I had a great experience w our first sitter - but this was after two separate sitters cancelled on me because they got a better offer - closer to their home. Now the second time around, after rearranging my schedule to hold a video chat w a sitter who applied for the sit, I am experiencing yet another failure. I understand that emergencies come up - this was in no way an emergency. The sitter simply changed his mind. Is there no way to write negative reviews for people who back out of their commitments? This was a clear violation of policy - and yes, I have already communicated w the authorities via email. They seem to think it is no big deal. I think it is irresponsible and unprofessional and these folks should be flagged.
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Yikes! Sorry to hear you had a sit where two sitters cancelled on you - I don’t think that is very common. Had each of them accepted your invitation to sit (after a chat) and backed out?
As for the one with the video chat, that is unfortunate that they cancelled the chat, but at least they hadn’t confirmed your sit and backed out. It saved you the hassle of them flaking out down the road.
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Sitters often change their minds about a sit they’ve applied for but haven’t yet been offered or accepted the sit formally. I’d say we see it happen with 10% of applicants. They don’t need to offer a reason and it isn’t a big deal. We just move on.
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It’s unclear if they actually confirmed the sits with you or just decided after a video call this was not a match which is exactly what the video call is for, to see if it is a fit for both parties involved. You said they got a better offer. If it was a confirmed sit then they couldn’t apply to other sits for that time period. I guess they could have originally sent out more than one application and heard from the other person as well. Then you would need to go back and decline them so they can confirm with the one they now want to sit for. It sounds though you just had a video chat with them and they didn’t confirm the sit with you as it wasn’t a match. Is this what happened?
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It sounds like the sitter cancelled the videocall, not the sit. There’s no commitment until confirmation from both parties.
I believe you need to better familiarize yourself with the rules— they didn’t break any.
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This makes me think you are talking about sitters ‘cancelling’ who you have been in discussion with, not who you have confirmed.
The process of application, followed by a video call is to give the home host a better feel about the sitter, and the sitter a better feel about the home host and the finer details of the listing which they sent an application to.
At this point, none are committed, either can pull out with no hard feelings.
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Hi MrsTw fotr a couple who were not thatist.
This is actual;ly becoming far more common. Last year I sat for a couple who were only a 20 min drive from me. I would not normally have done but as at home at the time I did it to help them out. \They had two separate sets of confirmed sitters who cancelled on them. One had been only a week beforehand. Both had seemed feeble excuses.
I am also finding that I am contacted more by despoerate owners who have had sitterds cancel on them. And | have just taken a sit that was re advertised due to confirmed sitters cancelling at short notice. I do feel that there should be a way to flag these sitters and make a note, which could be listed under reviews to say ‘sitter cancelled this sit after confirmation’.
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If the sit isn’t confirmed there is no commitment. Whilst it’s highly frustrating people cancelling or not turning up for video calls -to my knowledge it’s not a breach of policy. It happens the other way round too - HO changing times or mind if they’ve found someone else in meantime. If you’re talking about sitters changing mind after sit is confirmed then this is an issue & one THS do take seriously. I understand they can flag/monitor accounts to make sure this isn’t repeatedly happening.
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It is not a «cancellation» as such until you have sent a formal invitation to sit AND the sitter has accepted. That would make a «confirmed» sit.
Both parties can at any point before that withdraw, and that is the part of the evaluation process both parties do.
It is important to not only have a strong listing but also act in a timely manner to secure a good sitter.
Not sure what happened here, so just some input.
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Sitters can’t cancel sits formally. That can only be done by hosts and THS. So in the process of a sitter not wanting to do a sit it can be adressed with THS. Ofc that happens all the time with hosts, also - putting sitters in a tight spot as they might have used a lot of money for tickets. It is part of this being a voluntary service and not a petsitting business.
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The title of the thread is misleading. The sitter didn’t cancel .
When a sitter applies for a sit they are expressing their interest only.
After a video call or phone call both parties can decide if it’s going to work for them or not .
Then both parties have to agree and confirm the sit before it becomes official.
THS encourages sitters to apply for multiple sits for the same dates , Until a sit is officially confirmed
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as others have pointed out, if the sitter decided not to go ahead with the sit after the zoom call, he/she is perfectly entitled to do so. as sitters, we also vet the HO but i sometimes feel that HO think they’re doing PS a favour and it’s not a two way thing.
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Hi @MrsTwist
Sorry to hear about this.
I checked with the team and they explained that in order to take any action against a sitter cancellation which wasn’t exceptional circumstances, that it would need to be 14 days or less until the sit begins. In this case it sounds like there’s a month to go, and we’re really hoping that you’ll be able to secure another sitter in plenty of time.
Jenny 
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@Jenny
This doesn’t seem like this was a sitter cancellation as it doesn’t appear that this was a confirmed sit. The sitter applied then changed their mind before the video call .
@MrsTwist can you confirm ?
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Thanks @Silversitters - it’d really help us tailor our advice if @MrsTwist could confirm some more detail 
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The original sitter cancelled our appt for a video chat a half hour before it was scheduled because she preferred a different sit. That was annoying, but fair enough. The second had already been interviewed, confirmed the sit, had my address etc. and then cancelled it. His reason was because he didn’t want to pay the train fare. That hardly seems like extraordinary circumstances to me!
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I guess I wasn’t clear. The first time period two people declined the application shortly before the scheduled interview. The second time period the sitter had confirmed the application then backed out - and there were no extraordinary reasons.
What happened with the second sit was that he had already been through a video chat and confirmed the sit. Then he cancelled. There were no extraordinary circumstances
Again - I was not clear. I find it annoying that people express interest then pull out of the convo but okay, I get it. My big issue is with the sitter who went through with a video call and confirmed the sit then pulled out - and not for extraordinary reasons.
I understand that. The second sitter had a confirmed sit and ended up canceling. There were no extraordinary circumstances. I believe there should be a way to flag these sitters.