Last Updated: 25 September 2026
This translation is provided for convenience. The English version is the authoritative legal document. View official English version
Sittsy Terms of Service
Last updated: September 25, 2026
PLEASE READ THESE TERMS CAREFULLY. THEY SET OUT YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS WHEN YOU USE SITTSY, INCLUDING THE RULES ON FEES, PAYMENTS AND REFUNDS (CLAUSES 7 TO 9), ACCOUNT RESTRICTIONS AND BANS (CLAUSE 6), AND THE LIMITS ON OUR LIABILITY (CLAUSE 16).
IF YOU LIVE IN THE UNITED STATES, CLAUSE 17 CONTAINS A BINDING ARBITRATION AGREEMENT AND A CLASS ACTION AND JURY TRIAL WAIVER. UNLESS YOU OPT OUT WITHIN 30 DAYS AS DESCRIBED IN CLAUSE 17.7, DISPUTES BETWEEN YOU AND SITTSY WILL BE RESOLVED BY BINDING INDIVIDUAL ARBITRATION AND NOT IN COURT, AND YOU WAIVE YOUR RIGHT TO A JURY TRIAL AND TO TAKE PART IN A CLASS ACTION.
If you have any questions about these Terms, contact us at support@sittsy.com.
1.1 Agreement. These Terms of Service (the "Terms") are a binding legal agreement between you and Sittsy, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company ("Sittsy", "we", "us" and "our"). They govern your use of the Sittsy websites (including sittsy.com and its country sites and subdomains), the Sittsy mobile applications, our messaging, calling, booking and payment features, our support channels, and any other product or service we offer (together, the "Sittsy Service" or the "Platform").
Sittsy, LLC
84 Manorshire Dr, Unit 8 Fairport, NY 14450 United States
Delaware Limited Liability Company EIN: 39-4905328 DUNS: 144874916
Email: support@sittsy.com Phone: (415) 988-3975
1.2 Members. Pet Owners and Sitters are together referred to as "Members" and individually as "you". Words that start with a capital letter have the meanings given in the Glossary at the end of these Terms or where they are first used. References in earlier versions of these Terms to a "Pet Parent" or an "Owner" mean a Pet Owner.
1.3 Other documents that form part of these Terms. Our Acceptable Use Policy (sittsy.com/acceptable-use-policy), the conditions of the Sittsy Guarantee and of the Money-back Promise as shown in the app, and any conditions we show you in the app for a particular feature (for example on a checkout or payment screen) are incorporated into these Terms. If feature-specific conditions shown to you when you used that feature conflict with these Terms, the feature-specific conditions apply to that feature, to the extent of the conflict. Our Privacy Policy (sittsy.com/privacy) explains how we collect and use your personal information.
1.4 Acceptance. BY CREATING AN ACCOUNT, BY TAPPING OR CLICKING A BUTTON NEXT TO A STATEMENT THAT REFERS TO THESE TERMS, OR BY ACCESSING OR USING THE SITTSY SERVICE, YOU ACCEPT THESE TERMS. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH THESE TERMS, DO NOT USE THE SITTSY SERVICE.
1.5 Changes to these Terms. We may change any part of these Terms, including our fees and prices, at any time and without prior notice, except where applicable law requires notice. A change takes effect when we post the updated Terms on the Platform with a new "Last updated" date. Changes do not apply to Bookings made or payments completed before they take effect. If you do not agree to a change, you must stop using the Sittsy Service and may close your Account; if you keep using the Sittsy Service after a change takes effect, you accept the updated Terms. Changes to the Arbitration Agreement are also subject to clause 17.7.
2.1 What Sittsy is. The Sittsy Service is an online marketplace that Pet Owners and Sitters use to find each other, communicate, and book and pay for pet care services such as pet boarding, house sitting, drop-in visits, day care and dog walking ("Pet Care Services"). It includes search, profiles, messaging and in-app calls, booking and payment tools, identity verification, training content for Sitters (such as the Sittsy Academy), customer support, and other features we add from time to time. We charge fees for some parts of the Sittsy Service, as described in clauses 7, 8 and 9. Clause 7.3 explains what Sitters pay.
2.2 Sittsy does not provide Pet Care Services. Sittsy is a neutral venue that connects Pet Owners and Sitters. We are not a Sitter and we do not provide Pet Care Services. Sitters are not our employees, workers, agents or contractors, and they are not under our direction or control. Sitters decide for themselves whether, when, where and how to provide Pet Care Services, and they set their own prices. We give general guidance to Sitters about safety and pet care and to Pet Owners about choosing a Sitter, and we review Sitter profiles and verify identities as described in clause 13, but we do not employ, recommend or endorse any Sitter or Pet Owner. To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, we are not responsible for the performance or conduct of any Member, whether online or offline.
2.3 Use your own judgment. You should be careful and use your own judgment before booking a Sitter, providing Pet Care Services, meeting another Member, or letting anyone into your home. Pet Owners and Sitters are each solely responsible for decisions that affect themselves, their homes and their pets. For example, each Pet Owner is responsible for keeping their own pets' vaccinations up to date, and we have no liability for anyone's failure to do so. We recommend a meet-and-greet before a first Booking.
2.4 Release. Subject to clause 16, Sittsy is not liable for any claims, injuries, loss, harm or damage arising from or in any way related to your interactions or dealings with other Members, or from the acts or omissions of Pet Owners and Sitters, whether online or offline. YOU ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT, TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, YOUR USE OR PROVISION OF PET CARE SERVICES IS AT YOUR SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE RISK. Any financial obligation Sittsy may have to Members in connection with another Member's conduct is limited to what the Sittsy Guarantee provides and to the refunds expressly described in these Terms.
2.5 Agreements for Pet Care Services are between Members. The Sittsy Service can be used to find and offer Pet Care Services and to pay for them, but every agreement for Pet Care Services is between the Pet Owner and the Sitter. Sittsy is not a party to it. The requirements for Pet Owners and Sitters set out in clauses 5.2 and 5.3 form part of every agreement between a Pet Owner and a Sitter made through the Platform.
2.6 Bookings. A Pet Owner may send a booking request to a Sitter, or post a request that Sitters can apply to. A Booking is made when the Pet Owner and the Sitter agree, using the booking tools in the app, on the service, dates, times, pets, price and other terms, and the Pet Owner completes payment (or, for a cash Booking, the Sitter accepts the cash arrangement under clause 9.9). The Member who receives a request does not have to accept it and may decline it for any reason. Once a Booking is made, you agree to honor its price and other terms as shown in the Booking confirmation.
2.7 Pet Owners evaluate Sitters. Pet Owners are solely responsible for deciding whether a Sitter is suitable for the Pet Care Services they need. Profiles, verification badges, Reviews and Testimonials can help, but they are not guarantees. Sittsy does not endorse Reviews or Testimonials and does not promise that they are accurate or legitimate, although we remove those that break these Terms when we become aware of them.
2.8 Emergencies and veterinary care. Pet Owners should give their Sitter contact details where they can be reached during the Booking and an emergency contact who has agreed to be contacted. If a pet needs medical care, the Sitter must contact the Pet Owner immediately and, if the Pet Owner cannot be reached, contact Sittsy support. If you are a Pet Owner, you authorize your Sitter, your emergency contact and Sittsy to obtain and authorize veterinary care for your pet if you cannot be reached in an emergency, and you authorize your pet's veterinarians to release your pet's records to your Sitter and to Sittsy for that purpose. Pet Owners are responsible for the cost of any veterinary care their pets need and must reimburse the Sitter for reasonable veterinary costs the Sitter paid within 14 days after the end of the Booking. You release the Sitter and Sittsy from liability arising from providing emergency care, or from deciding in good faith not to seek it, except to the extent the Sittsy Guarantee provides otherwise. We recommend that all Pet Owners have pet insurance.
2.9 Pets that are not collected. If a Pet Owner does not collect their pet at the end of a Booking and cannot be reached, the Sitter and Sittsy may arrange alternative care for the pet, including foster care or handing the pet to animal control or other authorities. The Pet Owner must pay all reasonable costs of that care, and for any additional time the Sitter cares for the pet at the rate agreed in the Booking. Sittsy may also arrange for a pet to be removed from a Sitter's care if we believe this is necessary for the safety of the pet, the Sitter, or anyone living with the Sitter. Before doing so, we will make reasonable efforts to contact the Pet Owner and their emergency contact.
2.10 Maps and location. The Sittsy Service uses maps, address search and location services provided by third parties such as Google and Mapbox, and your use of those features is subject to their terms, including the Google Maps/Google Earth Additional Terms of Service and the Google Privacy Policy. Some features use your device's location, for example to show Sitters near you or to record the start and end of visits during a Booking. You control location access in your device settings, but some features do not work without it, and we tell you in the app when a feature requires it.
