It’s fine to not match, because of different expectations. And personally, I avoid sits where internet is iffy, so if that’s a host’s reason for delayed replies, it’s good to know upfront. That also means their sitters might have trouble reaching them in case of emergencies.
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I think you are the most common type of sitter. You apply to various sits and if you do that immediately after they post, you will likely find a sit right away.
We have never had a problem getting sitters. This auto reply idea was suggested on another forum and as we may not be able to reply immediately, I thought this was a possible option.
Thank you for your input.
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Exactly. 24 hours is fine. “Immediately “ is likely not possible for us. And we have to see the notification on my phone or constantly check on the app. I really can’t do that every 5 min. And for us, if someone is that stressed about a HO responding immediately, they may not be able to be a relaxed sitter. And therefore not a good fit for us. Thank you for your input.
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Also if you read my comments, we are in the beautiful Rocky mountains and there is not reception everywhere. It looks like you are in the UK or Australia? Big time difference compared to the US. So if someone is planning on coming to the US, we could be asleep when they write. A little grace and consideration is always warranted.
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That is a big difference. Immediately is quite different than 24 hours. I’m glad you clarified this.
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I think you may not have read my comments. Our WiFi is high speed and awesome. But we are in the Rocky Mountains. We are 15 minutes away from a ski resort and 5-30 minutes from incredible hiking. People come here to ski and to hike. Daily. The reception is off in parts of the mountains. And so if you are driving you may hit a pocket of no cell data available.
Of course! See my post - it’s helpful if you state that in your listing 
I mean - hey, you do you, but I (as a HO) try to avoid problems when I can, and that includes telling people about possible hiccups.
If you’re saying that you post sits and then go out of pocket and can’t reply, that’s of course your choice. Meanwhile, sitters usually apply for multiple sits and hosts who respond promptly will tend to get the best results. Those are just the realities of matching (or not).
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I don’t think anyone expects a response immediately, but 24-48 hours is reasonable. I don’t see what an auto reply would add. I already know that my application was sent and I can see whether it has been read. An auto reply does not provide any additional information and is not a personal response.
People do things in their own way and we don’t all have to manage this process the same way. HOs can take as long as they like to respond and they will likely find sitters who are fine with waiting. Personally, I’m very busy and am someone who likes to get things done. I don’t like having things hanging, so I prefer to sit for hosts who are decisive and respond quickly. Most of the sits I’ve done have been confirmed within 3-4 days including having a virtual chat (I confirmed a sit yesterday within hours of my application). I’ve had some hosts disappointed that I withdrew my application because I accepted another sit, but there is no reason for me to turn down a definite sit to wait for a host who may or may not ever contact me.
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100%, systaran.
My experience with committed sitters is also that communication is swift and decisions are generally made within 2-3 days (one day prep for the video call, because agendas).
An auto reply just tells you what you already know, absolutely useless.
If I were a sitter, btw, if my message had been read and I’d not received a response within a day, I’d walk away. If they’re sluggish in communication now, that won’t improve later on.
Should I ever leave you hanging more than say 12 hours without telling you about when I’ll proceed, please accept a different sit if you have one. It’s my loss, but you’re completely entitled to do so.
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Oh, btw - about a sitter accepting a different sit while hanging in your inbox - what happens in that case, dear HOs? Are they being removed from the applicants list and autodeclined? Do I get a message?
Never had that happen to me (or I never realised it), so … I’d like to know.
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I could be wrong, but I don’t think HOs get any type of notification or anything from THS. Once I accept a sit, I withdraw my application for any sits with overlapping dates and send a message informing the HO that I’m no longer available for those dates. But I do that myself, my applications are still there until I withdraw them.
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If that’s really the case, that is a really bad idea. And easily fixable, so I don’t understand why that’s not being done.
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