Has any potential client tried to swindle you by not listing all pets?

I would approach it from the standpoint of Rover's insurance not covering the pets that are not listed in the profile. Be tactful and polite, which it sounds like you are, but stand firm and don't book a stay till all the pets are listed and covered in the price.

I had that happen to me once, but the owner was a friend of mine and didn't understand how Rover worked.

The fact that another sitter did this is unconscionable. They know the rules and yet they were trying to (potentially) get a cheaper price.

And let's not get into arguments over semantics. This is a forum designed to help each other, not fight.

Jessica,

What a shame you are experiencing this type of thing. I commend you for your helpful and caring attitude with these customers. However, the way to deal with such people is to show them that you are a professional and your services are being performed as a business. First off, you need to do a M&G before accepting any jobs. That way you'll know exactly how many pets actually exist. Go to the home, meet the client and his/her pets, and find out their expectations. If you've done this and then arrive at the client's house and find additional animals, immediately tell the client that you will NOT be performing any services until you receive confirmation from Rover that the booking has been corrected and payment made.

I really think it awful that a person registered as a sitter withheld information and attempted to cheat you. That person doesn't deserve your professional explanations about the insurance and assistance with filling out the profile info. I would report that sitter to Rover.

Hi Jessica:

Yes, I think this happens to almost all sitters - at least once! I always take the high road and act like the client doesn't know what they're doing (when entering multiple pets in their profile), and I'll point it out by saying something like "I see you mention you have 2 dogs in your request, but have only 1 listed, do you need any help with entering the 2nd dog?" [Then proceed in explaining how to enter a 2nd dog] And then I'll tell them how important it is to have both pets on the books for insurance purposes. That statement leads into how important it is for the vet information and emergency contact person's number is for you as the sitter, and them for piece of mind.

Many people try to get discounts right off the bat, so just stand firm. You can do a compare/contrast type sales pitch at that time. You can explain that you're just starting out and your prices are already low compared to others in your service area, so you aren't really in the position to give discounts right now. Your prices will go up in the near future (leave that open ended), so they should take advantage of your pricing NOW.

As far as another Rover sitter trying this on you is just plain uncalled for, and wouldn't sit well with ANY sitter! I hope you didn't let them get away with that!

I've had this happen to me, and I wasn't aware of the fact that the family had four cats, fish, and guinea pigs that needed taken care of after the meet and greet as well (they were kept in the basement). Essentially you just have to realize that this is a business, and we need to make money as well. Most pet parents don't know that we only take home about 50% of what they charge (after 20% rover fees and ~30% taxes) so we need prices to accommodate that.