3.1 Age. You must be at least 18 years old, or the age of majority where you live if that is higher, and able to enter into a binding contract, to create an Account or use the Sittsy Service. If we believe that an Account belongs to someone who does not meet these requirements, we will close it.
3.2 Where you live. You must not use the Sittsy Service if you are located in, or ordinarily resident in, a country or region that is subject to comprehensive sanctions or that our payment providers treat as prohibited, such as Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria and the Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk regions, or if you are named on a government sanctions or restricted-party list. We may also restrict or refuse access to the Sittsy Service, or to some of its features, from other countries or regions for legal, fraud-prevention or safety reasons.
3.3 Compliance with law. You will comply with all laws and regulations that apply to your use of the Sittsy Service and to the Pet Care Services you book or provide. For Pet Owners, this means among other things that your pets are vaccinated, licensed, identified and microchipped as required by law, that you hold any insurance that the law requires for your pets, and that you are entitled to let a Sitter into the home where the Pet Care Services take place. For Sitters, this means among other things that you are legally allowed to provide Pet Care Services where you provide them; that you hold every business licence, registration, tax registration and permit you need to do so; that you follow applicable leash, pet waste, animal welfare and similar laws; and that, if you care for pets in your own home, you have any permission you need from your landlord, building or homeowners' association.
3.4 Our reliance on your statements. Sittsy is entitled to rely on your confirmation that you meet the requirements of this clause 3. We are not responsible for making sure that Members comply with the law, and we are not liable for any Member's failure to do so.
4.1 Accurate information. You need an Account to use most of the Sittsy Service. You will give us accurate, current and complete information about yourself, including your name, email address, phone number, date of birth and address, and keep it up to date. If you stop using a phone number you gave us, update your Account promptly so that messages are not sent to the person who takes over that number.
4.2 One person, one Account. You may hold only one Account. You must not impersonate anyone, create an Account for someone else, create an Account with false or borrowed details, or create or use another Account after we have restricted, suspended or closed yours (clause 6.4).
4.3 Security. You must keep your login details confidential. You are responsible for all activity under your Account. Tell us promptly at support@sittsy.com if you believe someone else has used your Account.
4.4 No transfers. You must not sell, transfer, lend or share your Account, or let anyone else use it.
4.5 Safety contact information. You will give us and keep up to date contact details (including a phone number) so that we can reach you urgently about your Account or a Booking, for example in an emergency involving a pet.
5.1 All Members. The following applies to all Members. You will:
5.1.1 use the Sittsy Service only lawfully and for its intended purpose: finding, arranging, providing and paying for Pet Care Services;
5.1.2 pay all fees and other amounts you owe on time;
5.1.3 comply at all times in full with these Terms and the Acceptable Use Policy;
5.1.4 treat other Members, their families, their homes and their pets with respect, and never harass, threaten, intimidate, discriminate against, or make sexual comments or advances to anyone;
5.1.5 give accurate information in your profile, requests, messages, Reviews and Testimonials, and not mislead anyone about your identity, your experience, your pets, your home, or the Pet Care Services you want or offer;
5.1.6 not post Reviews or Testimonials that are not based on a real experience, and not write, buy, trade or offer anything of value for Reviews or Testimonials about yourself;
5.1.7 respond to messages and booking requests from other Members promptly, and in any event within 72 hours;
5.1.8 not send spam, chain messages, advertising or other unsolicited commercial communications, and not use the Sittsy Service to promote other products or services;
5.1.9 not ask another Member for their password, bank details or other sensitive personal information, except where our payment tools ask for it;
5.1.10 not upload viruses or other harmful code, not interfere with or disrupt the Platform or any other Member's use of it, not probe, scan or test the Platform's security, and not bypass or try to bypass any of our technical or safety measures, including contact-detail masking, fraud checks and Account restrictions;
5.1.11 not use bots, scrapers, crawlers or other automated means to access the Platform or to collect data from it (including profiles, photos, prices and Reviews), except for search-engine indexing that we allow;
5.1.12 not copy, modify, distribute, sell, reverse engineer or create derivative works of the Platform or its software, in any form, media or by any means, except to the extent the law allows despite this restriction;
5.1.13 not access or use the Platform or the Sittsy Service to build or promote a product or service that competes with Sittsy;
5.1.14 not use promotional credits, referral rewards or bonuses in a way that goes against the purpose of the program, for example by booking yourself, a member of your household or someone you share a pet with, or by creating Accounts to earn rewards;
5.1.15 only cancel a confirmed Booking, or end one early, in genuinely exceptional circumstances, do so through the app or through Sittsy support, and tell the other Member immediately;
5.1.16 keep your bookings, payments and communications with Members you met through Sittsy on the Platform. This means that you will not: (a) share or ask for phone numbers, email addresses, social media or messaging handles, websites or any other contact details before a Booking is confirmed and paid through the Platform, except through features we provide for that purpose; (b) ask for, offer, make or accept payment outside the Platform for Pet Care Services with a Member you met through Sittsy, whether in cash, by bank transfer, through a payment app or otherwise, except for a cash Booking made in the app under clause 9.9; (c) arrange, provide or receive Pet Care Services with a Member you met through Sittsy without a Booking on the Platform, including repeat bookings with the same Member; or (d) use the Platform to find Members and then make similar arrangements with them, or with anyone else who is not a Member, outside the Platform. Pet Care Services arranged or paid outside the Platform are not covered by the Sittsy Guarantee, the Money-back Promise, our cancellation and refund rules or our support. If you breach this clause 5.1.16, in addition to any measure under clauses 6 and 8, you must pay Sittsy, as compensation for its lost fees, an amount equal to the Service Fee that Sittsy would have earned had each Pet Care Service arranged, provided or paid in breach of this clause been booked and paid through the Platform, together with our reasonable costs of recovering that amount;
5.1.17 not record, photograph or publish another Member, their home or their pets without their consent, other than the usual photo and video updates a Sitter sends to the Pet Owner about the Pet Owner's pets during a Booking;
5.1.18 not try to access another Member's Account or data, use personal information you receive about another Member only for the Booking it relates to, and delete it when it is no longer needed for that Booking;
5.1.19 not register or use the Sittsy Service from a country or region where clause 3.2 does not allow it, and not use a VPN, proxy or other tool to hide where you are in order to get around our restrictions; and
5.1.20 tell us promptly about any safety concern, abuse, or suspected fraud involving the Sittsy Service that you become aware of.
5.2 Pet Owners. The following applies only to Pet Owners. You will:
5.2.1 give your Sitter complete and accurate information about your pets, including their health, medication, behavior and any history of biting, aggression or escaping, about access to your home, and about any special instructions, before the Booking starts, and keep it up to date;
5.2.2 keep your pets' vaccinations and parasite treatments up to date, and tell your Sitter about any illness, condition or medication;
5.2.3 not use the Sittsy Service to arrange care for (a) exotic or inherently dangerous animals, such as venomous snakes or constrictors, primates, wolves or wolf hybrids, non-domesticated cats, alligators, horses or other livestock; (b) any animal whose ownership or care by a third party is prohibited by law where you live; or (c) any animal that has a history of attacking people or animals, or that has been trained to attack;
5.2.4 only arrange care for the pets listed in the Booking;
5.2.5 make sure your home is reasonably safe for your Sitter, tell your Sitter about any known hazards, keep any weapons in your home securely stored and tell your Sitter about them before the Booking;
5.2.6 tell your Sitter before the Booking about any cameras or audio recording devices in the areas your Sitter will use, and never have cameras or recording devices in bedrooms, bathrooms or other places where a Sitter staying in your home would expect privacy;
5.2.7 hold adequate home insurance that covers a Sitter being in your home, and remain responsible for any veterinary care your pets need (clause 2.8);
5.2.8 collect your pet, or be home, at the end of the Booking, and pay for any additional care if you are late (clause 2.9); and
5.2.9 pay for Pet Care Services only through the Platform (clause 5.1.16).
