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Comercial cache


Autacek

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I wanna created cache opened 24/7, in the midle of the secong bigest town in Czech Republic.

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...d9-aa56f6f2c753

 

(GCY1F8)

 

The cache is on the public,very trafic place. I had idea, it should be a TB Hotel too, this is 50m near the main station. But the box with TBs was inside the shop near, for the security of TBs.

 

Reviewer mean, this is comercial cache, but I do not underestand, because it is not contra the rules.

 

Nobody wanna attempt to use the Geocaching.com web site cache reporting tool directly or indirectly (intentionally or non-intentionally) to solicit customers through a Geocaching.com listing.

 

Nobody wanna money for the income (as on other places), nobody wanna solicit customers, etc. Nobody can think, that it can has a influence for the business there..

 

There is no writen, box, or cache can not be in the shops, there is writen, as I underestand well, abuse of geocaching for comercial drift is disallowed.

 

The reasons, why is box there is definite, the security of TBs, no comercial.

 

What do you think about ?

 

Thanks for your opinion.

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Nobody wanna attempt to use the Geocaching.com web site cache reporting tool directly or indirectly (intentionally or non-intentionally) to solicit customers through a Geocaching.com listing.

 

You do not have to want it to be a solicitation for it to be a solicitation. Thats why the guideline says "use the Geocaching.com web site cache reporting tool directly or indirectly (intentionally or non-intentionally) to solicit customers through a Geocaching.com listing. " It is indirect and non-intentional. What did Groundspeak say when you asked them for permission? Also this is why TB hotels may not always be a good idea. If it needs that much security its probably not a good place for a TB Hotel.

 

Remember, Not every location needs a cache.

Edited by CO Admin
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You do not have to want it to be a solicitation for it to be a solicitation. Thats why the guideline says "use the Geocaching.com web site cache reporting tool directly or indirectly (intentionally or non-intentionally) to solicit customers through a Geocaching.com listing. " It is indirect and non-intentional.

 

If the meaning of "indirectly and non-intentionally" is interpreted in such a wide sense, then the majority of caches I know of (they are all in Europe) fall into this category.

 

Examples include caches that can be reached by mountain toll roads, chair lifts, cable cars etc

Caches that start at parking lots of restaurants, inns

Caches the description of which contains recommendation for places where one can get good food

Caches that mention that a region is so nice that it payoffs to spend several days there .....

 

I prefer cache descriptions which provide me with informations on the surroundings to those who are just two lines containing coordinates and nothing else.

 

Some of the nicest urban caches I have ever seen, are located in buildings and locations like restaurants, shops etc (in none of the cases, one needs to buy anything or consume anything, however).

 

I understand that it might be hard to draw the borderline in some cases, but a TB-hotel like the mentioned one appears harmless to me (apart from the fact that I am not that fanatic about TB hotels).

 

One of the problems with the geocaching.com guidelines is that they try to apply the same set of rules to each country in the world which does not make sense. (Yes, I know that many reviewers try to interpret the guidelines as much as possible to account for the situation in a specific country, but in my opinion this is not an ideal situation.)

 

 

Cezanne

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Remember, Not every location needs a cache.

 

That's just so OT. This is not about cache density.

 

Anyhoo, like Cezanne points out, caches attract visitors. Said visitors are likely to use nearby amenities; thus, the caches indirectly solicit. This is tantamount to a blanket ban on all urban caches, as there are usually shops within few metres of these.

 

Autacek, you might want to try opencaching.de instead.

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I've seen several where the cache is behind the counter of a store, and see no problem with that at all. I was particularly appreciative of one in Puerto Vallarta, which gave us a "safe" place to drop a few bugs. We were never asked to buy anything, and the woman in the shop gave us some great advice of things to do!

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Well, Geocaching.Com / Groundspeak certainly offer to sell enough geocaching merchandise. Whilst, I don't personally object to this, it seems there are enough people out there making money directly from geocaching. From Geo Coins, to Travel Bug tags, website memberships, stickers, pens, compasses. It's not just those that run or maintain the various caching websites where this takes place, look on ebay at any given time and you'll find people selling home made cache containers complete with log books, fake stones etc There are even books on the subject. Some caches you have to pay to be a member of the website before you can even view the details! Also, whilst GPS is an essential part of Geocaching the GPS manuafctures have been quick to tune into the activity with certain geocaching features becoming a selling point of their product. Jeep travel bugs are another example.

 

Commercial caches are not allowed under the cache placement guidlines and I will certainly abide by them, however the previous poster made some good comments about indirect solicitation. There are no end of caches where you are told of a good place to eat, rest etc while doing the cache. I like this kind of information, along with where to park, train time tables, what to avoid etc. What is the diference if someone who has no connection with an establishement saying "Why not have a meal at x..." than it is for someone who does. These days you can't pick up a magazine, listen to the radio, watch the TV, use the internet or even by clothes without coming across advertising of some kind. I wouldn't want to see caches inside commercial premises however.

 

The more high profile geocaching becomes, the more people involved and therefore money and a targetable customer group, the more inevitable it will be that commercialisation will creep in at some level. It doesn't all have to be bad. Lets face it, if there wasn't comercialisation we wouldn't have geocaching as we currently know it.

 

This will need careful handling by the geocaching commuity over the coming years.

Edited by SierraFive
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If you ask me (which you didn't) I say that, especially since the cache itself is not in the store, it should be fine. If an average Joe just wants to register the find, there's not even a need to go into the store. And, if he/she wants to do a TB exchange or drop-off, it's a quick walk to the counter, do your business, and leave.

 

Now, if visitors start getting asked mercilessly to buy while they're there, then it's gotta go. But if the business holds to the spirit of geocaching, it should be fine.

 

Mike (Mike & Kate)

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