Unbelievable, I know. This person invited me to have a formal ‘meeting’ with them which is really not vocabulary I find conducive to establishing amicable relations. I got the distinct impression from the tone of the initial email I got that I’d be getting the far better deal of the two of us and I would be lucky to be selected!
Just astounding that this person clearly thinks this is something that would have any kind of appeal to a sitter when they’re going to have to be camped out on the sofa of a night with a complete random floating about the place! You couldn’t pay me enough money to put myself in such an uncomfortable, tense situation for even a night, let alone to do this for over a week on a voluntary basis.
Thankfully, individuals like this are the exception rather than the norm!!!
Unfortunately, this person is out there still trying to ensnare someone. Not getting any applicants though as even without the off-putting third party situation, it’s really not the most appealing of sits.
I’m glad though that those you’ve reported have been swiftly dealt with. It seems very hit and miss. THS used to be very responsive to any email I’d send. Not so much these days.
Is it by any chance one that has added “it will be private to you”?
Because it sounds strange to mention it in the listing, as it is a given. Even more when it is a one room apartment with a “living room-bedroom“
You’ve found the very listing in question!!! They have subsequently deleted the part about the housemate who lives in the one bedroom. I suspect to try to draw in some interest in. I can’t imagine the house-mate would uproot himself and vacate whilst a house-sitter is staying there. I fear some poor unsuspecting sitter may end up being duped!
However, since the listing still has zero applicants, clearly people are sensing that something is amiss which is absolutely the case.
Actually, the sit description reads innocent enough. There can be a multitude of reasons to sleep in the living/bedroom, or one could read it as “ok, this is the bedroom, and the landlord has oversold the property”.
We reported it @Chatsetchiens and THS have said it’s not breaking the rules (no room mate is now mentioned and the living room/bedroom indicated as where “they” and then later “you” will sleep sounds separate? THS said they checked the “improper” messages between HO and potential sitters & none are odd. But maybe I have the wrong one?? #blacklabpossiblyoramioffthemark
Shaking my head over here at their utterly pathetic response. Dear oh dear.
Smacks of turning a blind eye to me. Wish I’d taken screenshots of the original ad but it was clearly stated that the sitter was expected to cohabit with this person’s male house-mate who also resides in the one bed flat. In fact, it was stated that this housemate had occupancy of the one bedroom in the flat. The pet parent/HO’s living quarters are the living room and that is where the sitter would also be expected to sleep.
Maybe they’ve reached an arrangement where the housemate has agreed to vacate for the duration of the sit but I highly doubt it. I see they are not generating any interest and time is ticking so one can only hope the sitters who have been approached have their spidey senses on high alert and know that this is definitely one to avoid.
Thank you for reporting it though and helping to stamp this kind of thing out. You’re appreciated.
Just to say, a big thank you @Cuttlefish and @Shafofo for lending your support with this and taking time out of your day to flag this dodgy sit up to the help desk. It appears this person is no longer active on the platform so you have helped a sitter to avoid falling into an unfortunate trap. Thank you to anybody else who also helped with this as it’s clearly made a difference.
I checked the listing I reported, and see that THS obviously didn’t take it down, and the text isn’t altered. So obviously pet-sitters pay a lot of money to help an old man with walking a lot of dogs and going to the supermarket while his wife is away. But hey. They have a swimmingpool.
