Hallo Forum, this post is mainly directed to the Homeowners, but maybe sitter can let me know if it’s a regular and acceptable thing here.
My “problem is that a lot of the homeowners don’t seem to acknowledge you offer to sit in any way. I’ve sent off a few, but have only received one reply which told me that I had applied just before an interview with the successful sitter. I’m fine with that, but there are several “outstanding” offers who I can see have read my application, but they don’t even send a “thanks, we’ll get back to you” answer. I find this rather rude, it only takes a couple of seconds to write a short acknowledgment.
HOs please answer !
Ok end of question……
Happy Easter everyone.
I reply to each application as it comes in, sometimes with an immediate decline if the person doesn’t seem like a good fit, sometimes with an immediate offer to do a video call if they seem like a great candidate. But I’m a housesitter as well as a HO. Those who aren’t both (or don’t read these forums) may not realize some sitters find silence a bit rude.
I just withdrew an application a couple days ago after several days of complete silence in response to an application marked as read. I said, “Hey, [HOname], I guess you aren’t interested, so I’ll withdraw the application, thanks, best wishes to you!”
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It is certainly a regular thing here. And there is not much you can do about it.
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I am a HO and sitter. If a sitter writes a thoughtful application, I will always respond within a few hours. if the sitter just applies with no text - either immediately or within a few hours - I decline with no message.
As a sitter, I sometimes have my applications ignored. It is rude, and I will withdraw an application that receives no response within a few days. I tell the HO that I am withdrawing due to lack of response from them. They might not care, but it might prompt another HO to improve their communication with other sitters.
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I’ve just done that, after waiting 5 days! for some sort of acknowledgement.
Maybe politeness isn’t a European wide attribute. 
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I now got a sit in June. It took the HOs two weeks to respond to my application.
It is a nice sit, and I am looking forward to it. I got a very well-written and friendly Welcome Guide today.
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@RickH it is a regular thing here but totally agree it’s really rude. I appreciate everyone has busy lives but I’ve just spent time crafting a nice message, checking dates flights visas etc. least people can do is reply and acknowledge you.
Keep applying though and a better sit will turn up.
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One of our biggest frustrations when using THS is the lack of communication. A lot of homeowners will just leave us on “read”. This could easily be fixed if a response rating or an average response time is added to each listing and profile. This could work similarly to response ratings on platforms like Airbnb, where hosts are incentivized to maintain quick response times in order to maintain their rating. THS could consider implementing incentives for homeowners who respond promptly to inquiries. This could be in the form of better visibility for their listings or discounts on platform fees or recognize and highlight homeowners who consistently respond quickly to inquiries.
For now we note the exact time when we apply and then once 72 hours has passed we withdraw our application. Still this wastes a lot of time to research all responsibilities, read the reviews, craft a custom application, research flights/tickets etc.
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Well said @BunnyCat, we are exactly the same! Am pretty sure Aussiesitters rate for response times so must be relatively easy to do. Good comms is the no 1 requirement for us on sits, if you have it then anything is possible/solvable. #commscommscomms
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We get offers from HO to sit regularly, without even applying, and we always politely reply with our reason for declining. We never simply decline.
I agree that its rude, but all people are individuals with differing moral standards.
Nothing much anyone can do about it as Pletkulp said earlier.
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I only withdraw my application after I confirmed another sit with overlapping dates. I had several nice sits where HOs were slow to communicate with me.
Maybe they chose me after other applicants withdrew? 
When a sit is quite far in the future, I am in no particular hurry. And probably the HO feels the same way.
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As a pet owner I have to say that I always respond immediately even if just to say thanks and that we are reading every one’s profile and will then get in touch again. The getting in touch again happens within a couple of days at the most as what is there to decide anyhow? Our dates of travel are organised and we can’t go anywhere without cover for the animals!
You read the profiles, you think no, maybe or yes and can I say to all the sitters out there I’ve rarely thought no way, as everyone has been great. That’s the problem, the decision when you are looking at 5 great people and deciding on one.
That’s then the bit about shared interests or what they’ve written to you about your pets, house and area.
