I have a sitter due to be arriving on Friday, 16th August for a week and have previously had contact via whatsapp and have had a video call with her. However, this week (Monday to be exact) I thought I would contact her just to finalise times and specific details - I have sent two messages and have tried calling her and have had no response to anything.
I don’t really know what to do but have gone back to some of the other people who were interested to find out if they are still available.
What are my options? I will be a bit stuck if she doesn’t turn up at all.
I look forward to hearing your thoughts.
Just my opinion - there are more experienced people on here who might have different advice. It sounds like something has happened. Can you contact the support team at THS to also try to reach out to her as a final last ditch effort to confirm they are still coming. Having said that with you going away tomorrow you probably need to put your plan B into action & once in place cancel them via the site.
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That sounds stressful @gtm0310
THS may have an alternative number to contact the sitter on ( they may have lost/ broken their phone ) and they will be able to advise next steps .
You can contact THS on the 24/7 Urgent Support phone line ( number is on your dashboard )
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Thanks, yes it’s incredibly stressful and she has just cancelled.
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Sorry to hear that @gtm0310 - I hope nothing serious has happened to the sitter .
Are you a Premium member ? If so you maybe covered by the sit cancellation plan .
You can also post your sit on the last minute sits here on the forum @gtm0310 and you may be lucky 
#fingerscrossed
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I find this utterly disgusting that she has cancelled on you with no warning or reply to your communications. I feel so sorry for you with your travel being this close. What is wrong with people these days, this is bad form at its worst 
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she could have been taken ill herself OR there could have been a tragedy with a loved one. Not goor of her not to respond but as outsider it’s not up to us to pass judgement on these situations 
The HO hasn’t said ( unless maybe in a later post) if the sitter has or hasn’t given a reason for the cancellation
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Yes it is very bad and is just so stressful and I’m sure we could have been told sooner so that we could organise an alternative.
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I completely understand that something terrible might have happened, she said it was for personal reasons. It’s just very late in the day.
I’m not sure but it was for personal reasons.
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@gtm0310 you can ask admin ( @Jenny ) to link your listing to your profile .
Also with your permission they can advertise your listing on social media .
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Happy to link your listing to your profile with your consent, @gtm0310 - just let me know
@Maggie my mother passed away suddenly when I was on a housesit thousands of miles away. Obviously it was a highly distressing time for me but I made sure I contacted the homeowners immediately then organised care for the cats before I flew out a few hours later, it was a commitment that had to be for the homeowners consideration as well as my own. I would never let anyone down without giving them a good reason in a timely and considerate manner, no matter what the circumstances. Everyone has to put themselves in other people’s shoes sometimes and do as what you would like done by you.
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You are very responsible @ziggy and the steps you took are commendable. Unfortunately, sometimes people fall to pieces under stress, and maybe this is what happened.
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One can have personal sympathy for whatever is going on in another person’s life and also recognize that they have been irresponsible and caused harm by their lack of communication.
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@gtm0310 Maybe if you mention your details here (and ideally link your listing), perhaps there is someone reading now who could jump in to help!
We don’t even know where your home is located!
Long shot, I realize, but you never know.
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What a nightmare! I am so, so sorry.
I just can’t imagine leaving someone in a spot like this, no matter what is happening (but that is me, and I do understand that sometimes other people fall apart and can’t think of others – I say I understand, but honestly, I really can’t 
Maybe for a day or two, but not for a week).
Am I TOO responsible?
I always communicate with my hosts via What’s App after a sit is confirmed. Even for sits confirmed many, many months in advance (most of them), I check in monthly, and when it is getting closer, weekly. This is for my sense of security as well as that of the host.
Some people might think this is too much, or intrusive, but my hosts have always replied to my texts and seemed to appreciate it.
I also think it has facilitated a sense of connection, trust & friendship in both directions, prior to the scheduled sit.
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yes that was why I reacted I feel for you because I was precisely the same when my mum died.( she been suffering from dementia and I lived abroad so spent two years prior to her passing traveling back and forth to the UK. When she died I went straight out of my coping mode and into a major Burn-out. I just shut down and went into a day to day survival mode for the first two months. However troublesome for the HO I do hope they ultimately understand that something like a close death can shut you down and you need to take care of other things . So its tough for the HO/sitter it happens to, but the person suffering a loss is also in a very difficult situation & often in need of help
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Well, if I’d been forced to cancel a sit “for personal reasons” , I’d say what those reasons were. You’d owe the HO that much, at the very least.
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