Yess, don’t feel confortable asking for a rough location, but if the website doesn’t help us, we need to take care of ourselves anyway. Before confirm the sitting, I always ask for a rough location if I dont find any good info on their sitting profiles. And after the confirmation I ask the final address. But even so, still I get surprised when I recieve a total address that is really far far far far away.
1 Like
We hear you. If I were a HO and had someone coming into my Home to live in and care for my Pets and love them just as much (sometimes spoiled a bit more, lol) I would feel very anxious tbh.
On some other sites, the sitter’s pay, the HO’s treat you like you are a servant, they can also get you to vacate at 3-4am in the Morning, but expect the Bedding to be Washed and remade with no spare bedding??? lol.
I think that at least on here the HO having to pay also, means they understand “it’s a two way and it’s of value”
Rover, omg, I looked at it and thought “it’s like FB groups/marketplace” however there are other options like THS!
When we get a Dog again in the future, If I needed the Dog Walking (because for some reason I was not able to) or we were travelling and it would be easier for the Dog to stay home. I would want to be sure 100% sure the person(s) really wanted to look after my Dog and also I would come home to my Home as I left it, I understand plates, cups get broken, we have had 1 plate, 1 glass so far thank goodness, however there’s the making sure the Bin’s have been put out, the Mail is cleared, any mail that looks time sensitive letting the HO know and seeing if they want it opened etc, parcels, gardener’s, cleaners etc, just making sure the Home is taken care of and it doesn’t look like the HO is away, plus Dog/Cat napping, is still a big problem, general safety and health of the Pets too, we have had a few vet’s visits, it was so upsetting, not our Doggo’s, we don’t know how stressed they are going to be as soon as they realise “omg, i’m at the Vets” before you even turn to the Car off they can smell where they are. x
To complicate matters (and it’s so very British) “Greater London” is an actual administrative area that is HUGE and includes a whole lot of places that tourists don’t want to be. It doesn’t include The City of London (which confuses many Americans, as all their big towns are “cities”). Brits, particularly Londoners will refer to “The City” but they don’t mean the whole of London but instead a small administrative area actually called The City of London. The City is the business & financial hub, a very small area with very few actual residential properties. If you get into a London taxi at the airport on a Sunday and ask for The City, they would take you to the Square Mile, where you would find utterly deserted streets with tumbleweed blowing down them.
This in no way explains why someone who lives in Greater London would select their home as being in The City of London, that makes no sense. It does explain why a foreigner with a saved search in The City of London never gets any results 
3 Likes
Hi @Manda Why do you feel uncomfortable asking for a precise location? If you are seriously considering a sit you need to know precisely where you will be! The host may wish to be a little discreet on their listing- for security reasons- but they can always send you details privately. If a host is not able/willing to share that info in order for me to make a qualified decision on the sit I would not be willing to proceed with the sit.
2 Likes
What most people call central London is actually called Westminster - the one square mile. London, like all huge metropolitan cities goes on forever in every direction.
I think it’s a case of ask questions and listen very carefully to the answers. Hear what is actually being said, not what we want to hear. Due diligence in everything has become my moto.
@Luna2000 why don’t you feel comfortable?? And why would you ask for a ‘rough’ location? Why not ask for the exact location??! The host can send details privately if they don’t want to reveal too much on the listing- usually because of a security issue. You are giving your LIFEtime to a sit and if, as it sounds, you are sitting solo you need to be sure you will be safe! Be bold! Ask all the questions you need to!
Yes, and there is actually a section labeled “Home and location” in each and every Sit listing! Location, location, location!! Pretty important, Owners!
Hiya, I completely understand security, privacy, however I feel awkward asking without applying “Hi, where is your rough location, not house and street number as I want to scope the area for my own safety, places of interest etc” idk, it just feels for me a little intrusive, if I am seriously considering and the dates and location line up, I will write a detailed application eg: we are visiting family and have family from Australia/Turkey going to be over visiting, so would be having days out and evenings out, is this going to be okay for your Cat(s) I personally am not okay with leaving Dogs and I drive a sports car that unless said pet needs the vet’s doesn’t enter my Car (lol) I would also ask if it is okay if they had a meal or two at the house, not staying over of course. I be upfront as it needs to work for them too. When we are on sits close to home, we are usually home more than the HO, the Pets get very spoilt, usually Dogs, who’s owners come home and the Dog(s) harass them for extra walks or play outside. Then of course I ask for a postcode. x
I only just noticed, in the iPhone app, that in “Your sits” the upcoming sits have an address displayed (same as in the Welcome guide I think) and that under “Get directions” there is a map interface with a dot on that location.
First, the map provided by THS is way off. HOs don’t put things on the map and can’t move the location from the map. So just accept that the map is not accurate and this is not the HO’s fault. I live in NYC, but from the map it looks like I live way downtown when in fact I live uptown. I’ve had a couple of sitters withdraw when they researched the neighborhood. However, I’m clear in the description where I live. I don’t think HOs are being purposely deceptive. (I sit as well.) From what I’ve seen especially in larger metro areas, owners will mention the main city and how to get there – “a 3 mile walk, bike ride, or bus to town” “30 minutes to downtown with several buses down the street.” It is also can be discussed in video chats. I think part of the issue is, if the location looks good and there is concern with the “5-application rule” people may be submitting before they’ve checked out what the HOs actually say about the location. This is one of those things where unfortunately, the sitters may need to do some due diligence and it can feel like a waste of everyone’s time – sitters and owners.
The easiest fix would be if owners could place the dot with more accuracy.
There is no choice here on the HO’s part. I can’t move the dot on the map.
1 Like
@pietkuip this only shows up for me on my next sit which is coming up this week but not for the following two sits ?
Have you got addresses and directions for all your sits ??
It only shows if they use the welcome guide. My next two sits haven’t completed the welcome guide so no address shows. My next one after those has completed the welcome guide including the address so it does show the app on the sit page and I can click on directions.
2 Likes
Nobody has to reinvent the wheel here!
Rover does it just fine
Airbnb does it just fine
Benchmarking that tech should be easy.
4 Likes
Yes, I have the address in the app for the current sit and for both upcoming sits. All of these had made a THS welcome guide.
1 Like
If they have already completed and posted a Welcome Guide, then the Sitter has that information anyway. So this is not “extra” information.
@Manda I have seen listings that are purposely deceptive. The San Francisco Bay Area is a very large place and there is a lot of water and bridges. It is nice to know if the Owner is actually in San Francisco (city or county) or clear across the Bay (across a bridge or two)! If the Owner places their pin in San Francisco, but they actually live in Antioch (this is a real example), that is wrong. And, the Owner only describes her location as “San Francisco Bay Area.” She never mentions Antioch or 80 minute drive to San Francisco. Ridiculous.
2 Likes
We are not talking about putting the exact location. We would just like Owners to be more accurate about their location in terms of the city/town. If there is a security issue, say something like, “We live in a small hamlet of 5 homes which is 10 km from the closest town, X, where there is a grocery store and pub.”
2 Likes
@pietkuip I’ve had a look at mine - I only have this where the homeowner has shared a welcome guide with me.
It tells me only the address as it’s written the the welcome guide . So in my case the homeowner has not put the full address in the welcome guide just the U.K. postcode . There are 20 homes in that postcode area . So when I tap “Get directions “ it takes me to the general
vicinity and not the actual home .
I have obtained the address from the homeowner by another method , but if I had assumed it was in the welcome guide I could have been in a predicament!
For the sits where no welcome guide has been shared I do not have an option to “get directions “
2 Likes
I wish all the HO had Welcome Guides, from all of my sittings, never got one unfortunatelly.
3 Likes