If they can't be clear and direct about where they live (that's fair enough) then how can they give a straight answer to where they're based? What's the difference?
I used to be "based" in San Francisco. I would stay at the company apartment there which was my official address in the US, it was the address on my bank statements and lots of other stuff. But I'd only stay there maybe a total of 10 weeks of the year, for the rest of the year I'd be visiting customers all round the US (and sometimes the world) and staying in hotels, or at one long term customer in Kansas where I had another apartment rented for me.
So, whilst I was living in Kansas for more than half the year I'd say I was based in SF. If that contract had dried up and I moved back to SF for the majority of the time and someone asked me where I was "based" I'd say "I live here in SF".
I agree it's a shit term as most people say "based" even when they should say "live". I guess it's down to people wanting to sound cleverer than they are, which is why this thread exists.
I used to be "based" in San Francisco. I would stay at the company apartment there which was my official address in the US, it was the address on my bank statements and lots of other stuff. But I'd only stay there maybe a total of 10 weeks of the year, for the rest of the year I'd be visiting customers all round the US (and sometimes the world) and staying in hotels, or at one long term customer in Kansas where I had another apartment rented for me.
So, whilst I was living in Kansas for more than half the year I'd say I was based in SF. If that contract had dried up and I moved back to SF for the majority of the time and someone asked me where I was "based" I'd say "I live here in SF".