It has taken me about a month to be able to write this review so that I can try to be as objective…read moreas possible, and to dissipate the anger I felt upon my return home. The good news is -- my dog was still alive when we returned from a cruise. Stephan provided in-home care in our home the greater Palm Springs area while we were away. Because our dog appeared to be okay, we give 2 stars ("it could have been better") instead of 1 ("Not good"). (Frankly, I'm being generous). That's the good news.
The bad news is:
* Our home was pristine when we left. It was dirty when we returned home. Filthy, really. Off-white rug was strewn with lawn debris and a visible track of foot traffic and dirt appeared where it had never been before between the sofa and the back door. The kitchen, where cooking had occurred, had not been wiped up, dishes in the sink. The sofa was disheveled and 'lived-in' with an odor that required steam cleaning to remove. Our ordinarily pristine home was in general disarray in every room, and the house emitted a mysterious, but pungent smell. There appeared to have been no attempt whatsoever to clean up his own mess or to straighten the house in anticipation of our return.
* We came home a couple of hours earlier than expected to find not only a home we had to re-clean in order to resume normal life, but multiple windows and doors open and the A/C on (presumably to air out the mysterious stench).
* The cost for this service, requiring up-front payment, was nearly double what others charge in the area, but we (perhaps stupidly) believed the many 5-star ratings. We did not receive 5-star service.
* The pre-prepared and measured food for our dog's daily meals was only partially consumed.
* Our housekeeper came by at her scheduled time (by accident, forgetting we had cancelled her visit during our trip), but was not able to enter since no one answered the door, despite the petsitter telling us that he 'never left the house' or our dog alone.
* Our dog, who is normally very friendly and approachable, appeared skittish in photographs during our trip -- tail down, ears back, avoiding rather than approaching and playful. I noted it during one text exchange with the petsitter and was told that 'this dog is NOT scared.' I beg to differ. I know my dog.
* The patio plants, which we agreed would be watered daily (desert), were bone dry and wilted when we arrived, requiring immediate attention, although the hose was stretched across the lawn, presumably from some earlier use while we were gone.
* In addition, the petsitter had many demands for his own comfort and convenience, which were 100% provided. The same courtesy was not returned to us, even though we discussed very clear expectations for both our dog and our home prior to our departure.
* Our planned departure for a cruise was delayed for about an hour because the petsitter locked himself out of his car in the street, requiring a plan to avoid having his car towed. We allowed him to park in our garage vs. the guest parking lot. Rather than making our departure and trip less stressful, we found ourselves being more stressed because of the petsitter's own challenges, both before and during the trip and especially after.
We had several conversations and a couple of site visits prior to the trip to introduce Stephan to our dog and to clarify the assignment(s). I wrote a detailed list of Q&A to guide any questions that might have arisen, including providing multiple vets and emergency contacts. I had reservations about some of my observations pre-departure, but we had already paid a non-refundable deposit of $500 and we were out of time to arrange anyone else.
At a cost of $1500 per week for housesitting/pet sitting, I expected far better and more and got substantially worse and less than what we had discussed and reasonably expected. I'm just glad our dog was generally okay. Hence, 2 stars instead of 1. I wish I could report a 5-star experience and recommend this company and sitter to others. Unfortunately, I cannot.
