ComplaintsforA Place For Rover Inc

• Initial Complaint

  10/11/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I used this company to board my cats while I attended my son's wedding out of state.1. The sitter never reached out to me beyond the one time they stated my cats were not eating. (I'll get back to that.). I had to reach out to her.2. The pick-up time was supposed to be 8 a.m.; she never answered until 9 a.m. and could not get up until after 11 a.m. So I had to call off work to wait to pick them up because she could not get out of bed.3. I pulled up, and my cat's items were on the side of the road like trash. It was as if they were getting kicked out.4. My cats barely ate any of the food that I left. I assumed it was because of the new environment. I also left. I also left calming chews for the girls for possible ******************. Funny thing all of the anxiety chews are gone, but none of the food was eaten. I will never use this company again. They are unsafe and their vetting dhiukd be better.

  

  Business response

  10/16/2024

  Hello ********, 
  
  Thank you for taking the time to provide us with your review. Were sorry to hear this was your experience, and hope your cats are doing okay. Feedback from users like you is an important part of maintaining a quality experience and we value your insight. While our team does investigate each case in full, due to Rover's privacy policy, we are unable to share the details of another user's account. That said, the typical steps that we take in our commitment to uphold safety include, but are not limited to: sitter responsibility, review of the situation and actions taken, review of all past stays or any prior incidents (if any), professionalism, and current safety plans. Ultimately, possible outcomes may include coaching, requiring profile updates that limit their services offered, requiring an updated safety plan with account moderation by **********************, and/or fully deactivating their account and profile. 
  
  While we understand your hesitance to use our platform in the future, we wanted to do what's within out scope to help make things right. For that reason, we've gone ahead and refunded your stay in full as a gesture from Rover for your experience. You should see these funds within 3-5 business days depending on your financial institution. Should you wish to give the platform another try, we want to support you. Next time youre looking for assistance, feel free to call our Rover Support team at ************ and wed be happy to help.
  
  All the best, 
  ********* *.

• Initial Complaint

  10/09/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I signed up to be a pet sitter and I haven't gotten one person to book me yet and I contacted customer service and asked them if they're was something that I was doing wrong and all they could say to me is that they don't know what the issue could be and asked if I wanted a refund and that it would take 7-10 days to process the refund depending on my bank and that someone from support will be in touch with me in 5-10 days and didn't say what they were contacting me about and that they don't know when I will get my money back or anything

  

  Business response

  10/10/2024

  Hi Dawn, 
  Thank you for taking the time to reach out. We understand how frustrating this situation must feel and want to support you the best way we can. Your refund request is still being processed, and our Rover Support Team will be reaching out within 3-5 business days to follow up with you. We sincerely appreciate your patience. 
  All the best, 
  Lexie

• Initial Complaint

  10/07/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I hired a Rover sitter to stay at our house and dog sit during a week long camping trip. We used the sitter once before a few weeks prior. We noticed a couple days into our trip it looked like she wasn't spending a lot of time at our house and briefly letting our dog out, but not going for any walks, which was part of our instructions. We were in another country, in a place with little wifi, so we looked at out security footage when we could. Then we then noticed that the sitter did not stay at our house and left our dog alone for 16 hours unattended, this contradicted texts the sitter was sending us showing photos with our dog. While the sitter was out we asked a neighbor to check on our dog and found the two water dishes completely empty. While still on our trip we fired our sitter and had our neighbors help with our dog. The sitter admitted to leaving our dog alone. He was unwell, had vomitted and wasn't himself when we got back. Thankfully he is okay now. When we requested a refund initially Rover said we had to ask the pet sitter to waive her cancellation fee and give us a refund. After many phone calls and emails, we finally received a refund, however since I was waiting for the refund, I missed the 21 day window to leave a review. Rover will not let me leave a review for the sitter, or change my previous review. Her profile is still up with a 5 star rating! This is not right! I spoke with a Rover manager and received a $50 credit, but this sitter should be removed from the platform! They stated their "privacy policies" when I asked what it takes for a sitter to be removed from the platform. How can I not leave a review? People need to know what she did. What if there was a fire at my house? An emergency? What if my security cameras didn't see this and he was without water for a whole week? My dog could have died. It's been a challenge to communicate with Rover and I'm disappointed in the customer service and accountability in serious matters like this.

  

  Business response

  10/07/2024

  Hello Julie,
  Thank you for taking the time to reach out. We understand how frustrating this situation must feel and want to support you the best way we can. I would love to give you some insight into our review process in the hopes of providing more clarity. Ultimately, the heart behind our reviews is to give sitters and owners the ability to share their subjective experience. The owners do so by giving an initial review, while sitters do so through their ability to publicly respond to these reviews. As our Rover Support Team communicated to you on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, you have 21 days after a booking ends to leave or edit a review. Once this period of time passes, we are unable to edit your review. While we understand this isn't the outcome you hoped for, we hope you can understand and respect our policies. Please feel free to reach out to our Rover Support Team if you would like further clarification on our review policy. 

