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Laura Svia Google

about 2 months ago

I had been a sitter on Pawshake with no prior issues, with 5-star reviews after every booking, and this was the first time I experienced a dispute. I completed a 6-night booking and cared for the pets as agreed. After the booking ended, there was a short delay in communication due to illness. Although the keys were returned once contact was made, the owners escalated the situation to Pawshake. The booking was fully refunded to the owners, and no payout was released to me despite the service being completed. While Pawshake confirmed that no negative review would be placed on my profile, I was left unpaid for the work I had already done. This experience made it clear that sitters carry significant financial risk and that dispute decisions prioritise client reassurance over fair compensation for completed services, in addition to the 19% platform fee taken for dispute handling, platform usage and insurance. As a result, I will not be continuing to offer my services through Pawshake. I would strongly encourage sitters to carefully consider how disputes are handled and to be extremely cautious about post-booking communication and key handovers.

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Sarah Loch-Wilkinsonvia Google

3 months ago

Not worth the effort. Thought I had a sitter booked for the Christmas / NY period for 15 nights for 2 cats, got stuffed around by the sitter who was just playing the field for a better option. Now left with an overseas trip booked and the impossibility of trying to get 2 cats into a cattery for that period.

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Nai Lindonvia Google

4 months ago

*A Single Complaint, A Snap Judgment — and Zero Integrity* I don’t normally leave reviews, but what happened with this app deserves attention. After years of reliable service, dozens of five-star ratings, and countless happy pets, my account was suddenly *deactivated*—not after a pattern of issues, not after an investigation, but because of **one impatient, unreasonable pet owner** who decided to weaponize a complaint. There was no genuine attempt at mediation, no request for my side of the story—just a curt email from “support” citing a vague “policy violation” and a locked account. That’s it. My record, my history of excellent care, and my professionalism—all discarded in the name of corporate convenience. This app clearly values *appeasing difficult customers* over *supporting the people who make their platform possible*. Their so-called “trust and safety” team seems to operate less like a department of fairness and more like an algorithmic guillotine—swift, opaque, and utterly indifferent to context. What’s most insulting is the hypocrisy: they brand themselves as a “community” of caring pet lovers, but when conflict arises, there’s no compassion, no nuance—just automated punishment and canned responses. If you’re a sitter thinking about investing your time and reputation here, **don’t**. Your livelihood can be erased with a single click, no matter how impeccable your record. And if you’re a pet owner, be aware that this is a company that prioritizes optics over integrity—because when trust only flows one way, it isn’t a community. It’s a liability.

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H Mvia Google

5 months ago

I booked pet sitting through Pawshake with sitter Jerrica in Albury. When part of the service was cancelled, I requested a partial refund for the unused days. Despite following up, Pawshake refused to refund me and told me the case was closed with no further escalation. In my view, this is unfair and unethical- I paid for services I never received. I am now escalating this matter to Consumer Affairs Victoria so that other pet owners are aware of how Pawshake handles refund requests.

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sarah muratvia Google

almost 5 years ago

It was very easy to find a sitter with Pawshake. The app is well done and the communication with Charlie, our sitter was also very easy. Our 4 month puppy Paku has fallen in love with Charlie and her dog Opinel. We will use Pawshake again and Charlie is the perfect carer for Paku. We had a very tired and happy boy at home that night.