I just left my first negative review after more than a year using this site. I did so for the sake of future sitters and I encourage others of you to leave honest reviews, as well. I know it is difficult to do so and I have read on here how people worry about their own status if they leave a bad review. The review is actually better than my experience was. I waited a few days so I could calm down and right a factual review, not just share my emotions about it. I honestly believe the dog I sat with should only be taken care of by professionals, as it was very large, very strong and not trained to be kept under control. I came home bruised from head to toe and completely worn out by the stress of the sit. PLEASE, people, leave honest reviews. Thanks.
Well said. What were the previous reviews like?
There was one 5 star review, one that mentioned the dog being “untameable” (which came through after I had agreed to my sit and purchased a non-refundable plane ticket across the country), one that was when the dog was younger and they mentioned the need for more training, but I was hopeful that since dog was no longer a puppy, that would be ok and several sitters who did not leave reviews (or maybe they left them but the owners didn’t so that the reviews wouldn’t show up?). If I ever do a TH dogsit again I will be FAR more discerning and read between the lines. But at this point, I don’t feel like I can trust the site, so I do not plan to take any more sits.
Sorry that you are had such a bad experience but I really don’t think the site is to blame. It’s all about due diligence and looking for the red flags. The old review and the lack of sitters leaving reviews is usually a huge red flag. On a positive note you review will warn others.
Thank you for being honest in your revew.
I read a comment here recently about how sitters are reluctant to be the first to leave a bad review after a string of good reviews, but hopefully the new blind review system will change that. I dropped stars for cleanliness in a recent review, despite 23 (approx) other reviews being all 5-star. Interestingly, there has been a sitter after me who only gave 3 stars for cleanliness. (Sorry for turning my comment into a story about ME!)
@ljcollins Thank you for leaving an honest review.
If you feel that the pet should not be on THS because of a sitters safety - you can also raise a member dispute ( include photos of your bruises) and a medical report from a Dr (if available )
THS don’t read the reviews but when a member dispute is raised they do investigate.
I would say the site is to blame in making it uncomfortable for people to give honest reviews. In the forums I have read numerous examples of TH being unresponsive and I did find where to leave a formal complaint, but I had to dig hard to find it and there is no easy way to contact a real person when you need one.
Cleanliness was another issue on this sit and I was shocked at previous 5 star reviews.
I have written a possible complaint and have photo evidence of bruising, but I haven’t decided whether to make a formal complaint. I will consider it.
HO and sitters reviews were and still are independent, you don’t need to have both for them to be published. In the new, blind review system they are not published until both sides are submitted but after 14 days they are published anyway even if one side is missing. So we can assume that some sitters decided not to leave a review.
That’s the new system. Some of these sits were before that was in place.