@n3n, @Visit - we suspect reality is that THS wants to streamline process for new pet parents. Complete good-enough listing; publish; see what happens.
There are many THS Forum threads that identify [many] listings with zero listed amenities; or with only bare minimum text [‘housesitter wanted for pet’ … really?]; or unattractive photos [clutter].
Experienced housesitters learn from mistakes (hopefully!) and gain leverage. They set reasonable expectations, or perhaps requirements, into the video call due diligence conversation. They’d often rather walk away than confirm a sit with seeming red flags.
We guess that THS is not going to solve your problem. Rather you gain motivation to proactively request or require that key information/documents are provided on a timeline that you deem to be acceptable.
I would like to receive the welcome guide before I accept the sit. Of course personal details like address, phone number, entry codes etc. should be redacted until the sit is confirmed. But I have had too many unpleasant surprises when I receive the guide long after accepting, and there are things that were never mentioned, that would have made me pass on the sit if I had known.
That’s actually not true. If the responsibilities in the WG are different to what was agreed upon during the pre sit discussion, then you can advise the owner you are cancelling the sit.
You’re entitled to cancel the sit if the WG contains previously undeclared information. Agree that it would be better if sitters had a copy before confirming sits in an ideal world, but in the current system this is your get out clause and is fully allowed on the platform. #tsandcs
Yes, I agree that that can be helpful. I was just pointing out that there is no way to make sure the host is sharing correct/updated information in their welcome guide.
We had sits where the hosts didn’t share the guide at all. And in a majority of the cases where they did, the information shared in the call, at the time of the handover or in a written out/printed guide hosts leave at arrival was more “up to date” and accurate comapred to their welcome guides.
I agree for the welcome guide to be shared automatically so you at least get the address - and that part is usually correct, if they didn’t move recently.
Yes, but often the welcome guide comes too late when you’re doing international sits and both parties have already booked flights. Everything in the guide really should be made known to the sitter directly after the call for reference and a basis for deciding whether or not to take the sit.
I agree with you but that’s the deal & it’s unlikely to change. We also only sit internationally and so far (without jinxing ourselves), the WG has never been a problem whenever it turns up. Some sitters tell hosts that they will only book their flights after they receive the guide in order to propel them into action. #trythattactic
There is no reason to wait indefinitely for the welcome guide. I request it immediately after confirmed the sit. I expect to receive it within a reasonable amount of time. If they are updating it, they should be able to send it within a week. We are agreeing to follow the info in the welcome guide when we accept a sit and it’s the HOs responsibility to provide it. So far, I haven’t had an issue getting welcome guides when I request it right away. However, I would cancel if they refused to send it within a week or so after confirming.
@n3n I found myself in a situation where after reading the Welcome guide I saw items like pets behavioural issues of which I wasn’t aware of. Unfortunately it was too late to cancel as I had made travel arrangements already.
Very unfortunately, sometimes issues or tasks are revealed also after the welcome guide has been sent, during the sitting itself.
For the future, I’ll ask for the Welcome guide soon after formally accepting the sitting, especially when travel arrangements have to be done.
It is true that some HOs don’t use the WG from the app at all, instead they have word docs or similars and I have to browse endless number of pages. For one sitting I had three Welcome guides written in three different formats! It was frustrating, especially considering that some information differed from one another. Anyway, if that is the case, I ask to leave a paper copy in the house.
I did a sitting where they didn’t have any written information at all despite they previously had a number of sitters. I was asked what kind of information I needed (!) I had to create a template for them, in two languages
@JasperGull i send the Welcome Guide once the sitter confirms the sit. If there is something in my guide the sitter objects, then they can ask about it or cancel. We are very transparent and everything we discuss on the video call is in the guide.
I want to see the welcome guide before I accept. I’ve found way too many unreasonable things or outright falsehoods in it after accepting. Some that I would have questioned before accepting, or maybe even cancelled over. There’s no reason they can’t tell us in advance exactly what’s expected of us, unless there’s something they want to hide or mislead us on. Of course all their identifying details should be withheld until confirmation, but everything else should be completely transparent even before the call… this way we can ask questions and clear up misunderstandings upfront.
I perfectly understand @JasperGull You can’t receive the Welcome guide before accepting the sitting though, unless they have it on another format, like a word file. I got one once before accepting the invitation.
However, if you’re not happy with some of the information in the WG, you have all the rights to request to cancel the sitting.
I have been recently offered the sitting and I asked the WG straight away. I got it the day after.