  
  All the best, 
  Lexie

  Customer response

  10/08/2024

   
  Complaint: 22392578
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I missed the 21 day window to leave a review because it was so difficult to communicate with Rover in the first place to open an investigation, take this situation seriously, and to receive a refund (especially after Rover told me initially that I had to request the refund directly from the sitter who neglected to care for our dog). I did not want to leave a review and escalate things with the sitter while I was waiting for a refund. I believe Rover needs to update a number of their policies. There should be a way to add or edit a review, simple as that. There is no way this Rover should be on the platform still with a 5 star rating, that is unacceptable. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Julie Winn

• Initial Complaint

  10/06/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I filled out all the necessary forms and paid the $50 to become a sitter on this app. The estimated time to approval I was given was ***** hours. I was informed by email that my sitter profile had been approved shortly after submitting everything and paying. For the next three weeks, Every time I signed into my rover sitter account however, it said that my profile was waiting background check approval. I reached out to the background check company several times over the course of the 3 weeks, and they finally notified me that they had completed the background check and sent it to rover. Next time I checked, my account was deactivated with no notice or explanation. Reached out to customer service and the only help they offered was to inform me that a team was looking into this. No time frame given, no reasoning offered. Only shifty answers that were misleading and no concrete information.

  

  Business response

  10/07/2024

  Hello Amanda, 
  
  Thank you so much for reaching out. We're very sorry for any confusion with the background check process, and appreciate your bearing with us. It appears that you were sent an email on 10/7/2024 providing further insight to your request and potential next steps. We recommend directing any questions to that email thread as it already has information that may help you, and our Rover Support team is going to be best equipped to further assist you. Our team can also be reached at (888) 453-7889 if you have any immediate questions. 
  
  All the best, 
  
  Elizabeth B.

• Initial Complaint

  10/03/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I am a 1099 employee with Rover. a client blatantly lied on the platform when reviewing a stay that violates the Rover Terms of Services. One is , not to post reviews that arent based on your personal experience, that are intentionally inaccurate or misleading, or that violate these Term. The other term violation is posting content that is defamatory. I reported to Rover that the brother of a client reported that the clients dog had bitten two people in the past and that the client was dishonest during the Rover application process, putting sitters at risk. The Rover safety team sent a letter to the client asking if their dog had ever bitten anyone. The Client became upset and stated on my review that " Rover contacted her stating that I had made a complaint that her dog bit me". The rover team denies the clients statement however, they refuse to remove the post even though it violates their Terms, Not to post reviews that arent based on your personal experience, that are intentionally inaccurate or misleading, or that violate these Terms Rovers failure to protect self employees from slander, harassment and blatant defamation of character has been a longstanding issue.

  

  Business response

  10/04/2024

  Hello *********,
  
  Thank you for reaching out with your review. Were sorry for the stress of your experience and wanted to follow up. 

  We appreciate your feedback and have taken it under consideration, however, our decisions surrounding your Rover account and reviews remains unchanged.
  
  The decision was not taken lightly, and in no way is this an assessment of your character or love for animals. However, we must make the difficult decision of determining what is best for the entire Rover community, and with safety as our top priority.
  
  For any further questions, please reach out to our 24/7 Trust and Safety team at ************.
  
  All the best, 
  ********* *.

  Customer response

  10/04/2024

   
  Complaint: 22375362
  
  I am rejecting this response because: your email sent to cancelled clients states that you closed my account due to unprofessionalism. 
  I reported a dog that has bitten two men, as required per the Rover platform terms. 
  
  The client **** lied by stating that rover representative stated that I made a complaint that I was bitten. Phone records will indicate that this statement made by **** is false. 
  Rover is interested in making a profit over protecting the sitters who provide that income. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ********* *******

• Initial Complaint

  09/28/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Booked a house sitter about a week in advance of a four-day trip. The cancelation policy said any cancelation before three days of the booking would be refunded 100%. The sitter came to a meet and greet seven days before the trip and said she'd need an additional $120 more than what we agreed upon. We canceled the next day - six days before the start of our trip.Rover only refunded 50% stating the sitter changed her cancelation policy to a full week and so there's a penalty for not canceling by noon the day before. This all seems very shady and presumably the sitter knew how to work the system to scam us out of half the money.

