I am very, very far from home, and my last few texts/emails are unanswered. It’s been a week. I don’t want to be a “noodge,” as we say where I come from, but no communication always makes me fear the worst. Especially since on one occasion, it was true. Today I broke down and phoned, and had to leave a message. My sitter had great reviews, and I had the best possible impression of her when we met. I don’t know what to think.
Do you have someone who can drop round to check that your sitter is safe and well? I’d start there, just in case.
I would definitely call and maybe ask someone to check in with your sitter . My host gets an update every few days without asking , just because I want them to see that their cat enjoys the time with us . It’s not a burden. Actually I really enjoy it .
I hope you’ll feel better 
You need to have someone check on them & make sure the sitter is ok. A sitter should reply within 24 hours when on a sit (my personal opinion). My mind goes to something having happened to her/him.
I’d contact THS directly as well.
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A week with no communication and unanswered texts/emails/calls is concerning. You are certainly not being a pest. I hope you can get someone local to check on the sitter and pets and, yes, also inform THS as a matter of urgency.
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Too long with no update.
Perhpas you could leave a VM…what’s app and email alerting the sitter that someone is going to stop by … if you don’t hear back within X amount of time…you will either call the PD for a wellness check or have a friend stop by. (our PD does wellness checks.)
Entering the home though could become a can of worms, so you may want to involve MS.
Does the sitter have a car?
Is there someway to know if someone is home from the outside in addition to ringing the bell…?
Document and perhpas keep MS in the loop.
You mention you are very very far from home, so have you taken into account the time difference when you say it’s been a week?
I would have thought a polite Happy New Year greeting would have taken place. So yes, I’d be concerned with a week. Personally, I’d message them via every possibly route at the same time saying if you don’t hear anything within 8hrs you’ll ask a friend to pop around (& ring the doorbell) to ensure they are okay, and pop THS a message too to raise your concern, and let them know what you have done. If they don’t answer the door, you need to take it a step further for the sitters welfare let alone your pets.
A week is insane. When we used to hire sitters (not through THS, but paid), we wanted at least two updates a day to keep us from worrying. I’d have already flown home if a sitter ignored us for a few days. 
Hope everything ends up alright!
That’s very worrying . As the others said , I would contact them via all method possible - phone , WhatsApp , email, ask THS to contact them on your behalf
Let them know that someone will ring the doorbell at x time and if no answer they will use their key to check everything Od ok
Thank you all for your helpful input and support. I have had contact now and all is well. Technical glitches with email and/or text may have been a factor. Lesson: in future, be more specific about my expectations.
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Thanks for the update.
So you spoke with the THsitter and believe going forward you have understood contact agreement for the remainder of the stay?
I’m really glad you got ahold of them but a week is obscene especially if you e been trying to reach out. Even if you hadn’t reached out to them, I don’t understand why they would not have thought to update you.
I would definitely at least call out that this was a thing in your review and also mention that you resolved it but at least people will know they need to be explicit with this sitter.
….like I don’t even get it. 
you are much more collected than I would have been. 
In fact, I have to take it all back. 
They had send multiple emails, with photos, that weren’t delivered to my inbox. No idea why. So they must have thought I was the one not responding! Anyway, we’ve established another channel of communication, and it’s sorted. I still appreciate the feedback - there have been past instances, with other sitters, where I had the same concern.
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I am glad it worked out but this was beyond an email that didn’t make it to your inbox, so right now i’m like 
All seems odd — not receiving the msgs they sent, letting a week pass with presumably no communications, and having no alternative way to communicate. Also that you had similar experiences with other sitters.
Sounds like you need to better coordinate before leaving anyone with your pets.
There are often problems with email. Even my university account has strange interruptions, and is always a few minutes slower than gmail.
For communication with HOs, I find Whatsapp the best. One can see when one’s messages and photos arrive and when they get read.
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That’s what we’re using now - Whatsapp. It’s working fine.
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This is up to each HO but as a sitter I check in minimum twice daily with pics, and as a home owner I ask for pics daily