5.3 Sitters. The following applies only to Sitters. You will:
5.3.1 keep your Wallet balance above zero, and pay any Service Fee on cash Bookings and any Trust Deposit that applies to you (clauses 7.3, 8 and 9.9);
5.3.2 complete identity verification when we ask you to, and keep your profile, services, prices, calendar and availability accurate and up to date;
5.3.3 only upload photos and other content that accurately show you, your home (if pets stay with you) and your experience, and only collect Testimonials from people whose pets you really cared for;
5.3.4 provide the Pet Care Services you agreed to, as agreed, with reasonable skill and care, and follow the Pet Owner's instructions;
5.3.5 never leave a pet in your care unattended in breach of the Booking, and never leave a Booking early without first telling the Pet Owner and Sittsy and giving the Pet Owner reasonable time to arrange other care. Abandoning a pet in your care is a serious breach of these Terms: we may permanently ban you, and we may withhold the payment for that Booking and use it to refund the Pet Owner;
5.3.6 contact the Pet Owner immediately if a pet is ill, injured or missing, or if there is damage to the Pet Owner's home, and get the Pet Owner's approval before non-urgent veterinary treatment or repairs. In an emergency where the Pet Owner cannot be reached, seek veterinary care and contact Sittsy support (clause 2.8);
5.3.7 not let any other person care for the pets, enter the Pet Owner's home, or take part in the Booking unless the Pet Owner has agreed to it in writing in the app;
5.3.8 not take pets away from the location agreed in the Booking without the Pet Owner's approval, and only board pets at the address shown in your profile;
5.3.9 tell Pet Owners before a Booking about any other animals, children or adults in the place where the pets will be cared for, and about any weapons you keep there or will carry, which must be securely stored;
5.3.10 not use the Pet Owner's home, belongings, vehicle or supplies beyond what the Booking requires or the Pet Owner has allowed;
5.3.11 hold any insurance the law requires where you provide Pet Care Services (we also recommend liability insurance); and
5.3.12 be responsible for your own taxes, social security contributions, licences and other business obligations (clause 7.13).
6.1 Measures we may take. If you breach these Terms, the Acceptable Use Policy or the law, if we reasonably believe that your conduct is unsafe, dishonest, abusive or fraudulent, or if we consider it necessary to protect Sittsy, other Members, pets or the public, we may:
6.1.1 issue you a warning;
6.1.2 restrict your Account, for example by removing or hiding your profile or content from search results, setting your profile to Away, limiting or blocking your messages, calls, booking requests or applications to requests, masking contact details, holding or not delivering messages, or asking you to verify your identity again, or suspend your Account for a period, during which you will not be able to access the Sittsy Service;
6.1.3 permanently block your access to the Sittsy Service (a "ban");
6.1.4 immediately terminate your membership, close your Account, and delete or remove your profile and content;
6.1.5 report any offence or suspected offence to the police or other appropriate authorities, regulators or payment providers, and cooperate with their investigations;
6.1.6 cancel pending or confirmed Bookings, refund Pet Owners, charge a Trust Deposit under clause 8, and hold or withhold payouts under clause 9.8; and
6.1.7 take any other step that these Terms allow.
6.2 Our discretion. We decide whether to apply any of these measures, and we may apply any one or more of them at any time, with or without a prior warning and in any order. Where the law requires it (for example, the EU Digital Services Act), we will tell you the reasons for a measure that affects you and how you can challenge it.
6.3 Zero tolerance for objectionable content and abusive users. Sittsy has zero tolerance for objectionable content and abusive users. Harassment, threats, hate speech, sexual content or advances, violence, cruelty to animals, scams and fraud attempts, and any content that harms or exploits children lead to an immediate and permanent ban, without prior warning and without refund. This rule is required by the app stores through which we distribute our apps, and it applies to every Member whatever else these Terms say.
6.4 Ban evasion and linked Accounts. If your Account is restricted, suspended or banned, you must not create or use another Account, ask anyone to create one for you, or otherwise try to get around the measure. To enforce our measures, we may block devices, device identifiers, phone numbers, email addresses, payment methods and other identifiers linked to a banned Account, and we may apply the same measures to any other Account that we reasonably believe belongs to or is controlled by the same person, or is being used to get around a measure.
6.5 Automated detection. We use automated systems, together with review by our staff, to detect breaches of these Terms, such as sharing contact details, taking payments off the Platform, fraud, fake Accounts and abusive content (clause 14.2). Some measures, such as masking contact details or restricting an Account linked to a banned device, may be applied automatically.
6.6 What happens to money when we close or ban an Account. If we close or ban your Account because you breached these Terms: (a) your Wallet balance, credits and any other amounts you paid to Sittsy are not refunded (clause 7.7.1), and any promotional credits are cancelled; (b) you lose the benefit of the Money-back Promise and the Sittsy Guarantee; (c) any amount you owe Sittsy remains due; and (d) payouts for Bookings you completed in full and as agreed will be made in the normal way, except that we may hold them and use them to refund Pet Owners or to cover chargebacks or amounts you owe us (clause 9.8), and we may withhold the payout for any Booking affected by the breach.
6.7 Suspension. While your Account is suspended, your profile is not shown on the Platform and you cannot use the Sittsy Service, except as we allow in order to deal with existing Bookings and amounts owed. When the suspension ends, we will restore your access and tell you.
6.8 Appeals. If you think we made a mistake, you can ask us to review our decision by emailing support@sittsy.com within 6 months of the decision, from the email address linked to your Account, explaining why. A person will review your appeal, and we will tell you the outcome. A measure stays in place while we review it, and it may be confirmed after review.
6.9 Other rights. Whether or not we decide to take a measure against you does not affect any other right or remedy that you or we may have.
7.1 Who pays. Pet Owners pay only when they book (clause 7.2); they do not pay to create an Account or to search for, message or call Sitters. Sitters are not charged for creating an Account, verifying their identity or offering their services, but a Sitter profile is shown to Pet Owners only after the Sitter has made a Wallet Deposit, and only while the Wallet balance stays above zero (clause 7.3). A Wallet Deposit is a real payment: it is not refundable and cannot be withdrawn to a bank account (clauses 7.7 and 7.8). The Sittsy app is free to download, but this does not mean that a Sitter can be shown to Pet Owners without making a Wallet Deposit.
7.2 Service Fee for Pet Owners. When a Pet Owner books and pays for Pet Care Services through the Platform, the Pet Owner pays the Sitter's price plus a Sittsy service fee (the "Service Fee"). The total, including the Service Fee and any applicable taxes, is shown before you confirm payment. The Service Fee pays for operating the Platform, payment processing, customer support and the Sittsy Guarantee. It is refunded only in the cases described in clause 9.
7.3 What Sitters pay. Sittsy does not charge Sitters a fee for creating an Account, for identity verification or for offering Pet Care Services, and takes no commission from the price a Pet Owner pays through the Platform. The following applies to Sitters:
(a) Wallet Deposit. Before your profile is shown to Pet Owners, you must make a one-time deposit into your Wallet (the "Wallet Deposit"), in the amount and currency shown on the payment screen when you pay. The amount is credited to your Wallet as prepaid credit and stays there until it is used for the charges in (c). It is not refundable and cannot be withdrawn (clauses 7.7 and 7.8), except under the Money-back Promise (clause 7.10). You can add more money to your Wallet at any time.
(b) Positive Wallet balance. Your profile is shown in search results only while your Wallet balance is above zero. While your Wallet balance is below zero, you cannot apply to Pet Owners' requests until you top up the amount shown in the app.
(c) What we take from your Wallet. We take money from your Wallet only for: (i) the Service Fee on a cash Booking, when a Pet Owner pays you in cash (clause 9.9); and (ii) a Trust Deposit, when you share or reveal contact details or otherwise try to move a booking off Sittsy (clause 8), which is returned to your Wallet if the booking is then paid through Sittsy. Every charge appears in your Wallet history, and a Trust Deposit is also shown in the chat for the booking it relates to.
(d) Wallet. Your Wallet balance stays on Sittsy: it can only be used for the charges in (c) and cannot be withdrawn to a bank account (clause 7.8).
(e) No subscription. These payments are not a subscription, and there are no recurring charges.
7.4 Currency. All amounts and fees stated or referred to in these Terms are payable in the currency shown to you on the Platform when you pay. In some countries, we accept payment only in the local currency. If you pay in a currency other than that of your payment method, your bank or card issuer may charge conversion fees.
7.5 Changes to fees and prices. We may change our fees and prices at any time and without prior notice (clause 1.5). The price of a purchase is the one shown when you pay, and changes do not affect purchases you have already completed.
7.6 Payment providers. Payments are processed by third-party payment providers, including Stripe, Inc. and its affiliates ("Stripe") and PayPal, and through payment methods such as cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay and local payment methods. Your use of a payment method may also be subject to its provider's terms. We handle your personal data in connection with payments in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
7.7.1 Except where expressly stated otherwise in these Terms of Service, all payments made to Sittsy are final, non-refundable, and non-reversible. This includes, without limitation, wallet deposits, credits, Boost fees, verification-related fees, onboarding fees, compliance-related fees, and any other amounts paid through the Platform.
7.7.2 By proceeding with any payment, the Member acknowledges and agrees that they are authorizing a real monetary transaction, even if such payment is represented within the Platform as credits, balance, wallet funds, or similar units.
7.8.1 Credits, wallet balances, and similar units displayed within the Platform represent prepaid monetary value purchased by the Member using a supported payment method. Such credits are not virtual currency, loyalty points, or trial funds.
7.8.2 Before completing any payment, the applicable amount and currency are displayed to the Member. Proceeding beyond the payment confirmation screen constitutes explicit authorization of the transaction.
