I was wondering if the feature to leave a review has always been there? I was looking into someone’s listing and noticed that 10 out of 30 sitters haven’t left a review for the home owners. Makes me wonder if they perhaps had a [bad] experience and decided not to leave a review.
Then I thought: maybe the feature hasn’t always been there. Although it’s not only sitters from the beginning, but also more recently, who haven’t left a review.
Does anyone who’s been a member for a long time know this?
@emmarrr I’ve been a member since 2014. I just checked my reviews. Up until early 2017, my only option was to respond to the host’s review, which I did each time. Starting in 2017, I was able to write my separate review (and still reply to their review, as we can still do today). However, my review at that time didn’t allow for any star ratings for separate categories, as a sitter leaving a review. I think the option for sitters to rate various categories came in when blind reviews were introduced.
There was also a time during the pandemic when sits were booked but couldn’t go ahead. During that time, many sits showed with no reviews, because they didn’t happen. I can’t remember whether members were given the option to have those corrected, but even if they were, perhaps some didn’t bother to do it.
Also look to see if the sitters were doing repeat sits. Some members don’t bother to do reviews on repeat sits. However, seeing repeat sits should be a sign that the sit is a good one. Lots to consider when there are blanks.
That is a lot of missing reviews but there could be reasons as others have mentioned. If you really like the listing, you could apply and then ask about why so many missing reviews during the mutual vetting.
Another reason why reviews are missing is if the sits look like they occurred during COVID. I think that a lot of those sits were cancelled but show as having occurred.
I doubt that a total of 30 sitters would have booked a “bad sit”. As some have suggested the answers can probably be found in the reviews that were given and in looking at the timing of the sits (pandemic) or if there are repeat sitters in the reviews. We also have a missing review as we had the same sitters for our first 6 sits and they didn’t review us the second time because they forgot. They wouldn’t have come back four more times if they didn’t like the sit, our cats or us.
I’m currently sitting at the listing I’m talking about. There are a few things that seem weird to me, so I went back to the listing again to see what’s what. But yes, I’d definitely do that next time.
Previously a sitter or host could see the review about them before posting their own.
Blind reviews were introduced a few years ago which meant you don’t see a review until both host and sitter have written theirs. If either the host or sitter decide against leaving a review then any reviews will be published after 14 days have passed from the end of the sit.
If I haven’t made myself clear you can use the spyglass at the top of the page and search for more information.
There might be one or more concerns that prompted the sitter to do this additional research about their host and follow up with a question here, but it doesn’t make it a twist.
