We have had 7 great sits with no issues. I just posted a sit for July and have 3 applicants whom I have been in contact with and asked to do a video chat. Haven’t gotten a response from any. Should I deny their apps? I don’t want other possible sitters not to apply because they see 3 applicants. So strange Thanks
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How long since you asked? THS terms say a fellow member should be answered within 72 hours - it could also be due to time difference, having work etc. I am flying intercontinental next week, and will be inapproachable for a long time during flights, for instance.
If a couple of days or more without an answer I would decline.
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I wouldn’t decline the first 3 yet as you have not reached your applicant limit. Give them a little time. And if you set up a call with more than one do tell them you are talking to multiple applicants. (Some sitters don’t like that)
We recently applied for a month long sit in September. As we were driving & doing errands at zhe time we sent a rather short abbreviated application to show our interest with a promise of a fuller app later. We invited them to check our profile meanwhile. They wrote back -that’s great!- they would look forward to that. 3 hours later when we got back and wanted to write more we saw they had already declined us (with no note) perhaps did not think we were worth the wait! Well that’s their loss! 
At first we assumed they might have just confirmed someone else. But 3 days later and they are still ‘reviewing’ so it was obviously a conscious decline. I would not apply to them again
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What @Garfield says is the most likely. But it also sounds like you are wanting to video chat with all three. If that’s right, you may have put off all 3.
I want owners to read our profile and think WE are the perfect match for them over and above anyone else, and ask us to video chat to doubly-confirm that we are right for one another.
We don’t want to be part of a series of videos to see who’s best, because it’s about a great gut feeling, and an intuition that we’re the perfect match for each other.
Then after video chatting if we aren’t the right fit, then you arrange to video chat with another.
Please don’t video chat with 3, it’s a waste of time, unless you have reason to after video’ing with one, because there will be one applicant that stands out much more than the others, it’s a gut feeling, more so than the number of reviews or anything else (and this is coming from someone with 5* reviews throughout).
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Hi Houndman, It would not put me off applying if alrerady 3 applicants. Before they brought in the 5 applicant rule I would regually apply when it said 7-11 applicants and 11-15 applcants and I wouild still secure the sit. Equally it would not put me off if the owner mentioned that they were in contact with other applicants and would let me know. If a nice sit, with nice animals, in a nice location I would juist hope they chose me. It is well to keep your option open, as if one turns it down you have another couple to fall back on. Although at the moment, it doesn’t sound too promising with any of them. Good Luck.
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They may be so busy and got caught up with life.
Also some phone and apps are pains in terms of getting notifications.
So likely nothing personal either be patient or move on is my suggestion
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@HoundMom Also would not do a sit if someone denied me a video.
Phone is fine but if they refused to video at my request that would be a red flag
I am guessing these folks are busy and ai would just ping them again and give them one more final chance before you tell them you are ready to move on
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That is strange for no reply from all 3 applicants!
3 applicants would never stop me from applying.
I would not decline them yet. They may all have legitimate reasons for the delay.
Did any of the 3 include their cell phone number or email address in their application? I would contact them via phone or email. Sometimes the THS messaging system is not working perfectly. Text, call, or send email.
Three not responding may mean they are not getting the messages. My messages from TH for some reason wind up in my junk mail lately. A past PP contacted me on the platform and I never received the message from TH. She has my cell so she texted me when I didn’t reply. I looked all over for the email after the text and found it in the junk mail. Now that is where I find all correspondence from them lately. Never that way before. If you don’t hear from any of them in a couple of days I would try sending out your email again.
who knows?
Appreciate all the responses and especially sitter’s perspective. Noted that the TH app isn’t always the best with timely communication. I assume that if they don’t respond, they won’t be good sitters. We typically exchange cell # and/or email after a video chat.
When I declined, I included a note indicating since they hadn’t responded I assumed they were not interested. One responded back that she was recovering from Covid. (Lesson learned- patience is a virtue).
I am always upfront with sitters re: talking with other sitters. On a sit earlier this year, I mentioned to one applicant that I had an upcoming call and that I would get back to her afterward to let her know if it worked out. I was a great video call and the first sitter agreed to sit, but unfortunately due to health issues had to cancel a few weeks out. I reached out to the other sitter and we were able to work it out!
I look forward to being a sitter in the near future so try to keep in mind how I would like to be treated.
Thanks again! Just joined this chat group.
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