What a nightmare. So sorry this was your experience. I hope you reviewed her appropriately.
2 Likes
Thank you PajamaJan for your kind words. I did not write a review for her as she badgered me for weeks to write a review on her so she could come back and try to get me expelled from THS website. She also took the keys to our house and she knows where we live.
I would think TH would support you and shut her down since you have video evidence, but in any event i would change the locks.
3 Likes
Im Just curious, I guess this involved a house sit and a sitter in a country which is not the UK?
1 Like
This was a pet sit in the US.
1 Like
@kak while i agree with what you write and without being rude, this situation cuts both ways as I am sure you will appreciate. While there are no doubt dodgy sitters around, from a sitters experience there are also dodgy HOs around also! I am certainly not including you in that but despite all the planning and good will in the world, from time to time somebody will register either as a sitter or a HO who disappoints by misrepresenting themselves and/or the sit. I am sure THS does its best to screen these people out but sadly people (yourself and also some sitters myself included) have bad experiences which is unfortunate. As a sitter I am happy to say that the decent HOs far outweigh the dodgy ones and I hope the same will be for you in the future with sitters you accept. All the best.
3 Likes
How HORRIBLE! Iâm so sorry that was your experience. I sure would like to see their review you left him!
There is always a choice. The safety of my pets comes before any other obligation for me. Overall I have had many good sitters, a few great sitters. I have also had awful sitters and my gut could not have predicted the results. The one who left my car in a very expensive parking lot and locked my key inside? The one who did door dash 14 hours a day with my pets left alone? The one who had company without my permission and asked my neighbor to pet sit while they went off? Did not predict that. Also the one who showed up and said they were leaving several days earlyâŚplease, owners, review sitters accurately. It really matters.
6 Likes
Hi. This is very interesting for me, as a sitter, to see the other side of the fence. I consider myself to be dedicated and caring very much about the ownerâs home and pets, and to read that people have done these things just stuns me. Of course it reflects badly on the majority, who are also caring and considerate. I hope the good ones have outweighed these horrendous ones for you. Good luck with your future choices. 
4 Likes
Hi @CapeCodder we always welcome new members to our community forum and hearing that members have had less than perfect sits is really concerning, as itâs not how TrustedHousesitters works.
At the very heart of TrustedHousesitters are pets, the ones without voices and choices and if their care is compromised in any way we need to know.
If any member has concerns about a sit, in any respect and at any time, they need to connect with the TrustedHousesitters Membership Support Team who are there to help.
Thank you again for joining and we look forward to sharing in your Trustedhousesitters journey.
Angela and the Team
2 Likes
@CapeCodder hmm thats not good at allâŚas a sitter that let us all downâŚI hope you continue to have good sitters thoughâŚthere are plenty of them out there
2 Likes
I completely agree with you. All the ârightâ questions can be asked, both by us and by THS, and there will be some undesirables (both sitters and HOâs) who will slip by!
I just think there has to be a better system in place for protecting both regarding the review process. I left my sitter a bad review so he, in return, left a bad review for us. In my opinion, neither review should be posted until both have written a review or until a certain time period has passed (5 days past the sit?). Then, both reviews should be posted simultaneously; that way neither can post a retaliation review.
In my case, the sitter was investigated, found to be at fault by THS, and was given a warning. However, his nasty review of me is still posted, which, in my opinion, should have been deleted when he was found to be at fault.
6 Likes
@kak yes i would not be happy that a review/feedback stands after the other party has been found to be at fault. I think somebody said elsewhere that when a sitter or HO are looking at feedback/reviews, a bad one amongst many good ones says more about the person writing it than the one receiving it so if you have good feedback, sitters will not be put off by one thats negative and when you speak to them, you can start by talking through that and use it as a conversation for what you would like from your sitter.
2 Likes
Hi Kak,
I know I am very late, joining in on this thread but I looked through the responses and didnât see any suggestions similar to how I have managed this from the sitters perspective. When corresponding or chatting with prospective home owners about a sit I always ask to come a day early so that I can
- Meet the pets and make sure we are compatible. I have never had a problem but sometimes pets just donât take to a particular person or vice versa.
- Learn face to face what is needed and how the pets can be best cared for. For example walking the pets, I love to walk dogs but my idea of a walk may be different to the H.O ( I am known to many of my regulars as âFrannie of the long walkâ)
- As I am often coming from remote areas, it also ensures that I donât have any transportation issues with arriving in time.
Sometimes HOâs can offer me a bed or a couch for the night, other times itâs a small house/flat and I have made my own arrangements.
I also ask HO if they have a back up plan in case their pets donât like me while reassuring them that this has never happened in all my years of pet sitting.
While sometimes owners are worried that this means I am looking for an out, not the case at all as they can see from my references, it does ensure that everyone understands that like them, my first concern is for their pets welfare. It also ensures that just in case a worst case scenario happens, everyone has thought about it in advance and has some kind of Plan B in place.
I havenât ever been asked by a HO prior to me raising it, what I would do if the pets didnât like me?
But this thread here has made me wonder if perhaps this should be a question that HOâs ask?
What do others think?
Cheers
Fran
2 Likes
@Franti Hi Fran and its good to see you back in the forum, thanks for sharing your insights!
3 Likes
@Franti hello Fran and yes a Plan B for you and the HO is so important and as I have posted elsewhere arriving the day before really makes a big difference especially with settling anxious dogs. I have never had a dog that didnt like me but I am sure it will happen one day! Arriving the day before allows you to go out with the HO for a walk with the dog(s) and that helps us to become part of the âpackâ. When i arrive at a sit I try to gauge what kind of personanlity the dog has and if they are playful and relaxed and if there is a garden I ask the HO if they will give me some time playing ball or just being with the dogs without their presence; if the dog appears stressed and anxious I leave it to come to me in its own time; the same goes for cats. The night before the HO leaves I ask if I can feed the dog(s) instead of them and this sends a good message to the dog(s) that you are their âfood basketâ and it will win over most dogs. Anxious dogs as you know of course need time to feel safe with a stranger and some (particularly rescue dogs) sadly never will. I think HOs owe a duty of care to the sitter to be honest right from the original listing as to the personality of their dog(s) but from my experience some do not as they are probably worried that they wont find a sitter and for these few getting away on holiday is more important than dumping untrained and difficult dogs on a stranger! As @Angela_L has said elswhere, THShas a strict policy of not taking on HOs where it is known that their dog(s) have bitten somebody and of course this is the correct way to go. At the end of the day though it relies on HOs doing the right thing. Enjoy those dogs and lets keep in mind that even difficult dogs can learn that we mean them no harm.
5 Likes