When you said you’d pick her up from wherever she was staying if she ‘came early’, did you mean - and specify - early on the Saturday? Otherwise, it could have implied you were happy for her to arrive earlier than Saturday.
Again, unless you were specific regarding limitations, you unfortunately have only yourself to blame for this. Since your own vehicle use amounts to just 88 miles a week, you’ ve clearly assumed the sitter’s usage would be similar, but really should have been clear on that mileage limitation - both verbally and in your Welcome Guide.
You say you live in the suburbs where public transport is scarce. We too have always lived ‘ in the sticks’ so inevitably clock up a lot of miles on our vehicles and don’t really think about it, so excess mileage is rather a subjective matter and doesn’t necessarily imply that care for your cats was lacking.
How do you know she didn’t get home until 8pm? And, couldn’t she have fed the pets at dinner time (did you specify what time that actually is?) then popped out again, returning at 8pm?
I’m not defending this sitter, just am pointing out all the ambiguities in your expectations. Clarity in communications is key: spell out your requirements, both in the listing and in your welcome guide, then there can be no misunderstandings. And, to be fair, it does sound as if all your gripes are misunderstandings rather than intentional abuse of your hospitality by the sitter.
A lot here really depends on what was discussed and agreed to. It seems like there was a lack of communication and both sides had different expectations.
The early arrival seems a little odd if there was no mention of it previously. There have been times where I’ve had HOs offer to for me to arrive a couple days early. If there was never any mention of the possibility of a Friday arrival, you could have just said you were unable to accommodate her prior to the agreed upon day and time.
I don’t know what the toll situation is where you live, but I’ve been places where someone unfamiliar with the roads might not realize they are on a toll road and some states don’t have any toll roads. Has she refused to pay them, or is it possible she doesn’t even know about them?
That does seem like a lot of mileage but you said the beach is 30 miles so that’s 60 roundtrip. Are other places that a visitor might want to go just as far or farther? What mileage amount do you think would have been reasonable? One could certainly go that amount of miles in a week and still spend time with the pets and be there to feed them at appropriate times. You offered your car as an alternative to her renting one (which would have allowed her to go wherever she wanted). If your intention was that your car was only for limited use, it would seem important to let her know that so she could make an informed decision about whether to use your car or rent one.
It sounds like she got home late on one evening and that was the same day as the tolls. Maybe she went somewhere farther away and was delayed? Maybe didn’t know what the traffic was like in the area and it took longer than she anticipated.
Just write the facts in your review in an objective manner. It sounds like you are making a lot of assumptions about what she did or did not do. I would keep the review factual.
What country was the sitter from? 60 miles/100km per day is nothing in Australia, it’s a short distance, “just up the road”. Better you communicate your car usage expectations in advance with the sitter. You are not really in a strong position to criticise if you didn’t set any boundaries. The sitter will likely respond accordingly to your review.
@Marj Many people combine housesitting and vacation. It may not be your idea of a vacation, but people can choose how they want to vacation. Housesitting doesn’t mean one can never leave the house. Sitters can love animals and spend lots of time with them on a sit and still have plenty of time to explore the local area.
A thought … have you considered that the higher mileage could have been because she was doing a few round trips per day to return, do the feeding and then going out again?
I guess I’ve never been on a vacation then. I don’t go to resorts (that sounds incredibly boring to me) and it’s very rare for me to rent a car when on vacation, I typically go places where I don’t need a car.
Vacations are defined by the people taking them, not anyone else.
If comms were fuzzy about the use of a car or such, you’ll have to chalk it up to experience and being more clear going forward. Driving habits and needs differ.
With sits, the key thing is, are responsibilities clearly communicated and followed through with. That takes partnership. Have you discussed with the sitter what happened? And asked her to pay her tolls?
Yes it is about mutual exchange - THS advertise this platform as a tourist and travel experience . That’s what the majority of sitters sign up for . If it was solely about pet care then sitters could stay closer to home , not have any travel expenses and either volunteer to work at a sanctuary, foster or do paid pet sits.
A recent THS blog about international house sitting states
“Purpose of your visit: The purpose of your visit is for tourism. Our platform is not for arranging pet sitting as work. ”
I’m on THS for working vacations especially flying sometimes thousands of miles. I go sight seeing around the agreed commitments for the pets and my remote work. I’ve sat for some great HO’s who’ve left me sight seeing suggestions in the local area or tourist info.