  

  Business response

  09/30/2024

  Hi ******,
  
  Thank you for sharing your feedback regarding this sitter's cancelation policy. Using the email you provided, we can see that there is a stay scheduled for October 4 - October 7, 2024. This stay does not reflect as being canceled on our end, nor do we see any communication between you and our Rover Support team discussing a 50% refund. Could there be a different email address that might be associated with your account? We look forward to getting this resolved for you.

  All the best,

  ****** B
  

  Customer response

  09/30/2024

   
  Complaint: 22354523
  
  Yes it was under my wife's account but using my credit card. Her email is ****************************.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** Will

  

  Business response

  10/09/2024

  Hi ******,

  Thank you for providing this information. Due to privacy policies, we will need the account holder to contact us directly in order to discuss the matter further.
  Please have them reach out at their earliest convenience, and we will be happy to assist.

  
  Best regards,

  -****** *.
  

  Customer response

  10/12/2024

   
  Complaint: 22354523
  
  I am rejecting this response because they didn't address the issue - this is what they do in all areas of their "support".
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** Will

• Initial Complaint

  09/24/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I booked a dog sitter through Rover on Aug 22, 2024 for a 9-day job watching my dog. Less than 3 days before the stay, the sitter cancelled. Rover's policy states that they will "do everything they can" to help you find a replacement sitter in this scenario, and they will give you a credit. They did not do that. I could not even get in contact with anyone from customer service who understand the request. They did issue a $20 credit (the original job was $590), but when I rebooked (myself, without their help for $315), they charged a $35 fee that completely negated the credit. I would like the $35 fee refunded.****************************************************************************************************

  

  Business response

  09/24/2024

  Hi *******,
  
  We appreciate your feedback and are sorry to hear that this has been your experience. It looks like our support team provided a refund this morning. You should see this reflected in your bank account within 5-10 business days.
  
  If you have any additional questions, please dont hesitate to contact Rover Support at ************.
  
  Best regards,
  -****** *.

  Customer response

  09/24/2024

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******* ******

• Initial Complaint

  09/18/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Hired a House Sitter: When she came for the meet and greet I showed her around the house, explained where she would sleep, fresh towels etc. I also emailed her 4 pages of information about the animals, their feeding schedules and various things about extra food and running the house. I stressed that my dog ***** was terrified of thunderstorms. I also stressed that she needed to be careful of the gate on the fenced in yard because ***** would run.On August 1st I saw on the camera she came through the back gate (at 9:25 pm) and left it wide open. She was outside feeding my cats when ***** walked right out. My nephew saw her running down the road and sent her back home. There were several bad storms while I was gone. Montana was not here to console *****. She would come to feed the animals at 5:00 am and not return usually until late in the evening, well after dark. She fed them dinner and their late night snacks and locked the house with the dog inside. She averaged 11 minutes per visit, oftentimes less than 5 minutes. One night she left at 5:30 pm at which time she would have closed the doors and kept the dog in the house. She did not come back in the morning, claiming that because she had hit a deer she needed to use her husband's car and he was out. I sent my nephew to let her out and feed them since it had been 15 HOURS! I texted her that she needed to take care of them in the evening with no excuses and she got high handed with me about it.Remember, I hired her as a HOUSE SITTER. I came home to:1) dead and dying plants 2) cat vomit on the outside table where they eat and on the deck, I had to hose it down 3) dog p*** throughout the house with dead maggots and dried pee upstairs 4) lid up on bathroom toilet and it was dry, the dog must have been drinking from it 5) unwiped countertops 6) the house STUNK! It was disgusting and it took me well most of the evening (after traveling for 11 hours) to straighten things out.

  

  Business response

  09/18/2024

  Hi *****, thank you for taking the time to reach out. We understand your frustration and want to support you the best way we can. I would love to give you some insight into the refund process in the hopes of providing more clarity. As sitters on Rover are independent business owners in nature, we are unable to require any type of refund from them. However given the situation, our Support Team did provide a $100 refund on August 11, 2024.  While we cannot override a sitters policy, you are more than welcome to ask the sitter directly for a full refund. If they agree, we would be happy to move forward with a full refund. If you need further assistance or clarification, please feel free to contact our support team at ************.

  
  All the best,
  Lexie

  Customer response

  09/18/2024

   
  Complaint: 22302497
  
  I am rejecting this response because: payment at the time of the booking was made to Rover.com, NOT the "business owner". Rover took a service fee implying that they were the clearing house for the engagement. They clearly state that "House sitting on Rover involves staying in a client's home and taking care of their pets and the house." This did not happen and Rover offered the service and I paid for the service based on Rover's fees. I notified Rover PRIOR to the end of the contract that the provider was not doing the job. Double talk is all you get from them. Oh, trash the house and burn it down...not our problem.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** ******

  

  Business response

  09/28/2024

  Hello *****, 
  
  Thank you for reaching out with clarity on your concerns--we're so sorry for the stress of this situation. We'd like to share some insight regarding service fees, our review process, and potential next steps for you. 
  
