If you apply to a sit that has no prior reviews, do you think to ask more about the owner and the pet/s? I am on the learning curve still and will ask if pet is good with new people etc… However, when wondering if the home, owner, situation is good, is there anyway we can do a little research?
When it is completely new, you just don’t have much to go on. I am applying for a sit at a B & B, I guess I will ask to have a phone call with the person handling it, and ask questions.
any suggestions, welcome ;>)
Absolutely I would ask a bunch of questions and make sure you have a video call with the HO before accepting an invite, so you get a sense of whether it’s a good match.
New THS owners are not always aware of policies such as no third parties on the property, no indoor & undisclosed cameras, no additional pets that aren’t listed in the listing, etc. I would definitely make sure they know THS policies, especially as it’s a B&B - they will need to know that guests cannot be on the property during the sit, so make sure you check this.
We always ask about the pet’s routine, how long they can be left for, how they are on walks and if there are any pet behaviours we should be aware of, plus some info about the local area and how accessible public transport is
Hello @amiga_gato if you do a search using the spyglass above you will find alot of information about your question. Here is a thread on your topic to get you started. Good luck!
Welcome @amiga_gato What makes you think that it might be a scam ?
Everyday new members join THS some are hosts and some are sitters . We all have to start this way. ( without reviews )
We have sat for 3 hosts who were new to THS we had a video call with them to chat things over before confirming the sit . The sits all went well and we have been back for repeat sits for all of them .
Homeowners don’t have external references on their listing and they are not ID checked by THS but that in itself doesn’t make it a scam .
Is there something more specific than not having reviews that seems “off” for the listing that you are concerned about ?
I don’t think a scammer has much to gain from THS, as it’s mutually free exchange with a very high joining fee. There is no way to research an owner - this would be against privacy policy.
What I would say though is that if something doesn’t feel right, go with your gut and don’t choose that sit. This doesn’t even necessarily mean there’s anything wrong with the listing or owner, may just mean it’s not a good fit.
Thanks. I updated my question to reflect the situation a bit more clearly. It is not that I don’t know any questions, it is that this situation is so much different, I wanted to be sure it was real.
Nagy26, I like your reply. Well I am aware that there are scammers on FB and online dating, some of who seem to be the same people… so it is only a matter of time. I don’t live in fear, I am just trying to be aware. This one is super cool. So, hopefully I will find out more… Have a fabulous day.
Thank you for that information. More than being a first listing, it is listed by a person who is a young assistant for the owners, without saying who she works for. it is 2 rooms in a B & B, so I am not sure if someone rented it out all year, or who is having it be Housesat. It may all be legit. I just was asking ways to research if it is legit. If she every replies to me, I will know more. and if I have doubts, maybe I can check w/ THS?
I looked online and it is a known property, yet you can’t book online. ( maybe it is small and exclusive, maybe it is closed for renovations… If it goes further, I will let you know. ) Have a nice day!
Totally @BJane, but it’s the most expensive pet-sitting exchange site our there and I don’t think it would be in a scammer’s best interest to pay that amount (most others are about £20 per year)
If it’s the one in Puerto Vallarta, it feels to me that what she is looking for is a caretaker for the B&B, but she has very carefully worded her post to make it look as if it fits the guidelines for THS. My guess is that if she pursues it further with you privately, she will be more upfront.
Thank you for the extra information behind your question @amiga_gato . Whenever you have concerns that a listing breaks any of the T&Cs you can report it to support@trustedhousesitters.com and mention the specific terms / policy that it is breaking so that they can investigate further.
Here are some links to the T&Cs that all members sign up to and some details of THS policies.
I did just that for the sit I mentioned. The first THS response just sloughed it off, and showed that the responder had not read it carefully. I wrote again and said “Sure, it is possible that a well-known B&B - in one of the most popular destinations in the world - would be closed for 6 months and only sabe looking for a cat-sitter…” He replied that indeed he had re-read the listing and would contact them to verify. I just checked, and the listing is still up and reviewing applications.
Why are your mentioning ‘scammers’? It wasn’t mentioned by the OP. She was merely asking about if there was a way to research further HO that have no prior reviews, which I don’t think is unreasonable given that THS does zero checks on HO, unlike sitters.
Welcome @amiga_gato
I’ve done a few sits for new HO’s. The main thing is to have a video chat before accepting the sit. On this video call I explain a few things to the HO like how important a welcome guide is and to make it available asap before the sit. I offer to help them with it if they need to clarify anything.
I learn something new everyday. I am a little surprised that HOs are not also vetted. I believe the risk is equal for sitters and HOs…I wonder why HOs are not vetted. Hmmm
(most others are about £20 per year)
She was merely asking about if there was a way to research further HO that have no prior reviews, which I don’t think is unreasonable given that THS does zero checks on HO, unlike sitters.