Red Flags?

I agree. I like a ‘novel’ of information when i sit including command words the pet understands ie. No point in me saying drop if the dog responds to down etc. Confusing for the pet. Any info that helps the pets relax and have their usual routine is so important. I wonder if there could be a questionnaire for HO to tick boxes for information re pets as well as their written responses so that they do add the relevant info.

Here’s a sticky question: During a video call with the HOs, the house looked quite cluttered (usual stuff). The HOs are very nice, but how do we ask/tell that we hope the clutter will be gone by the time we arrive - which is admittedly 3 months away. Is there a polite way to mention it?

My guess is that if the house is cluttered now, it will be cluttered when you arrive. Unless the HOs mentioned something to suggest that this is a temporary state - they have recently moved, or are collecting stuff for a charity, etc. - the condition of their house during the call is probably the normal state. If you can’t live in that environment, it would be best to decline the sit.

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I agree with Lassie’s guess, but …

… some people tidy their house much more when there are guests coming over. Such people would also tidy before having a sitter stay.

… can’t hurt to ask, esp. if you would decline the sit if you don’t ask. Hypo example, top of my head: You find out I don’t have instant coffee in my house, and for some reason you love instant coffee, and it’s important for you that the owner provide it. If you were to ask me nicely and say that was a dealbreaker for you, then I might just buy some instant coffee. It’s not a big deal to me. (again, top of my head example Lol)

To figure out a good way to mention tidiness, some ideas: 1) iterate on the wording, and run it by at least two other people, 2) expressing tone via written word can be tricky, so consider the medium you use (e.g., may want another video call), 3) on the other hand, some people process written words/feedback better esp. if they don’t have to reply immediately, so an email/text can be good for that. 4) google best practices for constructive criticism, including Reddit (or “best practices for sensitive questions reddit”).

Curious how it goes!

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Personally I wouldn’t assume or ask if the clutter will be gone.
Everyone has a different idea of clean and tidy.
If the video call was made before acceptance I would have moved on. Once the sit is confirmed I agree it is a tricky situation.

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Decline it. I think you have already answered your own question by questioning what you saw on the video call. Do you want to spend the time before the sit worrying? Of course not. Best decline it and move on.

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What does the house look like in the photos?

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Exactly! I saw a sit once that literally had an hour-by-hour schedule. There’s a chance that these people are not control freaks but their dog is truly high-maintenance, but in this case, it’s a full-time job that needs to be paid for. And housesit is meant to be a mutually beneficial transaction.

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Hi @pdr. From the sitter’s perspective, I think that you can write what you just wrote here, edited for the post of course. I like to feel the human, conversational side of the HO in the description, to see your emotions, humour, maybe even doubts. To me, transparency is more important than a particular state of the house. So if I see that you are a reasonable person who I can negotiate with, I will be confident that we both can form realistic expectations, which is a key.
The bit about the cleaning service can cause different reactions depending on where you are. In some places where it’s rather cheap, e.g., in Bali, I’d see it as a sign of respect. In New York, it could make me feel pressured.

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Hello @Alyona. Welcome to the forum. I’m glad you found us and have already started contributing to the conversations. You’re responses sound like those that would be given by a very experienced pet sitter. Have you done many sits?

I would decline- this would be a red flag to me. Let’s face it, it shouldn’t be that hard to find an uncluttered corner of a home to have a video call. This is likely them putting their best foot forward-- it’s likely to be the same or possibly worse when you get there. (Says someone who hides all my clutter in closets :sweat_smile:)

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Thank you for the warm welcome, @Karen_E. I’ve done my share of sits indeed through the word of mouth and Facebook. Only one through this website so far. Hope to increase the number soon!

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I would say anyone prevaricating in any way whatsoever. If people cannot be definite then avoid them. If they can’t make up their mind about any detail then I doubt they can be relied on to keep to an agreement.

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My big red flag is when the owner reveals something important through messages or the first meeting that was not listed in their ad. Some things I’ve seen are:

  • A housemate of theirs who will be living in the home but not caring for the pets while you are there.
  • The addition of a pet that was not listed in the ad; for me, this has included young kittens and a dog the H.O. rescued off the street recently.
  • Listing the city as a desirable metro area, but then you find out it’s actually in a suburb 40 minutes away across a bridge.

That kind of disingenuous approach immediately erodes my trust in the H.O.

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Agreed - and the first on your list (someone else in the house) is actually against THS rules so I would definitely not proceed with a sit on that basis.

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For me (sitter) it won’t be acceptable any more if pet owners don’t want to meet in person, at least at the start of the sit. Also, if they say nothing about themselves in their profile, I’ll probably steer clear. If their communication is businesslike and I feel no warmth from it, I’ll move on too.
A bit of clutter won’t bother me at all. I’m interested in the pets first, but also in a good relationship with the owners and I want to feel relaxed. If someone seems perfectionist or controlling, I’ll run the other way. This is supposed to enrich my life, not create stress.

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It’s not always what is said ; sometimes it is what has not been said .

I always read the feedback and sitters section.
If there have been previous sitters but none of them have left a review - that’s a red flag for me .

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I saw a sit posted recently where you were supposed to cook food for the son who was occasionally there, and he was only 14!

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Hi @andrealovesanimals can you please DM me the link to that listing so our membership services team can look into it?

@Julie_A I had a look, it seems to be gone. Someone might have already reported it?