Hi @Angela_L, are there any updates on this please? It’s such a biggie …. Thanks
Hi @Angela_L , this has been with the team for review for over three weeks now -could you please ask them what is the timeline for their response?
Especially as some members have said that they don’t feel comfortable confirming sits until this clause is changed/ deleted / reworded .
Thank you .
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Thank you @Silversitters @Purdie I will follow up …
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On this particular issue both pet owners and sitters are unanimous that clause 5.3.5. is unfair, impractical and unenforceable and therefore it should be removed/ reworded so the onus on paying for vet fees upfront is not on the sitter.
Therefore it will be a win win when THS remove this clause . I appreciate that sending out new T&Cs to all members is not something that can be done overnight . However this has been with “the team” for review for a month now and We still have not been provided with a timeline of when this will be done( you were chasing them up 9 days ago )
The lack of information from the THS team about when clause 5.3.5. will be removed / changed adds to the belief of some on this forum that THS doesn’t care about members genuine concerns .
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Hi @Silversitters our apologies and we appreciate your patience.
I assure you the matter is in review, we will pick this up and post an update as soon as one is available.
It would be reassuring to know the date that the team have committed to to provide an update . Without that information , it gives the impression that THS is ignoring members concerns.
Can we expect an answer by the end of the month ( by which time the team will have been reviewing the issue for 7 weeks )? That would seem to me more than enough time to provide an update to members on this very concerning issue ?
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Hello, @Silversitters - Thank you for the prompt. Just to let you know Angela is currently offline and will pick this up when she is back on 
Is this a requirement by trustedhousesitter?
Yes at the moment @1self - the Ts and Cs are being reviewed by HQ as so many people are asking for them to be removed. Pets are the HOs responsibility when it comes to vets not the sitters
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Interesting issue! We are passing 55 Sits, the vast majority being international from ‘Tasmazia’, that’s Tasmania, Australia. We always, always, go through our check list as well as the Sitters Guide (if completed) with the Host/s before they leave (another reason we like to arrive the day before).
As a matter of course, we make it very clear we need the Vet details and how they are to be paid. In addition, we tactfully discuss what they want done in a demise situation (eg. a pet dying). To date, all Hosts have been brilliant with either confirming the Vet account number or having ‘an arrangement’ in place (eg., paying over the 'phone). Although a very trusting Aussie, I do have a proforma agreement statement/form for this which all Hosts have been happy to counter sign… it includes what to do with the pet should it go to the big ‘Garden in the Sky’. Some owners have thought of a burial place which means not having to use the freezer until they return home, some ask to be contacted as soon as possible and will decide then. Sounds a bit too much? No, grief and post pet loss trauma does funny things to some people. We once, in good faith , buried a Bantam cockerel that ‘fell off his perch’, only to be told, politely, that it would have been better to leave it on the manure heap for the local fox!
As nicely as possible, and with reassurance that the pets are our top priority, we do make it quite apparent that we are not financially responsible for their Vet care. The hint, unintentional of course, of the consequences may be considered a minor form of blackmail but to date, Pet Parents have readily assured us they understand … before they leave! The ‘Trusted’ goes both ways here too, I have not yet gone as far as cross checking the details with the Vet Clinic so just hope not to ever be put in the situation of being ‘held to ransom’ by the Vet for treatment, especially emergency care.
PS…Contrary to all above, we also would never deny pet treatment either if we did have to pay… we’d just hope we had honourable Hosts!
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This is the current clause that members on this forum ( sitters and home owners ) have asked THS to remove as it is unfair, impractical and unenforceable.
The team have been reviewing it since 14th September.
In the meantime as a work around , it’s recommended that sitters and pet owners should discuss this, before confirming a sit . So that it is agreed between the two parties who will pay any vet fees upfront and up to what amount.
But yes at present According to the T&Cs that all members agree to on signing up - the responsibility for paying the vet fees upfront is on the sitter . They then request that the HO to reimburse them at the end of the sit .
I agree that most sitters would also put the pets needs first - however not all sitters will have the funds to pay for emergency vet bills upfront - if you read the real life examples from members in this thread these can be £1000’s - also many HOs have said that in their country it’s not possible to set up an account with a vet.
Therefore it is a clause that has potential to cause a huge financial burden for a sitter who under current T&Cs is the one liable to pay upfront.
