If THS has verified the ID of each member, why do you not use a ‘verified photo’ in the persons Profile picture?
Why is it that THS allows HO’s to have pictures of their animals as the maim Profile photo, rather than a human being?
Who will the HS expect to meet?
I would think that it is essential for a female HS to know who has places the advert - what do you think?
Thx Stan
Maybe this HO thinks a photo of their pets is more eye catching. Are there photos of the HO among all the other photos of the listing?
Also, the profile photos are so tiny that you don’t really get a good sense of the person. That’s why it’s a good idea to have a video call before accepting the sit.
As far as I know it’s only sitters that have the verification check . Home owners are not verified.
Happy to be corrected if I am wrong about this .
I think you make a good point, @StanHants . I think the thumbnail picture of the homeowner is too small, and a lot of homeowners don’t include a picture of themselves in the listing. I’ve never come across a listing where it’s just a picture of the pet(s) like you have, though. As a homeowner, I have a family picture in my listing, and as a sitter, I, like others have mentioned, never accept a sit before some sort of video chat, so I know I will eventually see what the homeowners look like. Many people on the forum say it isn’t important what the homeowner looks like, and I can understand that. I just like to have an “inkling” of who I’m applying to. I aim to set ourselves (homeowner and sitter, no matter which side I’m on) up as friends because we’re about to embark on a trusting relationship and I think it’s nice to know what each other looks like.
I think the point is that not requiring home owners to be verified is the problem. Also, sitters who live in the US MUST give our social security number and get a full background check. I find that insulting but it is the case. Evidently sitters from Europe are more trustworthy.
Pet parents are not verified. This is unsafe. I would be very concerned if I had to apply as a solo female.
I believe that the USA requirement for a Social Security Number, much like the UK National Insurance Number, is a government legislation and a good thing in my view.
No photos of the HO anywhere on their profile or home listing…
Im a home owner and I dont have my photo anywhere on my THS profile for good reasons. I do say I’m happy to have video calls with a prospective sitter, hopefully that call then allays any concerns about me. Ive also had sitters who have left positive reviews.
And would you be ok with sitters/guests having zero photos of themselves on their profile?
Obviously not. I’m entrusting a sitter with my pets and home, in their sole care unsupervised.
If a sitter doesnt like any aspect of my listing they can choose another one they do like. Or they can apply, have a video call, and still have the option of not proceeding with the sit for any reason. It’s entirely within the sitter’s gift.
Sitters everywhere are verified by uploading documents such as a drivers license. Only US citizens provide a government issued number that connects to all our confidential information (credit reports, mortgages, etc.) Only US sitters undergo a background check by a vendor and hope that company (Evident) does not have a security breach, which they will.
This check is mandatory for US only sitters. They froze my account until I did it. Their communication about it was nonexistant. I just woke up one day and couldn’t apply for sits.
From THS:
If you are a US-based sitter member, you can visit the verifications page to complete the check.
Via the website:
Hi @Ketch can you give ne some examples of a ‘Good Reason’ to have no verified photo in your HO profiles?
Genuinely, I cannot think of many personal or wirk related circumstances where a person needs to irvis required to remain anonymous!
Hi everyone,
We are homeowners and sitters. As HOs, this conversation has prompted us to think about adding one pic of us in our home listing.
In the meantime, however, this thread can serve to remind everyone of the value and importance of having a video chat prior to accepting a sit. As sitters and HOs, we always have a video Zoom “meeting” with the homeowners at our prospective sits (or with prospective sitters so they can see US!). 
I am a lone female house sitter and it does not bother me in the least. I actually like to see a photo of the property I would be staying in and the bedroom most and know the neighbourhood it is in. .I also like to see what the pets look like and if freindly looking. The owners I only see at the beginning of a sit if that and sometimes briefly at the end.
And I will know from messages at the start who i am meeting. Have completed over fifty sits and never had any concerns over the owners.? And what exactly would a photo of the pet owners tell you?
This has been mentioned on other threads. It’s interesting that there are those small circular photos of pets, but if you click on them, you see them in full. I don’t get why that tech can’t be used on the HO’s listing personal photo and why it can’t as a rule be of the person and not the house or pet. To be fair, I’ve see sitter profile’s where sitters also haven’t had photos of themselves. I think one difference is that some sitters will apply to a home with no photo of the homeowner. Most homeowners won’t take a chance on a sitter with no photos of themselves.