Hi @travelinglady51 you’re very quick to tell us we are all wrong and that the only reasonable inference is that the sitter was lying when they said they didn’t see the item. When I personally go to a sit, there is so much to take in that I probably only notice 50% of the items in a room.
There has been research around road traffic accidents that people only see what they expect to see - there could be an elephant in the corner of a room and unless they expected to see an elephant in the room they probably wouldn’t see it.
By any chance @travelinglady51 does the item appear in any of your listing photos as you would at least be able to refer to it to the sitter and THS if you are going to pursue this with them? Is it replaceable and covered by your house insurance?
Well that’s conclusive. If it’s of great value involve the police. If it’s sentimental value I am sorry. We are not all like that. And please mention it in the review as a warning to other hosts.
You say you lock up valuables. So presumably the missing item was not valuable. In which case, why would a sitter want to risk their reputation and “career” as a carer for other peoples’ property by half-inching it?
The fact that two items have disappeared is definitely suspicious, did this sitter have reviews? As they deny seeing them, there’s not really much you or THS can do without proof. THS can put her on a watch list, but that’s about it. Leave an honest review saying that you can’t find these items.
I’m really sorry that this has happened to you, but please bear in mind that the help you receive on this Forum comes from people who are also sitters and/or owners who use Trusted Housesitters, and they’re doing their best to help you using their own experiences and knowledge.
“Let’s make TrustedHousesitters a friendly place for everyone! Respect is key. We love discussions, but let’s keep it kind and respectful. No rude language or personal attacks, please. If someone comments, please acknowledge them.”
I appreciate that you must be feeling frustrated, but the advice given in this discussion by our members is solid, and I would recommend taking it on board. Definitely contact Membership Services if you haven’t already, as I’m sure they’d be happy to look into this for you.
I just want to underline this reply! I’m actually a pretty observant person overall. But I can’t tell you how many times my spouse has mentioned something in a room we stayed in that I didn’t even notice. I recently stayed in a B&B and it wasn’t until the third day that I took in the fact that there were three hats displayed on the wall!
@travelinglady51 was this resolved? Did the sitter accidentally move the items?
I once had a sitter leave their sheet set behind and take mine by accident. It was a 4 month sit and I knew it was an oversight and I didnt bother to follow it up, but for actual little knickknacks to go missing is concerning. That would annoy me too.
You have asked the homeowners what do they do; you have been given a number of answers but I fear you aren’t accepting as your responses seem defensive. I think you wanted to vent maybe- understandable when something is missing that you enjoyed in your home.
As a homeowner, I can imagine I would feel upset if felt a sentimental item went missing, but ultimately would move on. The question was asked, and answered. At the end of the day- it is a thing. Disappointing but a thing
And…You need proof to file a dispute.
I’d also be mindful about accusations in a review without clear proof. It ‘used to be there and not it’s not’ is at best, circumstantial. In any review - would be factual.
“ I did not feel my belongings were cared for as I would have hoped”
The reality is this: you believe a sitter took sentimental knick knacks/decor even though they’ve told you more than once they did not see your picture frame/easel or wine stopper. You clearly didn’t feel the response given plausible. Regardless- you do not have many options.
In my view- have really only two - four choices:
Continue to be upset.
Or
Let it go. It’s not worth the stress
And/or
Choose a different alternative in future suitable to you for minding your pet(s)
File a dispute and /our contact member services
Write a fair review. ( you initially commented you were worried about retaliative feedback BUT as has been clearly explained above, the reviews are blinded for both sitter and HO for 14 days- see policy)- edited for clarity.
What I would do? Be briefly bugged. Pray to St Anthony. Then I would let it go. Life is short. It’s a thing. If I was really upset about the loss, I would not have that sitter back and or consider other options for the care of my home or pets.
Sorry to hear about your concerns. I haven’t personally experienced theft, but I always take precautions: checking references, using cameras (disclosed upfront), and locking away valuables. I agree the review system feels one-sided—it’s frustrating not knowing a sitter’s response until after you’ve left feedback. Maybe platforms could balance this by allowing simultaneous or blinded reviews. For now, trust your gut and document everything before/after sits. Hope you find reliable sitters moving forward!
I am sorry but I don’t understand how you can know a response before you leave a comment or what the point of reviewing would be if, instead of assessing how the sit went, we were meant to comment on the other party’s reaction.
In this particular instance, there has been communication about the missing items and sitter has denied seeing them, so it’s not hard to anticipate that they would probably say that in their response.