Need opinion from other sitters: Would you go with your gut and cancel this sit?

Now, that would put me off. Can’t make the agreed appointment time but doesn’t let you know, then does a rushed chat? No thanks! Busy or not, it denotes an entitled host who definitely doesn’t value her sitter’s time.

2 Likes

Ah, this is a rather different scenario…

2 Likes

During a video chat, we were once told the floorcoverings throughout - except the kitchen - were white carpet, so we were always to wear slippers and not take food or drink into the carpeted areas. We didn’t accept the sit :rofl:.

5 Likes

I had a very short sit where they asked you to play with the dog on the floor and then before sitting on their couch to change your clothes.
It wasn’t in the Welcome Guide but in a note on the kitchen counter once I’d arrived.
I hadn’t brought enough changes of clothes to do that…

8 Likes

We need a new emoji for that one @PNW :flushed::flushed::flushed: #wtaf

6 Likes

OMG that is hilarious!!! Change your clothes after playing with the dog? LMAO!

1 Like

We originally come from Los Angeles which is a super Lawsuit happy Location and things like “use at your own risk” is just legallize To prevent being sued by someone staying at their home. They may have been sued in the past, or One of them is an attorney and they’re just trying to cover themselves. Maybe the last sitter drink cranberry juice on their white sofa. I don’t think I would be particularly worried, some people are just not soft and fuzzy. It wouldn’t prevent me from staying there I would just be aware that they need a little bit of handholding.

2 Likes

I really don’t see a problem with it. And I agree it was probably written from experience. I am on a sit now and I bring the dog in through the downstairs door, pick her up and put her in the laundry room sink and rinse her paws. There are 2 towels for drying. The house is lovely and comfortable. And I have to squeegy the shower doors, but I had to do that at another sit. Easier to clean them later. And I would respect the white couch thing. Put a thick blanket on it if you absolutely need to eat or drink there. But why?

1 Like

It seems to me, that there are generally 2 groups of sitters. One, that thinks HO responsibilites are suggestions, and others who are more respectful of the HO home and pet routines. Not saying one is bad etc. But reading responses to certain situations, some of us are aghast that you think you don’t have to walk the dog on schedule, and there have been HOs with door cams that see some sitters are hardly walking the dogs. I am confused why a sitter would take a sit with a dog, when there are other sits, when you don’t want the responsibility of walking the dog. Like the sit I am on now, she asked that I didn’t fry onions. I find that a strange request, but I can live for 2 weeks without frying onions. I am staying in a lovely home and going shortly to the hot tub. I can do without frying onions for 2 weeks and walk the dog on schedule to be in the area I need to be for a bunch of appointments and stuff I have to do. So my question, if you don’t want to adhere to the responsibilities of the HO, what do you think you are offering in exchange for their home as accomodation?

8 Likes

Adding to the pile of people who prefer explicit welcome guides but I would definitely ask how the first sit went and why there was no review left in either direction. Esp if this person is a lawyer. Also, nothing that you listed seems outlandish.

Our guide is very comprehensive (but formatted), broken down into three documents with a YouTube playlist of tutorials to accompany it. I would rather an HS have access to more information than less and I think it also just makes for very clear expectations.

To be fair, as a newbie, the HO may not realise how important reviews are. My first few sits, I didn’t know and didn’t get or leave reviews as HO although it’s obvious the sit went well as our first sitter was a repeat. After some time, I realised it was important to do reviews and changed my behaviour. Regardless, just ask.

I don’t think “not adhering to the responsibilities” is the point of the OP. In fact, @Avamyst11 said

She’s just wondering if the unwelcoming tone in the “welcome” guide, plus other issues, should be taken as a red flag. That’s all.

And I think that is the point. As mentioned, I am on a sit now, where I squeegy the shower doors, pick up the dog when I get back, put him in the laundry sink and rinse his paws. Things that she mentioned in her pack. They didn’t say use gym at your own risk, but as lawyers, I could see this. We all clean before we leave, so that part doesn’t absolve the not wanting to adhere to the other responsibilities. What is your point?

I see your point but … I would rather someone put things in black and white clearly like this welcome guide to keep us on the same page. Some people are not warm and fuzzy and that’s just the way it is. I would not let this stop me from the sit. That being said, if your gut is telling you not to do it, you know the answer.
Good Luck either way.