7.8.3 Payments are processed by third-party payment providers (including, without limitation, Stripe and payment methods such as Apple Pay or Google Pay). Any biometric authentication, passcode prompt, or confirmation mechanism is controlled by the payment provider, issuing bank, device manufacturer, and user device settings. The absence of a biometric prompt does not invalidate authorization of a payment.
7.9.1 To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Members acknowledge that Services, verification processes, compliance checks, and account activation begin immediately upon payment. Accordingly, any statutory right of withdrawal or cancellation may be limited or lost once performance of the Services has commenced.
7.9.2 No refund, reversal, or chargeback right exists solely because a Member decides not to continue using the Platform after completing registration or making a payment.
7.10 Money-back Promise for Sitters. Some Wallet Deposit plans include a Money-back Promise, and the payment screen tells you whether the plan you choose includes it. If your plan includes it, we will refund the amount covered by the promise to the payment method you paid with if, during the 30 days after your payment, you meet every condition of the Money-back Promise shown to you on the payment screen and in the Money-back Promise section of the app, no Pet Owner books you, and you then ask for the refund in the app and stop using your Sitter Account as described there. The promise covers only the amount stated when you paid. It does not cover other top-ups, platform charges, or plans that do not include it. You lose the promise if you share contact details with Pet Owners or otherwise breach clause 5.1.16, or if we take a measure against your Account under clause 6. The conditions shown to you when you paid are part of these Terms and apply to your Wallet Deposit; if anything in this clause 7.10 differs from them, those conditions apply. The Money-back Promise is an express exception to clause 7.7.1.
7.11 Promotional credits. Welcome bonuses, referral rewards, top-up bonuses and other promotional credits have no cash value. They cannot be withdrawn, transferred or refunded, they may be subject to conditions shown when they are given, and they may expire as described at that time. We may cancel promotional credits obtained or used in breach of these Terms (clause 5.1.14).
7.12 Amounts you owe and negative balances. You authorize us to collect any amount you owe Sittsy under these Terms when it becomes due, by debiting your Wallet and, where these Terms or the app say so, by charging the payment method saved to your Account. This includes Trust Deposits (clause 8.4) and the Service Fee on cash Bookings (clause 9.9). If an amount cannot be collected, your Wallet balance may become negative. While your Wallet balance is zero or below, your profile is hidden from search results. While it is below zero, you also cannot apply to requests until you top up the amount shown in the app, and if the negative balance comes from an amount you owe us, such as a Trust Deposit or the Service Fee on a cash Booking, your profile is set to Away and you cannot switch Away off until you have topped up enough to cover it. A negative balance is a debt you owe Sittsy, and it remains due if your Account is closed.
7.13 Taxes. Except for taxes on Sittsy's own income and taxes Sittsy is required by law to collect, you are responsible for any taxes that arise from your purchase, provision or use of Pet Care Services through the Sittsy Service, including sales tax, VAT and income tax on amounts you pay or receive. Where the law requires, prices shown include applicable taxes. In some countries, we are required by law to collect and report information about Sitters and their earnings to tax authorities. You agree to give us the information we need for that purpose, and if you do not, we may suspend your payouts or your Account until you do.
7.14 Chargebacks and payment disputes. If you start a chargeback or other payment dispute, we may restrict payment features on your Account while it is being resolved, and we will give your bank or payment provider the information it needs to decide the dispute, including records of your payment, your acceptance of these Terms and your use of the Sittsy Service. If a payment for a service you received is reversed, the amount remains owed to Sittsy.
8.1 What a Trust Deposit is. A Trust Deposit is an amount we take from a Sitter's Wallet and hold against one booking request when the Sitter breaks the rules in clause 5.1.16 on contact details and bookings outside Sittsy. It protects Pet Owners and the Platform against bookings being moved off Sittsy. It is not a fee: it is returned in full if the booking is then paid through Sittsy (clause 8.5). In the app it is shown as a "Trust deposit" in the chat and as a "Booking deposit" in your Wallet history. Trust Deposits were previously called "Boost" fees.
8.2 When it is charged. We charge a Trust Deposit automatically, before a booking is confirmed and paid through the Platform, if you: (a) send your phone number in a chat with a Pet Owner; (b) reveal a Pet Owner's phone number; or (c) mention another app or platform in a chat with a Pet Owner. Our staff may also charge or increase a Trust Deposit when they find that a booking is being moved off Sittsy (clause 8.3). We charge one Trust Deposit per booking request, and none once the booking has been confirmed and paid through the Platform: sharing a phone number after that, for example to arrange a key handover, is allowed. A Trust Deposit is still charged if the booking request is later declined, cancelled or expires.
8.3 How much it is. A Trust Deposit is a percentage of the price of the booking, rounded up to the nearest whole unit of currency. The percentage is 35%, or the lower percentage of the deposit level you have selected in the app. For example, on a booking priced at 100 EUR, a 35% Trust Deposit is 35 EUR. If we find that your Account is at high risk of moving bookings off Sittsy, we may raise the Trust Deposit on a booking up to 100% of its price, and we tell you in the chat for that booking. While a booking request carries a 100% Trust Deposit, neither you nor the Pet Owner can reveal phone numbers until the booking is confirmed.
8.4 How it is taken. We take the Trust Deposit from your Wallet. If your Wallet balance is not enough and the Trust Deposit was charged because a phone number was sent or revealed, we charge the difference to the payment method saved to your Account. In the other cases, your Wallet balance may become negative, with the consequences described in clause 7.12.
8.5 When it is returned. A Trust Deposit is returned in full to your Wallet (not to your bank account or card) when: (a) the booking it relates to is confirmed and paid through the Platform, including as a cash Booking accepted in the app (clause 9.9); or (b) the Pet Owner confirms and pays through the Platform for another Sitter for overlapping dates. In all other cases, including when the booking request is declined, cancelled or expires, or when the booking takes place outside Sittsy, the Trust Deposit is not returned, unless we decide to return it after reviewing the case.
8.6 Other consequences. While a Trust Deposit is held, we may stop you from applying to new requests until the booking is paid through Sittsy. A Trust Deposit also ends your eligibility for the Money-back Promise (clause 7.10), and repeated or serious breaches may lead to other measures under clause 6.
8.7 No guarantee of Bookings. Nothing you pay to Sittsy guarantees any number of booking requests or Bookings. Results depend on your profile, location, prices, availability, response times, Reviews and demand in your area.
9.1 Paying for a Booking. A Pet Owner pays the total shown at checkout, which is the Sitter's price, the Service Fee and any applicable taxes, using a payment method we accept. Where the app offers it, a Pet Owner may use their Sittsy balance for all or part of the payment. By confirming payment, you authorize us to charge, or to place an authorization hold on, your payment method for that total.
9.2 When you are charged. For cards and some other payment methods, we place an authorization hold on your payment method when you book and take the payment later, usually about 3 days after you book. Other payment methods, such as PayPal and some bank-based and local payment methods, are charged immediately. The checkout screen tells you which applies before you pay.
9.3 Cancellation by the Pet Owner. Each Booking has a free cancellation deadline, shown at checkout and in the Booking details. If you cancel before that deadline, you can choose to have the payment released or returned to your payment method or, where available, added to your Sittsy balance. If you cancel after the deadline, or if you paid with a payment method that is charged immediately and that the checkout screen describes as non-refundable, you can still cancel the Booking, but the payment, including the Service Fee, is not refunded. You must cancel using the tools in the app. The time of cancellation is the time you cancel in the app, regardless of what you tell the Sitter elsewhere.
9.4 Sittsy balance for Pet Owners. Amounts added to a Pet Owner's Sittsy balance can be used toward future Bookings on Sittsy. A Sittsy balance is not a bank account, does not earn interest, is held in one currency, and cannot be withdrawn or exchanged for cash, except where the law requires otherwise.
9.5 Cancellation by the Sitter. Sitters must not cancel a confirmed Booking except in genuinely exceptional circumstances, such as a serious illness or emergency. A Sitter who cannot provide a confirmed Booking must tell the Pet Owner and Sittsy support immediately. If a confirmed Booking is cancelled because of the Sitter, or the Sitter does not provide the Pet Care Services, the Pet Owner is entitled to a full refund of the amount paid for the Pet Care Services that were not provided, including the Service Fee on that amount, to the payment method they paid with or, if the Pet Owner chooses, to their Sittsy balance. Repeated or unjustified cancellations may lead to measures under clause 6.
9.6 Problems with a Booking; discretionary refunds. If something goes wrong with a Booking, report it to us through the app or at support@sittsy.com as soon as possible, and in any case before the Sitter is paid, which is normally 24 hours after the Booking ends. If we reasonably determine that a Sitter did not provide the Pet Care Services as agreed, or that a Member breached these Terms, we may cancel the Booking, issue a full or partial refund to the Pet Owner, and adjust the Sitter's payout. Once a Sitter has been paid, any further payment dispute is between the Pet Owner and the Sitter, and Sittsy has no obligation to mediate it or to help resolve it.
