Urbansitter Reviews 229

After I posted my review, Urban Sitter responded to it. I never received any email from them telling me how to cancel the membership, and they didn't say they would refund my money either.
Please read what Urban Sitter responded:
Hi Lola, we're sorry to hear about these unwanted charges on your account and any inconvenience they may have caused, but we sincerely appreciate your feedback regarding our membership structure.

Our records show that our team has responded to your previous inquiries with steps on how to cancel your membership, but it appears those emails may not have been successfully delivered. To help ensure you receive our messages moving forward, we recommend adding ????? to your address book or safe sender list.

We've taken a look at your account and can confirm that your membership has since been successfully canceled. For any further assistance you may need, please email Member Services again at ??????

PLEASE DON’T TRUST THIS COMPANY, I READ OTHER REVIEWS ON OTHER PLATFORMS. THEY ALWAYS DO THE SAME, TOOK MONEY FROM HARD-WORKING PEOPLE.
I WORK VERY HARD FOR MY MONEY

I had no success finding jobs on UrbanSitter and stopped using it. My membership was auto renewed without clear notice. I canceled within two days and did not use the service, but they refused to refund. Very disappointing experience.

Urbansitter really sucks. It is impossible to register to provide child care on their site. They need a social security card, because they don't recognize the number? Have you dealt with the SSA lately? And who are they to say the number doesn't "match," when it is the valid number. We have a valid W2 which shows it. But there is no one to call, no one to talk to to sort things out. You can even see this from the reply to my review. Their system does not work. It isn't the lack of information on our part. Then they say contact CHECKR, which also sucks. Same story. Use Care.com. Easy peasy. Half the price.

Terrible company, refused to help me cancel my auto renew. Never answers their phone, can only email. Care has 20x the caregivers and customer service is 20x better too

I have an active, paid UrbanSitter membership, but my account is completely blocked due to an “Identity Check” error.
The site tells me to contact support, but I cannot message caregivers or reach support through the platform. Phone calls are not answered, and support responses are non existent.
This makes the service unusable despite payment. Very frustrating experience, especially for a childcare platform where timing matters.

I was a provider for Urbansitter. Past 2 years, much less demand for sitters. Today was automatic renewal day and they did not send a 30 day notice, just processed my card. Which is against the law in CO. I sent them a note and they said they sent a notice, but i have all contact saved from them. The charge went through at midnight, so once i saw their email today I could not cancel. Avoid businesses that have to treat people like this.

straight garbage. stole my information, then tried to charge me through the nose.

Used to vouch for them as a sitter, but now they have turned into the other apps where they allow parents to bully the sitters. Sitters aren’t allowed to have any say over payments or negotiate, otherwise, you get introuble.

Here’s the thing, no one follows your terms.I should have reported every single parent in your platform according to your terms.

But instead you hid my profile to appease a parent.

They take all our information including SSN and then spring the membership fees on you when you are about to book a nanny!

They steal money, I paid for the membership, and I had some trouble with one of the steps, it was hard to contact them and when finally they replied my email they said sorry no refund and I didn’t even use the app I was sitting it up.

Locked Out Without Notice, Ignored for Months, Still Being Charged – UrbanSitter Must Do Better

I have trusted UrbanSitter for years and built wonderful, lasting relationships with nearly all of my sitters. This makes what has happened even more disappointing.

For months, both my account and my husband’s account have been locked without any explanation or prior notice. UrbanSitter’s own policy states that members will be informed if there is a reliability concern and given the opportunity to address it — yet no such notice was ever given. We were abruptly denied all access to the service, including booking and messaging sitters, without a word.

I sent multiple written inquiries from both accounts. Not one was answered. This is more than poor customer service — it is a failure to communicate in good faith and a breach of the implied covenant of fair dealing under contract law.

Making matters worse, UrbanSitter continues to charge my credit card for membership fees, despite the fact that I have been denied the ability to use the service in any way. Continuing to bill customers while blocking access is unethical, and may constitute unauthorized billing and unjust enrichment under consumer protection laws. UrbanSitter’s silence has been more damaging than the account lockout itself. A simple explanation, a chance to address any concerns, or even a timely acknowledgment could have preserved trust. Instead, their lack of transparency, responsiveness, and accountability leaves me no choice but to warn other parents: think very carefully before committing to this platform.

