Jump to content

What can be done about a TB collector?


WI_Robin

Recommended Posts

 

I had a very similar situation except that I put a unactivated coin in one of my new caches. It disappeared and I never heard from it again until I activated it, putting "THIS CACHE WAS STOLEN FROM ..." in the name of the coin - a coupla weeks later it appeared in a cache.

 

I'm a little confused. If you put an unactivated coin in a cache, doesn't that make it swag to be traded for? How can it be classified as stolen?

Link to comment

I marked my coin as "Stolen" with an explanation on the coin page why it was marked as stolen and almost immediately it got dropped in a cache. I am going to have someone stop at the cache and check it out. I hope it really was released - that would be a great ending to this!!! Thanks for all the comments and support!

 

Looking at the places where the coin thief visited today, so I guess he is no longer a low down thief, just a guy who holds on to coins for way to long. I see he dropped 8 coins that he has had since last Oct - December in caches today. So, I guess this story has a happy ending, since he finally replied to the public flogging. He has still not responded to private emails, which would have been the better way to handle this, and the way that I would have preferred. He does however get his emails, judging by the fact that he responded the same day to a cache of his that was muggled. (I hope that his cache was in fact muggled, and not subject to vigilante justice, because that would be going way to far, in my judgement.)

 

Anyway, this story has a happy ending. Thanks to all who contributed ideas.

 

zuma

Link to comment

 

I had a very similar situation except that I put a unactivated coin in one of my new caches. It disappeared and I never heard from it again until I activated it, putting "THIS CACHE WAS STOLEN FROM ..." in the name of the coin - a coupla weeks later it appeared in a cache.

 

I'm a little confused. If you put an unactivated coin in a cache, doesn't that make it swag to be traded for? How can it be classified as stolen?

Because he/she didn't trade for it, they just took it ( they were about the third finder so I knew what was in there and checked the cache often when it was first published ).

Link to comment

I don't want to start an uproar here, but I've always believed that an unactivated coin found in a cache was placed there for the finder to do with as he/she wished, no strings attached (keep it for personal collection, take it to events, or move it on down the road). If you wanted it to travel, it should have been activated before placement, and marked as a traveler. He/she SHOULD have traded evenly, but that doesn't always happen, as we all know. I don't consider an unactivated coin being picked up and not moved on as stolen.

 

Just our opinion!!

Link to comment

I don't want to start an uproar here, but I've always believed that an unactivated coin found in a cache was placed there for the finder to do with as he/she wished, no strings attached (keep it for personal collection, take it to events, or move it on down the road). If you wanted it to travel, it should have been activated before placement, and marked as a traveler. He/she SHOULD have traded evenly, but that doesn't always happen, as we all know. I don't consider an unactivated coin being picked up and not moved on as stolen.

 

Just our opinion!!

 

True, if they traded for it, which, as I've already mentioned, they DID NOT do. Hence it was stolen.

 

I would never have activated it if it was traded for. I waited and waited for a note/find identifying a swap but it never came. There was no trade ( even or otherwise ), it was stolen.

Edited by nicolo
Link to comment

I've seen where coins were taken and then trade items left for them sometimes as much as a week later. And then there is always the debate of...."well, what they traded wasn't even or up for the coin they took!" Either way, you got the coin back. It may have been a newer cacher who got freaked out when they saw the "Stolen" tag that you put on it. You just never know.

Link to comment

of the travel bugs/coins in my possesion:

2 are lost within the premises. one I was planning on putting in a specific cache, the other was last seen on my husband's desk cause he wanted to look at it.

1 was passed on by hand but never relogged by the new holder.

and the rest are sitting in a double encrypted puzzle cache my hubby has placed that we're waiting for the reviewer to release to the wild.

Link to comment

 

True, if they traded for it, which, as I've already mentioned, they DID NOT do. Hence it was stolen.

 

I would never have activated it if it was traded for. I waited and waited for a note/find identifying a swap but it never came. There was no trade ( even or otherwise ), it was stolen.

