I think your words and their context are quite clear for everyone in the forum ( as already shown by many others) not so much the HO’s. You just quoted a question:
When would you be in Los Angeles before the sit?
Not a requirement. Just a question and a little explanation with no more context.
I like to meet with people in person
With no more context, I would have understood that as a handover or pre-handover meeting.
That happened to me once. I was in the UK when I applied for a sit in Melbourne, Australia and was asked the same question. I completely understood that HO wanted to make sure I wouldn’t be trapped at some airport two continents away and they wanted to meet in person and me to meet the pets and get the keys before the sit started the following day. I got the sit and everything was great.
It would be interesting to know if you have answered the HO’S question and what their reaction was.
There has been plenty of useful advice. Not mine, I admit. I just answered the question you asked in the headline. Just differently from your own answer.
This thread has run its course, since the original poster asked and was answered, despite not liking what’s a fact: THs allows the question/request that was described.
You seem to be suggesting that a host (and, I presume by extension, sitters) making a request should not be allowed. This must be because you see such a request as a demand. I’m sure there are a few boneheaded (or seriously confused) hosts on THS who think they can make demands but those hosts are few and easily avoided with a simple “no thanks” and “goodbye”. Beyond those few, demands are neither made nor accepted by either hosts or sitters on THS.
Your reference to the border issue is a non sequitur. Border agents are not looking at the semantics of requests vs demands.
Finally, sitters are no more offering a free service to hosts than hosts are offering free housing to sitters. Both sides incur monetary expenses and both sides receive some monetary benefit. And both sides independently decide whether the expenses and benefits balance out beneficially for them.
I think this thread has run its course, as suggested by @Maggie8K, so I’m going to go ahead and close it now.
I thought it worth sharing this article which shares Trusted Housesitter’s advice to owners - Am I Ready To Confirm A Sit - the article suggests that arranging a video call to get to know potential sitters is a good idea.
