Until the review/feedback system within the THS site is improved (I agree with others that it should be more of a blind review process with deadlines, such as Airbnb, plus reviews should appear the same on both the computer version and the app version [only on the app can you see where a sitter did not review the homeowner]), here is what I do.
I am both a homeowner and a sitter. When I review a sitter that I felt was not “up to par”, I still give them 5 stars and I thank them for their care of my pets and home, but I never once say that “I recommend him/her/them” or that “I would have him/her/them return.” When I review a homeowner after sitting there, if there were any issues, I’ll give 5 thumbs up and say something nice about some aspect of the sit (the pets, the home, the location, etc.), but I never say “I will gladly return” or “I recommend this sit to other sitters”.
I know many of you rightfully feel that we need to warn others of bad experiences or issues that we’ve encountered, either as a homeowner or as a sitter, but as someone else pointed out, aggressiveness and blaming seems to happen after one party receives a bad review, and then it’s not possible to know who to believe. I feel it’s more in what I don’t say than what I do say.