1 Like

I’m getting the vibe that this HO may be one of those who views sitters as staff. All those Do Nots… Come on, which of us doesn’t clean up after ourselves? Do we really need finger-wagging instructions on the basics? Then showing up two hours late for your video call, as if your time didn’t matter and she was doing you a favour by turning up at all…
I know Americans are more direct and assertive than we Brits and less careful about being pleasant in writing, but I don’t like the sound of this.
One of the elements of being a sitter I like most is the feeling of being welcome and appreciated in someone’s home. I’m getting none of that from these HOs.
But as you say, whether you act on your gut is a personal decision.

There are posts all the time from HOs who have had sitters who have not done what most of us would consider obvious things. So clearly some sitters DO need to be told some things. My original assumption that this list is based on previous bad experiences has not changed.

And if you read the comment, they were NOT 2 hours late. There was no set time for the call. OP just said to text them a few minutes before and they could hop on a call. So the HOs were not late to anything and OP saying they were was misleading and incorrect.

2 Likes

If you have concerns then consider scheduling a video call with the Pet Parent. Open, honest, transparent communications seem valuable. There was some reason that you chose this housesit. You knew (lack of) reviews prior to confirming sit. Personally I see many requests in welcome guide as reasonable. In regards tone of language, perhaps English is not primary language of Pet Parent or perhaps that’s just their communication style. Whether that’s enough to warrant cancellation seems marginal versus THS policies.
We’ve always left a review. But prior to THS changes in review system then no review was more common.
Have a call. Talk it over. Then reassess your situation.

I am not warm and fuzzy, except with my kid/and dogs, when I had them. So I don’t expect that from HOs. The host for the sit I am on now, was very hospitable, made me dinner. It is a beautiful 5 bed, 5 bath home in Toronto. Near restaurants and transportation, jet tub. She asked me to open packages, photo contents and send. I don’t have a problem with that. It was not in the welcome guide, or list of responsibilities. But I am staying in a lovely home, welcome basket. Dog is easy, small, older, beautiful park across the street. I stayed in an RV, was told to take puppies in my car to the dog park everyday. 2nd sit. It was in FL and it was what I could get when I needed to be in FL, the week before my daughter arrived for a vacation. So some sits are better than others. Responsibilities are about the same. Take care of pets, take care of home, clean. I don’t have a problem opening packages and photoing contents for her, because then I sit in the jet tub. I did get annoyed that I was in a third tier RV park, told to drive the puppies in my own car, no gas allowance for 8 days. And did it all with a smile for a good review. And those puppies had to go out every 3-4 hours during the day. Couldn’t even drive to the beach. And there were utility problems with the RV. Structural defect. And they gave me 4 out of 5 for self sufficiency. Still 5 stars overall. Not all sits are perfect. Not all sitters are perfect. Hopefully we are able to get sits we want. I just accepted a sit I wasn’t keen on, but I had a search on for new orleans end of Jan for 2 months and not one sit has come up. So I am now getting desperate to fill space.

If a listing or host gives you iffy vibes, that’s enough to avoid. It doesn’t matter if other sitters agree, because you’re the one who’d be doing the sit. The point is to match as well as possible for you, not other sitters. What’s a great sit for someone else might not be for you and vice versa.

For sitters who prioritize for locations or such, or who must be somewhere at a specific time, or must fill their calendars, they’ll compromise. That automatically comes with greater risks of a suboptimal sit. If that’s the case, it is what it is — they’ve opted to not be as choosy as other sitters.

Personally, my sitting isn’t based on needing to be anywhere in particular or at any specific times. That gives sitters like me the greatest choice and flexibility, the ability to be selective with listings and hosts. If I don’t find a sit and host(s) that strongly match, I pay for a non-sit trip or stay at home comfortably.

6 Likes

My point is I don’t see your point. I must have missed something. I don’t know whom your question is addressed to

I haven’t read anybody saying they don’t want to adhere to the responsibilities. At least not in this thread but, again, I may have missed something.

It seems to me what you are saying is we should endure all sorts of sits “with a smile for a good review” while I feel nobody should accept a sit they don’t feel comfortable with.
I guess we can agree to disagree.

Newpetlover, we’re on the same page. The discomfort I was feeling had nothing to do with me not wanting to adhere to the rules, and everything to do with the tone of the “Welcome” guide, and the crickets from both parties on her one and only prior housesit, which took place after I had my Facetime call with her.

I appreciate everyone’s input. I’m going to just ask the H/O what happened on the last sit, there’s no other way around this.

5 Likes