Garmin geocoin promotion:All coin versions now released.

[+slimey]

Just noticed this in the weekly Groundspeak email which has arrived in the last few moments...

 

http://garminuk.geocaching.com/

 

Oooh, shiny... Now, how to get to one in the next few days...

 

Simon

Edited August 30, 2008 by mandarin

[Edgemaster]

Awesome, I know where I'll be tomorrow...

[+dannable]

Days? What time do they open?? Shiny, shiny, shiny....

[+TMM-Sarah]

Just noticed this in the weekly Groundspeak email which has arrived in the last few moments...

 

http://garminuk.geocaching.com/

 

Oooh, shiny... Now, how to get to one in the next few days...

 

Simon

 

Looks Good just need them to get some coins in Taunton.

 

http://garminuk.geocaching.com/stores/

 

They do say that all Millets and Blacks will be participating evetually.

 

"Sorry spelling Edit"

Edited August 7, 2008 by The Morgan Mob

[+Donmoore]

looks like us good folk in Northern Ireland won't be getting any action! so much for spreading the word

[freehighlander]

looks like us good folk in Northern Ireland won't be getting any action! so much for spreading the word

 

Yup same goes for us Jocks Up north and NE of Scotland why none for Inverness or Aberdeen

 

Oh well Hey Ho

[+sTeamTraen]

One of the sponsors is "EnjoyEngland", which I presume is the tourist board for England. They have a funny map on their site where Wales and Scotland have been amputated. I imagine that this may be why the coin designs all depict things which are in England.

 

Unfortunately, when you get into areas which have been affected by UK "nation" politiics, things are rarely clear and simple. (I'm just guessing, but I suspect that getting the English, Welsh, Scottish, and NI tourist people to agree on something like this isn't likely to happen in any reasonable time-frame.)

 

I presume that there are some Millets/Blacks stores in Wales and Scotland. They probably have coins (the promotion page says "UK" and "Britain" a lot), in which case EnjoyEngland might well say "oi, we don't want our sponsorship money going on those non-English". All the usual fun and ambiguity of being British.

 

Also, it's worth keeping in mind that this is a commercial promotion; the sponsors" aims are to get you to read about Garmin products, go into Millets/Blacks, visit Grondspeak's Web sites, and, er, enjoy England. It's not a social service.

[+keehotee]

Just noticed this in the weekly Groundspeak email which has arrived in the last few moments...

 

http://garminuk.geocaching.com/

 

Oooh, shiny... Now, how to get to one in the next few days...

 

Simon

 

Looks Good just need them to get some coins in Taunton.

 

http://garminuk.geocaching.com/stores/

 

They do say that all Millets and Blacks will be participating evetually.

 

"Sorry spelling Edit"

 

Typical - nothing at all in the South West yet - not even Brizzle, even though Clifton Suspension Bridge is on one of the coins...... grrrrrrrrrrrrr

[+scottpa100]

None the less, I'm going to give Black and Millets in Llandudno a go. Oh - and Ambleside of north Wales, Betws-y-Coed, there's a Blacks there too. Ooooo.

[+ClareLouise]

Ooooh, thanks for the heads up...

 

Now, the question is, do I want to give up my only free day at home in a few weeks to head off to London and visit a few Millets and Blacks shops picking up geocoins? Or can I wait until they make it to Harlow?

[+rutson]

/me waves as ClareLouise heads to the smoke...

[paganfrog]

ahhhh dadgum, i havent got a chance in hell of finding any of these coins, i dont live anywhere near enough to those stores.

anyone wanna find me a stonehenge coin or one of the london themed coins?

i would love you very much but not in that way cos my husband would be annoyed.

[+The Klever Boys]

Ooooh, thanks for the heads up...

 

Now, the question is, do I want to give up my only free day at home in a few weeks to head off to London and visit a few Millets and Blacks shops picking up geocoins? Or can I wait until they make it to Harlow?

 

I would check first.

Our local store hasn't even got them in yet (just spoken to them!). I guess they feel there's no rush to get them out as the offer goes on until the end of September?

[+zensunni]

Blacks in Milton Keynes reckon they won't have them till the 9th

[+The Long Man Trackers]

I just called the London stores, only 1 seemed to have any real idea what I was after, the others thought it was a new GPS model!

