I created my Christmas sit dates almost 2 months ago and felt happy and relieved after confirming with a sitter. I’ve been planning this trip to go stay with my parents in California (I live in NYC) and my mom and I have been working out all types of family activities and visits while I’m there.
This morning my sitter cancelled on me, less than a month before my sit. I know that seems like enough time to find someone else, but because it’s during the holidays my applications have been far and few. I have reached out to almost all of my previous sitters and applicants and had to share my interaction with one of the sitters who had applied to my dates just 17 days ago.
They informed me that “due to various reasons” they would now only be able to sit at my apartment for compensation. I just think this is ridiculous. I’m well aware it’s a busy time and I’m sure there are a lot of people trying to find sitters currently, however it just seems completely advantageous and unethical for people to go against the structure of this app and try to take advantage.
(Now excuse me while I brag) But I live in a beautiful apartment in Brooklyn, NY, close to Manhattan but not too close- I take extra measures to make sure it’s SPOTLESS and loaded with coffee and other amenities, I have very well behaved dogs and a big backyard, there’s virtual endless things to around me, I’m a very responsive and communicative host, and I’ve never had one bad review/experience with any of my 6 previous sitters…… and I just don’t understand how someone is going to come into this community and expect people to “compensate” them, when that is not how this app is supposed to work and when others are just happy for the opportunity to stay at all.
I don’t know, I could be the one out of line but I just find this sitter/user highly out of line for abusing this app and soliciting people for money when that’s not what it’s supposed to be for. I don’t want to be that person but should I report this person? Is it not that serious? What do you guys think? This is my first holiday season on the app, so maybe it’s always like this during this time and I’m just unaware. I’d love to know what you all have to say about this. Thank you for reading!
Sorry about your sitter cancellation @chelseabelle.
The sitter who has requested compensation from you should definitely be reported. They could be reprimanded, suspended or terminated.
There will always be people who try to exploit shortages for personal gain. If you had reached out to a previous TH sitter but off the platform, you wouldn’t have grounds to file a complaint. But in this situation you should definitely report so that the sitter suffers (we hope) the repercussions.
We don’t do unpaid sits during the holidays unless we need to fill a gap, as we also do paid sitting since we’re in our home country. However, we would never ask for compensation on this platform. The fact that your sit is normally highly desirable is irrelevant. As you said, it goes against the spirit of the app, no matter the type of home, the location, or the animals.
I know you are upset, but all you can do is report that person and move on.
You may also want to look for back up options on paying platforms if you are still coming up empty handed.
We sit in San Francisco over the holidays, and the amount of astounding homes in amazing neighborhoods with low maintenance animals that are currently sitting unfilled for holiday dates is plentiful.
It’s very wrong of them on this site, and yes report them. But the reason they have probably done that is because at the start that sitter applied because they felt you were the right HO for them, but that changed when you didn’t accept them. If it were us, we just wouldn’t sit for anyone if we weren’t their first choice originally because we would feel a disconnect with them then, but it’s only happened a few times in the whole time we’ve been a member, right at the start.
They obviously feel so disconnected to you now that the only way they will sit is if you pay them too, so NOW they just aren’t the right sitter for you. But they should never have asked for compensation on THS, so report them.
Wait, so just some clarity here: did they demand payment from you via the app for a free advertised sit? If not, they aren’t in violation if they are simply expressing that they are now choosing to focus on paid sitting instead. However, if they accepted a free sit via the app and they then forced you to pay, that violates the use of the app. It’s hard when there is a cancellation, however, I have found that the perfect person sweeps in if you stay in good spirits. Christmas sits can be hard to secure bc there’s so much demand and sitters want the best holiday for themselves, which is totally understandable (as long as they don’t mess you about!). Best of luck,
Did you do this via THS messaging, or some other means? If you contacted them via the likes of WhatsApp, then they are being opportunistic in demanding payment but probably not contravening any T&Cs, since you’ve approached them privately. They wouldn’t be able to confirm any paid sit via THS.
It sounds as if they’re chancers. If they did respond via THS requesting payment, then please do report them. In any case, I’d recommend getting your listing back up and running without delay.
If I understand it correctly this is a sitter that previously applied and that you declined or they withdrew. Is that correct? It is not the sitter that confirmed?
As you now reach out, they explain that they don’t do unpaid sits during the holiday? Well, the alternative would be that they declined without an explanation. They’re not under the obligation to sit as a member of THS.
Maybe you first make it clear if they want to get paid AND still be booked through THS.
If that’s their goal then in my opinion, you can tell them that they are in violation, or/ and if you really want, you can report them at THS.
But if they said something like:
“Thanks for reaching out, we are free to sit, but we don’t do unpaid sits anymore during the holidays/ for various reasons.”
Then in my opinion they aren’t in violation (yet).
They just tell facts. It is for you to decide to pay them for a sit outside the platform, or just move on.
I read that a lot of sitters do have paid and unpaid sitjobs.
I think it’s kind of a job/ making a living for them.
And like other jobs: when the demand is high, you can ask higher prices. A lot of people rather wouldn’t work for free if they can earn money for the same tasks. That’s how a great part of our society works.
In my opinion it doesn’t make any difference that it is a sitter you already have booked once, or one that applied 17 days ago and you declined, or even someone you yourself reached out to for the first time.
What I heard, New York/ Brooklyn sits are highly desirable, so at the end you probably will find someone.
You had not confirmed this sitter. It was over half a month ago that they had applied, but as I understand you selected someone else’s application.
Then it was you who reached out to them. Well, in that time they may have made different arrangements for the holidays. Or that they cannot afford travel just now. Etc.
I don’t think these are the sitters you should get upset about. (And the sitters that canceled, I don’t know, it is possible that they had a valid reason.)
Just reread the op. I thought the confirmed sitter had done this. If that’s the case, you call THS, speak to a human, and tell them. If someone writes to apply telling you they want compensation, I would screenshot and send it to THS and let them decide if it is a violation. If someone confirms and then changes the condition same thing. Email and phone call with a human at THS.
There are different levels here: A confirmed sitter suddenly saying they won’t do a sit unless they are compensated is a clear no no. A sitter who gives some reason on a confirmed sit why they maybe can’t stay at your house but they would come over and do drops ins for pay – should be reported. (This happened more I think when you could overlap and happened to me creating a last minute situation AFTER the sitter had picked up my keys!)
I think what happend here is slightly different. We don’t know whether the sitter who applied earlier would have asked for compensation if they had been accepted earlier. OR if after they were rejected they took another sit and are now planning to double book staying at the unpaid sit and dropping in at the other sit. It sounds like the sitter is strategizing and taking advantage. I wouldn’t trust this sitter. But I also don’t know exactly what the sitter said. I wouldn’t trust the sitter because the sitter might decide for instance to take a “better” THS sit that was more last minute and could offer them more. Or the sitter might be very local and have found another sit and be planning to do drop ins. No one should be using THS to solicit paid sits, but this was asked not solicited and is complicated by the recent application.
If I were the homeowner, I would move on, but share the information with THS and let them decide what their rules and guidelines are.