Then I contact the first choice and assuming that goes well for us both, I write a note to everyone saying why I’ve decided to go with someone else. This is just being polite.
On that note I’m a person happy with the 5 limit, sorry, but I find it stressful enough choosing between 5 great people! Also I know I can decline and allow more applicants but I’ve never had to do so.
Also despite the issue for USA sitters finding sits in Europe…the sit I recently posted had 5 applicants (obviously!) but 4 from the USA and 1 from South America!!
Thanks to all my previous sitters and those to come!
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Unfortunately it is both regular, and rude, and also gives a bit of helpful insight as to what peoples’ communication might be like if you do end up sitting for them/being sat for by them…
As an aside, I would also say that the interface doesn’t make it particularly visually obvious when you have a new message in your inbox, and I can see how messages might get missed if sitters/HOs have multiple applications and conversations on the go. It could really do with some sort of graphic device that appears next to the conversation containing the unread message in your inbox (similar to Whatsapp, for example). All that seems to happen for me is that the background turns from white to grey once I’ve read a new message. A white background just isn’t enough of a visual difference to highlight that I have unread messages within that conversation.
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As a ‘host’ I get an email telling me that some one has applied and if they respond to my response to them I get an email letting me know that they have. I assume this happens to sitters as well. I use a lap top and not the App.
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I’ve seen this with sitters, too, especially newer ones. I’m on a sit right now where I’d encouraged the homeowner to keep their listing open to see if someone from the area who might be looking for reviews was a better fit (they have three dogs they took with them this time, and I don’t do dogs.) A brand new sitter who did look great applied, but then didn’t respond to the HO’s reply until the day before the sit, when I was already in town at a hotel. She hadn’t noticed she had a response to one of her applications.
Notifications are easy to miss. I finally set it up so that I get a persistent banner on my phone. Which is super annoying when I’m driving, but there doesn’t seem to be a way to get texts instead of email notifications (except from member services, which seems very weird…my communications with homeowners could literally be urgent.) Am I missing some way to get text notifications when homeowners message me through the app or on the site?
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I’m currently sat at home awaiting a reply from a HO. We agreed we’d touch base Saturday morning to agree where to meet up for a coffee to see if we’re a ‘fit’ the HO wanted to see what the weather would be like (we’re by the sea so it’s changeable)… this is a local sit. Perhaps they’ve forgotten, perhaps they don’t actually want to meet up, so many things run through your mind whilst you’re waiting for a reply…. is it a red flag or is it simply they’ve had a lie in 
I mean it’s Saturday morning 
I’m a newbie so super keen…. they’re newbies too I think (no reviews to date). So we’re feeling our way on both sides…. be kind be generous in attitude and be empathic is my motto in these situations.
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@Enjaybee , I hoped so, and now I have just been contacted by 2 HO one of which (totally unbelievable, I know) was at the same school as me back in the ‘60s. She was two years younger but we travelled on the same bus to and fro each day. Almost 60 years later we’ll meet up again. Her husband is almost as excited to meet me as she is - jokingly asking if I know anything that he should be warned about (after 49 years of marriage)! They have both asked me to stay a few days after the sit, and be a guest at their anniversary party. What an honour!
The other HO has also offered me a sit next time they are looking, I was the 5th applicant, and they had already narrowed it down to two others, I had applied 5 days after their ad went up, so fair enough. What made me laugh about them was the reason they’d like me to come, they both think I look like his grandfather! Is that a compliment???
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Hi Rick, I’m a homeowner and I agree with you. We should always reply. On the other hand, I am looking for last minute sitters and I send invitations to some sitters and see they have read it but don’t reply. The last sitters I confirmed did not communicate for a month only to then say they were still thinking about their plans even though they has confirmed.
Either way, both homeowners and sitters should always be courteous. Thankfully, the number of positive and kind people outnumber the others.
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I am a HO and it depends. If there is no name, just “hello”, and than a copypaste text with wrong pets, etc. I will write nothing and delete.
Of course if I see that there has been an effort and its a nice application I always would answer.
I think it’s not too strange in this anonymous context if somebody is not answering.
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