Hi. My sitting commitment was supposing to end tomorrow the 4th as the listing says. She told me just this morning that she’s arriving today and this is going to put me in a difficult position with my plans already organized. What should I do?
Is she asking you to leave? if so, contact membership services asap if you have no where to go tonight !
2 Likes
She didn’t ask me to leave neither to stay and I don’t think she had the intention of doing so cause she sent me a text yesterday in the evening saying ( without hi and nothing as usual) that her flight was arriving at 4.30 pm but she didn’t say today. So I asked her to confirm that she was talking about tomorrow the 4th, and she replied this morning saying No, today . That’s it!
Btw I wrote to the Team and waiting for answers 
1 Like
this happened to us in the past, and in the worst place, aka NYC…with the priciest hotels, especially booked last minute. She came back brushing off the fact that she had TOTALLY made a mistake (the dates were clearly the ones I had understood on text message), so we did have to leave that night and go to a $$$ hotel. That was in 2015, and it was a repeat sit, off the THS site, so our bad.
Bottom line, these misunderstandings cost a lot, and hopefully THS can jump in. I would (if you don’t mind staying with the pet parent) ask her if you can stay, as agreed, until THS replied to you (I’m not sure where you are located but in Europe, it’s getting late!)
1 Like
That she just casually mentioned her arrival time from a flight, which would be booked in advance, makes me wonder if she listed the wrong end date and didn’t realize it…
Based on what you wrote here, it doesn’t sound like you asked her if she made an error with the date, and that you didn’t expect to leave until tomorrow? You should probably do that and then see what she says. Is it just a one bedroom house and you wouldn’t be able to stay?
I have had that happen a couple of times. The first time it was already pretty late and the HO ended up sleeping on the couch since we were in her bed!
The second time the HO showed up and I was still awake and explained the misunderstanding. She was happy to let me stay but I ended up leaving. I just went to a family member’s house.
I know these things can really throw a wrench in people’s plans, but I am not really sure what THS could do for you or most of the things people contact them for, for that matter. This is just one of those things that come with the territory of house sitting, though I think a relatively rare thing. The two incidents above were out of over 70 sits.
Hope things work out
3 Likes
Are you sleeping in the master bedroom? If so, is there another bedroom available to sleep in? Brazen it out and stay. It may be uncomfortable but at least you have a place to lay your head.
Flight times change, even dates of travel. Us sitters have to be adaptable
2 Likes
No she didn’t make any flight change otherwise in her text she would have say it! When I asked her yesterday if she was meaning Wednesday the 4th she replied this morning saying No, I’ll arrive today so she clearly didn’t make any changes that’s why being adaptable is ok but when the understanding comes from both sides. I had previously sit for someone that advised me two days previous the end of the sit that she would have come back home a day in advance but her kindness and common sense made her asked me if was a problem or otherwise she could have go to a friend house letting me stay in her place till the end of the commitment. In that situation I refused cause I was feeling bad for her and at the time I had the chance to stay in another place for the night so I left in good terms and let her coming back to her home.
In this case the communication with this pet owner is always being pretty poor and cold. She also omitted few things about the pet responsibilities and challenges that I had to face during the sitting and that made my stay quite unpleasant and honestly I’m not feeling comfortable to stay with her in the house. Than again since I asked if she was meaning that she was coming back the 4th, even if she mistaken the dates, she would have wondered why I said the 4th and check the dates and say something about it so I feel she just trying to avoid of asking me to stay.
That is easier when changes are properly explained and negotiated.
2 Likes
Spur of the moment changes happen to both parties and each have to adapt. Believe me, it can be very traumatic and thank goodness for understanding pet owners.
In commercial travel, changes often have a cost. Then one is a bit more careful about dates and times and about changing them. If you arrive late at the platform or at the gate, that is going to cost you a lot. If you arrive at the hotel a day later, you will probably need to pay for the night that you did not sleep there.
1 Like
Guys, this is Not about a change of flight cause who would not mention that? Like, “My Apologies but for this or that reason, I’ll arrive a day earlier.”
Most likely she just wrote the wrong date on the listing but that’s not on me.
Hi @Barb22, you could always show her the dates booked on your Dashboard and the following which is in both the Code of Conduct and the Terms of Service so she is aware next time. I know it doesn’t help you though.
5.2.13. ensure your home is vacated for a Sitter throughout the duration of the Sit , and that no third parties will interfere with the Sitter’s enjoyment of your property;
3 Likes
In your place, I’d be direct and say something like, we’d agreed on your returning on X. Given that you’re returning a day earlier, please let me know how were you thinking about our living arrangements.
If she created the problem, the ball is in her court. Some people automatically think problems are theirs to solve and some take advantage of that. If it were me, I wouldn’t automatically try to solve this.
5 Likes
Thanks everyone for your replies. I honestly don’t feel to stay here since her attitude over the course of the sitting is not being very comfortable for me so I’ll just leave and now I know for the next time, to ask before the sitting about the returning day to be sure they wrote the right one in first place and also to be clear about communicating in time when possible in case of changes and to agree to provide with another accommodation at their expense if there will be any problem for them to let me stay once they’re back.
3 Likes
I’ve gotten in the habit of discussing the arrival & departure dates, frequently, with HOs as we’ve had HOs change dates and not think anything of the impact on what the we have already scheduled/booked. Then on the walk through upon arrival I again review what time/day they will return.
As a HO as well, we try very hard not to change the dates we’ve committed to and even stayed at a local hotel on one occassion when our plans changed as we did not want to boot the sitter out of our house.
2 Likes
I’d let her know that due to the unexpected early arrival, the house will not be as clean as you would normally leave it. And I would go find another place to stay. She does not sound like a friendly or welcoming person.
3 Likes
Yes, times and dates of travel can change out of no fault of the individual and it can be last minute. However, other personal things can happen to change plans as well, in my case serious catastrophic things. It’s good to have adaptable people who can think on their feet in these circumstances
2 Likes
How did it work out? I’m sorry you have had to deal with this. It’s particularly stressful when traveling alone as a woman. You have the empathy of (most) of us here.
2 Likes
We ask the the HO for a screenshot of their return flight or return details and we always ask during our pre-sit interview about living arrangements if they come back a day early or late. Just makes for good practice for your mental health.
2 Likes
That won’t be much help as it could take days for them to respond! Plus, what can they do anyway?
2 Likes