 

Nothing in stock, they all concluded any coins are a few weeks away.

[+currykev]

I've just been into Blacks in Holborn.

They know nothing!

I've promised to badger them daily.

 

I've 4 local Black's I can also badger.I've already asked my workmates if they can help me get a full set.

Edited August 7, 2008 by currykev

[Deceangi]

For those outside of England, I've just spoken to my local Millets in Rhyl North Wales. They are aware of the promotion and are expecting arrival of the Geocoins. I'd suggest checking the Blacks/Millets website to see if there is one near to your location, and checking directly with the store.

[+Jaz666]

Garmin's marketing really confuses me sometimes (I deal with them in my day job).

An invitation for them to attend the Mega Event was given out, but they didn't show on the day, and now less than a week later they launch a Geocaching promo!!!!

[+MisterBen]

Might help if you print out the website and take it with you. Blacks at Tottenham Court Road say they have got the coins but haven't been told what to do with them.

[Izzy and the Lizard King]

We've just visited Black's in Telford (in fact we were waiting on their doorstep for them to open). They have no idea what we're talking about.

 

They checked with Shrewsbury store who are also meant to be a participating branch. Shrewsbury store hadn't a clue what it was about so they checked with what they refer to as their 'Back Office', which is the location on their internal system where details of all forthcoming and current promotions are held - Nothing!

 

P

[+currykev]

Might help if you print out the website and take it with you. Blacks at Tottenham Court Road say they have got the coins but haven't been told what to do with them.

 

Give em to me innit!

[+skinnymalinky]

Indeed the only participating place in Edinburgh has no clue what I was going on about and apparently Garmin's main help desk are unsure of Blacks role in the whole thing too.

 

[+currykev]

Now I'm panicking with the possible amount of muggler types that will go onto GC.com to log these coins.

I'm also aware that this thread is now pushing advertising. (but of course GC.com won't mind)...on this occasion.

[+flying420uk]

Blacks in Cardiff had 18 in this morning all Big Ben types, and will be having more in when they run out. Just picked up mine along with Dans Gang and I know they have had a few more enquiries by the time I had arrived. No mention of Britain though, only England.

Jo

[+rutson]

Can't help spotting the irony...

 

"Hidden Britain"

 

* Big Ben

* Angel of the North

* Stonehenge

* Clifton Suspension Bridge

* London Eye

 

[NickPick]

I've just phoned Blacks in Bluewater, who opened their package whilst I was on the phone. Their information says that they start on the 9th. Shame as I'm going to be driving past Bluewater in about 2 hours' time.

 

Luckily the participating store list says that all stores will soon be participating, so hopefully I'll be able to get one from the Blacks store just 4 doors away from my office.

[+Simply B]

Blacks on Deansgate in Manchester knew all about it but had been told the promo started on Sat. As luck would have it the Garmin materials were delivered while I was in the store. So I got the first shiny coin out of the box.

[NickPick]

Can't help spotting the irony...

 

"Hidden Britain"

 

* Big Ben

* Angel of the North

* Stonehenge

* Clifton Suspension Bridge

* London Eye

 

 

Well, some of those things might be hidden. After all, the location of the BT/telecom/Post Office tower was an official secret until 1993.

[+flying420uk]

Might help if you print out the website and take it with you. Blacks at Tottenham Court Road say they have got the coins but haven't been told what to do with them.

 

According to the nice people who answered the phone to me in their Cardiff store they hadn't received the correct information in their e-mail/letter. She told me the coins arrived in store this morning and I would have to find one hidden in a box so if I went to Geocaching.com and register etc etc.... I interupted and asked the obvious... How they going to get into the box? as it says on the website you can pick them up in store, and she said she'd phone head office and ring me back which she did and said Yes your right they are to be given out free.

Jo

[+MisterBen]

Now I'm panicking with the possible amount of muggler types that will go onto GC.com to log these coins.

Imagine if they had ran this just before Glastonbury...

[+ClareLouise]

Norwich are up and running with it. I texted a friend there when I read this this morning, and she has one sitting on her desk now waiting for me... I just told her to ask for a free Garmin Geocoin, and they gave her one... I'm glad she didn't have trouble, because literally, that was all I told her, and she knows nothing about caching!

