I thought there is a policy that if you apply for a sit you are ready to accept. Sitter applied for my sit and sent a long message bout their background and how they would love to pet sit for my cat.
I sent a message asking when she was available to chat and she replied: I’m not sure if I’m available on those dates. I will let you know. So, I declined her application to free up for others.
Now if she is available, I won’t accept her because I think she’s a flake. Am I being too harsh?
you are spot on. She is a time waster. Kick her to the Kerb, and I say this as a sitter.
An application is only an interest to sit and to explore this further. A sitter is usually not ready to accept at that point, but need to discuss further in a videocall before they decide if they’re interested.
I see no wrong in having to check whether she was free to chat at suggested times. People have lives, work, family etc.
I don’t apply for sits unless I have the dates available. Of course, after applying, stuff can come up and I hadn’t obligated myself to the host just by applying.
Of course, hosts can decide whom they choose to sit, just as sitters can choose whom to sit for. You’re not obligated to agree.
BUT not sure if she is available on those dates? presumably those dates are soon, so she must know if she is avaiable to take a call, or not. it’s not rocket science.
if sitter meant not sure if she is available for the actual dates of the sit, then she should not have applied at all.
Yes, you’re being harsh. Because only five sitters can apply some will see a sit they like and apply and then have to make sure it works. An application is not a promise or guarantee, it’s only an inquiry. Only a confirmed sit is an agreement. I feel like you may be new here and it’s an important distinction to be aware of. Remember, this is an equal exchange, try to approach it in a … gentler way.
One could for instance be at work and need to check the calendar after hours, or otherwise be occupied (collecting kid in kindergarten, at the doctors with mum, needing to turn off the phone due to :insert: ) But ofc depending in the timeframe we’rw talking about.
hmm, then she should only reply when she has a definite answer. YES I can chat then, No I cant but I am available on (insert date/time). offer an alternative.
saying “I am not sure”, is a waste of time
I think it would depend on the circumstances, timeliness of communication, and your other applications. I had a business travel/conflict come up an hour or so after applying for a sit. The HO replied just as I was about to withdraw my application, so I apologized and explained I was no longer available for her start date. She reached out the next day, letting me know her dates had changed, and we moved forward with the sit. I’ve sat for her twice now, and next week I will be sitting for her neighbor across the lake. I am conscientious about dependability and make every effort to manage my availability, but things can come up.
An application is an expression of initial interest only. It can be to ask some further questions to see if the sit will work for the sitter . It can also be used to make contact with the host to say we like your sit we are not available this time but would be interested in future dates that you list .
I think when hosts receive an application, it is understandable to assume that the sitter must be available for those dates or they wouldn’t be applying–though it doesn’t mean acceptance is automatic.
You mention wanting to set up a time to chat so I presume you wanted to connect with her first before officially inviting her to accept, as many hosts do? Or were you hoping for her to accept the sit outright and then set up a time to chat afterwards to hash out certain details?
I can understand being annoyed that upon reaching out, they then say they aren’t sure they are actually available.
It is possible she applied not truly knowing her availability (which I wouldn’t do), she had applied to others sits with similar dates and was already in the process of chatting with other hosts and waiting to see how that pans out, or something came up and she is no longer sure it would work for her schedule.
There is a good chance it is one of the first two possibilities but ultimately if she didn’t give any further details you can’t really know.
Just like many sitters like connecting with hosts who have firm plans, respond to messages promptly, set up pre-confirmation chats quickly, etc…(and often seem to judge those that don’t quite harshly), hosts are entitled to similar preferences as far as their sitters go.
It is my understanding that when a sitter formally applies, I can accept and they are immediately locked in. all other sitters have message me with interest/questions, we talk and then they formally apply.
No, you aren’t being harsh at all, you just did what felt natural. But likewise, a sitter’s calendar can change from one day to the next, and she may have been preoccupied on a dog walk or simply at work when you/she messaged and so she needed to double check the specific dates again first.
No, your understanding is incorrect.
Sitters can’t message hosts with questions without first applying, whether for the current sit or previously.
A host accepting a sitter doesn’t lock in the sitter at all. The last step is the sitter confirming by hitting a button that auto-generates a mutual confirmation. And a sitter doesn’t have to accept.
There is a final step in the confirmation process @Frances00 and that is after you have accepted the sitter, the sitter must agree to the sit. They have the final say. It is not confirmed until both owner and sitter agree to it.
Do you mean, she didn’t know if she was available on the chat dates - or the actual sit dates?
Right. It’s logical, because sitters can apply for multiple sits and have lives they’re living. They’re not waiting in limbo on hosts to decide how they live their lives. 
And what if multiple hosts accepted a sitter? If they were locked in for all, would they randomly show up for one sit and not others? That would be illogical.
I always liken the application-invitation-acceptance process to a bit of a dance.
As a sitter, I formally apply.
As a host, you can then invite me.
As a sitter, I then need to accept.
I have experienced return invitations via chat/DM wherein the host asks about availability for a certain date range, and I then reply indicating that I am available and willing.
HOWEVER, we still need to do the full dance (which may also include a direct request that I apply, which then still requires:
I have had a few instances where I have had to walk new hosts through the process.
The sit is for December 13 - 28.
She submitted an application for these dates.
my question exactly