Our confirmed sitters have contacted us on WhatsApp to inform us that they cannot fulfill their sit for us which is scheduled to take place in 28 days. They say the homeowners where the will be sitting before they were meant to come to us have had an “unforeseen event” that will delay their return by one week. Therefore, they can’t fulfill their obligation to us.
They didn’t communicate this revelation through the Trusted Housitters platform, so there is no record of this situation other than WhatsApp. I am unwilling to unconfirm their sit unless they resubmit the correspondence through Trusted Housesitters. Is there a good way to handle irresponsible sitters who have not actually fulfilled a sit?
I find that sitter behaviour completely outrageous. For the first time I have got a sit that starts on the day that one finishes. The second sit was booked first and I am clear that if something changes for the first sit, they absolutely have to have a backup plan as from the finish date, I can’t help as I need to move on.
@Catscrapz It would be best for you to message them and say you need their cancellation request to be made via THS Inbox so there is a formal notice. The problem actually lies with the owners who have to delay their return as they should have had a Plan B. Your sitters should have explained this to them and said unfortunately they cannot stay because they have a commitment to you. If they are relatively new and inexperienced sitters then they may not be aware of this though. One thing in your favour is they have given you a month to find another sitter and not 24 hours!
Membership services will accept screenshots. A pet parent cancelled a confirmed sit on us a few months ago via regular email. I asked him to cancel the sit in the platform so that I could apply to other sits. He didn’t so I contacted membership services and they asked me for a screenshot and cancelled it on the spot for me and I was able to replace that sit with another one
While Sitters and Owners should only cancel for valid reasons, both do cancel frequently, and THS has little control over these behaviors. It is unfortunate.
Best to move on and find another Sitter asap, rather than dwelling on how to deal with the Sitter who cancelled.