 

I came across an unactivated coin when I first started caching and was confused on what to do. At that time I did not visit the forums and I did not know what to do for some time. I actually did not know that it was not activated until I tried to log it. After reading through past logs I figured out who left it there and I contacted them to see if the coin was there in error. Not everyone is aware of the coin placers intent of the coin. This goes back to the GREAT DEBATE of "do you have to leave a coin or TB if you pick one up?" Since some feel that the coins and TB's are there to travel, they would say "No" while others feel "if you take a coin or TB, you must leave one". We need to realize that the rules on protocols are subject to one's own interpretation.

 

Just my thoughts

Link to comment

I marked my coin as "Stolen" with an explanation on the coin page why it was marked as stolen and almost immediately it got dropped in a cache. I am going to have someone stop at the cache and check it out. I hope it really was released - that would be a great ending to this!!! Thanks for all the comments and support!

 

Looking at the places where the coin thief visited today, so I guess he is no longer a low down thief, just a guy who holds on to coins for way to long. I see he dropped 8 coins that he has had since last Oct - December in caches today. So, I guess this story has a happy ending, since he finally replied to the public flogging. He has still not responded to private emails, which would have been the better way to handle this, and the way that I would have preferred. He does however get his emails, judging by the fact that he responded the same day to a cache of his that was muggled. (I hope that his cache was in fact muggled, and not subject to vigilante justice, because that would be going way to far, in my judgement.)

 

Anyway, this story has a happy ending. Thanks to all who contributed ideas.

 

zuma

 

That is great news! I always know when I send a coin out, I'm taking a risk of it landing in a cache that gets muggled, or that a coin thief will steal it. But it would really irk me if an active cacher held on to it like that!

Link to comment

I've seen where coins were taken and then trade items left for them sometimes as much as a week later. And then there is always the debate of...."well, what they traded wasn't even or up for the coin they took!" Either way, you got the coin back. It may have been a newer cacher who got freaked out when they saw the "Stolen" tag that you put on it. You just never know.

 

I've picked up a few coins that were activated but looking at them you sure couldn't tell. This may be confusing for newer cachers. An activated coin, meant to travel, should probably have something attached to it denoting the intentions and that the coin is NOT SWAG. The newer that cacher the less likely they are to be carrying around coins to trade in caches or to have their own to trade with. Thus other items are likely to get left in the place of a coin. Personally, I do not feel obligated to leave an item for an activated travel item. I often still swap travel items for travel items and do however find it uncooth to clean out a cache of all travel items (unless the cache is filled with water, in very bad disrepair or in some way subject to ruining the travel item).

Edited by zazth
Link to comment

Whoo hoo - visual confirmation of the coin has been made :anitongue: . Now it's coming home so I can have a hole drilled in it and release it with a tag. Thanks for all of the comments and support.

 

Glad to hear this has a happy ending for you! After helping you put tags on all your drilled coins, you have inspired me to do the same. All coins of mine that go out from now on will have a hole in it and a tag attached.

 

I think I'll go back and change the names of all my stolen travelers too.....

Link to comment

I think when unactivated coins are dropped for swag that they need to have a note with them that spells out that they are unactivated and a trade item - that should be traded for fairly. This then leaves no doubt as to their purpose and the intent on the person who dropped them.

 

As for stolen coins, if this person still has a large number of coins in their possession, then someone should contact the coin owners suggesting they all make contact with the alleged asking their coins to be returned to them directly, within a set period, otherwise it will be considered that the coins are stolen. They are the coin owners after all - they paid for them. Then once enough haven't been returned to there owners, Groundspeak should assist those coin and TB owners in laying a complaint with the police against this person. It is theft after all.

 

I will say that the person will had to have been holding these items for a significant amount of time before it came to this - not just 2 or 3 months.

 

Anyway, thats my thoughts on all this.

Link to comment

<snip> Personally, I do not feel obligated to leave an item for an activated travel item. I often still swap travel items for travel items and do however find it uncooth to clean out a cache of all travel items (unless the cache is filled with water, in very bad disrepair or in some way subject to ruining the travel item).

 

And you shouldn't. TBs and coins are not trade items and you do NOT have to trade for them. If you see one, pick it up and move it regardless of any "rules" in the cache. They are meant to travel and owners everywhere will thank you.

