I don’t disagree at all! I think that should be an option. Is it an option? I do think the owner is risking a lot more by having someone in their home but weird and crazy stuff could go down either direction. So yeah, I would be happy to have a background check!
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My exact thoughts. After all, you are going into someone else’s house!
Don’t forget, that “someone else” has the keys and could come back at ANY time, without your knowledge. They might not even get a reaction from the dog you’re watching, since it’s the dog’s owner.
Who else blocks the doors & windows when they go to bed? Is it really just me?
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I don’t think the sitters are being sketchy. I think this may be a kind of glitch in the system. Sitters can sign up as sitting alone or sitting “accompanied.” However, even if they are accompanied, only one person gets the ID check or in US background check. I’m not sure what the THS policy would be regarding insurance if something went wrong and the “secondary” person mentioned in the profile was sitting without the primary. This might be a good question for member services. The reality is that different sitters do different things. When you write a review of the sitter, only one person (the primary) is mentioned on the review page. It’s weird you can have “Dana and Noah” as sitters, but you’ll only be reviewing “Dana” although of course you can mention both. I think in a lot of cases, especially full time sitters, they may split the dates and operate as equals. So Dana can start a new sit, while Noah finishes off a sit a solo, and there is not gap between sits. (In a lot of cases, one person really is the primary sitter who might occassionally take along a specific friend or significant other.)
You as a homeowner might or might not be comfortable with that arrangement. However, they might both be great sitters individually. As far as identity goes, you have the previous sits, character references, and the fact that they are attached to this other person whose identity is confirmed. If you want more, you can ask for linkedin or some other confirmation of identity. You can as stated look for mentions in the reviews. You could have a video interview with that person. Ultimately, you have to go with your gut. If you aren’t comfortable don’t do it. If you already confirmed the sit, and you cancel for this reason having explained it to them, they probably won’t have cause to complain to THS. But please understand the suggestion isn’t shady, and you should have the discussion.
Probably, THS should offer some kind of less expensive than two separate membership “dual” sitter profile option for those sitters that usually sit together but may split sits.
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I need this lock for the sliding door in my room. You know, just for those times when my partner’s away and I find myself flying solo at home with my tiny dog.
I completely get where you’re coming from. But I mean, background checks can sometimes be just a fancy way of saying that someone hasn’t been caught yet, right? At least that’s what most of my friends say to me anyway when I tell them about THS.
If I was a sitter, I would probably want to at least be able to see their linkedIn. For me, it’s always helpful to see that when I’m reviewing sitters, along with 5-star reviews.
Even if there was a background check on a homeowner, who knows who else has the keys!
Why not take a few additional precautions? I would rather use these and be glad i didn’t need to, than to wish I had done something afterward!
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@Baileysmom The only THS members who are background checked are the primary sitters who are US-based. If a sitter is based in any other country, they are identity checked, but not background checked. Neither the second person in the couple nor any of the homeowner/hosts are required to complete background checks.
I think it’s smart to take precautions! Better safe than sorry.
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@lcuff59 If both people usually sit together and have great reviews mentioning both then I would not worry. Many couple sitter together but only 1 is verified- which is basically only an email & phone number check for most of the world - as far as I remember (& a bit more for US sitters)
Like many others my husband and I sit together. Our whole profile is about us both, puctures, descriptions etc. And all hosts mention us both in reviews.
Ask extra questions if you like. Have a video call ofcourse so you can check he matches their pics etc! Do what you need to feel sure.
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The OP didn’t say the primary account holder had a sitting agreement with them and cancelled. You’re making an assumption of wrongdoing on the part of the sitter without understanding the circumstances, which were not made clear in the original post.
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I think you may be overestimating the usefulness of a “background check.” This is a pretty proforma thing. It has very little to do with whether or not the sitter is good at sitting. It might show whether or not there is a serious criminal record, or large debt, but little else of value to a person looking for a petsitter. It’s less strong then someone being “bonded” or even “fully vetted” which is a general term, but to me would at least imply that references were actually checked. I am a homeowner, so I get your concerns. (I’m a sitter as well.) But I don’t feel the “background checks” keep me safe and I have had sitting couple in my home. Granted this always involved the primary person being there. However, think of it this way: The primary person has a lot to lose if the secondary person screws up. They may never sit again. I don’t think the primary person is going person is goint to trust the secondary person if he isn’t good. Again, your home, your call, but in your shoes I’d look for something else to verify identity – linked in, a company website, etc.