[paganfrog]

hiya clarelouise was that in harlow? let me know cos i really want to get one, and will have to try and bribe a family member there to try and get one for me.

[+ClareLouise]

hiya clarelouise was that in harlow? let me know cos i really want to get one, and will have to try and bribe a family member there to try and get one for me.

 

No, Norwich- I got a friend who lives and works there to stop by. Not listed as being in Harlow yet, so I haven't tried there.

[paganfrog]

gah, i dont have any known contacts near the listed stores. this frog misses out again.

[+skinnymalinky]

I just picked mine up in Edinburgh. They said they only had Big Ben ones.

 

I'd love an Angel of the North one.

[Mittellegi]

Just collected mine from Deansgate Manchester...looks like they had about 14 left, all Big Ben!

 

Cost me £1.10 just to park my car, outrageous

[wolfshead57]

Am I missreading this thread isnt the idea to set these coins free? I do admit to being thick mind.

 

Anyway I have one from Blacks in Newcastle they didnt know why they got them until a fellow cacher asked and I rang. They only seem to have Big Ben ones at the moment. Am loggin mine this P.M. and setting it free this weekend once I figure out a mission for it.

 

Thanks Garmin for this freeby

[+mongoose39uk]

Blacks at The Fort in Manchester were just unpacking them at 11.30 when I arrived. Free parking there as well Bexy . Luckily was just going to the wholesalers down the road so no special Journey required.

 

Got the Big Ben one. Will be out in the wild this weekend

 

Ta Garmin etc

 

 

Had a phone call from Alibags to say getting one from Blacks in Newcastle is a nightmare and they are insisting you take a copy of the notification email.

[+MisterBen]

We just tried a couple of London stores.

 

The St Pauls branch don't have any. They have had an email about the promotion, which says it starts on Saturday.

 

The Holborn branch at Chancery Lane has them and are giving them out if asked nicely. All of theirs are the Big Ben coins, so it looks like each shop gets only one type. Or perhaps it's per region and the London ones get Big Ben. Most of the staff don't know what is going on but the manager (Lee) does.

 

The St Pauls guys phoned the "Rathbone" store (Tottenham Court Road) and they have them but the staff there think you only get one if you buy a Garmin product.

 

No one in any of the stores has a clue what they are used for or what Geocaching is! Seems to have been a complete balls up in letting the stores know what's going on.

Edited August 7, 2008 by MisterBen

[+gaugeman]

No problem in Chichester. They opened the envelope in front of me read the leaflet and gave me the coin. They also have a poster to put up in store so I suspect many of these coins will go to Muggles never to be seen again. On the other hand the fewer that are registered the higher my chance of winning an Oregon.

 

Daughter (who has obviously got more nerve than me has picked up TWO in Salisbury. All Big Ben. My guess is the others will be sent to the other shops over the period of the promotion.

Edited August 7, 2008 by gaugeman

[freehighlander]

One of the sponsors is "EnjoyEngland", which I presume is the tourist board for England. They have a funny map on their site where Wales and Scotland have been amputated. I imagine that this may be why the coin designs all depict things which are in England.

 

Unfortunately, when you get into areas which have been affected by UK "nation" politiics, things are rarely clear and simple. (I'm just guessing, but I suspect that getting the English, Welsh, Scottish, and NI tourist people to agree on something like this isn't likely to happen in any reasonable time-frame.)

 

I presume that there are some Millets/Blacks stores in Wales and Scotland. They probably have coins (the promotion page says "UK" and "Britain" a lot), in which case EnjoyEngland might well say "oi, we don't want our sponsorship money going on those non-English". All the usual fun and ambiguity of being British.

 

Also, it's worth keeping in mind that this is a commercial promotion; the sponsors" aims are to get you to read about Garmin products, go into Millets/Blacks, visit Grondspeak's Web sites, and, er, enjoy England. It's not a social service.

 

Ah politics politics politics

Whats a nu be supposed to do

I see there are a few caches around me My Webpage might take the kids and my shiney nu GPS out and try to fine one or two.

 

I might wonder past the pub too since its raining again

[+ClareLouise]

I'm told they only had Big Ben ones in Norwich as well- maybe as the promotion gets on, new ones will be sent out- a different one a week, maybe?

