My membership doesn’t end until July and I’m unsure about re-upping because of the changes.
What are your thoughts (HO’s especially) on ammending my profile to include a request that local sit HO’s pay the fee ? I do quite a few local sits and would obvioulsy define the distance and location parameters for clarity in the request.
My concern is that this might, for some reason, put off potential HO’s who fall out of the area of concern (and for whose sits I would….line the VC pocketbooks, as it were).
Adding this creates a “tone” for want of a better word which I fear might have negative repercussions even for potential sits I would be covering.
I would not be doing this @toreishi as it violates the T & C of sitters asking for money. It is best to raise with owners perhaps but I think it would work against you. You are, after all, applying to do local sits which must suit you. If you’re being invited, then that might be different.
My first response was, “But I’m not asking to be paid. I’m asking the HO to cover the fee, not pay me.”
And, as I thought a bit more, it could open a can of undesireable worms (which can’t be left alone more than 2h ?). If I address it, I’ll do it in person with owners as you suggested. Thanks.
As a HO I wouldn’t like to see it on a profile. If it were a short sit (which I never post of THS anyway, use a local paid sitter for anything less then a week) I would offer upfront to reimburse at the end of the sit. Frankly if asked I would reimburse anyway, the $12 is not critical to me but I would only reimburse at the end of the sit. So sitters would have to pay it first to confirm.
Out of interest only, and probably unrelated, but I have seen two listings now with ”I will pay sitters booking fee” in the title. From my observations and from being on the platform for many years, homeowners seem to be struggling to get sitters, possibly because of the new fees. I would be open to suggesting it to the HO if the listing goes unfilled for a time and it is a local sit. One listing even offered to pay the sitters airfare and it certainly wasn’t a bad sit.
Maybe you could ask whether hosts with local sits will do them off-platform. Then if they’d rather use the platform, they can volunteer to pay your booking fee. You just never directly ask them to pay, because that would violate terms.
In all honesty, I wouldn’t put that on there. I think for a lot of hosts, their first impression might be that the sitter is of very limited financial means, which may or may not be true.
And that is not to say such people would not be a good sitter,or that it inherently says anything negative about their character. But we have to remember that hosts take a big risk letting strangers into their homes, and if there is even a slight reservation about the sitter–especially when it comes to financial matters– they will probably steer clear.
Of course I understand that some people are opposed to paying it strictly out of principle, but again, perception is everything, and we are talking about 12 dollars, not some huge sum of money. So again, might not be a good look. And like others said, I don’t even know if you would be allowed to make such a request.
Hi @toreishi You mention that you are trying to broaden local sits outside of THS. If this is with a view to setting up your own pet-sitting business (or especially if you currently run your own pet-sitting business) I wonder whether your THS membership and booking fees could be classed as business expenses, and therefore tax deductible? If so, that would at least soften the financial aspect of paying the booking fee each time.
I would be wary of money exchanging hands without first fully investigating the implications of this and how it changes the relationship between yourself and a homeowner in legal terms. Most of the time it wouldn’t be an issue, but if you ever found yourself in a really serious situation legally, eg. dog bites passer by whilst in your care, I suspect the fact that you had been ‘paid’ could have a bearing on the situation. You may have a hard time arguing the case that the payment was simply a reimbursement.
I’m afraid I don’t have definite answers to either of these things, and they would vary depending on where you are based, but they are points for consideration.
My tactic/strategy has been to push my renewal date forward by sharing my QR discount code on various fb groups in areas that I sit in. I include (local to that location) images to create engagement and interest. My Basic Membership renewal date is now Sep 2028, two weeks ago it was due to renew March 2026. I’ve got a 2 year period of not paying the £9 so I’ll see how things are then. Meanwhile a few extra HOs have joined from Jersey Channel Islands so hopefully more sits for everyone there
As a home-owner I would find a request for me to pay the sitter’s booking fee very off-putting. Saying that, I would probably offer to pay it for a repeat sitter where we have an established relationship.
Also, there are relatively few home-owners on this THS forum, so Im not sure how generally aware home-owners are about the fee and how sitters feel about it. Those who arent may find that sort of request doubly off-putting. (Maybe it’s more widely discussed in other forums, like Facebook groups.)
Hi @toreishi,
I think there is overwhelming majority against mentioning it on your profile. It might be different if local hosts have limited applications and you offered to help.
My own approach as a sitter is to keep it as an equal exchange as much as I can. I know everyone has different situations and perspectives and it’s true that fees have muddled the whole thing.
It’s also true that it feels a bit different when it’s a local sit. Funnily enough, the two times I have been asked extra favours have been in local sits. I live in a highly desirable location and that might explain why they probably feel they are doing everyone a favour, they don’t even consider the possibility that I might have a more comfortable home than the one they offered. I just do it to spend time with the pets but I think it’s easier for most people to get the idea of fair exchange when I am traveling.
Confirm as many new sits as you can before your membership ends ( no booking fees charge for sits confirmed before your membership renews )
For repeat sits make a private arrangement.
Calculate how many sits you do on average per year x fee - upgrading to Premium may work out less expensive than paying a fee each time .
Or allow your membership to expiry ( by switching off auto renewal) and see if you get offered the come back offer that other members have received - Premium for the price of standard membership .
@toreishi When you write that you’ll “…do it in person…” with the HOs, do you mean that, upon your arrival at the sit, you’ll ask them to pay your booking fee?
If so, that could be really awkward. The HOs might feel as though they’re backed into a corner, since the sitter is now in their home and they’re about to leave on their trip.
I would never accept a sitter who asked me to pay their fee. Putting it on one’s profile would certainly save time, as I’d hate to find out much later in the process that a sitter would expect this.
I write a bit about us and our THS experiences to date then talk about the location and say how it’d be great if there were even more sits there and btw here’s my QR code in a photo plus I add some local photos and us on a local bus or location. Make it personal.
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