How long to wait?

[+AtwellFamily]

What is reasonable to wait before giving someone a nudge about dropping the coin in another cache? Grabbed 14 days ago.

[+Keeper of Maps]

I generally wait until it's gone grey in my list of trackable items and then give them a few more days. If it looks like they've been active since they picked it up, I'll nudge them. If they haven't been active then they may be travelling or otherwise unable to log things immediately, so I'll give them a bit more time. When I have nudged people, I've found them to be pleasant and apologetic about it. Some of them have been looking for "the right cache" to place it in.

[+AtwellFamily]

I generally wait until it's gone grey in my list of trackable items and then give them a few more days. If it looks like they've been active since they picked it up, I'll nudge them. If they haven't been active then they may be travelling or otherwise unable to log things immediately, so I'll give them a bit more time. When I have nudged people, I've found them to be pleasant and apologetic about it. Some of them have been looking for "the right cache" to place it in.

How can you tell they have been active.

[+CachingCoins]

I always look at the profile of the person. If they are a newbie, they may not know what it is or what to do with it. (Although, I am hoping the changes on the website will help with this!) A newbie, I contact after about 2 weeks. An experienced cacher, I usually give about a month. Especially, if they haven't done any caching. I have even waited a couple of months before making contact. I try to decide each case individually. Hope this helps.

[+Mauison]

I generally wait until it's gone grey in my list of trackable items and then give them a few more days. If it looks like they've been active since they picked it up, I'll nudge them. If they haven't been active then they may be travelling or otherwise unable to log things immediately, so I'll give them a bit more time. When I have nudged people, I've found them to be pleasant and apologetic about it. Some of them have been looking for "the right cache" to place it in.

How can you tell they have been active.

 

Check their profile to see if they've logged in recently. Also, check their caches found list and the last time they went caching.

 

Every once in a while I'll check my travelers to see which ones haven't been moved in a while. I had a few that hadn't been moved in 3-4 months so I sent an email to the cachers who still had them. Most of them replied in a day or two, apologizing for holding the coin so long and that they'd drop it off in a cache soon.

[avroair]

I usually wait 3-4 months then email the person. Not everyone caches EVERY weekend.

[+Team_Talisman]

I have had some retrieved or grabbed, and have wound up in alaska, Iraq, Hawaii and Tiawan and England and some times they take time to log and move. I usually give them 3 to 6 months....

[danoshimano]

14 days is not a long time. I have a Loggerhead sitting right here that I picked up on October 25. While I am starting to feel a little guilty about not getting it on its way, the truth is that other life moments have taken precedence.

 

My longest non-caching streak in the three years I have been caching is 77 days.

[+Kealia]

I'd say typically wait a month or two. Like others have said, life happens.

[+Thrak]

I have one that was picked up in MAY and hasn't moved. The guy logs into the site regularly. I've sent him email with no reply. He's listed as owning 79 geocoins. He picked up several others around the same time he picked up mine and hasn't moved any of them either....... I had almost 11k miles on that coin and I'm pretty unhappy about it being taken and kept.

Edited November 18, 2006 by Thrak

[+Cornerstone4]

I know someone that will contact you on average within an hour thanking you for picking it up...and reminding you to keep it moving...

[Aushiker]

G'day

 

I give it a month and then drop them a friendly email. If I don't get a response within a few days I check their profile. If they have logged in since I emailed them, I assume that they can email me and therefore I try again. Basically keeping up the pattern until I either get a response or I give up. After six months of no contact/no movement I give up and generally mark the trackable as stolen.

 

In the last last week or so I have followed up two. One got a response after the first email, second took two emails and then the bug was placed in a cache. I then sent a thankyou email. Nothing at all however from the rude cacher.

 

Regards

Andrew

[+chaosmanor]

I have one that was picked up in MAY and hasn't moved. The guy logs into the site regularly. I've sent him email with no reply. He's listed as owning 79 geocoins. He picked up several others around the same time he picked up mine and hasn't moved any of them either....... I had almost 11k miles on that coin and I'm pretty unhappy about it being taken and kept.

This sounds like a case for at least seeing if another cacher in that area might know the person; perhaps they can jostle the person's elbow, as it were. Granted that this is always a touchy subject; you might just make the person mad. But what's the worst that can happen? They'll keep your coin, which is what they seem to be doing already.

 

As for the original question, I rarely bug people about our Bugs and Coins. We have so many out there (a couple-three hundred, total, and rising all the time) that it's impossible to keep track of all of them. If I happen to notice a Traveler that seems to be stuck in someone's pocket, I'll drop a line, nice and friendly in tone, "Hey, how's it going? Just thought I'd see what's up with our Bug..." Usually that works. On rare occasions we get nothing in response. I just chalk it up to, "Geez, People!" What else can you do?

[+Team JSAM]

For us at least 3 weeks before I would contact them, but most of the time I dont even notice until its been well over a month. One thing I have learned the more you set free the less you seem to notice.

[+Cheesy pigs]

In the last last week or so I have followed up two. One got a response after the first email, second took two emails and then the bug was placed in a cache. I then sent a thankyou email. Nothing at all however from the rude cacher

 

Whew! I just had to check your bugs to make sure it wasn't us who had been 'rude'

 

When we pick up 'special coins' (although when you get down to it, all coins are special!) we make sure they go in caches that have never been muggled. Sometimes life does get in the way, but we try to let people know when we have held onto bugs or coins too long.

[Aushiker]

Whew! I just had to check your bugs to make sure it wasn't us who had been 'rude'

 

You can rest assured that it was not yourselves

 

Andrew

[+Thrak]

I have one that was picked up in MAY and hasn't moved. The guy logs into the site regularly. I've sent him email with no reply. He's listed as owning 79 geocoins. He picked up several others around the same time he picked up mine and hasn't moved any of them either....... I had almost 11k miles on that coin and I'm pretty unhappy about it being taken and kept.

 

Can't edit this anymore so I'll "reply" to my own post.

 

I sent another email to this cacher and he has PLACED my bug in a cache now! Wahoo!!! I'm doing the happy dance and sent him mail thanking him for moving my bug.

[+Rockin Roddy]

I have only about 9 coins traveling right now, and 31 caches hidden...I write everyone that either visits my cache (thanks for coming out...) AND everyone that grabs (or even discovers) one of my coins (oh, I have a TB or two also) or TBs...within the day if possible. My message to those I contact for grabbing my coin...thanks for picking up my coin, (explain that it's on a mission), can't wait to see where it's gioing next (add any detail about it's recent travels etc)...and a big THANK-YOU at the end for moving my coin!

 

I then send a message of thanks when the coin is placed again safely!! If my coin/TB hasn't moved for a considerable length of time, (say a month) I write a quick reminder (AGAIN...politely) to that cacher asking the item to be moved as intended!! I think this way, you start a line of conversation with the person who has grabbed your coin/TB, making for more of a personal, friendly relation with that cacher...friends don't steal from friends...I hope!! One just never knows when that person might come across another of my travelers!!

Edited November 29, 2006 by Rockin Roddy