With anything I find suspect, I’d skip it and never join in the first place. Or if I thought it legit, but flawed, I’d take precautions. (That’s why Plan B.)
Many of us have been on the platform for much longer than you have and have found it valuable, despite risks. But again, depends on how well you knew what you were signing up for and what your expectations were.
Sounds like you had mismatched expectations, a poor first experience and have decided that THS / other platforms are not for you. That’s a legit choice, but won’t influence those of us who’ve already gotten benefit from the platform.
Of course, we might outgrow the platform or it might evolve in ways we dislike, but each user has a choice to renew or not.
I don’t think there is any widespread scamming going on. I’ve seen listings with unrealistic expectations or requirements for things I don’t want to do and I just don’t apply for those sits.
In your situation, there doesn’t seem to have been any scamming. A missing pet is a valid reason to cancel a sit. Most people wouldn’t want to leave on a trip if their pet is missing. There are many things that can happen in life, health emergencies, death of loved ones, etc. Sometimes things happen and a sit may need to be cancelled.
I’m not quite sure what you would want THS to do beyond offering the sit cancellation insurance.
No one has said that you were stupid . Many have expressed empathy .
Your original post asked for advice on how to handle the situation . In reply you have been given a lot of practical suggestions about how you could get the sit officially ended and find alternative accommodation .
Many sitters who successfully sit full time and many with over 100 sits completed have generously shared their advice on how THS works for them .Also experienced THS sitters have shared some suggestions on how they mitigate the risks . Which may help you going forward if you decide to continue with THS.
The adventure of international house sitting for strangers , is not without risks and not everyone will decide to pursue it . This thread maybe useful to anyone else finding themselves in a similar situation.
You suggested that possibly the HO wasn’t being truthful about the cat being missing, so the implication (I understood from this) being that the HO had another reason for not wanting you as their sitter? Or do you think the HO was being cruel and capricious which of course none of us can plan for.
I hesitate to wade in, but I am really curious whether the host was experienced and had good reviews? And I don’t think a Member Dispute against the HO would go amiss here. An HO should (and maybe can) be held accountable for this type of disruption, no matter what else is at play. A missing cat is traumatic, for sure, and there are no guarantees on THS, but I think the lack of compassion for and communication with the sitter and her family is unacceptable. Yes, everyone should have a plan b, but still common decency suggest HO could have done much more to be kind and helpful and keep her side of the sit agreement to some degree.
