Jeremy was available on short notice and Gemma seemed to like him! Will definitely use him again

This review may not be the most flattering, but it was my personal experience with Jeremy and shouldn't negate the 30+ other positive reviews he has. My standards may be different from yours. I normally use a different Rover sitter, but she was unavailable for the full week I needed care for my two dogs. Jeremy had great reviews, and as I do with all sitters, I invited him to my home for a meet and greet. He arrived slightly late due to car troubles but didn’t communicate this until I checked in. After meeting the dogs and agreeing to the stay, he asked that most of the payment be taken off app via Zelle so he wouldn’t lose “30%” to Rover’s service fee. I didn’t mention this at the time, but I am also a Rover sitter, and the service fee is 20%. Ultimately, I Zelle’d him the majority of the payment, leaving only $2 paid through Rover, which he said would still keep us insured. It didn't fully make sense to me then but my desperation for a sitter ASAP and his good reviews overrode my gut instincts. I wouldn’t have found him without Rover, and speaking from experience, I strongly recommend booking and paying fully through Rover for their support and insurance if something goes wrong. Despite being uncomfortable taking payment off app, I felt pressured to agree since he made this request while inside my home and I needed a sitter within the week. Ultimately, I thought what could go wrong with someone who had so many five-star reviews? Paying off app was my biggest mistake. If I had paid 100% through Rover and felt protected, I would have contacted them and requested a replacement sitter on Day 1. Instead, I spent the entire trip wondering whether Rover would be able to help at all and whether I had put myself at risk as a sitter for knowingly paying off app. Pros: -The stay was scheduled from Saturday 9am–Saturday 9am. My flight came back later than originally thought and he stayed until 6pm at no extra charge -He sent one photo update per day -He brought in packages when asked -He administered my dog’s allergy medication and eye drops as requested Cons: -Suspicious behavior: He unplugged my dog camera that is pointed at the living room, the front door, and the entrance to my bedroom door (all common areas) the first hour he was there and ignored all messages to turn it back on for the remainder of the week-long trip. I don't think I mentioned the dog camera during the M&G which is totally on me, but his reasoning for turning it off was never communicated to me. He did turn it back on when he left on the final day. House Sitting turned Boarding: Due to the camera being off, I had a neighbor check on the dogs on the second day of his scheduled sitting. She said they didn't bark when she knocked, which is abnormal, and that the place was quiet. A few pictures he sent me of them did not look like they were in my complex or home. Additionally, he didn’t ask for the Wi-Fi password until five days into the stay. This led me to believe the dogs may have been taken elsewhere without my knowledge. Lack of attention: One bag of dog food was left open, resulting in a strong odor throughout the house which hit us as soon as we opened the door. One doggy bag holder hooked on their leash was missing its lid and had to be thrown away. One of my dogs has severe allergies and must wear a cone when unattended. She was unconed when we returned home. While I know she wore it at times based on photos sent, she was not wearing it at the end of the stay. Overall, my dogs looked ok in the photos and were in good health when I got them back, hence the 3 stars. As a sitter myself, I did not take leaving this review lightly and debated whether to post it at all, knowing how impactful reviews can be. However, I cannot in good conscience ignore concerns around transparency, communication, and professionalism. These are things I would want to know when deciding who has access to my home and who is responsible for my animals’ care. After paying hundreds of dollars for in-home care and peace of mind, I spent most of my trip, while in another country, feeling stressed and uncertain. I will not be using Jeremy’s services again and cannot recommend i