Unfair 1 star review?

Sitter Questions, Advice & Chat
1

I’m devastated to find the review for a sit I did in September has now been published and I’ve been given 1 star. The HO cites damage to a dehumidifier caused by overwatering of some plants above it but she never raised it with me at all. I have Premium membership so while I’m not sure maybe my insurance could have reimbursed her.

The individual categories are scored highly so I don’t understand how a homeowner is able to give such a damning overall score.

She didn’t mention the damage to me and we spoke on Whatsapp in the days following the sit so I had no way of explaining just how quickly plants were drying out in the conservatory nor how awkward it was to see into some of the pots nor did she mention things I did do, eh that I watered her many outdoor pots and garden daily during the heatwave, mowed her lawn every week or that she praised me for the tending of her orchids and making sure the cat was drinking enough.

After the sit she did ask why there was so much rubbish in the bin (I’d missed the collection date and had pre-empted this and apologised in advance but guess she hadnt read my message).

I’ve been gutted and quite upset as it keeps playing on my mind. I feel like my reputation has been unfairly besmirched. I take my responsibilities seriously and a 1 star review doesn’t feel warranted especially when she didn’t score any of the individual categories so low.

I know I can’t change anything so just have to get over it but it does raise a few questions/thoughts…

-When a HO gives a 1 star review …is there any prompt or question from THS to make sure someone has tried to resolve the issue with the sitter?

-Why didn’t THS alert me to this? Do they see sitters just as suppliers and HO as the customers of THS so they have little interest in the welfare of sitters?

-Should I message the HO and explain constructively the effect she has had on me so that maybe she is not unreasonably harsh in her reviews of sitters in the future? Should I explain that if she’d handled it differently I could have claimed on my insurance.

2

How was a review from a September sit just published now? I thought even the sits that occurred prior to the current 14-day review period had an expiration date once that change was made.

3

THS don’t routinely read the reviews - their only purpose is for future homeowners to read when deciding on a sitter .

4

How did a 4/5 star review in general but with a 1 star in one category end up being a 1 star :star2: review? Or did I read that wrong @DebsH? If not then talk to support at HQ and get some more info.

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5

Are you sure it wasn’t a mistake? If you got higher stars (though not perfect) in the various categories that definitely shouldn’t average out to a one and, it could have been a mistake on her part. I once had this happen to me and it was just a slip of the finger. I wrote to the homeowner, and they got it fixed for me through contacting THS.

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6

@DebsH I think its probably a mistake especially as you say the host rated you higher in all the categories. I’ve seen this occasionally when doing my cross referencing dor a sit- 1* at the top and 4/5* in the categories below- very odd & certainly not the average rating of the categories.
In your shoes I would most definitely contact the host and draw her attention to it. She might well be mortified to see how the review looks at your end. If she agrees it was a mistake ask her to contact THS to get the star rating changed. Only she can contact them, not you. THS will change it- we’ve done it 3 times over the years. Mistakes can and do happen and there is no way to edit anything after the event!
I hope it works out! Please do let us know if you get a positive outcome!

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7

I’ve seen a few comments over the last 2 months where it was a technical mistake. High categorical scores, but somehow the total came out at 1 star. THS was able to fix it when both parties agree it was en error.

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8

Agree, I think it was likely a mistake. Contact the HO and ask.