Hi, many of you may have read I’m trying to secure my 1st sit, preferably long term. My husband works full time and is finishing PhD. He’s seeking quiet.
I applied for a long term sit in a place I love and was very excited. I was notified I would be selected and received a message which changed many of the arrangements including taking the sit outside of THS. Being declined on THS seems like a red flag. Also, meaning I won’t get a review. What are your thoughts? Am I wrong? Is this acceptable?
Hello @Suzie4LSU I am sorry to hear this. If you accept this sit, (which I highly recommend that you do not), and it is not agreed through THS you will not be covered and you will have no comeback should something go wrong. Did the homeowner give a reason as to why they wanted to take the sit outside of THS?
I would certainly speak to them and explain that you are not comfortable in taking this sit outside of THS and ask their reasoning behind this. I would certainly never accept a sit that is not confirmed through THS. You are also correct in the fact that you will not receive a review if any sit is not agreed through THS.
I hope this helps to clarify.
Hi @Suzie4LSU - This is a huge red flag and I would advise not to accept - I have to say, It is really odd and I can not think of any reason a home host would want to go off-site to secure the booking as they will also lose any insurance cover and THS support should anything go wrong.
Also, I took a look at your profile and this is showing. Is this correct or a glitch in the system?
Huge glitch.
Thank you for confirming my gut instinct. I was surprised when I was told I was getting the sit (thrilled) and the next sentence followed was “off site”. Red flag. Thank you 
I just checked again and it seems fine now 
Did you ask them ‘why’ though? I’m also struggling to come up with a reason as to why they would want to move it off the site, but would be curious to understand the background of the request.
One reason could be that they don’t want to renew their membership and are saving on their fee.
As others have said, decline it
This seems very suspect and I would be very wary especially since their posting was quite explicit in the things they are now changing. They also don’t seem to have had any previous sitters at all so there is no telling what the situation is there (although if they have and the sit was a disaster current THS policy means no record is kept of the sit). I would recommend you report this to THS so they can investigate since several others have also applied. Personally I would not plan such a long sit so far away from home with a first -time homeowner but then I’ve been burnt before by similar.
@uk_american I don’t know that it applies in this case, but I have seen cases where pet parents want to take the sit off-platform so they can add requirements / details that don’t line up with THS policies. Such as requiring security deposits, adding responsibilities of minding an inn or working a field, or a third-party being onsite.
They mentioned they didn’t like the THS site. Even though they said they had found 5 great candidates.
It all sounds very fishy - If I was you, I would give this one a miss.
I did. Then the sit was taken down. I may have missed a fantastic opportunity but it wasn’t worth dealing with the red flags. I appreciate all the advice I was given.
I think that is part of what the problem was. It was a long sit. I understood the need or desire for additional arrangements. It was just presented to me hours before buying the round ticket to their country. For me, if it had been discussed all along, I would have been more understanding.
