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Before our recent trip to Spain and Portugal, I needed to decide where to leave our dog Waffles. We usually leave the dog with my parents, since they have Waffle's brother (from the same liter). All our dependable dog sitters were unavailable during the time, so we had to find a new dog sitter.
I came across the site, Rover.com that was easy to use and within minutes, found a nearby dog sitter who was available at a reasonable price ($50 a day for 2 weeks). The dog sitter had stellar reviews from many dog owners, some who used her multiple times. Rover.com's service includes insurance for both the dog and sitter, that was perfect peace of mind.
I was ready and expecting to pay $700. Upon final checkout, I see the fees that are tacked on for the dog owner, an additional 5-7%, but not exceeding $25. I would hit the $25 cap, so instead of $700, I'd would have to pay $725. But continuing to dig into the details, I found that Rover.com takes 20% from the dog sitter too, which is $140. On top of that, the dog sitter would need to pay taxes on the $560. To recap:
$560 (goes to dog sitter)
$165 (goes to Rover.com)
$725 (paid by dog owner)
As a dog owner and previous dog sitter (for friends/family), I know how much work it is to not only care for your own dog let alone another dog. I decided to look elsewhere for other opportunities.
That being said, I think Rover.com offers an amazing service, but believe that the fees are a bit steep at 20%, considering that eBay only charges the seller 10% fee an doesn't try charging the buyer too. I wouldn't have an issue using them in last minute emergencies where nobody else is available. Otherwise, I'd much rather spend the time to find a dog sitter elsewhere and handle the transaction in person.