The host has threatened to file a complaint with THS about me

[Cathie]

@ziggy you have the solution there I think

[ziggy]

@Cathie yes. Both sides played a part in this and both sides need to accept responsibility and move on. Playing the blame game never got anyone anywhere fast. The more you play the more guilty you appear to become.

[MerryPuppins]

@Henry_R

They seemed to be ok with it even though they shortened their one month vacation by three weeks but I was worried that I would get a negative review so I requested they post their review review first and send me the screenshot

They refused to send me a screenshot but promised me the review would be 5 Stars. It was one star. Now they say that if I don’t return the money for the plane ticket they bought for me. They will file a complaint with TrustedHousesitters because they expected me to stay a month and I stayed less than a week. I don’t want to give them this money back. I don’t think it’s fair. Do you think I could get in trouble?

While I can only guess at who the host was from others’ comments, I have read both your threads on this topic. I’m sorry to say that my takeaway has been that THS ought to consider adding a new star-rating category for sitters: “Maturity.”

I would definitely award 5 stars for “Chutzpah.”

[Silversitters]

A sitter can “get in trouble”—meaning they could be banned from the platform—if they abandon pets. If you gave the host sufficient notice so they could make alternative arrangements before you left, it’s important to keep date-stamped screenshots of messages showing that you did not abandon the pets.

Both sitters and hosts agree, in the terms we all sign, not to cancel sits unless there are exceptional circumstances.

In this case, it appears you tried to cancel the sit on three occasions for three different reasons

1. Schengen visa dates not being planned properly – This would not usually be considered an exceptional circumstance. Sitters are responsible for ensuring they have the correct visa or permissions in place.

2. Not having sufficient funds for the flight.
   This would not usually be considered an exceptional circumstance. Sitters are responsible for ensuring their travel costs and should calculate this before confirming a sit .

3. The dog barking at night. It’s unclear whether you tried any of the suggestions offered in this thread https://forum.trustedhousesitters.com/t/this-dog-is-barking-so-much-at-night to resolve the issue before giving the hosts an ultimatum that you would return home.

If there is more to the story about why you wanted to cancel, you will have the opportunity to explain your side. However, you will need to provide evidence—such as screenshots of messages with the host—to support what you say.

It would also have been best to inform THS immediately about the issues so they were aware of the situation. There is an Urgent Support 24/7 Phone Line that you could have called.

Overall, this sit seems to have been a very poor match and a difficult experience for both parties.

If a member dispute is raised against you, you will have the chance to present any evidence in your defence, such as screenshots of the messages you exchanged with the hosts. The hosts will also be able to present their own evidence—for example, regarding who initiated or offered payment for the plane ticket.

Regardless of the outcome of any dispute, the one-star review and your response to it will likely have a negative impact on your chances of securing future sits.

Hosts look for reliable, resourceful sitters who have a record of showing commitment to honour their agreements and who try to problem solve before bailing .

[Maggie8K]

I didn’t even read the host’s posts, because I had them on block, but there were so many breadcrumbs left by the sitter and others that I pieced things together. Really, sitting and hosting shouldn’t involve so much drama. It sounds like the worst-case matchup, unfortunately.

[carpediem16]

How do you guys know so much about this situation?

Wow…this is like a good soap opera but I’m missing so many details. lol

[MaggieUU]

Just too many coincidental details from what the HO had posted before he went on vacation on or about Feb 27 and then the threads that the sitter started. Checked out the HO listing and Bob’s your uncle (that one is for you @Newpetlover ). I have a freakish memory for minutiae. It doesn’t always serve me well though. If I tell family members that I don’t remember something, they think I am fibbing.

[Katie]

Took me just a few minutes to figure it out.

[Katie]

Wasn’t he referring to an earlier sitter, one he rated 5 stars? Or maybe I missed a more recent one.

[MaggieUU]

Yes, it was clear that the penny had dropped (another for you @Newpetlover ) when multiple members could be seen drafting their posts simultaneously.

[Felinelover]

One thing that occurs to me: I do think the dog actually figured out this sitter wasn’t capable of caring for him, and the barking all night was his strategy to oust her.

Smart dog, very smart dog….

[MaggieUU]

@Cathie

I want to hear the wife’s story……..

Oh, I can believe this wife has a story to tell …

[Newpetlover]

@Maggie8K

Really, sitting and hosting shouldn’t involve so much drama.

It usually doesn’t but when it does, like this case, it becomes an unputdownable.

[Newpetlover]

@MaggieUU

Oh, I can believe this wife has a story to tell …

Probably the neighbours too. I just remembered a comment about this “guys’ habit”.

[MaggieUU]

@Newpetlover

Probably the neighbours too. I just remembered a comment about this “guys’ habit”.

Oh, right. Naked outdoor showers? Peeing down the side of his property?

