A lot of working people wouldn’t know their schedules over the Christmas holidays yet.
in which case they should not apply, if they are not 100% sure of their availability. They are taking up a place from another applicant.
They should only favourite it meantime. Then HO can chat with them.
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Not quite , you can confirm but the sitter also has to accept the sit.
There are many sitters who won’t accept a sit until they have had a video/ phone chat with the host first to see if it’s going to work for both parties .
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There is no commitment from an application itself @Frances00 it’s simply an expression of interest. You need to connect, chat or video call with the sitter and then both agree you’re committed and send an official invite after that. Some of the THS marketing is misleading, telling hosts they have access to “unlimited sitters” & that’s not really how it works. Both pay fees, both have a 50/50 stake in the agreement and only then are you good to go. #smallprint
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I think some people are just bad communicators. I am guessing she was saying, I am interested in sitting for you but not sure if those dates would work. She should have added, please think of me in the future for future sits. I would have declined her as well. I am most comfortable with people who are articulate and it’s not a guessing game for me on what they mean.
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Nope. Sit applications are the first of many steps. Sitters often apply and immediately withdraw for unknown reasons. It’s no big deal.
Yep.
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Nope. First, there is no THS mechanism for a sitter to ask you questions unless they have already applied to be considered for your published dates. Second, you aren’t “accepting” their application. You are sending them a formal invitation to a sit they applied for and, hopefully, you’ve discussed. They have to formally accept that invitation before they’re “locked in” except, even then, they are not locked in. Life happens and sit arrangements sometimes fall through. That’s why you’ll read here about Plan Bs.
Your holiday dates make the whole process a little more complicated because, again, life. This far out, stops and starts on finding a sitter are not unusual.
It’s one thing to have someone reach out and to see if there’s any flexibility in start/end dates, or even to indicate interest in future dates though that is a controversial move. And then…
I had someone apply to my Thanksgiving dates saying something like “[they] were very interested, but the only potential issue being that it is over Thanksgiving and would have to check to see what the family is doing…”
I was like… yesss… I know it’s over Thanksgiving… I’m visiting my family for Thanksgiving… which is why I need a sitter… these dates are not a mistake 
They ended up not being available for Thanksgiving and withdrew.
No, this isn’t how it works, nor should it be. Sitters shouldn’t be locked in just based on the info in the listing without being able to ask questions and make sure it’s a good fit. HOs can get multiple applicants, why wouldn’t sitters be able to apply to multiple sits?
I only apply to sits if I’m interested and available. However, I’m not holding those dates when I don’t know if I will hear back from the HO at all. I’m still available for those dates if something else comes up after I apply. In order to commit to a sit I have to talk with the HO first and then we both decide if it’s a good fit. Then the HO can confirm and I will accept. Only at that point is there a commitment.
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@Frances00 many sitters apply for multiple sits with the same dates so your applicant may have been waiting to hear back from another owner about another sit, hence why they said they might not be available. Just because a sitter applies to your sit doesn’t mean it’s a fait accompli.
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A factor here is also the timeline. THS encourages sitters to apply for multiple sits at a time. Logical, because the chance of getting a sit where the host has 5 applicants is only 20 %.
That also means that things can change if the host doesn’t go forward in a timely manner. The sitter might have known his/ her interest or availability at the time of application, but if it takes time before the host reaches out, a lot can change. Many sits are arranged within 24-48 hours from application - incl. a videocall. Most of my sits are.
On the other hand I might get a notification of published dates for a sit and quickly being able to send an application, although I’m busy at the time, and won’t be able to schedule a meeting before the next day or :other: I’m not sure what timeline we are talking about In the OP. When did the application come, how long time until host answered and invited to chat, how long until host declined. That would matter to me to form an opinion on who was flaky 
I do think it is important to me to have a partner that has a similar communication style. I appreciate timely answers. I also like that people answer to acknowledge my message, even though they don’t have an answer yet. After that I think they should get back to me in a timely manner (preferably tell me when they will be able to answer. Then I get to decide whether that will be too long or not). But we are different, and that is ok. Any member can decline any fellow member for any reason.
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@Frances00 nope - a sitter has to accept / confirm the sit then it is “locked in”. A sitter first have to consider if your sit is a good fit for them. This is achieved through a video chat to get to know you and the pet responsibilities better because some sits sounds good in the advert but reveal a ton of red flags during the video chat. I advise you to read THS terms and conditions seems you are misunderstanding how the platform operates.
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Thanks for clarifying @systaran. I misunderstood the process. This is helpful.
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Thanks for explaining. I misunderstood the process.
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That will be a really slow dance 
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Many sitters, myself included, apply for more than one sit for the same or overlapping dates if they come up. It’s the same as applying for a job - you don’t just apply for one and hope you get that. As others have already mentioned, other life events may also come up after an application has been sent.
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It’s possible she applied to multiple sits at once and someone replied before you and she is meeting with that person first. This scenario has happened to me.
If the sitter was stating they dont know if they can cover the sit dates, then YES, move on, they should know that before they apply. You were not being harsh if that was the case…….she/he should know that before applying.
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Yes, she applied and didn’t know if she could sit.
Since time lapsed between when the sitter applied, are you saying as a host that you expect applicants to put their lives on hold till you and they come to mutual agreement on a sit? That would be entitled and unrealistic. Sitters have lives, and something could easily come up in the interim, so they might need to check.
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