Link to comment

<snip> Personally, I do not feel obligated to leave an item for an activated travel item. I often still swap travel items for travel items and do however find it uncooth to clean out a cache of all travel items (unless the cache is filled with water, in very bad disrepair or in some way subject to ruining the travel item).

 

And you shouldn't. TBs and coins are not trade items and you do NOT have to trade for them. If you see one, pick it up and move it regardless of any "rules" in the cache. They are meant to travel and owners everywhere will thank you.

 

 

I totally agree. TB's and coins need to travel. It would be nice to trade TB for TB, or coin for coin, but this doesn't always happen, and I would rather just see them travel than to sit and wait until somebody has something of the same to trade.

 

However, if it is an unactivated coin, then I feel it is up to the discretion of the finder as to what they do with it. If you want the coin to travel, make sure there is a note with it. If you want it swapped evenly for, leave a note. Otherwise, many cachers feel as I do, it's our to do with as we please.

 

We have left unactivated coins in caches for the FTF, with the intention that the FTF could do whatever they wanted to with the coin, keep it, travel it, show it, destroy it (hopefully not!!!), and I suspect this is what this cacher thought when they picked up this coin.

 

Give him a break, he may be a Newbie. I think most of us don't feel like he stole it just because he didn't trade for it. He'll do it the next time, mainly because he's been made to feel guilty this time. Or he may decide not to continue caching because of the bad experience. That, to us, is unacceptable! We just need to gently lead Newbies in the right direction, so they have a great time and enjoy every TB and every coin they come across in their travels.

 

I know this is long, but I just feel this was handled badly, in my opinion. I'm sorry for those I offend by saying this. But that's what these forums are for, is for everyone to have some input!!!

Link to comment

But act how? They can cancel the membership but that won't stop them from accessing the site and having access to caches or coins. Making this guy mad is only going to make things worse. I by noe means advocate turning a deaf ear to the problem, but I have yet to see a solution that will help the situation.

 

I don't disagree that something should be done - but what is that something?

 

If the person in question has a high number of cache finds, GC can use the threat of cancelling his membership to bring him around. How many 'high number' cachers would be willing to start from 0 finds?

 

Threatening someone is never an effective deterrent. Either you reason with them or deny service.

 

I noticed the guy has a NEW Cache. Maybe he could stock it with his Collection! :P

Edited by HOKIEMARY
Link to comment

I too have a coin being held hostage: http://www.geocaching.com/track/details.aspx?id=697618 . The guy tries to make it look he is doing us a favor by the way he does it. I have emailed him 3 times to please put it in another cache because I know the risk that I take when I put coins out and HE is doing what he says that he is preventing!!!! I know that I get busy sometimes and don't always get my TBs dropped off again before I get that dreaded '*', but I do my best. I can't imagine keeping someone else's coin on purpose. And he is a Dr no less and I am a poor student! Give me a break! Can't he buy his own coins? I am going to try the 'stolen' word in the title and see if that works. Thanks for the idea!

Link to comment

I think when unactivated coins are dropped for swag that they need to have a note with them that spells out that they are unactivated and a trade item - that should be traded for fairly. This then leaves no doubt as to their purpose and the intent on the person who dropped them.

 

As for stolen coins, if this person still has a large number of coins in their possession, then someone should contact the coin owners suggesting they all make contact with the alleged asking their coins to be returned to them directly, within a set period, otherwise it will be considered that the coins are stolen. They are the coin owners after all - they paid for them. Then once enough haven't been returned to there owners, Groundspeak should assist those coin and TB owners in laying a complaint with the police against this person. It is theft after all.

 

I will say that the person will had to have been holding these items for a significant amount of time before it came to this - not just 2 or 3 months.

 

Anyway, thats my thoughts on all this.

 

I have left several unactivated coins, in baggies, with notes to the effect that they are unactivated and please trade fairly....its interesting to read the logs! What some people seem to think are fair trades would surprise you...a plastic dinosaur?? I will continue to drop unactivated coins, I just won't be surprised at the trade values!

Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...