Another “New “ listing today with no internal photos at all -
What’s so annoying is that MS are clearly telling porky pies to the forum team about them manually checking all new listings. They’re simply not doing it as we all know @Silversitters. Am with @Colin on volunteering to vet & throw out useless listings with glee
For goodness sake MS, just add the report button and make everyone’s life easier! #notrocketscience
Hello everyone!
While I acknowledge that some listings are slipping through the net, I think we also need to give MS the benefit of the doubt. I can’t deny that you guys are highlighting examples of where listings do have an issue that shouldn’t be there, but the majority of new listings being submitted will be approved or rejected correctly without us having visibility of them.
We’re grateful when we’re made aware of any that are reported here as it means we’re able to get them sorted.
The other issue I’m aware of is that a listing can be approved when it’s new, but if an owner’s situation changes and they update the listing, I don’t think it falls back into the same approval process. That’s maybe something that needs more attention.
I’ve passed along the feedback about a report button a few times now, as it’s a great idea, along with @Silversitters suggestion about training Frankie to report listings!
I’m going to start keeping a spreadsheet of listings that are reported to me via the Forum so that I can keep better track of the numbers we’re seeing, and pass that over to the team. Once I have that, I could see if I could get an idea of how many new listings are manually processed vs how many are reported to me with issues.
A free month of membership for a certain number of listings with issues reported @Colin @Cuttlefish @Silversitters ? We’d soon have them all sorted!
@Jenny I appreciate your concern and efforts to help manage this problem. However, any list you keep will surely just be a small sampling of the listings that truly are not being thoroughly vetted when new owner members join. For example, if 50 listings were submitted to you daily by forum members (easy to attain if not being restricted to new owners) it’s unlikely to be a true representation of those that are non-compliant.
When I was a volunteer moderator, for a few days I actively sent any non-compliant listings to membership services (about 10 a day for 3 days). I was asked to stop as I had overwhelmed staff. If one person can cause that much disarray, imagine what a team of active forum members could do. I have no doubt this is the main reason they don’t add a report button - they wouldn’t be able to keep up.
@Debbie, as to your suggestion to @Colin @Cuttlefish and @Silversitters - as much as I love the idea, my guess is that revenue would drop dramatically as they’d be handing out a lot of free membership months.
Another DM sent you you @Jenny
An Airbnb with sitter expected to help with guests and a live in caretaker.
Only one internal photo.
@Jenny I sent you another DM about a listing where owner will be there with the sitter .
They want the sitter to look after the pets while they are at work .
I reported it to MS 2 days ago but it is still listed .
Thanks for tagging me - I’ll just pop into my inbox now and get caught up
There are just so many I gave up reporting them a long time ago. I am not looking for a part time volunteer job
Gahds. This stuff makes me crazy when I see it.
I agree there should be a “report” button.
I see SO many listings with few photos of the inside of the home or people living or sharing space.
Reported one recently where sitters were expected to help out with guests if needed.
The lack of photos is the most common and most frustrating for me, personally.
I saw one this morning which has no pets, but sitters are required to ‘Mow the lawn, trim the hedge, tidy the plants and shrubs, water the pot plants, do any DIY jobs that crop up and keep the place clean and secure.’. It sounds as if they want a gardener/handyperson and I think the DIY statement is a bit ambiguous.
Just reported one now for breaking the third party policy (home is shared with a roommate) AND “friends may stop by - my home is open to everyone!” Sigh. Not on THS it’s not, sorry mate.
And somehow, it has 3 applicants for one date, reviewing another date, and 1 applicant for a third date. I think so many members, both sitters & HO’s are completely unaware of the policies.
Thanks for the reminder, I will do that
I’ll get working on those today before I finish thank you for taking the time to send them over!
unreal…seriously
If the owners are doing this wilfullly then THS should put a final tick box that owners have to agree to the terms of service before posting by ticking it and warning that contravention could result in membership suspension.
This wouldn’t stop all of them but it would make some think again and make policing easier.
Isn’t it about time that they get tough on these people and relieve more staff from policing the adverts.
Thankfully Ms got back, said they have temporarily suspended the listing and will have a discussion with the HO
That’s a good idea @Goodboyjakey - I’ve passed that over as feedback
Hi everyone,
Just wanted to say that we report any “bad” listings to member services as soon as we see them. Problems include no interior pics, third parties, mentions of inside surveillance devices, HOs expecting “work” to be done (work outside the purview of typical house and pet sitting chores), etc.
We do not mind sending the listings to member services.
Yes, it IS galling that THS has become driven by profit and quality can suffer.
Yes, a team of staff members at THS should be adequately vetting each and every listing before it goes live.
Yes, new HOs and sitters need to read and understand the terms and conditions before their memberships are approved.
But we truly believe in making the shared THS experience as good as it can be and if that means helping member services vet listings, then so be it. We feel some tiny ownership in the quality of the THS ecosystem, and this is just one way we express it.
Just our opinion, anyway.