@Ssnb, sorry to hear of poor experience. Seems odd. Simply out of curiosity
did you reply to applicants in a timely manner?
did you invite applicants to a video call, or directly progress to invite-to-sit?
In our experience, most (not all) pet parents reply to applications very quickly - certainly within 24 hours.
Subjective but we consider video calls to be essential - if a pet parent offers invite-to-sit before video call then we’ll reply to seek video call but it can suggest a privileged pet parent (that can’t conceive of possibility that we’d say ‘no thanks’ after understanding full facts).
The sitters may have applied to several sits for the same dates ( This is what THS advises sitters to do )and been confirmed for another one before you replied .
I could say the same thing about unsolicited invites. I’m busy and don’t have time to sit on my computer declining invites. Many of those clearly have not even read my profile, they just see a lot of reviews and invite me. Both sitters and HOs should be considerate of the time of other members. But, I consider it just a part of being in the community and I decline along with a polite note.
Take this to complain to the THS. I rarely apply to listings that are clearly not suitable for me. But I dont shame other sitters doing that. It is not our goal to be courageous, our goal is to get sits, we pay to get sits, and THS sets the frame to that.
I wont be thinking “but what if the host sees my application first, and they have made their mind that they offer the sit to the first suitable, I should not apply because someone more perfect will then apply and they deserve the sit more”. There is only so much you can try and control with “please behave in a way that does not bother me”. Every sitter has the exact same right to apply to every sit, and this must be the absolute rule. As much as every host is allowed to choose whoever they want, for whatever (even bad) reason.
If you want to make sure you are reached by “the perfect sitter”, you can join the dozen of other sites with no applying limits. Because right now your actions say that even a non-perfect THS sitter is better than whoever is on those other sites.
I am a HO. My suggestion is that you NEVER just accept an application to your housesit. Reply with “I am very interested, application looks great, lets schedule a video chat” (then provide a few options on time/date). IMO a videochat is SOOOOO important to make sure that you and the sitter are on page about what your expectations are and theirs. Sure, people schedule sitters without the videochat, but I think incompatible people can end up in a HO/Sitter sitch with issues. Since your methods are causing irritation, maybe you can try it. I’d like to add that I have learned from this forum that sending invites to sitters is not a great way to find one, many do not prefer this. A better method is to scroll through the sitters that have “Favorited” your sit, you know they already like it and if the dates work are way more likely to accept. And you should write a nice personalized note with it. Good luck on your continued use of THS! I’ve been very pleased with it in the year I’ve been a member.
Edit: I actually invited sitters ONCE, on the 2nd Housesit we needed after joining, it worked out and they did my sit! They were a 6 hour drive away, this was my personal initial message to them to give you an idea of what you might say if you want to keep trying in this manner (I also setup Videochat before finalizing the Sit via THS): Hello Lesley and Kurt. I am new to the THS site and looking for someone like the two of you for my house sit at the end of April. You sound fun, caring, responsible, and adventurous. I like that you have many referrals, and are driving distance to our home. We are about six hours from Tucson in the small tourist town of San Carlos, Sonora, Mexico. We live just three blocks from the Sea of Cortez and have a beautiful property for you to relax at during your time here. Take a look at my trip and home details and let me know if this is something you are interested in. I’d love to have a video chat If so. Thanks for looking. Veronica.
What a lovely message, @MTBer. The few times I’ve received an invite it was just like a cut and paste, generic message. I have always replied politely but I don’t appreciate those generic invites.
Just adding that in my experience, the video/audio/phone/TSH message/automatic accepts have all been equally suitable. Probably dumb luck but I am a full-timer at the moment.
If your reply was only to send the sit request for sitters to accept I too may well have withdrawn. I find that kind of instant acceptance, with no message, irritating and presumptive. My application is simply a show of interest. It is not a promise to sit for you as I may have deal breaker questions I want to ask first. If I was really interested I would say ‘Thanks for sending the invitation to sit but I would like a video call first’.
Secondly- sending invitations to sitters rarely works. In 7 years we have only accepted 2 or 3 invitations from hundreds. Most are not of interest to us- for all sorts of reasons-usually they are simply not a match- dates, location, type of animals etc. It all has to line up. We actively choose the sits we want- with locations and timings that work for us. Some sitters get inundated with unsolicited invitations and can’t be bothered, or have no time, to respond. We personally always respond politely- if the HO wrote a personal note- but may just hit decline if there is no message. In general its far better, and more effective, to make your listing super attractive so interested sitters will apply.
Can I just say that for hosts it really isn’t a ‘search’ it’s much more an ‘invitation to consider’ your listing. This might sound pedantic but it’s about an attitude to matching with a sitter.
As THS now has a 5 limit application rule it is extremely difficult for sitters to get to apply for a sit they’d really love to do. So when a HO has a sit available and we see the ad it may be the only opportunity to communicate with the owner.
As long as a sitter is honest in their application that they aren’t available for this sit but wanted to reach out and introduce themselves for future sits I really can’t see a problem with this.
The owner can make a note that the sitter is keen and contact them in the future to discuss things further.
Unfortunately the sitters you have mentioned are extremely rude and inappropriate for not been honest and waisting your time like that.
I can’t believe someone would do that!
I would be extremely annoyed also and report those sitters.
Maybe this was just bad luck that you experienced this from 2 different people.
The other issue is there is a big imbalance between HO and sitters. A HO can contact a sitter directly when ever they want to even if the sitter has marked unavailable on their calendar. Sitters can’t do that!
So when we see an opportunity to reach out to a HO who we would love to sit for we have to take it.
THS are aware of this imbalance and don’t seem to care. This has always been the way.