Missing Caches

[+carl jr]

I'm new to Geocaching and I am wondering what is the usual time span between when a cache disappears and when it is replaced or archived?

[+blb9556]

I'm new to Geocaching and I am wondering what is the usual time span between when a cache disappears and when it is replaced or archived?

 

Great question! It can depend. Some caches are never replaced and the reviewers see that it has been disabled for more than two weeks, then after about another two weeks they archive it if their is no response from the owner. Others can be hours or days. It depends.

[+carl jr]

I'm new to Geocaching and I am wondering what is the usual time span between when a cache disappears and when it is replaced or archived?

 

Great question! It can depend. Some caches are never replaced and the reviewers see that it has been disabled for more than two weeks, then after about another two weeks they archive it if their is no response from the owner. Others can be hours or days. It depends.

Thanks for the reply. There are are couple caches close to me with this issue and I am curious if they are gonna put out another cache, or if possible I could place a cache for them. I would be willing to help maintain these caches if the cache owner didnt mind. I just don't know if this considered proper etiquette.

[+briansnat]

I'm new to Geocaching and I am wondering what is the usual time span between when a cache disappears and when it is replaced or archived?

 

Great question! It can depend. Some caches are never replaced and the reviewers see that it has been disabled for more than two weeks, then after about another two weeks they archive it if their is no response from the owner. Others can be hours or days. It depends.

Thanks for the reply. There are are couple caches close to me with this issue and I am curious if they are gonna put out another cache, or if possible I could place a cache for them. I would be willing to help maintain these caches if the cache owner didnt mind. I just don't know if this considered proper etiquette.

 

Ask the owner. Some may be happy to let your replace their cache, some would rather you didn't. If you get no response and you see the owner hasn't logged onto the website in some time then you are probably better off issuing a Should Be Archived log. Then you can pace your own there once it's archived by an admin.

[+MarshMonsters]

Just send a friendly email with an offer to help to the owner. Most of the ones that I have contacted are greatful for the help or will go out to the spot right away to correct the issue.

[+ncfinn]

Are you sure the cache is really gone? Maybe people just can't find it.

[+wapahani]

We have a cache owner here that has close to 100 hides. She has health issues and has been gone from activity since the spring, but really hasn't been doing anything since fall.

Several of her caches have gone missing, or have serious issues.

Slowly some of us have been taking inventory of caches local to us, and if we haven't found them, we contact others to see if we just aren't looking in the right location.

When all comes out and we know the cache is missing, one of us drops a note to our reviewer to take action. He has been giving her 14 days, then archiving them.

That being said, no one is taking the old location, so if she choses to come back and put in new caches she can.

 

If you know the cache is missing, then send the owner a note. If you see the owner has been inactive for more then a year, then post a SBA to the log for the reviewer and leave all the info you know on there so they can make an informed choice.

[+Buggheart]

I'm glad you asked this because I was about to post a similar question. There is a multi in my area of which the 2nd and final stage has been missing for over a year as the coordinates are no longer part of the 1st cache. The person who placed it has not logged into the site in almost 2 years and has not responded so it seems to me like he does not intend to disable it or address the issues with it. I was wondering what, if anything, someone can do about it. I went to the end of the logs but there is not a log saying that it was published so I'm not sure who the reviewer would be.

[+BlueDeuce]

I'm glad you asked this because I was about to post a similar question. There is a multi in my area of which the 2nd and final stage has been missing for over a year as the coordinates are no longer part of the 1st cache. The person who placed it has not logged into the site in almost 2 years and has not responded so it seems to me like he does not intend to disable it or address the issues with it. I was wondering what, if anything, someone can do about it. I went to the end of the logs but there is not a log saying that it was published so I'm not sure who the reviewer would be.

 

-Tiki- appears to be one of the local reviewers. Just posting a SBA is enough to get the attention by the appropriate person. If you are uncomfortable or not certain if you should post a SBA you can contact pretty much any reviewer for direction.

 

By your description of the cache it sounds like it needs to be archived and retrieved by the community. An active but un-findable cache isn't doing anyone any good.

[+wapahani]

I'm glad you asked this because I was about to post a similar question. There is a multi in my area of which the 2nd and final stage has been missing for over a year as the coordinates are no longer part of the 1st cache. The person who placed it has not logged into the site in almost 2 years and has not responded so it seems to me like he does not intend to disable it or address the issues with it. I was wondering what, if anything, someone can do about it. I went to the end of the logs but there is not a log saying that it was published so I'm not sure who the reviewer would be.

 

I agree with BlueDuce on this one Buggheart.

Post a SBA or contact the reviewer.

If someone has been gone 2 years then chances are they aren't coming back.

Review the logs and make sure someone else hasn't claimed to maintain it. Cover all the bases on this one first.

 

Then post a SBA or email the reviewer.

 

A benefit of this, it will open the are to a new cache opportunity too...!