Nearly 3 week sit, agreed months ago
early Dec to late Dec
Now wants to leave a week early and wants me to get another THS to take over on xmas eve
I am flying long haul shortly so quite stressed since i got the message this morning
Is this normal?
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Hi @Kernit
It’s not normal, no. A sitter shouldn’t change agreed dates this close, especially not by a full week over Christmas. It puts you in a tough position, particularly when you’re about to fly long-haul.
A few practical steps:
– Ask the sitter to honour the original dates.
– If they can’t, you can cancel the sit so you can reopen the listing immediately.
– You’re not responsible for finding a replacement on Christmas Eve — that’s not realistic.
– If needed, contact THS Support so they can step in and help quickly.
Keep it straightforward and protect your plans. 
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Thank you
Im not a premium member so dont have cancellatuon cover , THS support have been very sympathetic and asked to see screenshots of sittter confirming she could not now do original datea
looking at listings now it seems unlikely i would find another THS this near and be able to meet or zoom them
I can board my 2 pets with someone they know and like for 3 weeks , its expensive but worth it for peace of mind
Was curious as sitter seemed to think it was a very reasonable request to make!
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Definitely not normal, actually kind of an outrageous request. I hope cancelling the whole sit puts the sitter out more than it does you (I know that’s mean, but really!). I’m glad you have a safe place for your doggos so you’ll have peace of mind for your trip.
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Sorry to hear about this - no it’s not “normal “
All members agree in the T&Cs that sits should not be cancelled unless there are exceptional circumstances.
You can raise a member dispute - it won’t force the sitter to come for the duration of the sit but they will get a reminder / “warning” from THS that if they do this again without a good reason (exceptional circumstances ) THS may end their membership.
If you don’t raise a member dispute THS won’t keep a record of why the sit was cancelled and who was responsible .
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Thats interesting re member dispute
THS did say they would be contacting sitter to remind them of T and Cs
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Is this sitter new to THS ?
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Very unreasonable to expect new sitters to come in at that point. Not good behaviour at all. Cancel straight away if they can not commit as agreed but I would be hesitant to take them even if they agree to fullfill the sit as originally stated. They could do the part they want then leave anyway.
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Cancel the sitter! They can find alternative (& expensive) accommodation for the holidays and see if that makes them think a bit more. Leaving on Christmas Eve is an outrageous ask this close to the start date. They might change the dates again once you leave too which will be even more stressful. You can also post your sit on the last minute sits in the forum. #standyourground
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Did the sitter provide a reason?
It’s also worth noting that split sits can get complicated if there’s a problem, like something gets damaged, the house is filthy on your return, the second sitter doesn’t turn up, or an animal falls ill. I wouldn’t do it.
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Acting like a request is reasonable definitely does not make an unreasonable request reasonable. Complete horse hooey. As you’re facing the need to pay for a replacement, raising a Member Dispute is reasonable rather than letting an irresponsible sitter off without real consequences.
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Not normal. (I sit and host.) But remember this is a matching site. No one is employed by THS. Some people set their own rules and do all sorts of things that violate the spirit and the terms. Owners and sitters!
You already talked to THS, make sure in any follow up you use the word “dispute” which seems like a magic word somehow. Consider getting the premium for the future, as this would have worked. Likely you dodged a bullet as this person sounds like a flake.
While it’s unlikely you’ll find someone, it’s not impossible. Remember this type of thing works both ways and sometimes sits get cancelled by owners at the last minute, so you might be able to find someone. You can always begin to look for paid sitters while also listing on THS. The last minute sits thread might also be handy. If you have space in your place and can offer some flexibility on dates, that might be helpful as well.
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No, 40 sits all 5 star reviews!
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Yes they want to be somewhere else at christmas
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That’s terrible and definitely not normal. I hope you can find a good resolution soon, best of luck.
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When I’ve talked to people about THS and how it’s a win win for sitters and Home Owners, many have said but what about a last minute cancellation? That’s what they fear most as Home Owners, being left in the lurch. Some people are super flexible and happy to jump in last minute and save the day. I’ve done that myself several times. Of course Christmas isn’t so easy but people’s plans change for a variety of reasons and you can also find a great sitter at short notice.
Best wishes. Hoping you get the best result. Premium insurance has its advantages in situations like this.
As a sitter I always have a plan B as things often don’t go entirely to plan.
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Thanks everyone, I cancelled the sit and have boarded them for 3 weeks with someone I have used before and has availability over xmas !
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Please pursue this with THS. Check in with them again to ask if they have investigated or are “watching” the sitter. I’m convinced that there are a very small number of sitters (and home owners) who break these rules on the regular and because there is no tracking of cancellations and no reviews, they can get it away with it and still have perfect reviews. THS really should be tracking all cancellations to look for patterns.
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Given that they now want to leave the sit on Christmas Eve, I suspect the reason is social rather than an emergency or exceptional circumstance.
@Kernit I’d suggest cancelling the sit and relisting ASAP. These sitters seem flaky, would you still trust them?