They have you go through the process of posting a job, filling out an account, sorting through applicants, and then you want to book or interview they say “sorry that will be $45 for one month of a premium membership”. Lol?? After wasting hours. What an absolute scam.

They don't provide any real jobs. They take your money and you never hear back from them. I have left a couple of messages and have heard nothing. Don't waste your time.

If I can leave 0 I would easily do that!Terrible customer service, terrible nanny selection.All baby caregivers have so much attitude, no one is pleasant.

And also BE CAREFUL WITH YOUR CREDIT CARD INFO.I didn’t use this company, I really tried after talking to all rude nannies for 1st week I realize this is not a place where I find genuine kind professional caregiver. I asked them to close my account and even for second year they charge me even I didn’t use them for two years. I had to call my bank account many times and I had to close my account. This company is professional fraud!!!!

Wish I’d read these other reviews before paying my $39.95 “Membership” fee. It’s highly unethical to keep membership fees when someone doesn’t pass a background check. I’m a mother, grandmother, and former pre-school and elementary school teacher. I’m trained in CPR (both adult & infant) and have had all of my immunizations/Covid shots/flu shots. I was rejected from babysitting for UrbanSitter bc my background check revealed a speeding ticket that I got in 2012…..13 years ago! Besides the ticket, my background check came back spotless! I’ll be reporting them to the Better Business Bureau.

UPDATE since receiving response from UrbanSitter: Yes you MUST PAY UPFRONT and if you don’t clear the background check or simply change your mind after seeing how many OLD AND DATED JOB POSTS are listed, you HAVE NO ACCESS TO MEMBER BENEFITS OR SERVICES. Then COMPLETELY DENIED ANY REFUND. If it’s not a deposit, it can and must be refunded regardless of the Terms and Conditions. IT’S THE LAW.

ORIGINAL REVIEW:
Pay upfront $50 just to be considered for this very BASIC and DATED site with OLD RECYCLED POSTS circulating constantly to make it seem like there is a huge job pool. NO REFUND EVEN IF YOU DON’T PASS THEIR “BACKGROUND CHECK”. They act like you owe a deposit but it’s not a deposit and never stated as such, so in many states illegal to not refund. Incredibly fraudulent business practices aimed at intentionally scamming people looking for HUMAN CARE SERVICES!!!!

Sitter here -
Was just charged for an annual membership in which I forgot to cancel. (I’ve never actually booked any jobs through them) Requested a refund given it was just charged recently and was declined.

I don’t use them because they don’t have many job opportunities. It’s pointless. And to not reimbursed when I’m charged the same day is greedy. I need the money more than this company does.

They have no respect for their sitters. It's all about money and their executives are corrupt.....I had over 85 5 star reviews and quit after watching their executives (particularly the owner) continually compromise their integrity to gain money. BTW, I worked for them for 3 yrs before giving up on them.

A good place to look for sitters is at colleges and/or youth groups at churches and temples.

Treacherous company. Been with them for 10 years and even collaborated with them for a news article on their behalf. I worked for hundreds of families on this app and established many many healthy strong relationship with parents and kids. Thus my 5-star ratings and extraordinary reviews. I depend solely on the families I recruit from Urbansitter for income to pay for bills/essentials (rent, groceries, school/tuition, and much more). So the importance of continuing to work with families is VITAL. I’m a really kind, friendly, rule-abiding young caregiver that almost never has a problem with a family. Randomly one day Urbansitter deactivate my hard-working profile for no apparent reason or explanation. I’ve sent numerous emails asking why my profile is deactivated and this company doesn’t even have the respect to respond to any of my numerous emails. I am now dealing with financial hardships due to the loss-access in connecting with families through this app. I am struggling severely and I am just hurt how a company can be this cruel and inconsiderate? I don’t nor anyone deserve this kind of mistreatment. At least have the courtesy and respect to explain to me why my account is deactivated. Beware of this company. As soon as I reported to them that there was an abusive drug-addicted mother that assaulted me and abused & neglected her children my profile was soon deactivated. I tried NUMEROUS times to communicate with this company but they don’t have the common decency nor respect to reply. They do not care that they have criminals on their app. I am now resorting to social media to help SPREAD awareness of this treacherous company. Beware of this company, and keep your children safe. They don’t care for us caregivers as well.

