Support
How can we help?
Answers to the common questions, and how to reach a human when you need one.
Frequently asked
How do I report another user?
Open the chat with them, their sitter profile, or their bid on your job and tap the “…” menu, then Report. Pick a reason (spam, harassment, unsafe, scam or something else) and add detail. Reports go straight to the Nearpaw team, are reviewed within 24 hours on weekdays, and are never shown to the person you reported.
How do I block someone?
From the same “…” menu choose Block. A blocked user cannot message you, bid on your jobs or see your jobs, and you will not see theirs. Neither of you is notified. You can see and undo your blocks any time under Settings → Blocked users (app and website).
What happens after I report someone?
Every report creates a case for our trust & safety queue. We review the chat, care feed and booking history, contact both sides where needed, and may warn or remove the account. If anyone is in immediate danger, call 999 first and email us afterwards.
Messaging is locked — why?
Owner and sitter messaging opens once the owner has paid for the booking. Before that, sitters send a one-off message with their bid. This keeps contact details and payment inside Nearpaw, where insurance and dispute protection apply.
How do the start and end codes work?
The owner has two secret 4-digit codes on the booking screen. Give the sitter the start code at handover and the end code when your pet is back. Entering the end code completes the booking and releases payment. If the owner does nothing after a sitter requests completion, the booking completes automatically after 72 hours.
How do cancellations and refunds work?
Owners who cancel more than 24 hours before the start get a full refund; inside that window 50% is refunded and the sitter keeps the rest. If a sitter cancels, the owner is always refunded in full. Refunds reach your card in 5–10 working days.
Something went wrong during a booking. What do I do?
Open the booking and choose “Raise a dispute”. Payment is held while we review the care feed and messages, and we contact both parties. For a vet emergency during a booking, the pet’s vet-ready profile has the vet, insurance and emergency contact details one tap away.
How do I delete my account?
Settings → Delete your account in the app or on the website sends us a deletion request. We confirm by email and remove your profile, pets, messages and care feed within 30 days, keeping only what UK tax and insurance rules require. You can also email support@nearpaw.co.uk.
How are payments handled?
Cards are processed by Stripe; Nearpaw never sees your full card number. Owners pay the sitter’s price with no added fee. Sitters receive the price minus the 10% platform fee (7% for a repeat booking) to their Stripe account after the booking completes.
Trust & safety
Report a safety concern
Every report is read by a person. You can report from inside the app or by email, and you can block anyone at any time.
1. Report in the app
Tap “…” in a chat, on a sitter profile or on a bid, then Report. Choose a reason and tell us what happened.
- Spam or advertising
- Harassment or abuse
- Unsafe for pets or people
- Scam or off-platform payment
- Something else
2. Block if you need to
From the same menu choose Block. They can no longer message you, bid on or see your jobs. Manage blocks under Settings → Blocked users.
3. We review within 24 hours
Reports land in our moderation queue immediately. We look at the booking, chat and care feed, contact both sides where needed, and remove accounts that break the rules.
Prefer email, or reporting content outside a chat?
Send the person’s name, what happened and any screenshots. If someone is in immediate danger, call 999 first.