‘Toreishi’, thank you for your response! Yes, pets are delightful, it’s a nice apartment and accommodation with super Swiss views. However, we need a car, we were agreed provision of a car, we supplied all relevant documentation several months ago so no excuses from the Host are acceptable. Also correct to your comment, we would not have applied for this appointment if a vehicle had not been offered….as we are committed to taking the two big dogs out for toilet/exercise three to four times daily, specifically including around midday, how does ‘one’ go any where in between those times, even for groceries (we very fortunately arrived with supplies!)if there’s no vehicle? It also limits the dogs going for a scenery change too, which apparently they love.. Now there’s an irony… we’re told if Vet attention is required, we can use either car! ???
‘GotYourBack’….. thank you for your comments…correct on all accounts! This is truly a first for us with a Host car loan issue and as we are in Europe for usually 9-10 months per year, the majority of our Sits include Hosts offering the use of a vehicle, otherwise we don’t apply. I’m particularly annoyed as we arrived by Rental car, told the Host we’re returning it the next day ( an arduous full day trip for husband)yet Host still did not disclose we would therefore be without a car??? If we’d known his intent to deny us use of his vehicle/s we’d have kept the rental!
The only way to resolve this is to contact the hosts and discuss it with them. Remind them that they offered use of the car in their listing and you supplied all the documents required . Remind them that this was what was agreed when you accepted the sit . Remind them that THS is about mutual exchange . Ask them to keep to the agreement that they made .
‘Silversitters’……thank you so much for your comments and yes, it would be easier if they were actually contactable for the next few days….alas they are not available until mid week and it would not be resolvable through their local nominated contact here. Guess we’ll just start hitch hikng!!!
I am wondering… you have permission to drive their vehicle documented in your pre-sit exchanges?
Your up and coming sits are providing a vehicle in the same country, right? Doesn’t that reenforce the expectations shared here that Schengen insurance does cover the car rather than the driver? (Of course, their license excuse is total nonsense; international drivers licenses are NOT licenses, they’re simply translation documents that only work in concert with your home country’s official drivers license.)
So are you SURE they changed their minds? And is that change also documented? If not, maybe you simply misheard? Australian and Swiss accents can be kinda tricky and out-of-sync. If the location requires a car, it requires a car. Even to go rent another car. It’s hard to believe you properly heard and understood such an unreasonable last minute change.
It seems like this MIGHT be a classic he-said-she-said dispute down the road SHOULD you give precedence to the earlier permission given over the later utterly indefensible, possibly/probably misunderstood rescission. I suspect such a choice on your part would not come up down the road because… utterly indefensible. Even if it does, what recourse might the host have? Call you rude? The hosts obviously withheld their change of heart entirely for their own self-centered and entitled benefit. Assuming, of course, that you didn’t misunderstand 
On the other hand, if the permission was never explicitly documented before your arrival and you expected a permission document from them on arrival, you’re probably buggered. Sorry.
Your circumstance here suggests a wise request for future sitters to make of hosts when a supplied vehicle is in play. We always draw up a “permission to use our vehicle” document we leave in the vehicle with the other necessary documents (registration, insurance, roadside assistance, …). That document includes the sitter’s name, address, DL #, dates they’re authorized to use the vehicle and maximum distance from the registered address they can drive the vehicle. We handle all of this soon after a sit is scheduled. For the sitter, it would be best if they received a copy of the permission document as soon as it is available rather than waiting until their arrival. That would make the permission a lot harder to withdraw as happened here.
No……not an Australian accent mix-up, we fluently speak French, German (dialect and High German)plus English…ohhhhh, and ‘Osteralian’. The Hosts wrote in English, “No use of the cars unless the dogs need to go to the Vet”…. ??? We are disappointed on the entitlement this Host has taken treating us as ‘just Sitters’ not a reciprocal Host/ Guest arrangement.
You’re being much more patient and accommodating than I would be in your shoes. They intentionally blindsided, shived you and then acted as though you’d be too stupid/gullible to notice.
On principle, I’d send them 24 hours notice you’re abandoning the sit having run out of groceries and being stranded. Because of the pets, I wouldn’t actually leave before they contacted me but I would make the message to them sound like you’re gone in the morning. Someone will be in touch PDQ and you can sort it out from there.
BTW, I’m not a sitter.
@Tasmazias Tasmazias How long is the sit?
If there are more than a few days left, we’d do as others have suggested and give notice to leave if the agreed amenity of the vehicle is not made available to you, as the agreed terms of the sit have not been met.
Our daughter lives in Switzerland and it’s a fact that the vehicle holds insurance, not the driver.
Sounds like it’s definitely worth checking out if this scenario is covered by premium membership insurance (if applicable)?
@Tasmazias Use the car as needed, document the mileage, move on. Just not worth getting your knickers in a knot over.
Yes, ‘The_Sollys’, exactly what my husband says!! Interesting however, to read Community Forum comments. Thank you!
Thank you ‘Happypets’, we now go onwards for other Swiss Sits until November. Cars are supplied for our use at those and as they are return appointments, we know those offers will be honoured!
Have the HOs left the keys?
I wouldn’t use it, since they’ve expressly instructed the sitter not to. I would, however, press them to honour the agreement or else leave the sit. As has already been said, it’s grossly unfair that they should agree something so necessary for this sit, then disallow it just as they departed (and before giving the sitter opportunity to digest the info and respond). Sounds like that wasn’t coincidental. It’s they who should be considering the consequences, not the sitter.
Yes, ‘Happypets’, the keys for both vehicles are here and that’s the irony! We’ve been left notes to say we can only use if the dogs need Vet attention but definitely not for any other use??!! Thanks for your input.
So they’ve actually left notes, stating that? Which just goes to prove their departing words about you not being legally able to drive are just piffle.
How long are you there for?
An accurate review is the best warning for future sitters
Perhaps a necessary car trip or two to the vet office to, let’s say, pick up a can of dog food. Oh, and you could also run some errands or see some sights on the way there or back. 
Love you ‘Maggie’!! Brilliant….
Yes ‘Cathie’…we’ll certainly do an honest review, especially considering that the two dogs recently mauled another dog whilst out walking necessitating Vet. care for the other dog….but that’s another story! Sadly the previous Sitters ‘glossed over’ the facts in their review….hmmmmmm! Honest reviews out there??? Don’t have faith!
@Tasmazias ,
I advise that you inform THS about this immediately. These dogs should not be on THS .. and THS needs to know about this ….
You can call the Urgent Support Phone Number which is a 24/7 phone number and the number is on your dashboard.
The T&Cs say
“Pet parents will..
5.2.4. ensure that no pets to be left under the care of a Sitter have ever caused a person or animal any physical harm (no matter how minor the injury);
5.2.5. notify a Sitter of any special requirements or behaviours relating to your pet(s) in your Home Listing and when you communicate with any Sitter and during the Handover,
5.2.11. not have any inherently dangerous pets ……….or any animal with a history of attacks on pets or people;”
Hosts have broken at least 3 of the terms of service …. Since this aggression wasn’t disclosed before the start of the sit you should be entitled to leave and use the Sit Cancellation plan to claim for alternative accommodation. Ask the Urgent Support Line for advice .
If the car had been confirmed previously, I would have been inclined to tell the host, “OMG, we relied on the agreement that the car would be available, so I’m really sorry, but I’ll have to find other arrangements and I won’t be able to sit for you” … then let them scramble to find a replacement sitter while they are trying to walk out the door.