  Our mission is to make it easier to experience the love of pets. We do this by providing an innovative and secure platform, offering 24/7 customer support, and building better tools. Service fees allow Rover to operate and continually make improvements based on the needs of our growing community. They also cover the Rover Guarantee, a reimbursement program primarily intended to protect pets. 
  
  Regarding your review: while our team does investigate each case in full, due to Rover's privacy policy, we are unable to share the details of another user's account. That said, the typical steps that we take in our commitment to uphold safety include, but are not limited to: sitter responsibility, review of the situation and actions taken, review of all past stays or any prior incidents (if any), professionalism, and current safety plans. Ultimately, possible outcomes may include coaching, requiring profile updates that limit their services offered, requiring an updated safety plan with account moderation by **********************, and/or fully deactivating their account and profile. Your assigned agent remains the best point of contact for any further resolution, including requests for further refund. They can be reached in any of your previous email threads, or by calling our 24/7 Trust & Safety team at ************.
  
  All the best,
  
  

  Customer response

  09/28/2024

   
  Complaint: 22302497
  
  I am rejecting this response because: It is a lot of double talk. My animals were traumatized, my property was neglected as well as the animals. Refer to my previous emailed responses for the breadth of the complaint. I attempted to send you a video which was not accepted.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** ******

• Initial Complaint

  09/13/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I Have been a Rover sitter 8+ and apparently violated a policy by the way i spoke to their customer service because they were unable to resolve the problem and would not let me speak to any US management about my complaint and concern. my services and profile were cancelled without even speaking to someone personally and the decision is "unappealable" i have written apology emails to customer service and the supervisor i spoke with. by cancelling my account with no personal discussion is not professional. not only did i rely on rover for a secondary income but i also had a great client base that trusted me with their pets. i was a 5 star sitter with glowing reviews and feel that a conversation should have had not just an email only.

  

  Business response

  09/13/2024

  Hi *******,
  
  On multiple occasions, our team reached out to you regarding your communication and lack of professionalism with Rover staff. Our decision to deactivate your account stands and there is no option to appeal.
  
  -*******

  Customer response

  09/13/2024

   
  Complaint: 22281053
  
  I am rejecting this response because

  I have been a 5 star sitter. I only had 2 actions that were in questioned more than six months apart. I sent multiple.emails regarding my apologizing unprofessionalism. I deserve an appeal after 9+ years of being a sitter with 5 star reviews and stellar reviews. I was unprofessional with customer service out of frustration. At the very least I deserve to be able to speak to someone and come.to an agreement. I have many clients that trusted me and never had any worries. I represented rover in the highest standard when it came to my services. An email only decision with no conversation or appeal is not.acceptable. go read.all my reviews. Please

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  09/12/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On 6/18/2024 signed up with the App "Rover" to be able to walk, do drop in visits etc. for people's dogs/cat's on the Rover website. To be able to qualify as a Rover animal care person. I had to pay---Rover, $35.00 to do a background check on me. The Rover App people Never Called me back after I paid (in fact you can't find a phone number for Rover anywhere??) After nearly three week's of trying to get a hold of someone @Rover... a care tech person from Rover's background check provider called me back. Rover's background check provider--- told me that my background check was Done on the day I paid Rover $35.00?? I've not received one actual real offer from Rover to sit for someone's animal's etc... It's been nearly two-month's back now. I was Terminated from my job on 06/11/2024; and have Needed to do Rover? That's why I paid Rover- money I didn't really have...to be able to get ******** try calling Rover- it's Impossible to get anyone, to get a real phone number etc...Thank you

  

  Business response

  09/16/2024

  ****,

  Thank you for reaching out and sharing your experience. We apologize for any frustration youve faced with the Rover platform. Wed like to clarify a few details and offer assistance to help resolve the matter.

  First, regarding the background check: once completed, Rover does not personally call sitters to follow up. Instead, you'll be notified via email, and your status can be checked in your Rover account. If your background check was completed successfully, your profile should be live, and you should be able to start offering services.

  We understand it can be challenging to start getting bookings right away. While Rover doesn't directly assign bookings, we encourage sitters to optimize their profiles by adding detailed information, updating availability, and setting competitive rates. Additionally, responding promptly to client inquiries and gathering reviews can help boost your visibility on the platform.

  If you have concerns or are still experiencing issues with your profile, we're happy to help. Rover Support is available 24/7 via phone at ************ or by clicking on this link: *********************************************.

  Thank you for your patience, and were here to support you through this process.

  Kindly,

  ******* *.

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