Like you we discuss this issue with pet owners before the sit to confirm the arrangements- in cases where they cannot set up an account with a vet- we ask that there is an emergency contact who would pay the fees if HO is not able to do so from the place they are staying in .
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I am not a sitter but I find this unbelievable. I wouldn’t dream of letting the sitters pay up front for any expenses, especially not concerning the pets.
We simply got ourselves a debit card and, depending on how long the sit is going to be, fill it up with a certain amount of money. This card we hand over to the sitters including the PIN number for any veterinarian costs or for food and treats for the pets, which might be necessary to pay. In case the costs are higher we can quickly top it up online.
Of course, someone now might say that they could also use the money for themselves, but this is the risk we’re taking to make sure enough money is available for the cats. So far we have never been disappointed.
Additionally we have two emergency contacts, who would pay any amount necessary without questions.
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Crazy didnt know about this. I only had to go to the vet once during a sit and the vet just wrote an invoice. That was very easy to be honest
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Hello everyone,
Thank you so much for your patience while we’ve been collating your feedback about Vet fees in our T&C. We understand that it’s an important topic for you.
We’re now in a position to give you some feedback.
We’ve received confirmation that no changes will be made to the T&C with regards to paying any Veterinary fees upfront on behalf of the Pet Parent. We know that’s not the answer that you were hoping for, and we’re sorry that’s the case.
It’s really important to remember that the majority of sits will go ahead without any unexpected issues, but we know (some of us from personal experience!) that things can very occasionally go wrong. We feel that advance communication with your Pet Parent is key when it comes to mitigating any negative financial (and emotional) impact that these potential situations might cause.
We can see that quite a few of you have already suggested advance communication, and not accepting sits where there’s no clear provision in place. We very much agree, therefore our advice would be to ensure in advance that the Pet Parent at a potential sit has a payment agreement in place with their regular Vet, that they have insurance in place for their beloved pet, and that they can leave funds for any pre-arranged trips to the Vet.
The Pet Parent is responsible for any treatment required, including any emergency costs and expenses incurred by the Sitter, and the Sitter must be reimbursed within 14 days of the completion of the sit. You can find this information under 5.2 in the T&C.
Should anyone not be reimbursed for those costs and expenses, we strongly recommend contacting Member Services for assistance.
Thank you everyone for taking the time to share your thoughts and advice. Although we haven’t been able to make a change based on your feedback this time, the discussion around the issue has been invaluable, and we hope that anyone reading it has been able to learn from the solid advice given by our members.
Take care,
Angela
We tried to get a payment agreement at the emergency vet hospital, without success. Not every practice is willing to do this.
An insurance is nice to have but not mandatory as long as the pet owners (I refuse to call them pet parents) make sure that they cover the costs.
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@Angela_L . Thank you for the reply from the team.
The decision made by THS to keep this clause which forum members ( both HOs and sitters ) unanimously agreed is unfair, leaves me with more questions than answers .
Whilst THS are recommending we can work around these T&Cs by making individual agreements which are contrary to the T&Cs that we sign up to - this clause which members will be held too unfairly puts the financial liability on the sitters.
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What happens if sitter does not have sufficient funds to pay the fees upfront ? Under the T&Cs this clause makes sitters responsible for paying for vet fees upfront regardless of whether they can afford it or not .
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What is there in the T&Cs to protect the sitter who does not have sufficient funds to pay vet fees upfront ?
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Would a sitter who doesn’t have sufficient funds be considered in breach of the THS T&Cs ?
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Would action be taken against them ?
- Aside from maybe banning the pet owner from the platform what action would member services take to ensure that the sitter is reimbursed?
and finally
- WHY ? - What is the rationale behind keeping clause 5.3.5?
@Angela_L I understand that you are the messenger not the decision maker - Please can you put these specific questions to the team for answers?
Thank you
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This is the key when having pre sit coversations with pet owners. If they have no vet payment provisions in place, then it’s no deal. If enough sitters take this stance then owners will need to ensure they have advance payment arrangements in place with their vet or they just won’t get a sitter, no matter how unlikely a vet visit might be.
Hi @Angela_L, it would be good if the pet information section could have drop-down or tick boxes in place to indicate:
- male or female
- neutered or not
- up-to-date vaccinations
- microchipped or not
- insured or not
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Ive just confirmed a sitting arrangement and these were the first questions the sitter asked me. I would have provided all that information anyway, but I really liked that she asked me up front. It’s absolutely key to both of our peace of mind that we are comfortable with the arrangements.
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