Good for you! Well done.
It takes vast experience and confidence to decline after speaking with the owner. Awkward, yes, but I am sure you have dodged some bullets!
Hi @Attackssl210,
Welcome to the forum.
Most video chats are set before the sit has been confirmed and once sitters and HOs feel they may be a good match, using the information in listings, applications, profiles and reviews; sometimes additional questions are exchanged through the platform message system.
The main purpose of the video chat is to have a face to face chat, clarity some details on both sides and see if everything feels right and both parties are willing to go ahead.
Some owners like to chat to several candidates before making a decision. Sitters can also apply to several overlapping sits and have chats with different hosts.
The vast majority of sitters have wonderful reviews, ratings are inflated in THS so the value of reviews is quite limited. Most hosts and sitters want to have some personal interaction. English is not my first language either, sometimes it’s not so much the command of language as the feeling people get. Of course, communication is important. There are also hosts who speak other languages.
My POV: That was already reason to not apply.
it pretty much works that way with Airbnb. its the way i handled when i used to airbnb my places (that i lived in) 12 years ago, so yeah its a generational thing.