application on the App my understanding is that it still shows as ‘UNREAD’ on the website - so this may be the explanation.
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Ah Thank you , I did wonder as I find it hard to believe that they ask for a sitter and then just don’t bother to even open the reply … or am I being naive ?
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@Bookworm I guess if the first application was awesome, then there might be no need to look any further 
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Can you help link mine too? 
Hi @Anne.323 are you wanting to link your TrustedHousesitters profile to your Forum profile?
If so you will need to Direct Message either myself, Therese or one of the Admins your THS membership details, email or ID number. As soon as we can access your account we can do this for you.
This does happen occasionally and I always find it unbelievable. I had one application 4 weeks before the date of the sit and it was never read at all. Another one I sent some time in advance and it was read but I never got a reply. Out of interest I let it sit there (despite in the meantime getting another sit for those dates) and never got a response. Some people are very discourteous but, fortunately, they are in the minority. Just move on to other sits. It will be their loss!
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Hi @Bookworm. Welcome and well done on your first few sits. I’m afraid some HO’s move slowly or change their minds without telling those that have applied. I had a couple of HO’s that had my application open for 3 weeks without contacting me then I got other sits and withdrew. Just make a note of these HO’s for future reference.
I also agree with @Pips that its disappointing when the HO declines your application without a quick note saying why but it happens quite a lot so you need to accept it.
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Hi @Bookworm, I’m a HO and unfortunately it works both ways. I always reply to every applicant I receive and it’s not unusual for an applicant not to reply to a request to meet over WhatsApp, Teams etc. I guess you just have to accept that everyone has different expectations on how we should use the site.
I hope you enjoy your sits with THS, I’ve been using them for nearly 5 years now and I’ve had some amazing sitters 
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Firstly, best not take it to heart.
If the owner has read, but not replied within 48hrs, I usually cancel the application and move on.
If the owners aren’t prepared to message, then they are not someone that Im prepared to pour my all into their pets and home.
Try not to dwell or take it as a rejection. It’s a numbers game based on personal preference. If you are not meant for each other, no probs. There will be someone out there for you.
Over time you will find your place. As an example I have never been successful getting any cat only sits or dog sits from single women. I respect their preferences. (Albeit my expertise is mainly dog focused). On all other applications I think I’m on about an 80-85% success rate.
So easy to focus on the rejections and not all the successes.
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Hello @MGDGN and welcome to the community! I’ve moved your question here as this is an active ongoing conversation which I’m sure you’ll find interesting. It sometimes takes a while for pet owners to read their messages … so don’t lose heart. You’ll see from exploring the forum here that sitters, especially when starting out, apply to many sits. Keep applying and keep working on your profile to make it the best it can be. Have you got some external references uploaded? You can also share a link to your website profile here in your forum profile - then you’ll likely get some feedback from our very helpful community! Keep applying and let us know how you get on.
Hi @MGDGN - Just to let you know that there is an anomaly depending on whether the home host is using the THS App or THS website. If they read an application on the App my understanding is that it still shows as ‘UNREAD’ on the website - so this may be the explanation.
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Thank you for this explanation, much appreciated 
Hello @Bookworm ,
Welcome to THS and congrats for securing your first sits. I wanted to add my ‘two cents’ perspective as a homeowner regarding your post. I remember I was very overwhelmed by the positive response I got for the first dates I posted, my sitter reviews paused a few minutes after making my listing public (5 sitters at-a-time limit). Luckily this was over the weekend, and I was able to review and digest all the applications the very next day.
However, the second time I posted dates, I unconsciously did it on a week-day, so sitters applied and again within a couple hours the applications automatically paused. Because of work/travel I was only able to review them properly over the weekend (4 days later from posting) and then got back to everyone.
What I want to say is that sometimes, patience is highly appreciated as life happens and most HO want to take the time to properly review all requests and profiles and may not have the availability to do it immediately after posting. I have learned a lesson and now, I wait closer to the weekend to publish any dates so sitters don’t have to wait too long for my answer.
All the best for your upcoming trips.
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