THS like any other organisation can’t investigate until they have all the factual information and documented proof from you - otherwise anyone could make something up completely unfounded about another member and there would be members accounts suspended all over the place without any proof.
2 Likes
Have you contacted THS to report her. She shouldn’t be doing any sitting if she has taken this and I think you should put this in your review if you are sure (also no one else should have come into the house without your permission). It’s theft drinking problem or not and if she’s denying it then you can’t sort out any reimbursement from her.
There’s absolutely no reason to call out suspicions of addiction or to mention that anyone smelled of X.
If you write a review and just say X was missing after a sit, there’s no reason for anyone to automatically have an abuse problem. Plenty of people drink.
1 Like
Saying that “it could have been worse” is trivializing the feelings of the OP. Things can always be worse, but that doen’t negate the distress caused by this incident.
@LHinBrooklyn - please mention the missing alcohol in your review. No need to make any mental health diagnoses, but definitely refer to the fact that she took stuff that was hidden away. As a HO here, I would want to know this sitter’s problem behavior.
Reporting the theft to the police creates a record so, in the unlikely event that she retaliates, she would be the first suspect.
3 Likes
I understand your reluctance. I’d be worried about a brick through the window or something and knowing that member services are unlikely to be able to do anything and the money is gone, I’d probably be tempted to just leave it and try to move on.
Man though this gives THS a bad reputation and member services are ultimately doing themselves a disservice by not cracking down on things like this.
Were there any red flags you noticed before the sit or at the initial handover?
@LHinBrooklyn I want you to mention this as well in a review but easy for me to say…
No review or blank reviews for a home host or a thsitter is not “enough” to give a red flag.
Perhpas mention “blah blah sat for us and although we wish her well, unfortunately we would not be inclined to invite her to return in the future.”
1 Like
I am sorry to say something so unsupportive here, but those pale in comparison with the sitter’s problems.
Some people cannot control themselves when they see booze within reach. Who knows, maybe she had struggled with her cravings for an hour or longer and tried very hard not to open those bottles.
I had a colleague whom I should not leave alone at my place.
It is why Sweden, Norway and Finland have state liquor stores, so that the vulnerable are not confronted with shelves full of wines and liquor when they do their ordinary groceries in the supermarket.
1 Like
It’s not just stealing the alcohol. It’s also the effects of the alcohol could result in neglect of animals, impaired judgement, home damage, just all kinds of issues.
Rummaging through someone’s room though… was that before or after she experienced “cravings”? Whether there was alcohol stashed somewhere or not, going through people’s stuff is a NO.
Sorry that happened to you, @LHinBrooklyn 
There are lots of good sitters – maybe give the service another try but only pick sitters with plenty of other good reviews (you didn’t say what her prior reviews were like).
Also I agree with the others who say you should push TH to address it, even if you have to do some further documenting – perhaps they could boot her without you having to leave a review, because I understand the fear of retribution too. But definitely other potential HO’s should be warned at the very least.
2 Likes
@Marion The OP said the sitter took the alcohol . It wasn’t said that the sitter was irresponsible intoxicated
@pietkuip I’m sorry but a sitters problem with alcohol and theft is not, and should not be, a problem for trusting homeowners. If someone joins THS, they do so according to the terms and conditions of the company. It is not a site where homeowners or anyone else for that matter, should be accepting or understanding of a person’s personal problem with alcohol, or theft, or any other personal issues, whichever the case may be. It is a house-sitting site, not a benevolent society.
Homeowners open their homes to sitters on trust, there is absolutely NO excuse or good reason for this kind of behaviour. We are not a community that is here to either understand or attempt to resolve/fix people with addiction or personal /mental issues.This is a house-sitting site, not AA or the Salvation Army.
Couch surfing is also a completely different style of platform to THS. I would never in a million years put them in the same category. I’m glad that couch surfing is around but we cannot put it into the same category as a site such as THS. I was young once 
I did couchsurfing but certainly wouldn’t do it now. Totally different platform.
6 Likes
No, but it was said that the sitter smelled of alcohol when they first met. And was clearly binging and out of control – stealling alochol, rummaging through a room she had no business in, etc. This is not the behavior of a person in control. This is by definition not “repsonsible drinking.”
@Marion look, the OP knows the sitter took the alcohol because it’s gone.
The OP didn’t say the sitter was highly intoxicated so Im not going to say the sitter was highly intoxicated.
You’ve just done it again! The sitter obviously has problems, but that doesn’t mean that the HO doesn’t have a valid reason to be upset. A sitter’s problems should not become a HO’s problem.
Like many people, I very familiar with substance abuse and know how the cravings work. I can still sympathise with he HO here.
3 Likes
PLEASE post an honest review and I would file a police report as well. Thats stealing, plain and simple.
We just come back and our elderly sitter drank 2 litres of gin . Stole deodorants , it’s appalling. There is an element of risk having someone in your home. We went out of our way to make her comfortable, she abused our home and our things . Then left the back door open which left my dog outside in the rain for 4 hours . We even called her a taxi while abroad to save her trying to. All this time she was snooping about , using all my things. Drinking my birthday presents off my daughter too.
Yikes. Please make sure to leave an accurate review of both the good and bad so future home owners are warned. Sorry you experienced that!
4 Likes
This is the second post in just a few days where the sitter drank a lot of the host’s alcohol. I actually just applied to a sit and used that. I never drink the HO’s stash. Just bring my own chardonnay. I am not surprised that it happens. A little surprised at the elderly sitter drinking 2 L of gin. My body, at this age, would not be able to take that. I am surprised that experienced sitters can get away with it. Have HOs not given true reviews? Or are these new sitters?
1 Like
Hi everyone,
I’ve now closed this topic.
The discussions highlights the importance of clear communication before a sit and detailed reviews following.
Should an issue occur, THS are here to help.
As @Silversitters highlighted, take a look at our Member Dispute Process and reach out to the team at support@trustedhousesitters.com