Great idea, lots of work to do
As others have pointed out, it would be wise to get funding in order to waive the background check fees to promote growth of your app. At least during this stage. I’m sure the $50 background check is a huge reason there are few to no sitters. I wouldn’t mind paying that fee myself as a plant sitter if I knew there were active users near me, but then we’re back to the inactive map questions.
Response from developer
Thank you so much for the feedback! We have an update coming in the near future that addresses most if not all of the issues you are dealing with. For the background checks, we are a new company and we can't get the volume price breaks that larger ones can (yet!). That being said, background checks aren't free on most marketplace platforms that require them - Uber, Rover, TaskRabbit, etc. Theirs are cheaper, yes. But not free. Please reach out to hello@leafemapp.com if the price is an issue and we will do our best to find a win/win and get you on board as a sitter! Also, when you go to book an appointment, every sitter in a 50 mile radius pulls up for you to view. You can also search an address or city and see the sitters that are available in that area. I would love an opportunity to link up and give you some data on the number of plant sitters in your area, and also give you an opportunity to ask any other questions you have! You can reach me at hello@leafemapp.com anytime! Thank you for the feedback, we need it to be able to continue to grow in the areas that best serve our users.
Doesn’t work
Response from developer
Thank you for the feedback! When you go to book an appointment, every sitter in a 50 mile radius pulls up for you to view. If no sitters are populating in your area, there are none available at this moment. As a new app (just under a year old), we do have sitters available in over 30 states and most major metropolitan areas. You can also search an address or city and see the sitters that are available in that area. As always, we appreciate the feedback as it is how we grow and best serve our users. If you have any ideas or questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to hello@leafemapp.com.
My plantitas love Leaf’Em
Glitchy, etc
Then, it wants all kinds of personal information, including a $50 background check, before it even tells you how many people are looking for a plant sitter in your area or if any anyone uses this app at all where you live. On pet sitter app I've used you can see everyone who has submitted dates looking for a pet sitter, on this app I never got there, I don't even know how they match the people together.
Response from developer
Hi there, thanks for taking the time to share your feedback. We’re sorry to hear about your experience and really appreciate you bringing these issues to our attention. We’re actively working on improvements to the profile setup flow and app layout. Your note about the “Continue” button being off-screen is extremely helpful, and we’re already investigating it to make sure that doesn’t happen again. Regarding the $50 background check and personal information: We completely understand that it can feel like a big ask upfront. As a small, early-stage startup, we don’t have the luxury of absorbing these third-party costs the way some larger companies do. Background checks are required because we take safety seriously for both plant parents and sitters. It’s standard for two-sided marketplaces where people enter each other’s homes. As for availability in your area, we know it would be helpful to see more before committing. We're currently working on redesigning the onboarding process to better communicate value upfront without requiring a full signup first. That said, for privacy reasons, we won’t ever publicly display information about plant parents or their requests. Instead, once sitters complete onboarding, parents submit care requests directly to them. This way, we protect everyone's personal data while still making connections possible. This is how Rover, Wag, etc. work. We know we're not perfect yet, but we are building this platform with a lot of care and love. We hope you’ll consider giving us another shot. If you'd like to try again, email us at support@leafemapp.com and we’ll offer you 50% off your background check. Thanks again for your honesty and for helping us make Leaf’Em better 🌱 – Kirsten, Founder
