Unwanted invitations

Is it possible to opt out of being invited to sit unless it is a repeat booking?

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Not really I think.

The way to get rid of invitations is to change your THS location. For example, to a place where you would like invitations from. Or just to for example Greenland.

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What do you mean exactly? Do mean you get random sit invites that aren’t a good match for you? Because that happens to me too - sometimes I get random invites from owners who don’t even say anything or introduce themselves, just send a random invite and disappear. It’s like they haven’t even read my profile either, because I clearly state my availability at the top of my profile, and still they send me an invite for dates that don’t match or sits that are clearly not suited to my needs & preferences. I don’t think there’s a way to stop them… I just decline & delete them :woman_shrugging:t3:

it took me a while to figure out how to send the invite properly… Now I always include a note stating why I’m asking them to sit for me. I still need a sitter, but have not gotten any response, so I send random invites after reading their profile & checking their dates… sometimes they just decline me w/out an explanation, other times they explain why… so I do think it is a bit of a learning curve…

@MissisE you could a put a statement at the beginning of the “experience” section that you do not respond to home host invites, or some language like that, so it shows prominently.

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To be honest, it doesn’t often work out for an owner to send invites. Most owners gain sitters through sitters applying for the sit, because they’re interested in it. For me personally, I always find it a bit odd when people send me an invite, especially when they don’t say anything. I only ever accept sits through applying for it, and if they get back to me with a positive response, I ask to have a video call. During or after the call, we mutually agree if we want to go ahead with the sit, and if we both agree, only then do they send me an invite and I accept. I think most sitters gain sits through this process - it is even suggested by THS to always have a video call & discussions first before accepting. I’ve done over 25 sits, and never through somebody just sending an invite off the bat. But that’s just me. Hopefully you’ll find somebody!
If you’re struggling to gain applicants, it could just be bad luck (happens sometimes), or it could be that your listing perhaps has room for improvement. Making sure that your sit is attractive as possible and well suited to THS as a mutually beneficial exchange may help (i.e: ensuring it doesn’t place highly demanding or time-restrictive needs and expectations on sitters, and is in an interesting area that can offer something to sitters).

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I get that. But I had only one application (from across the world) and for times that worked better for her plus a number of conditions I was not ready to provide. I’m still new to this site, but have not found it to be working for me…

That’s unfortunate, and I hope you find what you need. Just remember that THS is a travel & mutually beneficial exchange, and is not really intended for local sitters - you will mainly find sitters from abroad or living somewhere else in your country who want to experience the area where you live.

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Hi, I read your bio, I think your very first sentence about the coop and where it located should go in the pet responsibility section. When that’s the first sentence you read, you really want it to be more about your home and what’s in your area, which you have done. I would suggest to read it all yourself a few times over and maybe even someone else to read it as well. Lots of pictures, but some are dark and I dont really see any pictures of your pets other than a little bit of you dog in the background…you may want to add some more of the pets. Just some suggestions. And, the sit I was just one for almost 4 weeks was one where the person actually invited me, so they do work at times. Good luck

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@Guapodog1 You should also update your listing to include poultry as one of the pets. Right now you just have cats and dogs so, while unintentional I’m sure, it’s a little misleading to throw in chicken care without it being an “official” part of the listing. You also have no photos of the cat or the chickens and your photos of the dog are only because it has randomly shown up in home photos. Consider taking some good photos of all the animals. Prospective sitters like to see them!

You also don’t need to waste space in your title by saying “House & pet sitter”. It’s a given that’s what you’re looking for. Consider adding something more catchy, perhaps about the area. Any chance you could offer your car? That would make a rural NS sit more appealing to a larger audience of sitters.

Finally, consider breaking up your text into more readable and organized paragraphs. Right now it’s just two walls of text.

Good luck!

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Just read your bio too. There is no introductory text (introducing yourself & your sit), and your pet’s profile pictures are blank, so it makes your profile seem a little bare or unfinished on first glance. Besides that, it seems like a nice sit - perhaps, as already suggested, shortening your paragraphs to read better and be more clear & concise with full, comprehensive sentences and full stops can help. All the best!

Good catch! You’d think TH would’ve caught an entire missing Introduction section before they approved the listing…

I think you also have far too much detail in your profile and it’s a lot to read, with some unnecessary, nitty gritty details that you can save for later when you’re talking to your sitter. You also miss some key details that I would want to to know as a sitter.

I would sum up what you want to say in a few concise sentences such as:

Intro:

Do you want to experience the breathtaking, raw nature of Nova Scotia, fascinating history and local cuisine of Digby? Are you travelling alone or as a couple without pets? Then this is the sit for you! Hi, I’m (name), and I’m searching for someone to care for my lovely dog Bo, cat (name), and (4?) chickens just outside of beautiful Digby.

Home and Location:

My two-story ranch located in (what is your village’s name?), rural Digby, is surrounded by breathtaking Canadian forestry. My property sits on a steep hill with a beautiful view, a chicken coop and a river at the bottom of the hill. You can enjoy comfortable and spacious lodgings with amenities such as (will sitters have their own guest room?), a wood stove, and backyard fire pit.

(Village name), which is within walking distance, offers public transport and a few amenities such as a grocery store and pharmacy. Digby - Scallop capitol of the world - is a half hour drive, and further afield is Yarmouth, which offers beautiful scenery, hiking trails and interesting local history.

Responsibilities:

Bo the dog:
Bo is a (nice? Affectionate? Energetic? Easy to look after?) dog (what breed and age? ) who is crate trained and fed twice daily (morning & evening?). He is happy to stay alone in his crate for up to 7 or 8 hours if you’re out, though we don’t leave him longer than that. He can be reactive on walks, so we simply walk him around our large property on a leash for him to go potty (and exercise? Or just to go potty??). He is not allowed on the bed or furniture, and he is best suited to sitters without pets (and children??)

Cat (name?):
Our (affectionate? Shy? What? & How old?) cat is fed twice daily and is mainly an indoor cat. (He?she?) can be let onto the deck, but if (he/she) wants to wander further, we walk them on a leash around the garden.

Chickens:
Our (4?) chickens are fed twice daily around 7:30am and 5pm. Please let them out of the coop after feeding in the morning and back in the coop before dark.

Plants:
Please water our indoor plants

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As a new member & contributor to the forum, it would be great if you could find a sitter for your first forage into the world of THS! I’ve looked at your listing several times and the photos just don’t do anything for me as an experienced sitter. They could do a much better job along with the great advice on your listing details from @Nagy26 - if you are keen for this to work @Guapodog1 then think about how you would post an Airbnb or country cottage listing. There is so much choice for sitters that you need to put yourself in their shoes and go for all the positives! Really hope this works for you :raised_hands:t3:

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I’ll contact support, it would be great to be able to tick a box and opt out of invitations (I always take the time to reply when I decline). My post seems to have been high jacked rather so I’ll duck out now xx

Sorry, didn’t mean for that to happen! :rofl:

Help yourself… :blush:

I am in the process of deleting my account

I am in the process of deleting my account

Well that’s a shame :confused: I’m sure you could have gotten applicants if you just reworked your profile… it was just a matter of making it more attractive & flow better. What you’re offering sounds nice & definitely appropriate for THS.