Good app. Poor fee structure
Whilst the app is good, there should be some structure in place to make sure pet owners verify that their pet isn’t injured/ill before it turns up for day care/ boarding. We have had this on a couple of occasions, and it makes for a real awkward conversation.
It should also make sure pet owners list their pet’s medical history/ vaccinations, when they sign up, or give day carers/boarders the ability to accept only those that have up to date veterinary documents and vaccinations.
A real frustration is that the app holds the fee for a full week after the boarding. Not only does this mean the booking could have been made months in advance and the full fee is held for months already by the platform, but that it holds it for a full week after the service feels somewhat taking the users for granted and unnecessarily monopolising.
It should also make sure pet owners list their pet’s medical history/ vaccinations, when they sign up, or give day carers/boarders the ability to accept only those that have up to date veterinary documents and vaccinations.
A real frustration is that the app holds the fee for a full week after the boarding. Not only does this mean the booking could have been made months in advance and the full fee is held for months already by the platform, but that it holds it for a full week after the service feels somewhat taking the users for granted and unnecessarily monopolising.
Show less
Response from developer
Hello, thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience. Your feedback about pet's information and payments availability will be taken into consideration. Our Support team is always willing to help, you can call us at +448082812524, or email to support-uk@rover.com and chat with us through our rover.com/help. All the best, Analyn
Terrible experience with no support from rover
Had an awful experience with a german shepherd who attacked 3 of my housemates, a dog and strangers on the street and an owner that lied to me about his dogs behaviour, was extremely unhelpful, unresponsive and literally hung up on me mid call. Rover support did nothing except say theyll contact the owner even though i felt unsafe in my own house. They clearly care more satisfying the owners rather than actually caring about the pets and their sitters. They have no resources to help sitters in situations like mine. I resorted to having to call the police. They also say they have a 24/7 emergency helpline but in reality the UK team does not work from 6pm Saturday till Monday. They also dont show any of the reviews of the dogs/owners even though sitters are asked to review them after each booking, clearly so that sitters wont see them and rover wont lose costumers and money. Overall awful experience and has honestly traumatized me.
Show less
Used to be Better
I’m a sitter and have been on the platform since 2016. It used to be a great way to connect with clients. Unfortunately, I would say the app has gotten worse with time. There’s not as many rules for clients. They don’t even have to fully fill out their profile with all the pet info, leaving sitters to ask basic questions to see if it’s a good fit. I mostly do housesitting so I can’t take multiple clients at once. But sometimes clients reach out to me without actually needing care for the dates listed which drops my booking score. Since Rover encourages them to reach out to multiple sitters at once it happens quite a bit.
However, due to the star sitter program, if your booking rate isn’t high enough you don’t receive a star sitter badge. Since this program was implemented , I’ve seen a drastic change in my profile views and bookings. This is disappointing since nothing on my end has changed and I always strive to give my clients the best experience. I have numerous 5 star reviews and I am a good sitter. Unfortunately, I am being penalized for not taking each and every job no matter what. I don’t believe this is safe and shouldn’t be encouraged by Rover. I am putting more time and energy into my private business. I hope rover takes these concerns seriously as it harms their business on both ends.
However, due to the star sitter program, if your booking rate isn’t high enough you don’t receive a star sitter badge. Since this program was implemented , I’ve seen a drastic change in my profile views and bookings. This is disappointing since nothing on my end has changed and I always strive to give my clients the best experience. I have numerous 5 star reviews and I am a good sitter. Unfortunately, I am being penalized for not taking each and every job no matter what. I don’t believe this is safe and shouldn’t be encouraged by Rover. I am putting more time and energy into my private business. I hope rover takes these concerns seriously as it harms their business on both ends.
Show less
Response from developer
We're sorry to hear about your experience. We appreciate your feedback and understand your concerns regarding clients not fully filling out their profiles. We are constantly working to improve our platform and will take your feedback into consideration to provide a better experience for both sitters and clients.