[Cathie]

Notice that @Henry_R has started yet another fire and disappeared. Well it’s been a fun morning chatting to you all but now I’m off for breakfast. Have a good weekend

[Newpetlover]

So you have moved from

@Henry_R

I am reporting their lies to the customer service team in the hopes they will remove the review and maybe punish the hosts.

to

@Henry_R

I really just want to know if I can get in trouble for leaving the sit early for a reason that might not be extraordinary?

And also if me saying, I wanted to see a screenshot of the host review before posting mine is also against the rule rules and if I could get in trouble for that?

In this situation, the best advice I can give is:

• don’t make any further moves because they could contribute to digging a bigger hole.
• If you would like to continue sitting, perhaps you would like to reconsider your approach. There’s excellent advice on the forum regarding sit selection, honest reviews and reactions to reviews that you might want to check. Every sit is a learning opportunity.

[Happypets]

@Maggie8K

It sounds like the worst-case matchup, unfortunately.

My thoughts, 100%!

Good grief, I’ve just realised who this relates to and am astonished that all the previous advice given on these boards regarding assessing a good match for a successful sit has clearly been wholeheartedly ignored. It sounds like both parties have been total loose cannons and this really isn’t what THS is - or should be - about!

To @Henry_R , it sounds as if you were ill-prepared and disorganised, in the extreme, both in terms of having sufficient experience with dogs to handle some upset and with ensuring your travel costs and visa requirements to complete this sit were all in place. Sorry to say so but, that’s ridiculous and is wholly on you. You’ve dealt a blow to this HO and I’m not surprised they’re upset. That said, IMHO, the HO has also not done his homework, not acknowledged red flags, but has prioritised free home and pet care to facilitate his planned time away over responsibilities to his pets.

One problem here is that you’re dealing with a HO who holds the very firm opinion that it’s acceptable to ‘tailor’ reviews to benefit himself, so you’ve allowed yourself to be persuaded that everything has been ironed out and a decent review will be forthcoming, when quite the opposite has occurred. It’s odd to hear you requested a screenshot of the HO’s intended review - and implies still more distrust - but it’s not against T&Cs to ask, so that’s not something to be greatly concerned about.

We’re only hearing one side of the story here but, @Henry_R , since you claim the air fare was offered to you without any stipulations, there’s surely no reason that THS would have any input on whether or not you concede to this HO’s demands for reimbursement (especially since that demand supposedly carries the threat of lodging a complaint about you to THS if you do not comply).

If you have screenshots of your communications, confirming the situation and the HO’s agreement to return home early to relieve you of responsibility for the pets, and if you haven’t abandoned the animals but have acted according to the agreement made and confirmed in writing, then it’s surely unlikely you’ll ‘get into trouble’ with THS.

It’s clearly a mess, for all concerned. The main thing is that the pets are okay.

[belluca]

@Maggie8K

So even if you were to repay them for airfare, what makes you think they still couldn’t complain about you to THS?

I mean, I kind of want to file a complaint just based on this thread

[ziggy]

This isn’t, or THS isn’t, a court of law. All the complaining in the world won’t get you to pay the homeowners for the airfare, zero! This was a private arrangement, facilitated through a third party booking site, there is no requirement or legal grounds for the sitter to repay the airfare as it would never be directed to by THS or anyone else, as much as I think they should. Morally, and I stress morally, the sitter SHOULD repay it. She broke an agreement but a personal agreement holds no basis in law, it was not a written contract that any fees should be repaid if things went wrong. If @Henry_R didn’t have the money to pay for it then, I doubt she has now. I also think the HO was in dire need of a sitter and I think every HO has at one point or another, accepted a sitter they wouldn’t normally but decided they have little to no choice and have taken on someone who they assume can at least fulfill the requirements. This sitter couldn’t it would seem. I have a HO who I am booked with who is in a fantastic location and has been unable to secure a good sitter for Easter, as many others are having the same problem. She has had to accept someone she isn’t totally comfortable with as her trip away is an absolutely necessary one. She didn’t have a lot of choice and is just hoping things go well. So this happens a lot, we just don’t hear about it or we do when HO’s come onto the forum to discuss it.

All THS can do is slap both parties on the wrist (or whoever they deem at fault) and maybe, just maybe, remove both or one party from the platform.

In all honesty, reading through the sitters previous reviews, and though I have butted heads on every occasion with this particular HO, I do feel he is and was unfairly treated. Me of all people saying this! The OP has now started three topics, all for the same issues, for two separate sits. I know where I stand on this! But I’m not a psychic so I don’t know the full story, hence I highly doubt anyone does. I personally think this topic should be closed as everything here is heresay and one party is not in a position to defend himself. Can’t believe I’m saying this about him! It does make for good weekend wet weather reading though