Vanishing sit dates and application

We applied for a sit for Jan 2022. The homeowners had several dates available, but these are the only dates that work for our schedule. It has been about a week and a half since we applied, but since the dates are so far in the future and they have more recent dates to attend to, I have been patient and not followed up like I would normally do. However, I just noticed today that the dates that I applied for are no longer listed on the posting. I have not gotten a notification of decline by the HO or an automatic decline notice. The sit is no longer in my dashboard in the ā€œmy applicationsā€ section. It has just vanished. Has anyone else had this happen? Does it mean that it was paused or they deleted the dates? I know that I can contact the HO directly, but I donā€™t want to appear pushy for something in 2022. Any insight? Thanks.

Hi @Southernsitter

We have been experiencing a tech issue where some sitters were receiving a very large amount of duplicate notifications when declined. Weā€™re having a little trouble pinning down the exact cause, so while we investigate further we have temporarily turned these notifications off.

Theyā€™ll be back soon and I apologise for the inconvenience caused.

Thanks
Paul

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It might be that they paused the sit and are going for further applications and are busy filtering out candidates. I had that happen a few times.

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I hope this is resolved soon! It makes planning for trips very difficult when I apply and receive no response. Then the start date passes and I must assume they found someone else and didnā€™t bother to decline my application!?!

My HO and I are experiencing a problem too. Our problem though is that on my end it says I have ā€˜Appliedā€™ for the sit and on her end it says she has ā€˜Confirmedā€™ me as the sitter. Unfortunately, it doesnā€™t show the confirmed sit for me. I also see some differences when using the app versus my laptop. The app did not show the invitation when it was sent, it also doesnā€™t show the sit confirmed.

I will call the helpdesk tomorrow morning to find out if we can find the solution here. Luckily the HO and I have exchanged Whatsapp numbers and are communicating through there until we can find a resolve.

Hi @NatashaLV Iā€™m sending this to Membership Services for their attention when they are back online.

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Hi @NatashaLV @Katie_Mc has looked into this for you ā€¦ here is her response:

ā€œThe owner had accidentally confirmed another sitter but I have fixed it and sent the confirmation request to the sitterā€

Let me know if there are any other issues.

I have also found that some pet owners are taking a very long time to acknowledge our application and/or even accept/decline. A couple of our applications have been waiting for almost two months!
We understand that with covid still disrupting travel plans that pet/home owners want to wait a while to confirm but at the same time, we donā€™t want to make multiple applications for similar or same dates.
And yes, we also donā€™t feel comfortable prompting them to make a decision when we donā€™t know their situation
Itā€™s all a bit frustrating but we have learned to accept it for the moment :thinking:

Hi Angela

Thank you for following this up. It did work but the HO and I have realised she set the wrong dates.
She has made a new posting for the correct dates and invited me. I think the same thing has happened. I see the application and although she says she has accepted me as the sitter it doesnā€™t show the new sit in my ā€˜Upcoming Sitsā€™

The system seems a little problematic. :frowning:

Hi @NatashaLV this is your sit in Sweden correct?

If so it is live on your dashboard (Iā€™m viewing via my lap top) I will DM you a screen shot and other details.

Now you can request the Welcome Guide.

Hi Angela,

The sit in Sweden is correct but the dates are wrong. The HO and I tried to resolve the problem ourselves and she cancelled the original request and made a new one. This worked thanks to your support team confirming the stay, however, we have noticed that she input the wrong month. :frowning:

The sit should be for 15-21 AUG, not SEPT.

HI @NatashaLV thanks to @Katie_Mc itā€™s all fixed, the dates should now be correct.

Hi Sue. You may want to reconsider whether to apply for multiple sits with overlapping dates. Check out the thread Do you apply for more than one sit at the same time? The consensus seems to be that provided you are prompt in notifying others, when you do firm up a date that conflicts with another of your applications, then all is good. Keep in mind that most listings have multiple applicants. Also, if for whatever reason a homeowner takes a long time to decide, they run the risk that the people they choose may no longer be available.

As a HO I really donā€™t understand why it isnā€™t possible to at least let the applicant know that they have read the application and give an estimate time frame when he/she can expect more information. Everyone is affected by the current Covid situation no matter if HO or HS, so letting the other side know why a decision might take some time is simply polite.

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I am very cautious about overlapping dates/multiple applications but admit that I have done the odd one or two and have even cancelled a couple of applications that had no response after 4 weeks.
You are right - the timing does work both ways

I couldnā€™t agree more but it seems that not everyone is as time conscious or considerate as one would hope.

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Totally agree. I had a homeowner respond to an application a few days after submission and apologize for the delay as he got a lot of applications (50+) and set up a time to chat. On the call, he told me that I was one of a handful of applicants he was considering and he would make a decision by the end of the week. I got a notification a few days later that I was not selected and I was totally fine with the way it was handled. Communication is everything. Iā€™ve never applied at the same time for multiple sits, but if I applied for one and did not receive a response within a week or two, I would feel comfortable applying for a second one. I would withdraw the first if I got invited on the second and the first was still pending. I see no reason not to extend that courtesy regardless of whether Iā€™ve gotten a response from the HO or not.

Iā€™ve had something similar a couple of times in the last few monrhs and itā€™s really frustrating and rude.
I donā€™t like to apply for more than one at a time for a particular date. I applied for one 10 Dec 2023 & finally had a response on 18 Jan 2024. The HO said theyā€™d like to have a chat & asked for convenient days/times. Having replied to this request within an hour it took them a further 11 days to even read my reply.
Now Iā€™ve had an email to say the days are no longer needed but the exact same dates are showing again on the site.
I totally understand if none of the 5 applicants didnā€™t appeal but, if thatā€™s the case, then at least have the decency to update the applicants.

Hi DaisyFred.

I sit and am also a HO. I sounds unusual (but unfortunately not unheard of) for someone to hold onto an application for that long without responding and then to cancel. You might want to adjust your strategy as there are many HOs who would respond quickly and you might be a perfect fit for those homeowners. Most sitters apply to multiple sits at the same time ā€“ even sits with overlapping dates. There is nothing wrong with doing this. Once you get a sit and are confirmed, the other sits are declined so you arenā€™t inconveniencing anyone.
Neither side is ā€œcommittedā€ until the sit is confirmed by both parties.

Personally, if I didnā€™t hear back from a HO after a few days or I felt like I was being strung along or the sit seemed up in the air, Iā€™d probably withdraw/decline my application. I wouldnā€™t bother calling the person out or explaining my reasons. Iā€™d just withdraw because that would be a red flag for me. On the other hand, if it was an exceptional sit and I really wanted it, I might let the application sit, but I wouldnā€™t wait. Iā€™d look for other great sits in the meantime.

Edited because I just applied to a comment from 3 years ago!