I posted a job for August 4, 2024, Thandiwe M. applied, interviewed, and accepted it one week prior to start. Six days came and went, I made plans believing that I had a sitter for my child. 14 hours before the start of the job, Thandiwe contacted me after 8:30 pm, to ask me to change the schedule so that she can go to therapy. I said no, and to let me know if she can’t make it so that I can try to find someone else. Thandiwe then said that she will leave at 4:45 pm on the day of the job. I reminded her that my job post stated that I may need her to stay longer than that and sent a screenshot of the job post. After 8am, 2.5 hours prior to the job start time, Thandiwe sent two text messages stating that she will be at my home for the job. Thandiwe followed up with two voice notes after 9 am, that I didn't see or listen to until after I started to wait for her around 10:40 am. In those voice notes she did not cancel, did not indicate that she would not be here. 10:45 am comes, no Thandiwe. 10:50 am arrives, I text Thandiwe asking where she is. No response. I called Thandiwe, no response. Then I followed up with more texts, no response.

After 11 am I logged onto UrbanSitter, cancelled the job and blocked Thandiwe from my phone (she still hadn't called or texted). Later that day I wrote my review of her. I contacted UrbanSitter and sent screenshots of the conversation. Dan from UrbanSitter responded by sending me a coupon code for 30 percent off the membership renewal or for jobs paid with a credit card, whichever came first (understandably, these sitters take cash! No matter what their profile says; they prefer cash in hand or sent electronically and will tell parents the same. I don't blame them, either because I would too). Dan from UrbanSitter also said that next time I should check for the Low Cancellation Rate badge on their profile. Guess what? The badge was there even after Thandiwe was a no-show for this job, it was there after Thandiwe officially cancelled the job on UrbanSitter.com, it was there when Dan sent that thoughtless response, and I bet it is still on her profile as I write this review. Then UrbanSitter permitted Thandiwe to respond to my review with lies, and of course I edited my review of her to say that, reminding everyone that I gave her the chance to cancel and she promised to show up only to NOT show, and I notified UrbanSitter.

Malcolm from UrbanSitter sent an email response stating that they'll employ some technology in re the Low Cancellation Rate badge and just a whole bunch of insincere boilerplate, taking the roundabout way of saying they won’t do anything about this and blaming me for trusting UrbanSitter’s profile of Thandiwe on their website in my choice to hire her (silly me for trusting the service they promised to provide and that I paid for!) and told me to HIDE Thandiwe’s profile. What good will that do?! Especially after her no-show harmed me and as they allow her to remain on the app to accept jobs and to be a no-show at her will?! Then I checked my UrbanSitter account and saw that Thandiwe M. sent messages to my UrbanSitter inbox, wherein she proceeded to gaslight me with her revisions of the truth and faking concern for me when SHE was in the wrong, and AFTER I made it clear in my review and by blocking her on my phone that I want nothing to do with her!!! Unbelievable. If Thandiwe truly cared she would’ve cancelled in time for me to find a sitter or she would’ve shown up as she’d promised several times to do. Even worse, Thandiwe has my address.

UrbanSitter has shown that it doesn't care about the integrity, professionalism and safety of its members and users, and that's been made apparent in how this incident has been mishandled from the start. Thandiwe was a no-show in retaliation to my NO response to her request to change the times of the job SHE applied for, interviewed for and accepted, then I get an insincere response from URBANSITTER automatically telling me that I should've checked for a low cancellation rate badge that was on her profile, then that's followed with more nonsensical promises, more unhelpful advice and boilerplate from UrbanSitter AS SHE IS STILL PERMITTED TO ACCEPT JOBS AND HARASS ME ON THE URBANSITTER WEBSITE.

I have one job on August 30th with a reliable sitter we love and that job was scheduled off the website prior to Thandiwe M's incident (then booked on UrbanSitter.com) and that'll be the last time I use this site. I am DONE. No, my rating is 0, it's not at all likely that I'd recommend this website to anyone.

So URBANSITTER has the audacity to request that I edit my review, but NOT to properly address Thandiwe’s retaliation so that there'd be no need for an honest review of this type to be shared online in the first place?! Unbelievable!!! First names do not go against Trustpilot's guidelines. Do better UrbanSitter.