Unactivated TB What Now?

[+kniohls]

I found a TB that had not been activated, without the activation code what do I do with it now? Sorry peeps New to this but Lovin it

[+BlueDeuce]

That cache isn't visited very often and there was another activated bug left there that was never listed as dropped. Sounds to me like someone doesn't know very much about bugs. I would send an email to the cache owner and see if they know anything about this bug.

[Knight-Errant]

Okay, BlueDeuce, we've been caching for a while, but this is the first time we've encountered this problem.

 

We also picked up an unactivated travel bug from a local cache with the following details:

--Both the travel bug and the travel bug dog tag have slight wear and tear signs (sufficient to indicated that they have actually traveled quite a bit).

--There are not notes for the cache providing any information about the travel bug in question.

--The travel bug code (the one that starts with WP####, not TBXXXX) is clearly legible and we are ABSOLUTELY sure that we are entering the code correctly (no O's or Ø's, 8's or B's, etc.).

--There is no other clue as to the owner of the travel bug.

--Despite several attempts, when a log is attempted, the response is always that it has not yet been activated.

 

Any suggestions as to what to do with it now!

 

Knight-Errant

[+BlueDeuce]

For some reason a WP code sounds familiar.

 

Is there anything on there that says track at www.geocaching.com?

 

What cache did you find it in?

Edited April 12, 2009 by BlueDeuce

[Knight-Errant]

For some reason a WP code sounds familiar.

 

Is there anything on there that says track at www.geocaching.com?

 

What cache did you find it in?

 

The travel bug dog tag appears to be one of the standard (second generation) dog tags from Groundspeak. However, since you mentioned it we noticed that the dog tags actually directs one to log it at "www.travelbugs.com" (which then automatically links back to the standard geocaching.com website), we never noticed this before. For what its worth, the first generation dog tags direct one to log them at "www.Groundspeak.com". The code itself does not appear in any way to be unusual--just didn't want to post the entire thing.

 

Anyway, the relevant cache is located on a college campus and the cache owner has just informed us that due to the high number of novice cachers in the area it is not unusual for unactivated travel bugs to show up there. He reports that he has been quite successful in simply waiting for a new cacher to log the cache and then contacting them to resolve the matter (and educate the new cacher). If the attached dog tag had appeared new, we would have suspected this in the first place, but since it has signs consistent with a lot of travel, we were left wondering if there was another explanation. (Yes, we recognize that it is possible, but unlikely, to have the "travel wear" before being first officially dropped.) We have also confirmed that the travel bug appeared in the cache within the last few days (as it was not there when the cache owner completed a recent check), but there have been no finds or other logs posted since the owner's check.

 

So it appears that, short of a better recommendation, we'll just be patient for a while and see what develops. However, are there any recommendation if our patience is unsuccessful.

 

Thanks again for any and all help!

[+kniohls]

I found the Answer!!! I emailed this address : contact@geocaching.com told them I had found the Unactivated TB and gave them the Number, they sent me the code to activate it.

[+BlueDeuce]

Okay, but what about the real owner?

[+BlueDeuce]

So it appears that, short of a better recommendation, we'll just be patient for a while and see what develops. However, are there any recommendation if our patience is unsuccessful.

 

Just seems odd that it would be travel worn but newly dropped.

 

Post a note on the cache explaining what you found (not too much detail so you can have the owner describe it as verification it's theirs)

 

If you don't hear anything after a few days send an email to contact@geocaching.com and get it activated. You can always adopt it back over to the owner should they show up.

[Knight-Errant]

So it appears that, short of a better recommendation, we'll just be patient for a while and see what develops. However, are there any recommendation if our patience is unsuccessful.

 

Just seems odd that it would be travel worn but newly dropped.

 

Post a note on the cache explaining what you found (not too much detail so you can have the owner describe it as verification it's theirs)

 

If you don't hear anything after a few days send an email to contact@geocaching.com and get it activated. You can always adopt it back over to the owner should they show up.

 

It seems that we should have just started with more patience in the first place--it just caught us a little off guard as we have never encountered this problem before. While we don't have a full answer YET, we DO have some more details. (By the way, thanks to both BlueDeuce and kniohls for your help!)

 

When we found the cache it was pouring down buckets, so we made it a real quick one (to protect the cache log book and to keep from getting more wet than necessary) and didn't get a chance to read the previous logs. Following contact with the most helpful cache owner, he has advised us that a somewhat novice cacher (46 finds) from well out of the local area DID enter a written log indicating that he left the travel bug in question. So, while we wait for this cacher to get back home, we have sent him an email requesting any details he can provide.

 

Hopefully, he will get us closer to a proper solution. However, if he can't, we'll wait a while longer and then follow the advice of kniohls and BlueDeuce to get the activation code.

 

Thanks again for the help!