Would it be wrong of me

[+Sparticus06]

A while ago I bought a Silver Germany medalion looking geocoin. The seller forgot to mention that they did not have the activation code and there is no way I could get one either. So I bought a gold one from another person and it had the activation code. Hoping that the same code would work for both coins, i gave it a go to find out it didnt. I was wondering, would it be wrong of me to grind off the tracking number on the silver one and stamp the code from the gold onto the silver one? I want to release the gold one and keep the silver for discovery.

What are your thoughts on this?

[+fairyhoney]

oooooooo, I Don't think that is kosher... Now, if you wanted to just use the one with the other code, I think you can as long as you keep the other(original) out of circulation. You could use it once the other goes missing.

 

That's just MHO, though

[+WRITE SHOP ROBERT]

Well, it's a far cry from a photocopy, but in my opinion, I think it's a little off base to have "one coin" in two places at once.

 

I think I would put in some real work at getting an activation code from Groundspeak before I remeved that number

[+Droo]

I still don't get why you don't want to try to find the activation code to the silver one since it clearly exists somewhere!! Post a pic of the coin here and someone may be able to tell you where the activation codes are hosted for that issue.... imnsho.

Edited October 2, 2008 by Droo

[+nielsenc]

Email Groundspeak. They can get you the code.

[+Sparticus06]

I have done all the above before. The code was to come with the coin from factory. I have email Groundspeak several times on this matter and they said they can not help. These are the coins in question TBQQTB.

[+ZSandmann]

If you have one code both traveling and being discovered in another location both coins could be locked down for vitual logging. Best to choose one or the other. As for the activation codes, I've never heard of the coin manufacturer not being able to find the code for you before. Very odd.

[+PengoFamily]

Did you try contating the geocoinshop.de? They sell the coins and should have a record of the activation codes.

[+tokencollector]

The moderators may eventually chime in, but I don't necessarily see a problem. And, there is some prescident for what you would like to do.

 

There are a number of duplicate coins out there that share a tracking code. Two that I can think of are the badandy gold and silver set and dorkfish's boiled lobsters.

 

Similarly, quite a few people release geocoin copies and keep the originals in their collection - which presumably might be discoverable. (I believe that this has been condoned by Groundspeak, or at least by the moderators in threads related to the practice.)

 

I also think that a few people may have copied tracking codes onto water meter covers to make MEGAgeocoins.

Edited October 2, 2008 by tokencollector

[+fox-and-the-hound]

I have done all the above before. The code was to come with the coin from factory. I have email Groundspeak several times on this matter and they said they can not help. These are the coins in question TBQQTB.

 

Groundspeak said they can not give you an activation code for a Groundspeak tracking # specifically? That doesn't sound quite right. It's my understanding that every activation code and tracking # is in a gs database. Is there more than one silver coin with that tracking number?

 

For that matter, GS creates new activation codes and tracking #s all the time. Why couldn't they just give you a new activation code?

Edited October 2, 2008 by fox-and-the-hound

[+TropicalParadise]

In your correspondence, did you ever show Groundspeak proof of purchase?

 

I can understand why they wouldn't want to give tracking codes away without it, but if you show them, you should be a little bit better off.

[+Sparticus06]

I have contacted geocoinshop.de several times. They have never replied back. The only proof I have that I own the coin is pictures of it. I might be able to go back and find the listing, but it has been sometime, that I know it has been archived and you cant view it then.

If anything, it will just sit in my collection, undiscovered, just seen is all.

[+Renegade Knight]

I have done all the above before. The code was to come with the coin from factory. I have email Groundspeak several times on this matter and they said they can not help. These are the coins in question TBQQTB.

 

Groundspeak said they can not give you an activation code for a Groundspeak tracking # specifically? That doesn't sound quite right. It's my understanding that every activation code and tracking # is in a gs database. Is there more than one silver coin with that tracking number?

 

For that matter, GS creates new activation codes and tracking #s all the time. Why couldn't they just give you a new activation code?

 

At the price of tracking numbers it's just not economicly viable to give out codes when they are lost. What they could do is offer a service where they do just that for a fee that makes it worth hiring an intern to process lost activation codes.

 

Then again I also think they simplified codes on more recent generation coins so this isn't so much a problem anymore.

[+trainlove]

Just this weekend I saw a coin that actually came in pairs.

One was for you to keep, and the other was for you to release or let people log.

The first one only had part of the serial number on it so you could match it with its mate.

 

This is kind of like the 'copy' of your travel bug tags. Perhaps you bought such an entity and someone else (the seller?) actually has the trackable one.

Edited October 2, 2008 by trainlove

[danoshimano]

What are your thoughts on this?

 

My thoughts are that it would not be wrong of you and you can do as you wish. (As long as the other code stays in your collection and doesn't get "discovered" or logged.)

[+fox-and-the-hound]

I have done all the above before. The code was to come with the coin from factory. I have email Groundspeak several times on this matter and they said they can not help. These are the coins in question TBQQTB.

 

Groundspeak said they can not give you an activation code for a Groundspeak tracking # specifically? That doesn't sound quite right. It's my understanding that every activation code and tracking # is in a gs database. Is there more than one silver coin with that tracking number?

 

For that matter, GS creates new activation codes and tracking #s all the time. Why couldn't they just give you a new activation code?

 

At the price of tracking numbers it's just not economicly viable to give out codes when they are lost. What they could do is offer a service where they do just that for a fee that makes it worth hiring an intern to process lost activation codes.

 

Then again I also think they simplified codes on more recent generation coins so this isn't so much a problem anymore.

 

That's what I was thinking. Most new ones all share a common activation code. Even so, if older ones have activation codes and related tracking numbers then they would be in a database. They simply couldn't work without that being the case. Looking up a tracking code in a database is about as hard and time consuming as looking up a word in the dictionary (probably easier). It's much more likely that proving ownership of the coin is the real issue. Giving out secure info like this probably the proverbial can of worms which would become a time-consumption nightmare.

[+TandT]

Hi Sparticus06,

 

if this is the coin you are talking about:

then you must contact the owner of www.geocachingshop.de (not geocoinshop.de) who made this coin.

His name is Franz Müller and he's a nice guy, but sometimes his reply may take a day or two.

 

cu

Thorsten

Edited October 3, 2008 by TandT

[+hollora]

I have contacted geocoinshop.de several times. They have never replied back. The only proof I have that I own the coin is pictures of it. I might be able to go back and find the listing, but it has been sometime, that I know it has been archived and you cant view it then.

If anything, it will just sit in my collection, undiscovered, just seen is all.

 

If you paid for the coin with Paypal - you can get a copy of your Paypal receipt by going back in your account.

 

Looks, too, as if what company in Germany to contact has been posted for you. These forums are a great help.

 

Good luck.

[+Sparticus06]

Hi Sparticus06,

 

if this is the coin you are talking about:

then you must contact the owner of www.geocachingshop.de (not geocoinshop.de) who made this coin.

His name is Franz Müller and he's a nice guy, but sometimes his reply may take a day or two.

 

cu

Thorsten

 

That is the one I contacted...several times. I miss-typed the wrong addy. I have never gotten anything back. But since it has been awhile, I will email again.