Isn’t it simpler to say that if you can’t afford to travel if the sit is cancelled, then don’t apply for the sit in the first place?
No Travel insurance wouldn’t have covered this…
I feel its unfair of you to put it on the sitter to bear the cost of the cancellation by you.
Remember this THS is ran on trust… and needs to go both ways
I disagree…
if that was the case then no one would trust anyone then… and everything falls apart
I call it insurance, but yes it’s just an add on, where you pay more to allow you to make flight changes.
So if a sitter cancelled you would expect them to cover any costs the host incurred? That could be a cancelled holiday, kennelling or paid pet care.
if the Sitter cancels…The Pet parent is covered under the THS policy for cover of a new private paid sitter by THS if a new sitter cant be found…
so the pet parent essentially has more protection than a sitter.
the pet parent wouldnt need to cancel the hoilday..
Only if they have premium membership. There are very strict criteria for claiming and it is at the discretion of THS. It is not an insurance policy which is underwritten.
The hosts may need to cancel their holiday if the cancellation is at short notice and there is insufficient time to arrange any pet care cover.
Similar for the sitter… but no cover for lost monies for travel expenses for sitters
That’s true when they’ve got the higher cover, but only if the cancellation is within 14 days of the sit, not when it’s still two months away like in this particular scenario.
In the past I had 6 weeks cancel between two pet owners just outside of 14 days, they were consecutive sits and both cancelled for very good reasons, because both pets sadly passed away. I still managed to fill the whole period within 3 days of looking, but I know it’s not that easy for everyone.
I know… I think this policy should start as soon as the sit is accepted
If THS offered better coverage, they would charge you more for it.
A LOT more.
ETA: I’m actually surprised THS hasn’t thought of offering optional individual sit cancellation policy buy-ups, where the cost per sit is based on distance traveled for the sitter and how soon after confirmation the HO or sitter purchases it (like travel insurance). The better coverage, the more one would pay, and it’s all based on the premise that most of the time it’s not needed. And any claims will be at least as convoluted as the current Premium member coverage, because insurance always does everything it can to not pay out.
@DavidW, welcome to THS Forum.
Great idea. Keep them coming 
. Note - THS staff do not review the Forum so feel free to send suggestions to support@trustedhousesitters.com.
Currently THS Sit Cancellation Insurance, available to premium members, offers compensation but only for alternative accommodation costs; only in nearby location; only if cancelled within 14 days of sit; to an inflation-stale value; after a deductible and other policy limitations.
Multiple Forum members have framed a range of specific, sensible recommendations by which THS could enhance its Sit Cancellation Insurance (search using magnifying glass at top screen). But THS chooses not to.
It seems reasonably credible that new members, reading related THS marketing materials, could misunderstand real-life policy limitations. We are not aware of any claim against THS for misleading advertising under UK Trading Standards.
I’m an avid reader of T&C’s for trip insurance and it is highly unlikely any trip insurance would cover a change due to THS cancellations- there’s no way to submit required trip interruption documentation for something that’s unpaid accommodation essentially… this is likely what the THS premium membership insurance would have to cover. And most trip insurance doesn’t offer the “cancel for any reason” option anymore (or it’s exorbitant). We see it as a risk involved with house sitting- that we choose to accept- so think the $150 offer is a kind gesture that feels very fair considering all this.
Thanks, everyone, for weighing in. It’s an unfortunate situation, but I feel satisfied that I’ve done more than enough to attempt to make things right. It’s a good lesson, though, for me to perhaps remind sitters that emergencies come up and not to get locked into impossible-to-change travel plans (like nonrefundable tickets). I know I would understand it if it came the other direction. I don’t plan to ever have this come up again but I also know that life happens!
I think this would be a positive enhancement if THS offered a range of insurances that travel insurance wouldn’t cover …
I know it would be at a cost…
sometimes to have that safety net can be the differences between “doing a sit” and “not doing a sit”
Hi @DavidW,
Welcome to the forum.
Knowing one’s own limitations and assessing the risks we can take have nothing to do with trust.
I don’t think
The protection is similar.
@DavidW, we agree 100%. Indeed have suggested.
It’s possible that THS Marketing wonks might not agree. As presence of current + better insurance options may highlight policy limitations of current coverage.
The option to buy trip insurance on a plane ticket (just the ticket) is always very reasonable when I book air travel. I think it’s entirely on the sitter to decide whether to pony up a small fraction of the cost of the ticket to be sure that they can cancel it. After all, the sitter could easily have had to cancel due to unforeseen circumstances.
Also, many credit cards offer this protection when you use them to book air tickets. And that’s the way people buy tickets – with a credit card.
This is NOT on the HO.
But the allowable reasons to get a refund are still fairly limited in a lot of cases and require proof.