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Why does Rover charge the sitter fees per booking?

I have to charge my clients more to make up for the fees Rover takes. I recently learned that Rover also takes fees from my clients. This seems a bit much. Is there an option for annual instead of per booking? If I were to be paid for a service by someone via PayPal (in this case is not this is just an example), the person paying is charged not the person earning the money.

How are these fees justified? Is there a breakdown (I.E. insurance, user fee, booking feed, etc.)

I also thought when I signed up that my fee per booking was less...somehow it not only appears higher but now i learn that Rover is also charging my clients too.

4 Answers

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John S.

Used Rover for the first time today, and the lack of transparency in fees is very problematic to me. I paid the $30 fee myself and was under the impression that the sitter would keep 100% of their fee - at best this business model is deceptive. If it wasn’t, they would state “in addition to what you are paying us to use this service, we will withhold an additional 20% from your sitters fees.” Not going to state it as it does not pass the smell test - doubt I will use the service again.

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Deb A.

None

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Jennifer C.

I find the lack of transparency re:fees to be objectionable, as do many of my clients. It is difficult to offer a reasonable price for setvices when i end up losing so much AND have to take into account the mysterious amount Rover charges owners. This % is very hard to verify.

According to Rover site, fees go towards emergency hotline, “educational opportunities, and ongoing promotion of our services”: I have found “emergency” help line helpful once; another time, it was insulting and seemed reckless, which only made me apprehensive to even bother w it again. The “educational oppty” and “ongoing promotion” of our services?! I haven’t seen anything worth 20%of my meagre fees there. I would rather keep more $ than fund any of that. Other interactions w support have yielded zero help; zero results.

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Tom & Joanne A.

The simple solution is to convert rover customers to your own client base! I was unaware of the separate charge to my clients until one recently asked what the fee was for.. After explaining what I just found out, she said screw them, I will just come to you direct and we don't have to pay them at all. We have a pretty good client base so it would probably work for us.

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Karen R.

All the fees are explained here:

https://support.rover.com/hc/en-us/ar...

The customer service fee has been in effect for over two years and is only levied on customers who signed up subsequent to that date.

Rover's percentage depends on when a sitter signed up as well. "New pet sitters and dog walkers whose profiles were created on or after March 1, 2016 take home 80% of their earnings from each booking. All sitters whose profiles were created before that date take home 85% of their earnings from each booking."

As for justification, Rover doesn't need to justify anything to anyone.

The percentage Rover takes from sitters depends on when you signed up. It has never increased for those

Comments

This response from Rover to this sitter inquiry seems unnecessarily rough: "As for justification, Rover doesn't need to justify anything to anyone." The customer service at Rover is usually outstanding and kind. I was surprise to read this.

Vanessa G.

Agreed this response wasn’t very professional at all and considering they take 20% of the sitters cut and also charge 5-7% to the owner you would think they wouldn’t mind justifying what it goes to or why they take SO MUCH.. a $100 booking costs me over $100 and the sitter only gets $80? Lol scam...

Steph P.

Uh, this response is NOT from Rover. I am a sitter. No company has to justify the fees it charges or when it increases them. That's the real world.

Karen R.

Rover is a business you guys. When you order a burger at McD's, do they explain the cost breakout? No. Its not a 'scam' (lol) its a business model. If you don't like that they take fees from you for providing a conduit of clients, then you are free to stop using it.

April S.

Rover is not a scam. However, the different fees charged before and after a certain sign up date are objectionable. Rover doesen't "have to justify" it's fees but it would be good business practice. Since it will be losing sitters and customers by not being transparent.

Nate G.

My dog was severely injured during a stay at a sitters home and rover did not refund me a dime or cover any vet bills. That person is still on the app working like nothing happened years later. Isn’t my 20% supposed to cover that lol

Jessyca C.

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Why does Rover charge the sitter fees per booking?

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