I believe that homeowners with two homes currently do have to pay for two memberships ( but they receive a discount on the second membership) if they want to create a separate listing for each home .
We sit as a couple and would be willing to pay an additional fee to cover the ID checks for the second person .
@pietkuip Most sitter couples only do occasional overlaps to facilitate smooth tranditions & fill gaps. Mostly they will sit together. So why should they pay for a full second membership? Before the no- overlap rules this flexibility was always a possiblility and had many benefits for all concerned. Now some hosts may miss out on a sitter altogether or full time sitters may have unnecessary gaps in their schedules. Often both sides can help each other to avoid these scenarios.
You are a single sitter so the rule does not affect you anyway as you cannot be in two places at once to accomodate the staying-overnight requirement.
A recent THS survey was discussing the possible option of paying small supplenents to access certain features currently not allowed. Overlapping sits was one of them. I would be willing to pay a small amount extra for that but not a whole extra membership fee- we do not overlap often enough to warrant it. It pretty much only comes up for us when we sit in the UK.
It actually does affect solo sitters. Prior to this rule, we were able to contact hosts who had flexible dates. There were also a few times that I contacted hosts that had low or no applications when I was available all but the first or last day to see if they would be interested/able to make other arrangements for the one day. And each time they were happy I applied despite the ‘overlap’, made other arrangements for that day, and confirmed me as their sitter. There was nothing nefarious going on, I was not trying to be in two places at once. One of those sits was last minute and would have definitely gone unfilled under the current rule.
@systaran Sorry you are right! Good point. That’s the other feature that’s no longer possible- simply making contact when you are already booked elsewhere! Very annoying & restrictive.
My comment above was more directed at @pietkuip suggestion that couples should pay 2 memberships if they want to overlap sits
What I suggested was that if couple want to sit significantly more than 365 days per year, that it would be fair that they pay for each their own membership.
The normal physical limit is 365 per nights per year. Nomads do something like that, whether the rule is in effect or not. Then the rule cannot affect the total number of nights that HOs find sitters.
The “double booking” argument from THS is merely an excuse for a price increase, and our time is wasted discussing it. THS does not care what you think or want. They only care about being able to charge you more, hence the idea that this could all be resolved by you paying more, either with another”upgrade” option or by the already possible doubling your annual fee. I am particularly galled that THS does not really care about double booking because it is really about closing off communications between subscribers. We pay for access and THS feels we need to pay more. It’s as simple as that.
I’m looking for another service and would like to hear alternatives. I’m getting tired of paying for lack of service.
To start you off @Stefano
Hi!
So, I want to apply for sits that begin the same day another sit ends. These sits do not overlap and a couple would be ideal for us. But, when I click apply I can’t.
Hugely frustrating. Is there any way around this problem?
Thanks
The only way I have seen is that people post on the forum the listing and someone else messages the owner for them to start the conversation.
My husband and I used to do slightly overlapping sits all the time and it’s a shame we can’t continue. We’ve even helped a few owners out when they can’t find another sitter, and used to travel separately and do our own sits. Now we are supposed to buy a separate account.
That must be some sort of glitch because the overlapping rule doesn’t apply to a sit that starts the same day another ends. I applied to one such sit recently and just confirmed it this morning. I also just tested this on the computer and the app, and it allowed me to apply for a sit that starts the same day that one ends.
Was it a listing with several dates? I seem to remember that the software did not always handle that correctly.
I have never had an issue applying for a sit that begins on the same day the previous one ends. The problem must lie somewhere else. I suggest you test applying from another device, and if you still have problems contact customers service
That’s really odd. I’ve been looking for sits starting the 4th as that’s when our next one ends, but they’re all.coming up as overlapping.
I’ll have to contact customer service at some point.
I can’t remember now tbh. I got annoyed and gave up!
I think when overlapping was allowed some couples (or more than one person on a membership,) were using one membership to be in entirely different locations at the same time, using the membership as if it was two memberships. I’m sure THS wanted members to pay for 2 if they use it this way.
In fact there is partial solution but only for communication purposes and it has to be “activated” by HO. I have already seen a couple of “dummy listings”. In the introduction, the owners warn that that listing is only to allow sitters who have already booked a sit that overlaps the real listing to get in touch and negotiate a possible solution or adapt the dates.
I have one that ends on the day that the other starts.
@catscatscats24 I suggest that you contact member services via live chat ( ask to speak to a human ) as you should be able to apply for a sit that starts the same day another ends .
We are currently on a THS sit that started the day that our previous THS ended - we had no problems with the application process. ( Both sits confirmed around 6 weeks ago ) So it can be done .
I think two different people with overlapping sits are ok but two people using one account to do two different sits are abusing this platform and should have two accounts.
Have you found an alternative please?