9.7 Changes to a confirmed Booking. Either Member may propose a change to a confirmed Booking (for example to the service, dates, times or pets) using the tools in the app. If the other Member accepts and the new price is higher, the Pet Owner pays the difference in the app. A lower price after payment is not refunded automatically. Changes agreed outside the app do not bind Sittsy and are not covered by the Sittsy Guarantee.
9.8 Payouts to Sitters. We collect payment from the Pet Owner and pay the Sitter's price for completed Pet Care Services to the Sitter. The following applies:
(a) Timing. We normally start the payout 24 hours after the end of the Booking, once any free cancellation window has passed.
(b) Stripe account. Payouts are made through Stripe to the bank account linked to your Stripe connected account. To receive payouts, you must set up a Stripe connected account, accept the Stripe Services Agreement and the Stripe Connected Account Agreement (stripe.com/connect-account/legal), and give accurate and complete information. You authorize Sittsy to share your information and transaction information with Stripe, and to obtain the access to, and perform the activity on, your Stripe connected account needed to pay you for your Pet Care Services, including requesting refunds where these Terms allow. Stripe payouts are not available in every country. If they are not available where you live, you may be unable to receive payouts for Bookings paid through the Platform, and you should check this in the app before you accept Bookings.
(c) Currency conversion. If your payout currency is different from the currency of the Booking, the amount is converted at the exchange rate applied by our payment provider when the payout is made.
(d) Holds and deductions. We may hold or delay a payout if we reasonably suspect fraud or a breach of these Terms, if a complaint, dispute, refund request or chargeback about the Booking is open, if your Account is under review, if the law or our payment provider requires it, or for a similarly important reason to protect Sittsy, other Members or third parties. We may also ask our payment provider to restrict your access to funds in those circumstances. We may deduct from a payout any refund we give the Pet Owner under these Terms and any amount you owe Sittsy.
(e) Payment agent (United States). If you are a Sitter located in the United States, you appoint Sittsy as your limited agent solely to accept payments from Pet Owners on your behalf for Pet Care Services you provide and to arrange for those payments to be delivered to you. A payment a Pet Owner makes through the Platform is treated as a payment to you, and if Sittsy does not deliver a payment it received for you, your only recourse is against Sittsy, not the Pet Owner.
9.9 Cash Bookings. Where the app offers it, a Pet Owner may choose to pay the Sitter in cash. A cash Booking is confirmed only when the Sitter accepts the cash arrangement in the app. The Pet Owner pays the Sitter the total shown for the cash Booking, which is the Sitter's price plus the Service Fee. When the Sitter accepts, we take the Service Fee (our commission) for that Booking from the Sitter's Wallet, so the Sitter keeps their price. If the Wallet balance is not enough, we may charge the payment method saved to the Sitter's Account, or the Wallet balance may become negative (clause 7.12). Sittsy does not handle the cash, is not responsible for collecting it, and is not liable if a Pet Owner does not pay. If the Pet Owner cancels a cash Booking, the Service Fee is returned to the Sitter's Wallet. A cash Booking made in the app is not a breach of clause 5.1.16, and the Sittsy Guarantee applies to it on the conditions shown in the app.
9.10 Tips. Pet Owners can tip a Sitter through the app after a Booking. Sittsy takes no fee from tips. Tips are voluntary, are paid out to the Sitter after our review in the same way as other payouts, and are not refundable.
9.11 Payments outside the Platform. Sittsy has no responsibility or liability for tips, bonuses or any other payments made outside the Platform. Payments outside the Platform for Pet Care Services arranged with a Member you met through Sittsy breach clause 5.1.16, unless they are for a cash Booking under clause 9.9.
9.12 Sittsy Guarantee. Eligible Bookings made and paid through the Platform include the Sittsy Guarantee, which may reimburse certain costs such as veterinary care, property damage and injuries to third parties, up to the limits and on the conditions shown in the app. The Sittsy Guarantee is not an insurance policy, Sittsy is not an insurer and does not arrange insurance, and the Sittsy Guarantee does not replace any insurance you have or should have. To make a claim, you must report the incident promptly and provide the documentation we ask for, such as photos and veterinary records.
10.1 How to close your Account. You can close and delete your Account at any time in the app's settings, or by emailing support@sittsy.com from the email address linked to your Account.
10.2 Bookings and amounts owed. If you have active or upcoming Bookings, you must complete or cancel them under clause 9 before closing your Account. Closing your Account does not cancel your obligations under Bookings in progress or any amount you owe Sittsy.
10.3 Your balance. When you close your Account, your Wallet balance, Sittsy balance and credits are not refunded (clause 7.7), except under the Money-back Promise (clause 7.10). Payouts for Bookings you completed will still be made if your Stripe connected account can receive them.
10.4 Your information. After your Account is closed, we delete or anonymize your personal information as described in our Privacy Policy. We may keep information we need for legal, tax, accounting, safety and fraud-prevention purposes, to resolve disputes, and to enforce these Terms, including to enforce a ban (clause 6.4). Reviews you left for other Members may remain on the Platform without your name.
10.5 Our right to stop providing the Sittsy Service. We are not obliged to provide the Sittsy Service in any particular country or region, or to keep providing it once we have started. We may close Accounts that have been inactive for a long time, and we may stop providing the Sittsy Service, or any part of it, in any location. Where practical, we will give you notice first.
11.1 Your Content. We may require or allow you, or someone on your behalf, to submit text, photos, videos, messages, profile information, information about your pets and home, Reviews, Testimonials and other material to the Sittsy Service ("Your Content"). You are responsible for Your Content.
11.2 Licence to Sittsy. You keep ownership of Your Content. Except for the limits on our use of personal information described in our Privacy Policy, you grant Sittsy an irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide licence to use, copy, host, store, perform, publicly display, reproduce, adapt, modify, translate, transmit, broadcast, prepare derivative works of and distribute Your Content in connection with providing, improving and promoting the Sittsy Service, and to sublicense these rights to our service providers and partners for those purposes.
11.3 Release. If your name, voice, image, likeness or persona is included in Your Content, you waive, and release Sittsy and other Members from, any claim for defamation, copyright infringement, invasion of privacy or publicity rights, or any similar claim arising from the use of Your Content in accordance with clause 11.2 and these Terms.
11.4 Your promises about Your Content. You confirm that you own Your Content or have all the rights and permissions needed to grant the licence in clause 11.2; that you have the consent of any person who appears in Your Content and of the owner of any pet or home shown in it; and that Your Content does not breach the law, anyone's rights, or these Terms. If Your Content infringes someone else's rights and we suffer loss or incur expense as a result, you must compensate us.
11.5 Reviews and Testimonials. Pet Owners and Sitters can leave Reviews after a Booking made through the Platform. Sitters can invite people whose pets they cared for outside Sittsy to leave Testimonials. Reviews and Testimonials must be honest and based on a real experience. We may screen, moderate, edit (for example to remove contact details), decline to publish, or remove any Review or Testimonial that breaks these Terms. Even Reviews marked as private may be shared with others in line with the law and our Privacy Policy. We are not obliged to keep Reviews indefinitely or to give you a copy of Reviews others wrote about you, before or after your Account is closed.
11.6 Our right to monitor and remove content. We may, but are not obliged to, monitor, screen, edit or remove Your Content. We do not verify or approve Member content before it is published, and you rely on content posted by other Members at your own risk. If we do not enforce these Terms against some content, we can still enforce them against other content later. We are not obliged to keep or give you copies of Your Content, and we are not liable for any deletion, disclosure, loss or modification of it. You are responsible for keeping backup copies of Your Content.
11.7 Prohibited content. Your Content, including profiles, photos, messages and Reviews, must not include:
11.7.1 abusive, harassing, hateful, violent, discriminatory or threatening material;
11.7.2 sexually explicit or pornographic content, or nudity;
11.7.3 content that could harm or exploit others, including children;
11.7.4 defamatory, fraudulent, misleading or illegal material, or material that infringes anyone's intellectual property, privacy or other rights;
11.7.5 contact details or payment details shared in breach of clause 5.1.16; or
11.7.6 spam, solicitations, or content unrelated to Pet Care Services.
11.8 Moderation. By using Sittsy, you agree not to post objectionable content. In line with our zero-tolerance policy (clause 6.3), we may review, monitor and moderate Your Content; remove or disable access to content that breaks these Terms or that we consider objectionable, at our discretion and without prior notice; suspend or permanently ban users who break these rules or behave abusively, without refund; and cooperate with law enforcement when required or when we believe it is necessary to protect the safety of Members or the public.
11.9 Reporting and blocking. You can report objectionable content or abusive users directly in the app, using the "Report user" option on profiles and in conversations, and you can block a user to stop them from contacting you. You can also report content to support@sittsy.com. We act on reports of objectionable content within 24 hours, by removing the content and removing the user who posted it where appropriate.
