I’ve been on THS for a while and had a few successful sits in Asia, but am now struggling to get one in London.
We’re a couple, and when applying I always write a lengthy application that includes information about us and our experience, and comments about the house/flat and pets. I ask questions to get some more information and always suggest having a chat or video call.
For previous applications, even if not selected at the end, we always had a text chat or video call with the HO just to get to know us a bit better. But for London, I’ve applied to 6-7 sits and after 3-5 days of radio silence, I just get an declined notification.
I know HO have no obligation to respond or send any message, but it just feels rude. And I see they decline me but haven’t selected a sitter because they still show up when searching or appear as reviewing.
Why not even a “Sorry but after reviewing applications we’ve chosen a different sitter” or something like that?
What’s other people’s experience with this?
Maybe it’s normal and we’ve just had luck in the past with HO in other countries…
Maybe the time to ask questions is not in the initial application, which is basically just introductory and to give a quick summary about yourself to grab their attention? This is what works for us, then we ask questions if and when a video chat is scheduled.
It is rude. It’s the new norm in Society in general, this ghosting - but that doesn’t alter the fact it’s rude and cavalier. As a sitter, I put a great deal of time and effort into applications; I only apply for sits I very much want. If HOs can’t set aside a few seconds to send me a one-sentence message… Gah! Now, with a slew of five-star sits behind me, I withdraw my application if I’ve heard nothing at all after two days.
I had a similar experience last year when I was home visiting from Australia. I was born in london, lived in London and then emigrated to Oz.
I found all the sit that i did in the rest of the UK, had great communication and lots of interactions.
Any applications I put in for London, were just left hanging, no response. Ghosted. It was very weird.
I’m sorry you are having a similar experience, don’t let it put you off though. London is a great city to visit. You could consider some of the ‘home counties’, where you could find a lovely sit, and visit London for day trips.
Hi. Have you tried putting your location as UK? If HOs are thinking you live in another country maybe nervous about flights and not making the sit. Just a thought
If a host does not reply in three days, and I really like the sit, I will send a follow up. I emphasize that there is no stress, but that I am very interested, so I am wondering what way they are going. Usually I also include something like “I am being invited to do a sit that is right before your dates, so it would be great to have this back to back”. This boosts the confidence of the host that I will not have travel hiccups.
This method lands me the sits with the hosts who are slow to decide, busy, and overwhelmed by the 5 applications - meaning that using this method will yield hosts who are perhaps bad at planning and communication. Beware of that. I dont mind, but many sitters have higher standards.
Sending a follow up message is a delicate thing: one has to balance the risk of the host finding it annoying. I would not do it if I depended on the sit, but I do it if I really like the sit and want to get things moving. A swift “no” in that case is as great as a yes or maybe, as it frees my mind of that sit.
You can send a follow up even after the listing is no longer available (though this would be rather silly). You can send one after you have been rejected. This way you can even “apply” to sits that are already in review - as long as you have before contacted the host, the host actually can not stop you from writing to them. The ability to send follow up messages is evident by for example an issue that gets discussed here sometimes: sitters sending place holder messages in order to be within the first 5, and then follow those with the proper application (though more often just not doing that, and neither withdrawing). Also in my message I tell that I have sent follow ups and have had success in securing sits that way. Sometimes there is a change to upgrade ones understanding of the situation, served on a gold platter.
When we receive an application we respond within the hour asking for availability for a video chat that we try and book within 24 hours. Oftentimes the sitters will then not respond in a timely manner taking up to 48 hours or more to get back to us or needing a follow-up message to reply. I don’t think it’s necessarily a HO thing, I think it’s a “some people” thing.
I think it’s ok IF the sitter plans to be in the country for a period of time that ALSO covers the sit dates. However it’s just as easy to write in your application what the location travel plans are eg we let a HO know our arrival and departure dates for Perth Australia to see family (2-4 mths). It provides context for the applications.
From one perspective yes. But what is the point of location in THS? To tell your home city? To have it always updated to where you actually are? Because it for sure is not what it does: hosts can seek out sitters based on location. But almost no sitter wants to sit in their home town, so there is not use for that search function. Much better to put your location to your dream town, so that hosts can accurately invite you. I think THS never thought of why they have the sitter posting their location, and how misleading it can be, both ways.
I put my location to where I want to go. It is in my opinion as deceitful as when I dont update my location with every new place I arrive to. Just did a 17h sit in one town, and reasonably did not update.
@KevMas, kudos on Asia sits and ambitions to housesit internationally. We’ve found that most Pet Parents are polite.
That said, we find that Pet Parents - at application stage or during/after housesit - are more motivated to be thoughtful if they want to initiate ongoing contact. For example, perhaps they decline us for a sit (for whatever reason) but would like us to consider a sit at a future date.
We have also found that some Pet Parents may lack politeness (at all stages) if they’re very busy people; if they’re sufficiently privileged as to have suite of service providers; if they have a very high demand property; or if they don’t really care about housesitter profile.
Guesswork really but we’ve come across this several times. Ultimately suggest don’t worry about it, and instead move forwards positively. Plenty of great listings and polite pet parents out there.
Yes that’s rude, but we sit in both the UK and Spain, and in both countries we get a response to almost every sit we apply to.
However, we’ve never applied for a sit in London, we prefer other places in England, there are much more beautiful places in our eyes.
The above could be your problem. You’ve only done “a few sits” and then you’re trying to secure a sit in a capital city, so you’ve set yourself quite a tough challenge with only a few reviews so owners can’t be sure that you’ll actually make such a long flight.
In the UK there are already a huge number of sitters with a lot of reviews and that’s what you are up against, and it’s logical those applicants with lots of reviews within the UK have attractive qualities, the same as you would likely have a higher chance of securing an Asia sit over someone who hadn’t sat within Asia before, like me.
So perhaps aim for different locations within England instead of London where demand is high, so you can gain a couple of UK reviews, and then aim for London, because those UK reviews may really help.
My experience with London, applied for a great sit in Richmond, perfect dates, breed of dog I love. Went to review quickly then nothing. Messaged again a few days later to say I was prioritising that sit, not applying for anything else. Still nothing. Applied for other sits. Got 2 in better locations. Left the application open. Eventually I was contacted by the Richmond owner and was slightly delighted to say “sorry I’ve got something else”. Moral of that story, keep trying
Regarding UK reviews, we only had one, a regional one prior to applying in London. I think our 4 further UK sits were locked in on the basis of that one sit, so it’s possible.
