Has anyone experienced this before? I’m instantly uneasy.
HO doesn’t ask you many questions about yourself before sending the confirmation? No formal interview is fine with me, but you don’t even want to ask me about myself - a stranger coming to stay in your home?
Being left on ‘read’ when you start asking questions regarding the sit?
We don’t like that either. There needs to be a connection for us too. It’s not a “job”, it’s an exchange of benefits. Have you confirmed the sit @artgirl?
I am up for a sit like that. The HO is very busy. I don’t have concerns.
It is a short sit (on the way to the next real destination), it will probably be a very business-like encounter.
not yet. It would feel weird accepting when they haven’t even replied to my last messages. I can appreciate people being busy but a quick ‘I’m at work right now, will reply later’ - or even ‘I’m not comfortable giving that information’ (although why that would be, I’m not sure). Being left on read is just…awkward lol.
If they don’t respond now in the “keen” time then they’ll be hopeless during the sit. It’s not a priority for them and it is for you. There’s the difference. Agree with @botvot - hand it over to @pietkuip 
#trustyourgut
The two sits of mine I’d rate the lowest involved the laxest HOs. I also thought it was odd that someone would let strangers into their homes and entrust their pets to them with so little vetting, but I was new and figured that was just variety among people. They weren’t terrible sits overall, but now that I’ve got six sits under my belt and am on a seventh, I will avoid ones with lax screening.
Some people are just very trusting. Maybe a bit too trusting in the brand name.
There was a sit that I got without video chat. I had first been declined, but then their choice had not been available on this dates. So it was a bit last minute. But I only had one review then! And the handover was also short.
It was a very nice sit. Old dog, but very sweet, and no problem at all for the sitter. Short walks, just around the block, she could not manage much further. Nice owner too.
Agreed. Some people are trusting. For example, when I first joined, without any references or reviews, someone offered me an unsolicited six-week sit in a nice U.S. West Coast home with a beautiful back yard and use of a car.
I ended up sitting there twice, because I asked to split the sit so I could go home for part of the time.
I figure there’s learning to be done of various sorts. Like I now know that I prefer stays of two weeks or less, and would rather not repeat visits anytime soon, unless maybe I’ll try short, local repeats, like for a weekend.
I don’t think anyone on this planet is too busy to respond to any messages PERIOD!!. But If they trust the sitters and the sit is a good experience well what the heck! I’ve had a sit for the second time and have never seen this HO but it’s a good experience at her house so now I have two more dates and I’m ok with it. 
I have found some of the new HO’s on here–and there are a lot of them!–are very quick to offer a sit if they like your reviews and experience. I never accept a sit without a video chat. I need to look the person in the eye and see what feeling I get. Sometimes I’ll ask them to walk me around the house, though there are things you can’t tell from that, but it’s better than nothing. I will never, ever confirm a sit with someone I haven’t at least video’d with, and I tell new HO’s who ask my advice that they shouldn’t either.
Have you got a lot of information in your profile so that the HOs feel they don’t need to ask many questions, lots of reviews and references? If so, that may be why. However, I’d still be a little uneasy.
If you haven’t confirmed the sit, I’d just withdraw your application. You don’t even need to say why, or just say you’ve made other plans.
I agree that there are new HOs who join without understanding the platform and don’t really know what they are getting into.
We did a sit where the homeowner confirmed the sit immediately after reading our profile without any conversation. I personally was delighted - my kind of homeowner who makes a quick decision without me having to sit around waiting. I then offered to arrange a phone call with them and they couriered the keys to my home. We never did meet them but were in touch during the sit and all went well. One of our best sits!
I’ve been on the other end of no response from sitters but having my messages show as ‘read.’
I figure some people are busy with work or never check their THS account- and most sitters respond within a day or two, but if someone applies to sit for me and they have tons of 5-star reviews but haven’t responded within 72 hours, I decline them. I used to follow up because I didn’t want to miss out on someone great, but it’s a waste of my time now, especially with only a 5-application limit.
What do people think - if tomorrow I’m still left on read, should I decline the confirmation or send an awkward ‘um…hello?’ message? haha
Yeah I do to be fair, but still doesn’t explain the lack of replies…And if I was a HO I think I’d still want a 5 min phone call just to assess that the house sitter is who they say they are.
It depends on whether you need an answer, on whether the answer makes a difference.
If it just means that you will be waiting longer with doing something, don’t write, just do what you were waiting to do.
For example applying to something else.
(I have waited longer, ten days or so. Then they suddenly accepted and I confirmed, and I withdrew my other applications.)
I’ve had many many sits where they send the confirmation without even a chat. I find it odd each time but so far everything has worked out. Maybe they Google me and come to the conclusion that I’m a safe person
You may want to send a follow up message requesting answers to your earlier questions and the importance of their response before confirming. If a response is not received in relatively short order, I would follow up with another message noting your decline and wishing them the best securing a sitter.
