Hello. We are an early retired couple slow traveling the world for a couple of years. We are new to this forum and have just finished our first sit. We are doing this because we love pets and we slow travel and it is a good way to save on hotel/lodging expenses. We are currently in Thailand and want to visit Australia and New Zealand in August and September. We have applied for several pet sitting jobs and have not heard back from some. One host sent me a message asking if I would come to Australia and meet with her a week before the sit before accepting me. We have not made plans to travel or booked flights because we want confirmed sits before paying for a flight. I sent her a polite reply explaining that and telling her I understood her concerns. I offered to come to her location early if she choose us so she could meet us but I could not fly that far without an unconfirmed sit. Has anyone else experienced this? I think it is most likely because we are new and have no reviews of sits done on this site. We are not new to pet sitting we have owned pets for over 30 years and have pet sit numerous times for friends, neighbors and family.
Hi @ltekoenig,
Welcome to the forum.
Some owners specify that in their listing, especially people in big urban areas in high demand like London. That helps filter applications.
Your case is a bit different, and I donāt think itās a reasonable idea for either party. What would the owners do if they donāt think you are a good fit just a week before the sit starts?
Thatās actually quite common in international sits. Both sitters and owners feel more confident if sitters are in the area before the sit starts. For my first sit in Australia, I arrived two days in advance and it was just as well because I arrived in Melbourne one day later than scheduled.
I think you totally did the right thing sending a message outlining your position. Whilst asking to meet you in person seems reasonable if you are already in the area (Iāve done this many times) asking you to fly on spec just to see if the HO wants you to sit seems unreasonable - what if they donāt accept you, or have already chosen someone else in the meantime when you arrive? It sounds to me like they are hedging their bets.
Unfortunately sits in NZ and Australia are relatively few and are highly competitive so are likely to attract many applicants meaning that HOs may sometimes feel they can be more demanding with requirements than places (like the UK) where sitters have a lot more options.
The fact that you have no THS reviews yet may also be a factor, as you suggest, although the good news is that this will improve over time as it sounds like youāre now building up sits, and thus reviews.
If it was me Iād move on and look for alternatives. Iād see expectations like that from a HO as a āred flagā that they might be inconsiderate and have other unreasonable expectations.
Good luck.
Welcome to forum @ltekoenig !
You did the right thing.
In my opinion a meet up for THS before confirming a sit is most likely unusual. I have had a meet up, but then I was in town anyway, so it cost me a busticket (actually the host offered to pick me up). If it is a requirement from the host, I think that then the host should pay the travel cost ( unless it is minimal). I wouldnāt do it anyway, as it is time I do not have if it means more days away from work. It also could come across as a lack of trust, which I find vital for a good match.
The benefit for a sitter as a paying member of THS is the home, and it is marketed by THS as an opportunity to travel (more) as a petsitter. Although a local sit can have good reasons, I think most sitters use THS to travel, as do hosts.
The usual thing to do would be to arrange a videocall. It is also quite common to let the sit start the day before the host will depart, to get a good handover (and if a requirement of the host, then the host should arrange accommodation for that extra night).
Is the host also relatively new to THS, perhaps?
Youāve encountered an unreasonable host. I suggest shaking your head and moving on.
Thereās no way i would take a flight anywhere unless the sit was confirmed.
You did the right thing, and she did the right thing too.
Unless a sit is confirmed then donāt go out of your way travel-wise, only āpop inā if youāre going to be in that particular area. So what you did, sounds perfect to me. Her request was totally natural too, she doesnāt even know if youāll show up or even book your flights with no THS reviews.
Personally Iād pick up some extra reviews in Thailand, even if they are just for a couple of nights, and then youāre much more likely to be accepted for overseas sits without your lack of reviews entering into the equation, UNLESS you have a real reason to visit Australia other than just touring the world.
Our son lives in a different country, so when we first started we got accepted quite easily in that country for that reason, because they know weāll turn up when we say we will, because our son & his family are there. Plus itās pretty obvious we know their area quite well too, which always helps.
I recommend that you look at the site named Aussie House sitters.
We live in the UK and found, like @BJane , that the number of Australian house sits were quite few when we were looking
We joined Aussie House Sitters and within a week we had secured a sitting in Perth. Even though we had no reviews with the site, I directed the owners to our listing with THS.