Majorly disappointed
I had booked a pet sitter in North Bay, Ontario as my boyfriend and I were visiting family over the holidays. I had organized a sitter on December 14th 2023 for December 28th 2023. She was the only sitter available in the area and charged $90 plus the $10 Rover fee. We went and did a meet and greet with the sitter and our pup so they had a chance to meet. Everything went well. When I went to drop off my dog I assisted her in bringing in his sleepover stuff into her apartment. I was shocked to find her apartment in complete disarray with garbage, dishes and such everywhere. I felt unsafe leaving my dog there so I took him and left. I was then charged a $54 cancellation fee. I left a review and filed a complaint about this sitter. I then called Rover the next day as I noticed the charges on my credit card. They told me there is nothing they can do in regards to a reimbursement of any kind as the sitter set their own prices and such. They recommended I contact the sitter and ask for the money back. When I went to do so she had deleted her profile. I was blamed for this experience by Rover as I didn’t go inside this persons house at our meet and greet. Please watch out for scammers and make sure your pets have a safe place to stay.
Show less
Response from developer
Hello Selena. We apologize for the experience you had with the sitter and the inconvenience caused. Our team takes safety and quality very seriously. We recommend reaching out to our support team directly through the app to further discuss the situation and explore possible solutions. Thank you for bringing this to our attention.
Sitters are not protected
I’m a sitter and I boarded a German Shepherd Dog last week. The owner lied on his dog’s profile. He said his GSD is over 1 year and weight 25kg. But turned out the dog weighted at least 45kg and I don’t think he’s 1 year old yet. The owner also claimed that his dog is so well behaved. But turned out he kept barking, mounting dogs and people, and destroying items in the house.
I don’t mind training the dog to settle and I did managed to calm the dog. The dog listened to me well after being positive trained. But when I suggested Rover to create a compensation system, they just replied that I should be prepared that dogs might behave differently from their usual performance. I do know dogs take time to settle. But the reality is, Rover charged 15% from my income, and they offered no support and protection to sitters. The income I made from sitting a destructive dog couldn’t cover the damages in my house, given that the owner provided failed information of the dog’s age and size. Rover just did nothing about that.
I don’t mind training the dog to settle and I did managed to calm the dog. The dog listened to me well after being positive trained. But when I suggested Rover to create a compensation system, they just replied that I should be prepared that dogs might behave differently from their usual performance. I do know dogs take time to settle. But the reality is, Rover charged 15% from my income, and they offered no support and protection to sitters. The income I made from sitting a destructive dog couldn’t cover the damages in my house, given that the owner provided failed information of the dog’s age and size. Rover just did nothing about that.
Show less
Response from developer
Thank you for your feedback. We’re constantly looking for ways to improve Rover and appreciate hearing from our community. We apologise our answer gave you an impression we don't support you. To share more details and find a possible solution, contact us via chat rover.com/help, +44 8082 812524 or support-uk@rover.com. Regards, Claudia from Rover
Very frustrating user experience for pet owners
I’ve been trying to book daycare for my dog and have contacted multiple sitters, each of whom had their calendar set to “available” for the requested day. They either don’t respond for several days, or respond that they’re actually not available that day.
It seems like the default setting for sitters is that they’re “available”, and that most don’t update the calendar to show their availability. It’s really frustrating to have to message loads of sitters in the hope that one of them is actually available when they say they are.
Sometimes I’ve managed to find someone to take care of our dog, but most of my time in this app seems to be searching through lists of dog-sitters and then messaging people who aren’t actually available.
It seems like the default setting for sitters is that they’re “available”, and that most don’t update the calendar to show their availability. It’s really frustrating to have to message loads of sitters in the hope that one of them is actually available when they say they are.
Sometimes I’ve managed to find someone to take care of our dog, but most of my time in this app seems to be searching through lists of dog-sitters and then messaging people who aren’t actually available.
