“As is true for any of these P2P sites, if everything works, it's great.
That was my thought upon coming home and finding my dog safe. I was so relieved I wrote a 5 star review for the house sitter (despite some earlier issues).
With that said, I found substantial damage in my house. I contacted Trusted House Sitters to see if I could change the review + to file a claim. (Something supposedly that I could do as I paid for the premium membership.) After a day, I got a message saying I could NOT change the review (why????) and that provided no help with the claim. I've tried to call 3 times and have been hung up on each time (after a lengthy wait). I've contacted them 4 more times (including through chat, which only provides chatbot links to the website which...tell me to contact them.)
The role (and the reason I paid nearly $300 for this...) of a site is to interact with the members and solve these problems. But Trusted House Sitters does none of this. I would have been as well off posting a "want to stay in my house for free ;)" ad on Craigslist. Better, really, because at least that wouldn't have cost me nearly $300.”
“Great website/concept until I got DEPORTED for using it. US immigration, even though I was on my way to Canada, consider it a form of employment. I tried telling them it's an unpaid exchange, but US immigration didn't want to hear it.
TrustedHousesitters refuses to issue a statement informing sitters they, too, risk being deported from the USA if they're found to be travelling on the app. The TrustedHousesitters website says members are fine to travel on a tourist visa because TrustedHousesitters "don’t regard house sitting as work". And, yet, here we are...”
“Not happy. I paid a fee but I'm unable to upload pictures to my profile. No one ever picks up the phone and communication via email is a pain because there's a 24h delay between replies and the HD comes back explaining how to upload a picture. I know how to upload pictures... It just doesn't work.”
“The website is cool and looks great. Problem is that the "good" sits have 10-20 applications. If you thought that you could travel and spend some time with a nice cat or dog you find that the pickings are slim. Most sits that don't have lots of applicants were places you need a car or required you to walk the dog 3 times a day. The sites forum allows you to identify issues so check it out before buying. Problems like: cameras all over the home, dirty sitters, homeowners coming back early and having to vacate. My favorite was all the people shopping for and making dinner for the homeowners to return to....that is what they are doing to get the 5 stars you need to book anything. On top of COVID affecting travel as well. No refund given, not even a partial offered. "You don't deserve one unless you have been complaining for the whole time.". At least the volunteered to cancel the auto renewal...but that was all.”
“When things go smoothly, TrustedHouseSitters is a brilliant application. When they don't, THS offers absolutely no support. I had an issue with a host who not only went on a racist tirade while showing me around the place, but continually surveilled her house and texted me each any every time somebody walked by her house, accusing me of having strangers over when I did no such thing. This owner was absolutely insane and made my life a living hell. She left a negative review on my profile that had absolutely no basis in reality. TrustedHouseSitters has done nothing to rectify this or support me whatsoever. Nobody ever picks up the phone and emails are rarely answered. When they are answered, they contain stock verbiage that doesn't address the issue at hand. Worst of all, they removed part of my response to the review, that part discussing the racist tirade. I see where their priorities are.”
“Homeowners beware. Beware that this service is all about facilitating a lifestyle for people who want to vacation for free or may not have homes at all and just move from sit to sit. They will take care of your pets, but they are NOT housesitters. If you are a homeowner and expect that your sitter will actually take care of your needs (like deliveries) while you are gone, forget it. God forbid if your needs interfere with their planned activities. You have no recourse and the company will side with the pet sitter. We provided a weekly cleaning service, and had weekly pool and garden maintenance. This sitter had to do nothing except care for our pets and be there occasionally to accept few deliveries while we were away. we even paid for a driver to bring this person to and from our home from the train station €60 per ride. The sitter has the absolute right to plan their days as they wish. As long they are there to feed your pets, it’s all about them. You don’t matter.”
“I did not have the best experience with Trusted House Sitters. I had a simple request – take care of one adorable cat for 3 weeks. I had three responses to that request and within days all of them declined because they got ‘better offers.’ One didn’t want to travel across borders due to corona which I understood. So I lost all three and then started doing research on profiles and inviting people to apply. Everyone turned me down. One of the people who accepted told me she was positive that she would come so I bought my flights. The next day she declined. A stressful emotional roller coaster. THS has a guarantee which I was counting on if this didn’t work: ‘If you do not receive any sitter applications within 14 days of posting your first listing, you’ll receive your money back with no strings attached.’ While I did receive applications, all of them cancelled their applications so in effect there were no valid applications. I finally found a cat sitter through friends and contacted THS for a refund since I met the criteria of no valid application during the first two weeks. They refused my request for a refund. This coronavirus has given companies the opportunity to take advantage of their customers. I’ve been fighting two airlines for 6 months to get refunds on flights they cancelled. Ive had hotels with free cancellation policies refuse to refund me, and now this. I hope everyone remembers who treated them right and who didn’t during this crisis and that we make sure those companies who were greedy are not patronized when things get better.”
“I've used TrustedHousesitters many times to look after my two dogs. One is a rescue and a little tricky and I know that an experience dog lover is the sort of sitter I will find using TrustedHousesitters. I've never been disappointed.
The community is great and the sitters who have come to us have often become friends. As a passionate animal lover, I could never put my dogs into kennels and in the past it was a big stress finding someone to look after them amongst friends and family. That stress is now gone!”
“Let's be honest here.. if you ever had a problem with a house sit or a homeowner, they won't help you at all. Vicky, the manager, doesn't know how to deal with any complaints you may have. She lies to you saying that she spoke to the houseowner about that, but she didn't. Some houseowners can be quite demanding (let's not forget you are doing this for free!) and they won't tell you if their pets are agressive. If you are looking for free accomodation, let me tell you, there is no such a thing. You pay a price, but it's not money wise. They expect you to clean their houses (I got many unpleasant messages from a houseowner after I left her house, when I told her the vaccum cleaner was not working... and I was not even living alone in the house, she had a tenant) and they also expect you to stay in the house most part of the day (so, no life outside hun!). Overall, I've been doing this only for accomodation, but I do pay a price and I did have bad experiences. And you will have it.. if you use this website for more than 6 months.”