11.10 Illegal content. Anyone can report content on the Sittsy Service that they believe is illegal by emailing support@sittsy.com with the location of the content, why they believe it is illegal, and their name and email address. We review reports and act on them promptly, and we tell the person who reported the content, and the Member affected, about our decision where the law requires it.
12.1 Resolving a problem. If you have a problem with another Member or a Booking, first try to resolve it with them through the messages in the app. If you cannot, contact us at support@sittsy.com with the Booking number and any evidence, such as photos, messages and veterinary records. We may review the matter and act under clauses 6 and 9.6, but we are not an arbitrator between Members, and our decision does not prevent Members from taking legal action against each other.
12.2 Sittsy Guarantee claims. Claims under the Sittsy Guarantee are handled according to its conditions shown in the app (clause 9.12).
13.1 Identity verification. We ask Sitters, and may ask any Member, to verify their identity, for example by uploading an identity document and a selfie, which we review. We may use third-party service providers for parts of this process. By verifying your identity, you consent to the collection, use and sharing of your verification information with those providers for that purpose, and you agree to give complete and accurate information. We may ask you to verify your identity again at any time.
13.2 What verification means. Verification only shows that the documents provided appeared valid and matched the person at the time of our review. Sittsy does not carry out criminal record or other background checks unless we expressly say so in the app for a particular check. A verification badge is not a guarantee or an endorsement of anyone's identity, character, skills, reliability or suitability. We do not make any representation or warranty about the accuracy, completeness or timeliness of any information obtained through verification.
13.3 How we use verification results. We may rely on the results of verification when deciding whether to accept, restrict, suspend or close an Account, or when investigating a complaint, but we are not obliged to do so. If we restrict or close your Account wholly or partly because of a verification result, you can ask us to review that decision under clause 6.8.
13.4 Your own judgment. Verification is not a substitute for talking to the other Member, meeting them before a Booking, and using your own judgment.
14.1 Messages and calls. You can message and call other Members through the app. Use these features only for purposes related to Pet Care Services on Sittsy.
14.2 Monitoring. To keep Members safe and to enforce these Terms, we scan, and our staff may review, messages, photos, profiles, requests and other content sent through the Sittsy Service, using automated systems (which may include artificial intelligence) and human review. We do this, for example, to detect and mask contact and payment details, to detect fraud, scams, spam and abusive content, and to help resolve disputes. We may mask, hide, delay or refuse to deliver content that breaks these Terms.
14.3 Call recording. Voice and video calls made through the Sittsy app are recorded. Our staff may review recordings, and transcripts made from them, to investigate reports, resolve disputes, prevent fraud and enforce these Terms. By making or answering a call through the app, you consent to it being recorded and reviewed for those purposes.
14.4 Translation. We may automatically translate messages, profiles, Reviews and other content using third-party services. Automatic translations may be inaccurate, and the original text prevails.
14.5 Notifications and marketing. We send you service messages about your Account, Bookings, payments and safety by email, push notification, SMS, messaging apps and in the app. You can manage marketing messages in your settings or using the unsubscribe link in each message; service messages are part of the Sittsy Service and cannot be switched off while your Account is open. Your carrier's usual message and data rates may apply. Members in the United States should also read clause 17.9.
14.6 Notices to you. We may give you notices under these Terms by email to the address linked to your Account or in the app.
15.1 The Sittsy Service. Sittsy and its licensors own all rights, title and interest in the Sittsy Service, including the technology and software used to provide it, all content available through it (other than Your Content and other Members' content), and all related intellectual property rights. Subject to these Terms, we give you a limited, personal, revocable, non-exclusive, non-transferable licence to use the Sittsy apps and websites for their intended purpose. Nothing in these Terms gives you any other right in our intellectual property.
15.2 Feedback. If you give us feedback or suggestions about the Sittsy Service, we may use them without restriction and without paying you.
15.3 Sittsy trademarks. Sittsy owns all rights in its trademarks, service marks, names and logos (the "Sittsy Marks"). If you are a Sitter in good standing, you may use the Sittsy Marks only as they appear in materials we make available to you for that purpose (such as referral flyers or certificates) or as we authorize in writing. This permission ends automatically when you stop being a Sitter in good standing, and we may withdraw it at any time. You must not register or use any business name, domain name, social media handle or trademark that contains the word "Sittsy" or anything confusingly similar.
15.4 Copyright complaints. We respond to notices of alleged copyright infringement that comply with the U.S. Digital Millennium Copyright Act and other applicable law, and in appropriate circumstances we close the Accounts of Members who repeatedly infringe the intellectual property rights of others. If you believe in good faith that content on the Sittsy Service infringes your copyright, send a written notice to our copyright agent that includes: a description of the copyrighted work; the location on the Sittsy Service of the material you believe infringes it; your name, postal address, telephone number and email address; a statement that you have a good-faith belief that the use is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent or the law; a statement, made under penalty of perjury, that the information in your notice is accurate and that you are the copyright owner or authorized to act on the owner's behalf; and your physical or electronic signature. Our copyright agent can be reached at: Sittsy, LLC, Attention: Copyright Notice, 84 Manorshire Dr, Unit 8, Fairport, NY 14450, United States; support@sittsy.com.
16.1 Please read this clause carefully. It sets out what we are not responsible for, what we are responsible for, and the responsibilities you take on.
16.2 Disclaimer of warranties. THE SITTSY SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. REVIEWS, PROFILES, ADVICE, OPINIONS, STATEMENTS, OFFERS AND OTHER CONTENT MADE AVAILABLE THROUGH THE SITTSY SERVICE BY ANYONE OTHER THAN SITTSY ARE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THEIR AUTHORS. TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, SITTSY (1) DOES NOT WARRANT THE ACCURACY, ADEQUACY OR COMPLETENESS OF ANY INFORMATION ON THE SITTSY SERVICE; (2) DOES NOT ADOPT, ENDORSE OR ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY OPINION, ADVICE OR STATEMENT MADE BY ANYONE OTHER THAN SITTSY; (3) DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE SITTSY SERVICE WILL BE SECURE, FREE OF VIRUSES, UNINTERRUPTED, ALWAYS AVAILABLE, ERROR-FREE OR MEET YOUR REQUIREMENTS, OR THAT ANY DEFECT WILL BE CORRECTED; (4) DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, NON-INFRINGEMENT AND ACCURACY; AND (5) MAKES NO REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY OF ANY KIND ABOUT THE SUITABILITY OF ANY SITTER OR PET OWNER. IF YOU HAVE STATUTORY RIGHTS OR WARRANTIES THAT WE CANNOT DISCLAIM, THEIR DURATION IS LIMITED TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.
16.3 Our role. As explained in clause 2, we provide a Platform through which Members find and deal with each other. We are not a party to agreements between Members, and the responsibilities we take on reflect that role. Content on the Platform is provided for general information only and is not professional, veterinary, financial or legal advice. The Platform may contain links to third-party websites or services that we do not control, and we are not responsible for their content, products or services. Your use of them is at your own risk and may be subject to their terms.
16.4 Things we are not responsible for. TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, SITTSY IS NOT LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER, WHETHER DIRECT, INDIRECT, GENERAL, SPECIAL, COMPENSATORY OR CONSEQUENTIAL, ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THE CONDUCT OF YOU OR ANYONE ELSE (INCLUDING OTHER MEMBERS AND THIRD-PARTY SERVICE PROVIDERS) IN CONNECTION WITH THE SITTSY SERVICE, INCLUDING PROPERTY DAMAGE, THEFT, BODILY INJURY, DEATH, EMOTIONAL DISTRESS, AND DAMAGE RESULTING FROM RELIANCE ON CONTENT POSTED ON OR SENT THROUGH THE SITTSY SERVICE OR FROM ANY INTERACTION WITH OTHER MEMBERS, ONLINE OR OFFLINE. THIS INCLUDES CLAIMS ARISING FROM THE CONDUCT OF PEOPLE WHO TRY TO DEFRAUD OR HARM YOU. We are also not responsible for: additional amounts you pay because of how your payment is processed, such as bank or currency conversion charges; loss of income, loss of savings or extra costs arising from a Booking or from a Booking not going ahead; the loss or deletion of Your Content; the acts or omissions of payment providers and other third parties; or the consequences of any Member's failure to comply with the law.
16.5 Risks you take on. You are responsible for the choices you make before, during and after a Booking, and, to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, you take on the risks of a Booking, including: assessing whether another Member is suitable and whether to make a Booking; risks to health, especially of your pets, such as illness, injury or death; risks to property, such as theft, loss, damage or destruction of your home and belongings; the care and supervision of pets and of any children; travel and other costs; the information you share with other Members; and invasion of privacy, for example through cameras or monitoring devices.