Show less
Response from developer
Hi, we are sorry for your experience. We wanted to let you know that there is a notification for sitters to update their calendar weekly. We'll be glad to help you: please call our support line at +44 8082 812524, email us at support-uk@rover.com, or chat with us through our Help Centre rover.com/help. All the best, Richard
Pretty good
App works pretty well, but sometimes can be quite glitchy. Bare spots on the map on the walk route card, even with location always on for the app. Sometimes Rover card fails to send for a long time even when all my other apps are working (so it’s a Rover issue not connectivity issue). The worst thing is that they take 20% of your pay in an already kinda low paying job. I get 20% or even more for the first job, because they help you find the client, but 20% each time is such a ripoff. The client is staying with me because of me, not because of Rover, and I have my own insurance so it’s not doing me any services. In fact the jobs I take outside of Rover are less work - texting my clients photos and updates is easier than dealing with the app. Rover needs to lower the cut they take after the first job with a new client to 5% or less.
ALSO - Pet owners that want to hire someone on Rover should also have background checks or at least reviews available for sitters to see. Sitters get background checks but owners don’t and it can be dangerous entering a total stranger’s home. I don’t take any overnight jobs on Rover because I feel like that would beincredibly unsafe. And also because 20% of a house sitting fee is huuuuge and makes the job not even worth it.
ALSO - Pet owners that want to hire someone on Rover should also have background checks or at least reviews available for sitters to see. Sitters get background checks but owners don’t and it can be dangerous entering a total stranger’s home. I don’t take any overnight jobs on Rover because I feel like that would beincredibly unsafe. And also because 20% of a house sitting fee is huuuuge and makes the job not even worth it.
Show less
Fantastic if it suits your lifestyle.
I love Jokes more than human beings and it is such a responsibility to have one, more responsibility even having a child. Rover has given me a real good insight to different breeds, what it feels like to have a dog and I am absolutely loving it. my mental health has improved as I have a reason to go for walks, as a single person having a second income always helps. I never leave the dogs when I am with them and totally respect dogs so as long as the right people with the right intentions are sitting everyone is happy! My Customers certainly are I have 21 five star reviews…. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Show less
Response from developer
Hi, thank you so much for your message. We are so glad that Rover can also impact people's lifestyles, by opening new possibilities and enjoying. Thanks again for sharing, Azahara S.
You have to pay to get hired!
I went through and filled out all of my profile information just to find out that I have to PAY them to interview me. The other issue is that you also need to pay for your own background check AND they take 20% of all of your earnings- which is incredibly steep. You’re better off finding your own clients off the app. Don’t waste your time.
Show less
Response from developer
Hello Megan, Rover is a a platform for sitters and owners to connect for the best possible care for their pet. As a platform for sitters to run their own business, we offer support for small sitting businesses just like yours! The Background check fee is required to ensure any potential sitter is a good fit for our platform. Fees go towards support including our 24/7 Support Team, a 24/7 Vet line, web advertising and our Rover Guarantee to protect pets in your care should the worst happen. If you have any questions, we invite you to call our 24/7 Support Team at 1-888-453-7889.
I love petting sitting but hate this app
Hate may be a strong word but as someone who has been a sitter with Rover for two years, it seriously needs a makeover. Rover is great because it’s easy to use and allows people to find sitters in their area. However, it’s frustrating how often this app glitches. The app will say I have a notification but I do not. Which is frustrating because the last thing I want to do is miss a message from the owner of the pet I’m currently sitting or someone else who is trying to contact me. It also doesn’t tell you exactly how far away a pet owner is located. It will say 6 miles away, which doesn’t sound far, but if you are located in a big city, that can be at least a twenty minute drive. There are also owners who provide little-to-no information about their pet, leaving me a little uncomfortable taking a request. And on top of all of that, Rover takes 20% of whatever a sitter makes for each sitting job. I want Rover to earn money from its app, but 20% is kinda ridiculous for the little help it provides most of the time. I once had to cancel an appointment last minute and had to wait nearly a full day before the request went through. It was so stressful because I thought the client was going to be charged even though plans changed. But it really feels like if I were to run into a serious issue, there would be no help from the app, I would just have to figure it out myself. So, I appreciate what River offers, but it could be a lot better.
Show less