They picked us up at the airport, we stayed one night with them before they left
No, and it would be quite ridiculous. I have done a lot of sits in Australia & New Zealand (not all through THS but other platforms pertaining to those countries). No one requested a meet before even when I was in the respective country.
I have, off my own back, gone to meet some owners in the UK (where Iām from) before sitting for them & before being confirmed on a couple of occasions. They were new to THS & somewhat nervous. My visits reassured them & me.
I have not been asked to make a visit before confirming. Thatās quite unreasonable. You can tell that host itās no problem if they pay for your flight and hotel. Then if they confirm you afterwards, you can reimburse them for just the flight.
Same here, definitely would not fly anywhere prior to a sit just for owners to meet you. I would not do it here in the UK where I live, where one owner expected me to do over a 400 mile round trip just to meet them prior to a short two week sit later in the year. It is a huge expense, especially if they decide they do not want you after all.
This has just happened to me. New to THS Home Owner on the coast in Spain. Iāve just returned from same spot where I had a month. Iāve got 20+ reviews 5* I applied for the 5 day sit. The Home Owner wants a meet up to decide.. itās 5 hrs there and 5 hrs back for meā¦ I get that sheās nervous but!
Iām booked up for 4 months in UK solid. None of them have I met either the pets or the Home Owners physically..
so my reply?
Itās totally your call. I accept your decision and I get it.
I am sitting later in this month at another seaside spot so could have done both sits. The location is an hour from the first opportunity.. Iāve offered to drive across before the sit date starts en route as it were.. Sheās nervous , sheās new .. has she even read my reviews?
my wifeās take on this?
Donāt touch her with a barge pole! Thatās a big red flag!
I wouldnāt say itās a big red flag but itās very inconsiderate of the woman to expect you to do that. She will get just as much a feeling for you in a video call, so suggest that. Otherwise, donāt bother
@ltekoenig what did you decide to do ?
As sitters we always now suggest that even if accepted if at all possible we meet in person before the sit. Itās made a big difference being able to establish a trusting relationship ahead of time. Also it lets us learn about the home, the pets act in situ. We try to accompany the owner on a walk etc.
But you wouldnāt travel all the way to Australia from England. I certainly wouldnāt drive for hours. If Iāve been nearby then, yes, I have often gone to meet owners in advance of sitting.
Yes I suppose we only sit where weāre planning to be based anyway so would naturally be in the area well ahead of time. Iām just pondering if the meet up went badly or there were undisclosed issues if Iād ask them to cancel- yes I probably would at that point because weād have family to stay withā¦.
I travel in my Campervan so that is my Plan B but it would incur more expense going all that way for a rejection! Iām not Dr Dolittle but 20 + 5 * reviews should tell a Home Owner something!
To be fair she did say sheād be doing lots of travelling in the future and would be interested in using me.
I replied with my full itinerary for 4 months in UK.
I think that speaks volumes too!
Sitters quickly move on!
Hope I didnāt come across as a poor loser but I think Home Owners need to know great sitters are always in demand!
Sheās lucky sheās in a very attractive location!
A video call should be able to sort the sheep from the goats!
Only time I did it was at a sit 20-30 km from our own home and I was planning to go on a bike trip that weekend, but hadnāt planned a destination.
So I suggested to come over with the bike, instead of doing a videocallā¦
It was fantasticā¦we came in our bikeclothing, a little tired (biked with normal bikes, not on flat terrain).
Total strangers of eachother. They were doing some gardening, so they also did not wear normal āfirst meetingā clothes.
But we all were just āthe way we (HO and PS) are, itās a match or notāā¦
We had some tea with cookies in the garden, a nice talk, met the dog, had a click, so we confirmed.
And now we probably are going this weekend to them on bike againā¦
And in a few weeks we are doing our third sit over there.
Asking someone to come a week in advance is a little delulu.
I understand asking someone already confimed through a video chat to come a day early so that there are no airport delays considering oftentimes both parties are traveling in/out of the local area- a week earlyā¦ yikesā¦ a week early unconfirmedā¦ double yikes.
Im glad you trusted your gut.