THS is more likely to limit the number of pending applications that a sitter can have.
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There you go again giving ideas! 
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Thatās really disrespectful. I can understand that some people may send an application too quickly because of the 5 applicants limit but they should immediately check all relevant information and withdraw if they are not interested any more. I have only withdrawn when a HO doesnāt respond or doesnāt show for the video chat.
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As as a sitter, I do find it acceptable to be interviewed and then be turned down - thatās just life - as long as the HO says that they are interviewing other people as well and will get back to me. Itās happened to me a couple of times. I view it the same as going for a job interview where you know you are not the only interviewee.
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What an interesting thread.
CAdventurer, Iād like to think that your experiences are atypical. As experienced housesitters, weāve met some wonderful people; cared for super pets; and maintained a broad range of properties, including premium. Iād hope that you learn to quickly dismiss any questionable housesitters; filter those whose profiles meet your preference/needs; and perhaps build a list of favourited housesitters.
PS. I rather suspect that your comments āI know it is hard for all the above board sitters on this forum to imagine that there are, in fact, many sitters who have completely different ethics.ā applies to Pet Parents too. Thereās ample examples in the THS Forum of all sorts of questionable conduct. But Iād like to think that most people, on both sides, appreciate good conduct and a fair trade.
When it works - hopefully most instances - housesitting concept seems a wonderful win-win-win. For pet parents. For house sitters. And for pets.
Keep your chin up. Keep smiling. And focus on the outcome - a great, worry-free trip.
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Thatās a great strategy! I get invites all the time and appreciate them. OR go thru apps ASAP reject immediately and allows others to apply. Many sitters apply to multiple sits for same dates. Hosts who move on interviews get to make commitments. I have applied and not heard from hosts for weeks - Iāve been interviewing and already accepted another. I remove my application. Or if I have time - send a reminder message asking where they are in process.
@JMP_Loves_Paws Just to get a sense of the technical side from your end; Isnāt it as simple as pressing a button to decline non-serious offers?
When I receive invitations from HOs, I can easily decline with a single click. That said, I usually send a polite, standard messageādoesnāt seem to be a huge hassle
I used to get a lot of that when I was a HO. ( Non fussy cat in London that can be left alone all day 
).
What helped me was the first paragraph being a āplease no smokers etc etcā. Maybe you can do something similar? Right off the bat say ādo not apply unless youāre available for specified datesā or something along those linesā¦
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Where do you get a āpaid sitā??? I have just finished a sit in Nevada, USA. I live in Australia. The sit cost me $3200 in airfares alone and $1280 accommodation chosen for myself after the sit and $2840 to get a cracked wrist strapped at hospitalā¦oh, I do not like the US medical system! I knew the flight and accommodation prices before I applied and was very happy to get accepted. nowā¦back to the invisible āpaid sitā thing.
I wish there was a way (maybe there is??) for a sitter to message a HO without actually applying for the sit and wasting one of the 5 app limits. There are times Iād like to clarify my situation needs or their needs without actually applying.
Probably for the same reasons that some hosts find certain behavior acceptable. People are people.
Here on forum there are for instance sitters that say they have so and so many raving reviews that say that they reach out even if they canāt do dates to secure future sits Ā«to save a spot in the futureĀ» or to check on dates being flexible etc. and say that that Ā«have worked for themĀ». So this is not only some people, it is in a way also an advice given on THS forum for some. When newer sitters read this from people who say they have done petsitting for a long time and that they always get great reviews it is not really surprising that some would follow that advice.
I guess we just have to navigate as best we can. It is also annoying with flaky hosts. Iāve chosen to see it as a part of my own vetting process. Iām happy that they showed me in time that they are inconsistent, bad communicators, entitled etc. before any real harm is done. Then my time is not wasted but well spent.
The application and video call is also just a part of the process, and both parties can and should withdraw if they donāt think it is a good match. So if someone said that Ā«the dates donāt work outĀ» at the point of a call, it could simply be a polite way of withdrawing without saying the real reason because they no longer see it as a good match. And then they should withdraw for everybodys sake.
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Hope that you enjoyed a wonderful time in Nevada! And that your wrist heals. Weāve completed multiple housesits in the US (mostly CA but one in Reno, NV). Bought US healthcare insurance for related period. Not cheap but then neither is US healthcare.
@cricket this has been requested many times over the years.
We donāt expect anything to change.
thatās disappointing. .
Yes, itās a decline button, but I didnāt decline. They backed out. Common courtesy for them to withdraw.
Itās one more thing to do that I shouldnāt have to. Rememberingā¦logging onā¦finding itā¦.making sure Iāve got the right personā¦then hitting the button. And being annoyed that they didnāt do it.
I guess the process youāre describing - going into the relevant messaging thread and clicking on ādeclineā - is exactly the same as sitters have to do when withdrawing an application. It takes a minute or two so is no big deal, and surely nothing to feel āannoyedā about?
Presumably they informed you via the THS messaging system, so it should have been easy enough for you to message āthanks anywayā and decline their applications?
I can see your point if these sitters had not given reasons for withdrawing, but they did at least communicate that they could not do the sit after all.
Once itās been communicated that they cannot do the sit, does it really matter who clicks the icon? Communication is the thing. Nobody has left you hanging, by the sounds of it?
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There is no excuse for letting you down but some owners on the site donāt help the situation when they do not acknowledge applications and take 4 months to make a decision.
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Technically, the results are the same.
However, it shows a lack of attention to detail and common courtesy in my opinion.
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Not all of them informed me via the site. We had Zoom meetings scheduled so they informed me via email.
Yes-itās annoying. Itās like picking up your kids socks that they just canāt seem to put in the laundry bin. Itās not about the 2 minutes.
The great news is that we did find a wonderful match eventually, so all is well!
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