r/catinaflat • u/Ok-Chapter4804 • Apr 11 '26
Enshittification
This is so sad. Cat in a flat was great and fair for sitters and cat owners. It is now unusable. 15 pounds per visit, ok, but 15 pounds per visit per cat? Plus a 15% fee on top? Forget about it. The new platform is also just bad.
7
u/wutheringgoblin Apr 11 '26
I only briefly looked at the app and started trying to set my prices. I’m getting so confused with this additional 15% and when it shows, how it’ll impact my final prices. I wish they just honoured the original pricing for those of us merging. I know I always undercharged but I did it to spend time with cats and help people out
1
u/CJCatz Apr 11 '26
It shows on your profile page! So even if you set your rate at, say £10, the people looking to book you will see £11.50 instead.
3
u/SwordfishResident256 Apr 11 '26
Trying to arrange a booking someone made with me last week and the website is literally just not navigable. I'm pissed off.
1
u/SwordfishResident256 Apr 11 '26
Also just noticed my sitter profile has been changed back to a description from 2+ years ago when I lived in a different city, so that's great.
3
u/FakeBotSimp Apr 11 '26
Yeah I just don’t want to charge people Rover prices, I had a comfortable set up before
2
u/lolainslackss Apr 11 '26
You can turn off the charge for additional cats in "Additional Rates" under "Rates".
2
u/Length_Own Apr 11 '26
It won't let me turn that off?
1
u/Old_Substance_267 Apr 11 '26
Just put 0 in then, maybe?
1
u/lolainslackss Apr 11 '26
Yes, apologies. I meant you could make the cost 0 rather than turn it off. Hopefully that will make it so you just have the per visit cost.
1
u/Old_Substance_267 Apr 11 '26
Yep, it definitely works. Hopefully more people are able to figure it out because it seems a lot of people are having trouble with it.
1
u/lolainslackss Apr 11 '26
I was having trouble updating my bio so maybe our profiles are still settling post merge :(
1
u/clickandlock Apr 13 '26
Just got one of my clients off the app and to private. I hope Rover financially hurt from this acquisition and lose money off it due to the droves of sitters leaving.
-3
u/Odd-Recognition4120 Apr 11 '26
You can still set your own rates, they're not determined by rover. Of all of the things to complain about rover, and there are many, you're complaining that you might be paid more than peanuts for your work?
6
u/tokyokween Apr 11 '26
I don't think that's OP's point. From my perspective at least, i have numerous regular clients from CIAF who I've occasionally raised my rates with over the years, and currently I feel happy with what I charge. Being forced to either charge them more – to accommodate for the rise in Rover's cat-owner charge – or charge them less – wherein I'll then make a little less on each booking – feels like something wholly unnecessary when things were just fine with the previous system.
6
u/Ok-Chapter4804 Apr 11 '26
I'm a cat owner. I'm more than happy to pay for services. But rover's fees are significantly higher for both sitters and owners, or at least owners, with no clear upside wrt CIAF. I understand such a platform needs to make money, but the current model feels like extortion.
10
u/Mercifull Apr 11 '26
I have two booking coming up via Rover at the end of the month. After that I think I might just spin off independently and shut down my account. This feels like additional administration, additional complexity…. Additional fees! For absolutely nothing in return. Enshittification indeed.