How PlantSitters Network works

PlantSitters Network is a Swiss online marketplace. It connects households that need plant care while they are away with independent local PlantSitters.

The platform provides the tools around a booking: holiday requests, matching, quotes, introductory meeting confirmation, a shared job page and a written history of what was agreed.

PlantSitters Network is not a party to the service arrangement between a client and a PlantSitter. It does not carry out plant care, does not supervise visits and does not employ PlantSitters.

After a client selects a PlantSitter, the client pays a one-time introduction and platform fee of CHF 15 by TWINT. It is charged once per matched job.

The fee covers the introduction between the two parties and the use of the platform for that job: unlocking contact details, the quote workflow, meeting confirmation and the shared history.

The fee does not cover the plant-care service itself, and it is not a deposit, a guarantee or an insurance premium. The service is quoted by the PlantSitter and paid directly to them, outside the platform.

If a job is cancelled, PlantSitters Network reviews any question about the fee according to the applicable cancellation terms.

Once the fee is confirmed, the PlantSitter prepares a quote in the platform. A quote shows the base service price for the chargeable weeks, any additional fixed costs and any possible extra costs, so both sides can see the full picture before committing.

The client can accept the quote, decline it or ask for a revised version. Every version stays visible in the job history.

After a quote is accepted, the client and the PlantSitter meet at the property. The meeting is the moment to review the plants, walk through the care instructions, confirm the quote and agree on access.

Both parties confirm the meeting in the platform. The job only moves to in progress when both confirmations are recorded.

If the scope changes at the meeting, the PlantSitter should send a revised quote through the platform before the service begins.

The accepted quote and the shared job page record what the two parties discussed on the platform. They are a practical record, not a contract drafted by PlantSitters Network.

For longer stays, valuable collections or unusual arrangements, we recommend that the client and the PlantSitter put their own written agreement in place covering scope, price, payment timing, access, cancellation and what happens if something goes wrong.

Any such agreement is strictly between the client and the PlantSitter. PlantSitters Network is not a signatory to it and cannot enforce it.

Key handover, alarm codes, building entry and any other access arrangement are agreed directly between the client and the PlantSitter, normally at the introductory meeting.

We recommend noting in writing when keys are handed over, how many keys are handed over and when they are returned. Photographs of the handover moment help both sides.

The client decides which areas of the home the PlantSitter may enter. The PlantSitter should stay within the agreed areas and use access only for the agreed visits.

PlantSitters Network never holds, stores or transports keys and has no access to any property.

Clients should provide clear, written care instructions: watering amounts and intervals, light, humidity, sensitive or rare specimens, pets, and anything in the home the PlantSitter should avoid.

Plants are living things. Even with careful watering, a plant can decline because of heat, pests, disease, transport shock or its condition before the holiday began. A PlantSitter cannot guarantee an outcome.

The PlantSitter should follow the agreed instructions with reasonable skill and care, and tell the client quickly if something looks wrong.

If a plant needs specialist care, say so before booking so the PlantSitter can decide whether to take the job.

Responsibility for the service and for any damage lies with the client and the PlantSitter, according to the circumstances and Swiss law. PlantSitters Network is not responsible for the performance of the plant-care service.

If damage occurs, tell the other party as soon as possible, document it with photographs and dates, and report the problem on the shared job page so the platform history reflects it.

PlantSitters Network does not provide, arrange, broker or underwrite any insurance. There is no platform guarantee, protection scheme or damage fund.

Clients should check whether their household or liability insurance covers a third party in the home. PlantSitters should check whether they hold, or wish to hold, their own liability cover. Insurance conditions in Switzerland vary by policy, so read your own policy or ask your insurer.

PlantSitters offer their services independently through the marketplace. PlantSitters Network does not employ them, does not pay wages and does not withhold contributions.

Being active on the platform does not by itself make a PlantSitter self-employed in the eyes of the Swiss authorities. Whether an activity counts as self-employment, occasional earnings or employment depends on the facts and on the assessment of the competent AHV or tax authority.

Each PlantSitter is responsible for declaring their income and for clarifying their own social insurance and tax position. Clients who engage someone regularly should also check whether any household employment rules apply to them.

If you are unsure, speak to your AHV compensation office, your cantonal tax office or an adviser.

Tenants and owners remain bound by their lease, building regulations and house rules. Clients should confirm that letting another person enter to care for plants is permitted, and pass on quiet hours, waste rules or entry restrictions.

For emergencies, agree in advance who to call: a neighbour, the building caretaker, the landlord and an emergency contact reachable while the client is away.

In case of fire, water damage, a break-in or a medical emergency, contact the Swiss emergency services first, then inform the other party. Report the incident on the job page afterwards so there is a record.

Holiday requests are shown to relevant PlantSitters without personal contact details. Full names, phone numbers, email addresses and the property address are unlocked only after the introduction and platform fee is confirmed for a matched job.

Both parties should use each other's details only for that job, and should not publish or pass them on.

A PlantSitter should not share photographs of the interior of a home publicly without the client's permission.

PlantSitters Network keeps the job history, messages and payment confirmation records needed to operate the platform and to support both sides if a problem arises.

If something goes wrong, first talk to the other party on the shared job page. Keeping the conversation there gives both sides one clear record.

You can also report a problem to PlantSitters support from the job page. Support can review the platform history, contact both parties, help with practical next steps and, where appropriate, act on the introduction and platform fee or on a PlantSitter's marketplace approval.

PlantSitters Network does not judge disputes, does not award compensation and cannot decide who is liable. Claims about damage, unpaid service fees or the quality of the care are settled between the client and the PlantSitter, and if needed through mediation or the Swiss courts.

Before a job starts, a client may cancel and a PlantSitter may withdraw. Doing this in the platform keeps the reason on record and lets the other side move on quickly.