“Due to the current global situation, we kindly ask homeowners to consider contributing towards our travel expenses. We bring a lot of experience and many excellent reviews to each sit and this would enable us to continue to care for your pets and home to the best of our ability. As circumstances around the world continue to affect travel costs and logistics we feel that a contribution would not be unreasonable. We thank you for your understanding”
Ok so does the above message sound reasonable? Does anyone have any experience with this or suggestions. It’s just that we have found that the cost of getting from A to B and then journeys with the animals within the sit can actually add up to quite a bit. Any feedback welcome.
It is written well and I understand your need. Unfortunately asking for money is against THS policies. You can be removed or warned if a host comes along this on your profile and reports you. I see so many low applications and some having 0 applicants. THS may have to change something to keep sitters. I would hate to see THS disappear.
@Rhona_Frits It would be a good idea to read the Terms of Service and Code of Conduct to which you have agreed as sitters are not allowed to ask for financial assistance or payment. You choose where you want to sit; hosts are not responsible for that decision of yours. It just may mean you need to re-think your sitting locations to reduce the costs.
It doesn’t matter how you word it, you’re not allowed to ask for any money/contribution. Don’t do it, all it would take is for one person to report you and THS would have every right to remove you from the site.
If any sitter chooses to travel further afield, then that’s up to them to cover their own travel costs.
The only way this could happen is if an HO is struggling to find sitters and they OFFER to help with travel expenses. It is up to the HO, not the sitter.
Combined member. There are lots of sits I don’t apply to because I can’t afford to travel to those places. I only apply to sits I would be able to afford to go to. You might consider that.
As a homeowner, if I saw this message in your profile or on your application, I would not even consider your offer. Why would I pay your travel expenses when there are other great sitters who aren’t asking for this? If this came up on a chat as some kind of negotiation or right before confirmation, I would report since I’d have no intention of paying you and the delay might have cost me another sitter who applied and moved on.
If you want to go further than your money will take you, you might consider looking for sits off site or using other platforms for paid sits.
That said, once you are at a site if you are expected to travel with a pet, fuel should absolutely be reimbursed.
I would apply for a sit, then if you get the interview and they want you, say that you have to check if travel costs have changed since you applied and could still manage to get to the sit.
In reality if I was a host I would get a paid sitter in my area opposed to paying for sitters I never met and have to pay maybe for their plane. That would cost me more in some instances. A paid sitter which I also am in my area and not through THS, meet with the homeowner first to see if a match. I can see someone you already sat for on THS ask you back and you telling them it is cost prohibited. They may then offer you some compensation if they want to take the next sit off the platform.
Agree with others here : Well and respectfully written and a bad idea for two reasons.
Against THS TOS
Travel is always the sitters’ responsibility.
(Apologies for the next comment as it is NOT meant to sound rude !). If you can’t cover travel costs then you shouldn’t be applying to that particular sit. It is your problem to address, not the HO’s.
I respectfully disagree as taking the path above wastes everyone’s time.
If the sitter already knows that they can’t afford the travel but applies hoping that the HO will help or that the global situation will change, that is not an honest application.
I’m not so sure. If I were a host, I would prefer to read it upfront and have the choice before starting a conversation with the sitter. Just as I like transparency in listings. An equivalent example would be an HO saying in the video chat that fuel has gone up and I can’t use the heating or have to pay for it. I’d rather read it before I decide to apply.
It’s not exactly the same according to THS T&Cs but the impact for members is similar.
Since I had the experience of arriving at a sit and then the HO asking me to drive her to the airport, the next morning, in my car, there are HOs that are not upfront.