@ELNF As @Vanessa-PartnershipsMgr mentions, messages received and sent, confirmation and declining sits will appear on both App and Website, regardless where this was done.
I will email you directly from membership services to address and investigate your individual issue.
Best Wishes
Therese
There is a lag time when notifications show up between the app and sit and when using different devices.
Also, the settings must be checked as some notifications may be going directly to the spam folder.
Iām surprised how many people either donāt check their emails or have the notifications off. This can happen with older users who may not have their phones set up as tech savvy as the younger users.
Lastly, if someone is not using Wi-Fi but dependent on their cell plan, things can get messy.
It depends on how pressed for time you are and what feels good for you, but I see that Thanksgiving is quickly approaching! Quite odd not to stay in touch with your accepted sitter and make sure that you are even willing to come. We would personally most likely go for a different sit unless we have a good backup plan.
I applied for and got, a sit for the upcoming Christmas/New Year period. Never heard a thing for a week after the initial application then all of a sudden, bang! Accepted! So I took it, assuming I or they would organise a video chat in the near future. Nothing. I messaged twice, nothing. Then eventually got a short message saying thanks for that. Now the time is approaching rapidly and I have three other homeowners to meet with whom I am doing back to back sits. So I messaged again, twice, asking for a catch up and sending my contact details. Nothing. Getting frustrated as well as concerned as I am a full-time sitter and there are multiple other sits available for the same dates. Should I wait??? This is their first time on the site, but I have given them every bit of information and assistance possible, I think itās rude myself. They have actually read my second last message with no reply. Red flags or laziness???
Basic, nuts and bolts communication shouldnāt be such a challenge and you shouldnāt have to put in all of the legwork on your own. Thatās throwing up a big red flag for me.
Perhaps THS could phone the HO and give them a poke on your behalf?
Personally, were I in your position, Iād want to cancel.
Yes there are discrepancies between app and website. App loses messages now and then in streams. Iāve raised it with THS membership services too
We establish an alternative line of communication even before confirming and have never had issues. If there is no way to reach them for days when vital info is still missing we would definitely look for other sits.
Personally, at this stage, I would back out of a situation like this. It would be a red flag to me. Also, there appear to be plenty of other opportunities available.
I will give them another few days and if there is still no response, I will drop them a line explaining that I donāt feel comfortable with no contact and may need to cancel. I hate cancelling on people, never had to do it. But that should prompt them one way or another to at least reply, I hope Will definitely cancel then if no response.
Is there a spam folder on THS inbox?
I am concerned by the disppearance of messges within the app not emails going into spam.
Despite being 65+ my phone is set up correctly but messages that appear when I check the inbox on a laptop/desktop do not appear when I check in on the app!
Today, whilst checking out a sit there were no photos available on the website but they were there on the app
Despite what THS says I am finding various discrepancies between the website & the app
New owners can have problems about what buttons to press to communicate with would be sitters. A case in question. He pressed the button asking us to sit for him instead of the other one where he just wants to message us. We got a sit acceptance? without even talking/communicating in any way. It was all eventually sorted out and we had a great sit in Maryland.
Just be aware, it is difficult to navigate the site for newbies.
Hello and I hope youāre having a lovely weekly @ELNF. Iām sorry to hear that youāve had issues with not seeing your messages in the app. There isnāt a spam folder within the inbox, so this might be a bug as itās not a general issue. I have passed this over to the tech team for their intervention, although this wonāt happen until Monday, when Iāll report back. In the meantime, could you let me know whether you are using an Android or iPhone as I know that always helps the team. Thank you and all the best, Vanessa.
Hi Vanessa,
My comment regarding the spam folder was in response to MemindaW who appeared to imply that anyone over a certain age was not tech savvy and that emails were going to a spam folder when in fact I was talking of messages in the app/website.
I know the difference between email and message but does she?
I have already reported to Therese the discrepancies there appear to be between app and website that werenāt there before but are currently driving me mad!
If it wasnāt for the community on THS I would seriously reconsider my membership for the future.
Regards,
Elaine
Hello Vanessa,
I have now discovered that there are no photos showing if I use Chrome browser. Is this normal? OK with Edge
Regards,
Elaine
No⦠not at all Elaine. Iāll tag @Therese-Moderator so she can help you with these issues or advise, when sheās back online Monday. Best, Vanessa
You and me both Elaine! And I was told itās my phone not the THS system that is causing the anomalies between the app and the website. Iāve explained that itās not and more members have the same issueā¦.thanks for flagging it again!
Thanks @Cuttlefish Yes Iāve been told it must be my computer, strange that I have the same problem on both laptop & desktop.
And now I have a discrepancy between Chrome & Edge for logging into this forum!
A bit rude of you Melinda to suggest that āThis can happen with older users who may not have their phones set up as tech savvy as the younger usersā.
I may not be āyoungā anymore but I sure as heck know how to use the website and consider myself very tech savvy! Been using this site for years as have many others my age. We taught you "younger ones " how to use a spoon so I think we can generally figure out how to use a website and settings! There are dozens of "younger ones " who ask questions on this forum daily and are assisted and given accurate advice by many over the age of 40/50/60. Please donāt judge people based on age, we may be older but we still have a brain and often use it far better than the younger generation.
@MelindaW I too had a similar reaction as @ELNF and @ziggy to your ageist comment when I read it. Many TrustedHousesitters sitters are seniors who are vibrant, active, adventurous, energetic ⦠and have excellent computer skills. The manager of this forum, @Angela-HeadOfCommunity is a wonderful example of a senior who manages this forum and the social media areas of TrustedHousesitters.
Initially I chose not to respond to your comment, but I also realize that to not respond is to condone it. I am 68 and have worked (not in IT) through the eras of typewriters, word processors, and desktops/laptops. I own and daily use a laptop, iPad, and iPhone. As a volunteer in retirement, I have spent the past seven years arranging webinars for professional development for instructors, starting with pre-Zoom platforms. Am I trying to boast? Absolutely not. Am I an exception to many seniors? Not the ones I know. I have two active friends in their 90s who Iāve given up phoning as they now basically only use texting (and their computers).
When I was married, I had three stepchildren - 19 to 29. Each of them have far less computer/social media skills than me. They came to me for help with their devices, and asked for my hand-me-downs when I upgraded. Iād then show them how to use them. College-educated adults, but minimal tech skills. My 92-year-old friend now encourages me to upgrade as sheās always eager to buy my current devices.
I hope my well-meaning feedback will help you realize what a disservice is done to seniors by such comments.