I’ve been notified a few times about properties in my favorites and when I go there it says that they’re not currently in need of a sitter. Not that I missed the boat and they’re currently reviewing applications but that they’re not needing a sitter at all. Why was I sent a notification?
Because they meant to send a private invitation to a previous sitter but didn’t know how or put it up as public and then realised their mistake and worked out how to do a private listing or alternatively have already agree the sit with a previous sitter. They list and sitter immediately offers and accepts in quick style. You get the notification because they have put up dates but by the time you see it the deal is done. Happens to us a lot as the way to send a private invite is not intuitive. We have spent time with HOs showing them how to do it.
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Or they found a friend or neighbor who could do it:-)
Good question. Answer is probably the poor state of the THS software.
It seems that once the system has been triggered, that notification will still be sent even when the dates had been active for only a few seconds. Those notifications are then sent out with a delay of about 7 minutes.
Fully agree, a deal has been struck between owners and sitters who apply immediately.
We have started removing these from our favourites list now as virtually no chance of getting these.
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Tbf it would help if the process to send out private invitation was simpler.
We have also been in the situation where a previous HO did not check with us if we were available and listed their dates publicly. As soon as we saw them come up on our favourites we applied with a very quick yes please and they accepted us immediately. Anyone seeing the message at the same time as us wouldn’t even have time to read the listing before it closed.
I think this is more the case than HOs going with a friend/neighbour etc. as I think they would take more than the few minutes it takes for these listings to close. Listings we apply for that don’t respond and simply just run down the clock are more likely to be ones where they found someone from another platform or friend/neighbour.
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Ok thank you for the responses. It seems like they could find a better way to avoid these instances. I was wondering if they didn’t post it publicly would a review after the sit be generated?If not maybe that is why they post instead of just contacting someone privately.
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There is the option ln the site for a HO to either list their dates publicly for all to see or to send a private invite to a registered sitter (usually someone they have used before). Many HOs are unaware of the private invitation option as it is not very obvious so they have discussions via text/WhatsApp etc. then when everything is aligned they post their dates. As it is all still through the site insurance and the ability to leave reviews are still in play. It is just another of those clunky things on the site that makes what should be a simple task overly complicated.
Oh okay thank you for the information. Yeah I don’t know all the ins and outs yet since I’m new to the site. And I haven’t been on the homeowner side to know their perspective and all the things that they have to do in their membership.
@Chantylly
I feel your pain 
It has to be the No 1 most frustrating thing ever, that, and the Reviewing applications, when you look at a notification from favourites
I have to admit, I stopped looking at notifications a while back.
We have a saying here in Scotland
" Always at the coo’s tail"
cheers
F.