Welcome @Lulubelle to the forum.
Sorry that you’ve been disappointed with your application for a sit . Is this your first sit with THS ?
I am wondering did the sit include use of HO’s car ? In which case I can understand that they need to have a copy of your driving license for insurance purposes. If you are not happy about using e-mail maybe you have another method of sending personal information that you feel is more secure that you could have suggested?
If you did not feel comfortable with the HOs request then this probably wasn’t the right sit for you but don’t be discouraged I am sure you will find a a sit that suits you .
Ask him for his driver’s license and see how he reacts If you’ve got your info approved on here, then he shouldn’t need more info. You may have dodged a bullet. I would consider a red flag as well.
I haven’t had time to read every single reply to this topic, but what a useful and interesting one!
I would like to point out that on other sites I belong to (Home Exchange and Airbnb) once an exchange or a rental has been confirmed, then both sides are provided with the other person’s full name, email address, phone number, and street address. It seems to me that THS should also be providing this information to both parties once a sit has been agreed. It works on other exchange/sharing sites, why not here?
There could be no question as to the parties’ identities nor any confusion about what home is being offered.
I also think if a couple is registered on the site as one unit, that, BOTH sitters should have background checks, and if need be, they should have to pay additionally to be vetted as a second sitter. (I only presume my sitters are honest and trustworthy, but it is true that many victims of domestic abuse trust and defend their abusers, and most often you hear it said that serial murderers are the nicest people by their neighbors and friends!)
Hi @HostAndSitter if you click on the little heart symbol and hold it for a second or two you will then have four emoji options pop up to choose from, if you then click on the thumbs up option.
It took me a while to figure it out. If you tap the heart symbol you get a heart but if you hold on it for a while the other emojis will appear. Every day is a school day
I applied for a housesit for the fall. Even before I had my first call to ‘meet’ the host, she asked me if I would be willing to give my driver’s license information. I ended up withdrawing my application as a result. Just wanted some input from others - for me it felt off. I don’t plan to use her car (I’m not even sure that’s an option) and I’ve had my background checked and cleared already as that’s necessary to use the services. So I withdrew because it just felt off. Am I being irrational? Thanks!
Hi @disneyabby1. Your question about sitters being asked to provide some form of official ID, such as a diver’s license, is a good one. It comes up from time to time. I’ve moved your question here, to one of those earlier conversations, so you can see how others responded.
In this country (Sweden), one’s driving license is a matter of public record. Anybody can contact Transportstyrelsen (our equivalent of the Department of Motor Vehicles) and request a copy of my driving permit.
I’d consider it invasive, because of identity theft risks.
THS has done background checks on us using our IDs, which they have on file. Plus, many of us share our LinkedIn profiles, which feature our full names. And you can always ask for someone’s full name if they’ve not already volunteered it via LinkedIn or otherwise.
I’m happy to provide my full name, contact info, emergency contact (which THS has) keeps on file.
If someone offers me their car, I could see why they might want to see a valid driver’s license, but two sits have shared their cars and not asked me for that.
In the U.S., driver’s license info is not usually available to the public, because of privacy and safety risks. Like you wouldn’t want your address made publicly available in various scenarios. A woman was stalked and killed decades ago in one case, for example, which led to privacy changes with driver’s license info.
I would be more than a little taken aback if a HO asked for my driver’s license – unless I was going to be driving their car, in which case, no problem. I certainly wouldn’t share my passport details with a homeowner. However, I link to my linkedin, so my last name is there for the world to see. Because it’s there, I’d probably think it weird if someone asked me for my last name!
I have a combined membership so seeing this from both sides, I don’t think there is anything wrong with someone actually hosting you in their home knowing your last name. Especially if there is a building where you can see their last name on a directory and with most cases when you are handling their mail, and have access to their home.
Shouldn’t the site asking IDs from sitters be enough in terms of making sure this person is who they say they are? To me (as a homeowner), this doesn’t seem like a good step in building trust between a sitter and an owner.
If more info about the person is required in case of an emergency, or something goes wrong, I think the site should come to either side’s help.
The site does ID check people. The site also does fuller criminal background checks on US based sitters. However, someone could potentially be using another person’s id to sign up people may have all sorts of concerns based on nonsense or based on real life experiences. I’m not going to judge or make assumptions about why someone is asking a question.
I wouldn’t take the question as unessarily personal. Again, if someone asked mine, I’d just say, “You can see it on my linkedin. You could also find my business website from there.” I might be a little weary only because someone could find the information without asking me, so I might wonder why they felt a need to ask me. Is there a higher than usual amount of distrust going in? Is it simply that they don’t know a lot about finding information online and this is a world they are scared of? I might even ask the homeowner: How come you’re asking that?
We all get to do what is comfortable for us. If a sitter isn’t comfortable giving a homeowner “too much information” or feels that a homeowner has enough already or that the information is held by THS if anything happens, and they don’t want to disclose their last name, that’s their choice to make. As a homeowner I’ve never asked for a sitter’s last name, but I have gone with newer to the site sitters who disclosed linkedin or other real world bread crumbs so that I could feel more secure about who was in my home with access to my pets and my stuff. I think the reason why I usually get the sits I apply for from the beginning is because I have the Airbnb and Linkedin information and also offer a link to my HO profile.
I think the site is based on trust and kindness. But trust has to be built. I can see a situation where a sitter feels boudaries are being breached, but I also think given the amount of information a sitter has access to about a homeowner, a homeowner’s asking for a last name is not a very big ask. It may not be a very efficient one.
Recently, I gave a sitter a first sit. She was local. She had a linked in. Given her profession, and the fact this was a local sit, I guessed prior to our conversation that she might have some kind of precarious housing situation rather than travel plans. I wasn’t going to ask directly but when we chatted she was very open about her situation and it made sense to me. I appreciated her trust in me in sharing some details. I returned the trust. I think for sittters to expect that “trust” is automatic because of an ID check or a few reviews is asking a lot.
I do most of my sits in countries other than I live in. I’ve had a couple of pet owners ask to see my passport when I arrive to verify that I am who I say I am. I really have no problem with that at all. They took a second and looked at my picture, my name, handed it right back. I never felt a lack of trust on their part, they were very appreciative of my openness and we had very good rapport throughout.
I’ve also stayed in several properties worth many millions, and in one case, I was asked to provide a bit more information about myself, which I was happy to do.
I’ve also been left owners cars to drive, and in those cases, I’ve provided a copy of my drivers license, which is the same as I would have to do when I rent a car.
If you’ve got your info approved on here, then he shouldn’t need more info. You may have dodged a bullet. I would consider a red flag as well.