[+Munkeh]

the different designs are being released in stages, all the coins out at the moment are big ben

 

if you are going to Blacks i Newcastle take a notification email with you they are being a bit precious about them

[+currykev]

Thanks MisterBen,I've just come back from Holborn and I now have a shiny new coin.

[Izzy and the Lizard King]

We've just visited Black's in Telford (in fact we were waiting on their doorstep for them to open). They have no idea what we're talking about.

 

They checked with Shrewsbury store who are also meant to be a participating branch. Shrewsbury store hadn't a clue what it was about so they checked with what they refer to as their 'Back Office', which is the location on their internal system where details of all forthcoming and current promotions are held - Nothing!

 

P

 

UPDATE

 

Black's - Telford

- Shrewsbury and

- Merry Hill Centre, Brierley Hill

 

All had their coins delivered on midday deliveries.

 

We've now got a nice shiny Big Ben coin - collected from Telford

[+Eclectic Penguin]

Shiney new coin... Thanks for the headsup, Slimey.

 

Cardiff's branch of Blacks got theirs this morning - 17 in total and have already given 5 away so I wouldn't hang around too long for these. They've also had several phone calls about them - and are not allowed to reserve.

 

The shop attendant knew about Geocaching and what it was about and proceeded to explain it to the other shop attendant who thought it was a really neat idea.

 

Apparently they're going to come in batches. Each batch will all be the same coin (in this case Big Ben). They won't have any warning as to the exact date and are strictly to issue one coin of each type to each person - but you're allowed to go back and get another design as and when they're released.

[+Happy Humphrey]

Why aren't the Americans included in this offer! They'll have to hope that some coins make it across the channel (oops, I meant pond), or else they won't be able to get the very collectible icon. Poor guys!

Edited August 7, 2008 by Happy Humphrey

[+Eclectic Penguin]

Am I missreading this thread isnt the idea to set these coins free? I do admit to being thick mind.

 

You're entirely correct - they're to be released - as is the intention of all Geocoins - and I'm more than happy to release mine once I've logged it up. You do get ownership of the coin (unlike the Diabetes TBs a year or so ago where they were shipped pre-owned) and you get to see its icon in your Owned Trackables section - this is enough for some people to rush out to get a coin.

 

It is true that some people collect coins - I have 2 coins that I don't intend to release (Severn Valley & Mega Event) but only to bring to events for people to discover. I don't intend on keeping this one though and look forward to tracking it on is mission (whatever that is going to be).

[+Eclectic Penguin]

One of the sponsors is "EnjoyEngland", which I presume is the tourist board for England. They have a funny map on their site where Wales and Scotland have been amputated. I imagine that this may be why the coin designs all depict things which are in England.

 

Unfortunately, when you get into areas which have been affected by UK "nation" politiics, things are rarely clear and simple. (I'm just guessing, but I suspect that getting the English, Welsh, Scottish, and NI tourist people to agree on something like this isn't likely to happen in any reasonable time-frame.)

 

I presume that there are some Millets/Blacks stores in Wales and Scotland. They probably have coins (the promotion page says "UK" and "Britain" a lot), in which case EnjoyEngland might well say "oi, we don't want our sponsorship money going on those non-English". All the usual fun and ambiguity of being British.

 

Also, it's worth keeping in mind that this is a commercial promotion; the sponsors" aims are to get you to read about Garmin products, go into Millets/Blacks, visit Grondspeak's Web sites, and, er, enjoy England. It's not a social service.

 

My coin, procured in Cardiff has the funny England only map on it. As has been said already, this is the design of Enjoy England who are one of the organisations sponsoring the coins. One could argue that this is more relevant in Wales and Scotland as they're asking us foreigners to come and enjoy England

 

As there are 5 sponsors and 5 regions represented (all in England), I wonder if each issue will have a different sponsor's design on the flipside?

[+sTeamTraen]

Why aren't the Americans included in this offer! They'll have to hope that some coins make it across the channel (oops, I meant pond), or else they won't be able to get the very collectible icon. Poor guys!

 

It's revenge for the Jeeps. Of course, people in Alaska and Hawaii have always missed out on those too!