So many good replies on here. It comes down as ever to comms. For lots of us 100kms a day isn’t a crazy distance when you live in a big country. Then there’s also the fact the OP didn’t specify not using it for anymore than a set number of miles, and even suggested the beach trips with it. @MaggieUU has a good point that the sitter may have gone back & forward to feed pets whilst exploring. Would also like to know how the OP knows the 8pm return time and is it the dreaded camera monitoring again? We’ve been collared with toll fines and speeding ones in other lands and simply paid up when they came to light. As ever, talk to the sitter and see what the reaction is and then set out clearer guidelines next time. It isn’t their fault that it’s a new car or that they had a lovely time seeing your local sights. As @Silversitters quotes from THS, they actively encourage travel & tourism on this platform so it is part of the gig. The sooner you chat to the sitter the better and please let us all know the outcome. #itsgoodtotalk
In the US toll booths have cameras that capture license plates as well as a front photo of the driver, and of course a date/time stamp. Tolls are then invoiced to the registered driver of the car. Alternatively drivers who frequent toll roads get a transponder for the car that bills them directly (again with time/date stamps) whenever you pass the booth (usually at a discounted rate from the invoice). Many booths no longer accept cash/credit cards and those that do still register and send the photos/time/date.
Obviously this is the government and not something HO control. And HO has no option to ‘not look’ when the bill shows up.
This is what happened to the owners of the cars in Switzerland and Australia that we inadvertently contravened rules in. One was actually contested, as the car was on cruise control (goodbye 9 fines thank you Melbourne) & the other we just paid up into the HOs account. I meant that perhaps the sitter didn’t know about the tolls & it was a mistake and not intentional. #crossedwires
Um…the toll booths are not stealth and signs are everywhere. You slow down going through the toll and it flashes the amount billed. It would have to be an incredibly clueless sitter that thought there was no toll.
We have drive across country 3 times in the last 2 years for my Dad’s illness so we are well aware of tolls across multiple states. It isn’t realistic to assume they didn’t know. More likely they just assumed HO paid the tolls when the car was offered.
Um…In lots of places the tolls are mounted up high on metal support poles above the open highway and photograph the cars as they go by at normal speed. There is no flashing indicating anything other than the flashes of the cameras 30 feet above the car that could easily be missed during the day.
No, not in the US. As I said we have driven across multiple states over the past 2 years so we have recent experience. Tolls are well signed with booths advising slowing down to 45 mph while navigating through the booths. There is a sign that then flashes the toll owed as you drive through.
What you describe are traffic or red light cameras, that are mounted high on the traffic poles and snap a photo if sensors detect the driver moved ahead or made a turn on a red light (or less frequently, a stop sign).
It would be illogical for tolls to not have signage as that defeats the purpose of collecting a toll but I think this is not the topic.
The point was how the OP knew the sitter was out and in the original post it was from toll records not HO camera.
If the sitter was clueless about the tolls and ignored/didn’t read the road signage, ignored/didn’t read Google maps when it shows the route has tolls, then I assume they would pay once asked by the HO.
Thank you everyone for your responses. Instead of responding individually, it will be easier to do so all at once.
One of my biggest takeaways is to never assume. Which is why I titled this, “Get it in writing”. When I think I’m being clear on my expectations, that’s not always the case. I know I was clear on the start date, so when she told me a few days before arrival that she had already booked her flight to come a day before the start date, I let it roll. (You have to learn to pick your fights.) It was then that I looked at her recent reviews and discovered she had done this a few weeks before. (I guess I need to keep looking at reviews even after sitter confirmation.)
I’m familiar with the toll roads she used and they are very clearly marked. Before the exit to the toll road and then on the exit. It can’t be missed, so this was no mistake. (BTW, thanks for the giggle that California roads are ‘free’. I’m originally from CA and you have to pay to use the carpool lanes.) She entered the toll road in the morning and then used the same road for her return that evening. I know the distance from that particular toll road exit to my house, which is how I am able to gauge her return.
I feel she used my car worse than using a rental. Yes, a car rental usually includes unlimited miles, but you are also required to return it with a full tank of gas and you’re responsible for any toll charges incurred. She did neither.
I provided her with places to hike and brochures of things to do, all in the Bay Area.
I told her it was my new baby and to drive it with care and keep it local. The toll roads she used took her out of the Bay Area. If she had let me know she had used any toll roads, I could easily look it up and let her know what the charges were.
The feeding schedule is in writing and she was there for each of the feedings the day before I left, so there was no question on when to feed each of the pets. It can be a little tricky because they’re on separate diets and fed in separate rooms. I’ve had other sitters who had no problem with this schedule. They know coming in that the listing stipulates that the pet can’t be left alone more than 6 hours max.