16.6 Indirect losses. TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, SITTSY IS NOT LIABLE TO YOU FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, EXEMPLARY OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, OR FOR ANY LOSS OF PROFIT, REVENUE, BUSINESS, CONTRACTS, DATA OR GOODWILL, OR TRAVEL EXPENSES, ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THESE TERMS OR THE USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THE SITTSY SERVICE, INCLUDING THE REMOVAL OF YOUR PROFILE OR CONTENT, ANY SUSPENSION OR BAN, OR ANY FAILURE, ERROR, INTERRUPTION OR DELAY OF THE SITTSY SERVICE, EVEN IF WE KNEW SUCH DAMAGES WERE POSSIBLE.
16.7 Limit on our liability. EXCEPT WHERE PROHIBITED BY APPLICABLE LAW, SITTSY'S TOTAL LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ALL CLAIMS ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THESE TERMS OR THE SITTSY SERVICE WILL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF (A) THE AMOUNTS YOU PAID TO SITTSY IN THE 12 MONTHS BEFORE THE EVENT GIVING RISE TO THE LIABILITY, EXCLUDING AMOUNTS PASSED ON TO SITTERS, AND (B) ONE HUNDRED U.S. DOLLARS (USD 100) OR THE EQUIVALENT IN YOUR LOCAL CURRENCY. Any financial obligation Sittsy may have in connection with another Member's conduct is limited to what the Sittsy Guarantee provides. For a claim by a Sitter located in the United States for non-delivery of a payment Sittsy received on that Sitter's behalf under clause 9.8(e), Sittsy's liability will not exceed the amount Sittsy failed to deliver.
16.8 What we do not exclude. Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, for intentional, willful or wanton misconduct by our employees, or for any other liability that cannot be excluded or limited by law. If you are a consumer in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom or Switzerland, we are responsible for loss or damage you suffer that is a foreseeable result of our breach of these Terms or our failure to use reasonable care and skill, but not for loss or damage that is not foreseeable. SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF CERTAIN DAMAGES, SO SOME OF THE LIMITATIONS IN THIS CLAUSE 16 MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.
16.9 Disputes with other Members. IF YOU HAVE A DISPUTE WITH ANOTHER MEMBER, YOU RELEASE SITTSY FROM ALL CLAIMS, DEMANDS AND DAMAGES OF EVERY KIND, KNOWN OR UNKNOWN, ARISING OUT OF OR CONNECTED WITH THAT DISPUTE, EXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY PROVIDED IN THE SITTSY GUARANTEE AND IN THESE TERMS.
16.10 Your responsibility for losses you cause. To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, you will compensate Sittsy for any loss, damage and expense (including reasonable legal fees) that Sittsy suffers as a result of a claim by a third party arising out of your breach of these Terms, Your Content, your interactions with other Members, property damage or injury caused by your pets or by pets in your care, or your violation of the law or of anyone's rights, and for any Service Fees Sittsy loses because of your breach of clause 5.1.16. Members in the United States should also read clause 17.8.
If you live in the United States, the following terms also apply to you. If they conflict with any other part of these Terms, this clause 17 applies to the extent of the conflict.
17.1 Governing law and venue. These Terms will be interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware and the United States of America, without regard to conflict-of-law provisions, except that the Federal Arbitration Act governs the interpretation and enforcement of the Arbitration Agreement in this clause 17. Judicial proceedings (other than small claims actions) that are excluded from the Arbitration Agreement, or that are brought by a Member who has opted out of it, must be brought in state or federal court in New Castle County, Delaware, unless we both agree to another location. You and we both consent to venue and personal jurisdiction in New Castle County, Delaware.
17.2 Agreement to arbitrate. Unless you opt out under clause 17.7, you and Sittsy agree that any dispute, claim or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms (including their formation, applicability, breach, termination, validity, enforcement or interpretation), the Sittsy Service, any content, or your interactions with others through the Sittsy Service (together, "Disputes") will be resolved by binding individual arbitration and not in court (the "Arbitration Agreement"). If there is a dispute about whether this Arbitration Agreement can be enforced or applies to a Dispute, the arbitrator will decide it, except as stated in clause 17.5. The following are excluded from the Arbitration Agreement and may be brought in a court of competent jurisdiction under clause 17.1: (a) individual claims brought in small claims court, if they qualify; (b) claims alleging actual or threatened infringement, misappropriation or violation of a party's copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, patents or other intellectual property rights; (c) claims seeking emergency injunctive relief based on exigent circumstances, such as imminent danger, the commission of a crime, hacking or a cyber-attack; (d) requests for the remedy of public injunctive relief, which will proceed only after all arbitrable claims have been arbitrated and will be stayed until then under section 3 of the Federal Arbitration Act; and (e) any individual claim of sexual assault or sexual harassment arising from your use of the Sittsy Service.
17.3 Informal dispute resolution first. Before starting an arbitration, each of us agrees to notify the other of the Dispute in writing and to try in good faith to resolve it informally for at least 30 days. You must send your notice to support@sittsy.com or by mail to Sittsy, LLC, Attn: Legal, 84 Manorshire Dr, Unit 8, Fairport, NY 14450. We will send our notice to the email address linked to your Account. A notice must include the sender's name and contact information and the email address linked to the relevant Account, a brief description of the Dispute, and the relief sought. Statutes of limitation and filing deadlines are paused while we try to resolve a Dispute informally. If we cannot resolve the Dispute within 30 days after the notice is received, either of us may start an arbitration.
17.4 Arbitration procedure. The arbitration will be administered by the American Arbitration Association ("AAA") under its Consumer Arbitration Rules and any other AAA rules the AAA determines apply (the "AAA Rules") in effect when the arbitration is started, as modified by this Arbitration Agreement. The AAA Rules are available at www.adr.org. To start an arbitration, a party must file a written demand with the AAA and give a copy to the other party, as the AAA Rules require. At your choice, any hearing may take place in the U.S. county where you live, in New Castle County, Delaware, by phone or video conference, or, if all parties agree, on written submissions only. Your arbitration fees and your share of the arbitrator's compensation are governed by the AAA Rules and, where appropriate, limited by the AAA Consumer Rules; if the arbitrator finds those costs excessive, we will pay all arbitration fees and expenses. Either party may ask the arbitrator to award attorneys' fees and costs if the other party has brought a claim or defense that is groundless in fact or law, brought in bad faith or for harassment, or otherwise frivolous, as allowed by applicable law and the AAA Rules. The arbitrator must follow these Terms as a court would, including the limitations of liability in clause 16, and will issue a written decision stating the essential findings and conclusions on which the award is based. Judgment on the award may be entered in any court with jurisdiction. The arbitrator may award declaratory or injunctive relief only in favor of the individual party seeking relief and only to the extent necessary to provide relief warranted by that party's individual claim.
17.5 Jury trial and class action waiver. YOU AND SITTSY EACH WAIVE THE RIGHT TO A TRIAL BY JURY FOR ALL ARBITRABLE DISPUTES. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, YOU AND SITTSY EACH WAIVE THE RIGHT TO TAKE PART AS A PLAINTIFF OR CLASS MEMBER IN ANY CLASS ACTION, CLASS-WIDE ARBITRATION, PRIVATE ATTORNEY GENERAL ACTION, OR OTHER REPRESENTATIVE OR CONSOLIDATED PROCEEDING. Unless we both agree in writing, the arbitrator may not consolidate more than one person's claims and may not preside over any form of class or representative proceeding. Only a court, and not an arbitrator, may decide disputes about the interpretation, applicability or enforceability of this clause 17.5. If a final judicial decision finds that applicable law prevents this waiver from being enforced for any claim, cause of action or requested remedy, then that claim, cause of action or remedy, and only that one, will be severed from the Arbitration Agreement, brought in a court of competent jurisdiction under clause 17.1, and stayed until all arbitrable claims have been resolved by the arbitrator. Apart from this, if any part of the Arbitration Agreement is found illegal or unenforceable, that part will be severed and the rest of the Arbitration Agreement will remain in full force and effect.
17.6 Mass arbitration. If 25 or more demands for arbitration that raise substantially similar claims are filed against Sittsy by or with the help of the same law firm, group of law firms or organization within a 90-day period, the AAA's Mass Arbitration Supplementary Rules and related fee schedule will apply to those demands, and you and Sittsy agree to cooperate in good faith with the AAA to resolve them efficiently.
17.7 Opting out and future changes. You may opt out of the Arbitration Agreement by sending us written notice within 30 days after you first accept this version of these Terms, by email to support@sittsy.com with the subject line "Arbitration Opt-Out", or by mail to the address in clause 17.3. Your notice must state that you do not agree to the Arbitration Agreement and include your name, address and the email address linked to your Account. If you opt out, the rest of these Terms still apply to you, and Disputes will be resolved in court under clause 17.1. Opting out does not affect any other arbitration agreement you have with us. If we change this Arbitration Agreement after you last accepted these Terms, you may reject that change by sending us written notice (including by email) within 30 days after the change takes effect. Rejecting a change does not revoke your consent to any earlier version of the Arbitration Agreement, which will continue to apply to Disputes between you and us, and no change applies to a claim filed in a legal proceeding against Sittsy before the change took effect.
