@Samox24 , how strange, when i click on the profile name on both my pnone and laptop, no profile link shows.
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The link doesn’t show up for me either, but if I hover very carefully underneath where it says “are very chilled” I can see the hand to click and it takes me to the previously invisible link
This is on my laptop btw
Hi @Colin yes mine is showing a location link too but when I click on this I am able to view their listing. I’m currently using the App on my iPhone
Thank you, every day is s school day 
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I see it on the app on my iPhone .
In the App if you click on the hyper link to their name then click on their icon The ‘T’ then you will get the link.
@Shannon This is what we see in the web interface. The link is not visible.
But (as @Andalucia described) one can hover very carefully with the mouse and click an invisible link.
Somehow I missed that the listing says the dog is very “chilled”. Um, if I’d seen that as an applicant the very last thing I would have assumed is that this was a dog with SEVERE separation anxiety so bad it can’t be let alone for more than 30 mins ! That the exact opposite of “chilled”OP I’m sorry if it seems like we are piling on you, but as a sitter, just trying to provide the other perspective. If I were the sitter here I would feel misled and upset. I probably wouldn’t have cancelled on you because I’m not as good as your sitters were at standing up for myself and I wouldn’t have wanted to leave you in a total lurch. But I would have been pretty peeved the whole time. To me this is the kind of situation that requires a paid sitter and you really should have been more transparent !
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As a homeowner asking for someone to animal sit FOR FREE, I assume that they are looking for free accommodation and looking after our animals is a bonus extra. Yes, we’ve got cats but if I’d a dog or 2 I’d expect them to be left for up to 6 hours. What happens on a normal day when one’s working? That’s at least 9 hours out of the home. I think the sitters were pretty brave to say immediately, although I get it; you were left without free animal care. Sorry, but that’s how I read it, and given that catteries charge at least £10pcpn, dogs probs £15 they were about to save you a fortune too.
This sit sounds like a bait and switch. I’m going to report the homeowner to membership services, hoping that no other sitters are misled into such a mess.
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@ddacey Regarding the insurance, on re-reading the original post it’s unclear who decided to cancel since the OP says “When they told us all this, we felt that we wouldn’t be happy to leave the animals in there care (or lack of)…” Did the sitters say they were cancelling or did the HO decide the sit couldn’t go forward? Depending on the details, the sitters might be able to argue for it to be covered by the insurance.
@tab We do understand your upset in having plans change at the last minute like that but your public listing doesn’t even come close to specifying how long the dog can be left alone. Your request is extremely out of the ordinary.
But you say you were specific in the Welcome Guide? Since nobody here on the Forum can see the wording you used about this issue, did the sitters miss this very important detail?
If you were not crystal clear in the Welcome Guide either, the sitter was within their rights to refuse the sit, even as you stood at your front door.
Was it clarified in your video chat before all sides confirmed the sit?
We’re so sorry you had this experience.
Please note, if you are new to Trusted Housesitters, homeowners and sitters alike learn from experience and as a result, have a long list of questions to ask during the video chat. This helps to preempt terrible situations such as you described.
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“Just a short drive (30-40 mins) to the beautiful New Forest and the South Coast with it’s stunning Sandy beaches.”
Why would this be in the listing if sitters can’t leave for more than 20-30 minutes? Most sitters would reasonably expect to be able to leave for at least 4 hours based on the info in the listing.
I think the listing needs a complete overhaul to accurately represent the sit and only get applications from the few sitters who might be willing to accept such a restriction.
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Yikes. You say the following in your forum profile “we are in a really beautiful spot and our cat and dog are very chilled!” A dog that has such sever behavioral issues that it cannot be left for more than 20 minutes is definitely not chilled.
You also say this was made clear in advance in the welcome guide - the welcome guide is only available after the sit has been offered and accepted so it definitely is not in advance.
This should be in the listing and possible at the beginning of the listing in big letters. It should have been further discussed during the call you had with them before offering the sit to them (you did actually talk to them before offering the sit?)
I would suggest THS is not the right place for a dog with 20 minute separation anxiety and that you may want to look at a paid sitter where you can be specific about your requirements and pay appropriately for them.
I’m sorry you got let down at such a late stage but honestly your care requirements are not reasonable and in my opinion you tried to slip them under the radar. Obviously a sitter is looking for free accommodation and being out 6-7 hours a day is not unreasonable. If you need a locked in sitter you should be clear about this and be prepared to pay for it.
You say THS won’t let you complain but you also say you have complained already so I’m a little confused. Are you just unhappy with the level of punishment that has or has not been metered out? If you desire a specific outcome such as refund then make that clear rather than another complaint about your previous complaint.
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I can’t see the link to the host’s profile - I am on the web version of this forum, not on the phone app
EDIT: okay, found it thanks to this comment:
Having looked at the profile, I think that the host should mention the requirement that the dog cannot ever be left for more than max 20-30 minutes in CAPITALS right up the top of the listing in the Introduction section, and repeat it in the Responsibilities section as well as in the Welcome Guide. Also the host should make sure to mention it to all potential sitters when they do a video or telephone chat during the application process.
I quite agree that the requirement to leave the dog for no more than 30 min should be communicated in the listing and the video call. But, it was not bait and switch as many have said. It was in the manual and the OP expected the sitter to read it there. The problem is that we get the manual AFTER accepting a sit.
I am a homebody and work from home. I would consider such a sit if I could get groceries delivered and perhaps take the dog to pubs and cafes. Extra points if there is a nice garden.
Anyway, I am sorry this happened and hope you will try again in the future.
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You are describing the definition of bait and switch.
A sitter not knowing until they look at the manual, aka “welcome guide”; which we only get after accepting is 100% bait and switch. At no point did the HO make this expectation known which they had entire responsibility to do.The consensus here seems to the HO described a chilled dog. Putting it in the “fine-print” is totally a bait and switch.
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Maybe the homeowner expected the sitter to take the dog with them? (Not a defense of the owner. Just a thought.)
I agree @Marion - that also crossed my mind although I would have thought the owner would have immediately said that the dog could accompany the sitter when the sitter explained they expected to be out and about every day. It seems a particularly extreme clash given the expectation of not leaving the dog for even half an hour coupled with the sitters expectation of being out for 6-7 hours daily.
This unfortunate situation shows the importance of clear communication on both sides so that expectations are understood and both sitter and owner can make an informed decision about whether a particular sit/sitter will suit.
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We will have to agree to disagree. This is a first time pet parent. They thought putting something in the guide was sufficient notice.
I realize everyone is piling on here (consensus), but the forum isn’t about who is right or who is in the majority. It is about assistance and different viewpoints. I felt the need to express my opinion that bait and switch (which implies intention) isn’t 100% accurate. The info was in the manual. The OP didn’t know that this should be described and then discussed up front. They don’t even seem to realize that what they require is more than the average sit.
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