17.8 Indemnity. To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, you agree to release, defend (at our option), indemnify, and hold us (including our affiliates and our and their respective personnel) harmless from and against any and all claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses, including, without limitation, reasonable legal and accounting fees, arising out of or in any way connected with: (i) your breach of these Terms of Service or any other document or policy referenced herein; (ii) your improper use of the Platform; (iii) your interactions with any other Members (such as, by way of example and without limitation, any agreement between you and any other Member and its performance or non-performance, the performance of a Booking and/or any dispute relating to your interactions with any other Member), including without limitation any injuries, losses, or damages (whether compensatory, direct, incidental, consequential, or otherwise) of any kind relating to such interactions; and (iv) your violation of any laws, rules, regulations, or third-party rights, including without limitation intellectual property and privacy rights. You will cooperate with us in the defense of any such claim, we may take exclusive control of the defense of any matter subject to this clause, and you will not settle any such claim without our prior written consent.
17.9 Calls and text messages. You agree to receive calls and text messages from or on behalf of Sittsy with service information (such as booking, payment, security and support messages) and, if you choose, marketing messages, including by automated technology and prerecorded or artificial voice, at any phone number you give us, even if the number is on a national or state do-not-call list. You do not have to agree to receive automated marketing messages as a condition of any purchase or of using the Sittsy Service. You can opt out of text messages at any time by replying STOP. Message and data rates may apply. You confirm that you are the subscriber of, or are authorized to use, each phone number you give us, and you will compensate us for any claim that arises because that is not true.
18.1 Governing law and courts. If you do not live in the United States, these Terms and any Dispute between you and Sittsy are governed by the laws of the State of Delaware and the United States of America, without regard to conflict-of-law provisions. This does not take away any mandatory legal protection you have under the law of your country of residence. If you are a consumer in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom or Switzerland, you may bring proceedings in the courts of your country of residence, and we will bring proceedings against you only in those courts. The United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods does not apply.
18.2 Your consumer rights. If you are a consumer, you have legal rights in relation to the Sittsy Service that these Terms do not affect. Advice about your legal rights is available from your local consumer organization, for example Citizens Advice in the United Kingdom or the European Consumer Centres network in the European Union.
18.3 Right of withdrawal. If you are a consumer in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom or Switzerland, when you make a Wallet Deposit or another payment to Sittsy, you ask us to start providing the service immediately, and you acknowledge that you lose your statutory right of withdrawal once the service has been fully performed, as described in clause 7.9.
18.4 Out-of-court dispute resolution. If you are a consumer, you may also refer a dispute with Sittsy to an alternative dispute resolution body available in your country.
Sittsy is not liable for any delay or failure to perform its obligations that results from causes outside its reasonable control, including acts of God, natural disasters, earthquakes, storms, wildfires, floods, fires, epidemics and pandemics, war, terrorism, riots, civil unrest, embargoes, strikes, government orders, accidents, and failures of utilities, payment systems or telecommunications networks. In such an event, we may suspend the Sittsy Service for as long as it lasts, the cancellation rules in clause 9 may not apply, and we may, in our reasonable discretion, issue refunds on terms that differ from those rules.
20.1 Our relationship. Nothing in these Terms makes you and Sittsy partners, joint venturers, employer and employee, or principal and agent, except for the limited payment agency in clause 9.8(e). Neither of us may make statements, representations or commitments, or take any action, that binds the other, except as these Terms provide or the other agrees in writing.
20.2 Non-exclusivity. These Terms do not stop Sitters from offering pet care services through other means or other platforms, except that Pet Care Services with Members met through Sittsy must be booked through the Platform (clause 5.1.16).
20.3 Entire agreement. These Terms, together with the documents incorporated into them under clause 1.3, are the entire agreement between you and Sittsy about the Sittsy Service and replace any earlier agreement on the same subject.
20.4 Transfer. You may not assign or transfer any of your rights or obligations under these Terms to anyone else. We may assign, transfer, subcontract or otherwise deal with any of our rights or obligations under these Terms at any time, provided that this does not reduce your rights under them.
20.5 No waiver. If we do not enforce any part of these Terms, or delay doing so, this does not mean that we give up our rights under them.
20.6 Severability. If any part of these Terms is found to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, that part will be modified to the minimum extent needed to make it enforceable while coming as close as possible to its original intention, or, if that is not possible, severed. The rest of these Terms will remain in full force and effect. Clause 17.5 has its own severability rule.
20.7 Survival. Any part of these Terms that by its nature should continue after your Account is closed or these Terms end will continue, including clauses 5.1.16, 6.6, 7, 9.8, 11, 15, 16, 17 and 18.
20.8 Third parties. These Terms are a contract between you and us, and only you and we have the right to enforce them, except as provided in clause 20.10 and except that the persons indemnified under clauses 16.10 and 17.8 may rely on those clauses.
20.9 Translations. We may provide translations of these Terms. If a translation conflicts with the English version, the English version prevails, unless the law of your country of residence requires otherwise.
20.10 App stores. If you downloaded a Sittsy app from the Apple App Store: (a) these Terms are between you and Sittsy only, not Apple Inc. ("Apple"), and Sittsy, not Apple, is solely responsible for the app and its content; (b) Apple has no obligation to provide any maintenance or support for the app; (c) if the app fails to conform to any applicable warranty, you may notify Apple, and Apple will refund any purchase price you paid for the app to you, and to the maximum extent permitted by law Apple has no other warranty obligation with respect to the app; (d) Apple is not responsible for addressing any claims by you or any third party relating to the app or your possession or use of it, including product liability claims, claims that the app fails to conform to any legal or regulatory requirement, and claims arising under consumer protection, privacy or similar laws; (e) Apple is not responsible for the investigation, defense, settlement or discharge of any third-party claim that the app or your possession and use of it infringes that third party's intellectual property rights; (f) you confirm that you are not located in a country subject to a U.S. Government embargo or designated by the U.S. Government as a "terrorist supporting" country, and that you are not listed on any U.S. Government list of prohibited or restricted parties; (g) you must comply with any applicable third-party terms, such as your wireless data service agreement, when using the app; and (h) Apple and its subsidiaries are third-party beneficiaries of these Terms and, once you accept these Terms, Apple will have the right to enforce them against you as a third-party beneficiary. If you downloaded a Sittsy app from Google Play, the Google Play Terms of Service also apply to your download and use of it, and Google is not responsible for the app.
20.11 Laws of other countries. Where these Terms refer to a law of a particular country or region, that reference applies only to Members to whom that law applies.
20.12 Contact us. For questions or concerns about the Sittsy Service or these Terms, contact us at support@sittsy.com, by phone at (415) 988-3975, or by mail at Sittsy, LLC, 84 Manorshire Dr, Unit 8, Fairport, NY 14450, United States.
Account means your Member account on the Platform, accessed with your login details.
Booking means a confirmed arrangement between a Pet Owner and a Sitter for Pet Care Services made through the Platform, as described in clause 2.6.
Boost fee means a Trust Deposit. "Boost" is the former name of Trust Deposits.
Member means a Pet Owner or a Sitter who has an Account.
Money-back Promise means the refund promise that applies to some Wallet Deposit plans, described in clause 7.10.
Pet Care Services means the pet care services described in clause 2.1 that Sitters offer and Pet Owners book through the Platform.
Pet Owner means a Member who uses the Platform to find and book Sitters for their pets. The terms "Pet Parent" and "Owner" have the same meaning.
Platform, Sittsy Service and Services mean the Sittsy websites, apps and services described in clause 1.1.
Review means a rating and comment that a Pet Owner or a Sitter leaves about the other after a Booking.
Service Fee means the Sittsy fee described in clause 7.2, paid by the Pet Owner on each Booking, and also charged to the Sitter on cash Bookings under clause 9.9.
Sittsy balance means the credit a Pet Owner holds on the Platform, as described in clause 9.4.
Sittsy Guarantee means the benefit described in clause 9.12 and in the app, which may reimburse certain costs on eligible Bookings. It is not insurance.
Sitter means a Member who offers Pet Care Services through the Platform.
Testimonial means a comment that a person whose pets a Sitter cared for outside Sittsy leaves on the Sitter's profile at the Sitter's invitation.
Trust Deposit means the amount described in clause 8, taken from a Sitter's Wallet and held against a booking request when the Sitter breaks the rules on contact details and bookings outside Sittsy.
Wallet means a Sitter's prepaid balance on the Platform, described in clauses 7.3 and 7.8, which cannot be withdrawn to a bank account.
Wallet Deposit means the one-time deposit a Sitter makes into their Wallet before their profile is shown to Pet Owners, described in clause 7.3(a).
Your Content has the meaning given in clause 11.1.