general timings for answers

[+mudmonkey2618]

What i am trying to find out is after visiting an earth cache , getting home and emailing the CO with the answers to the posted questions......... is there a rough guideline on how long before i have a response?

 

the first 2 i did in the last 2 months , both in different provinces were both answered with a couple of hours.

 

so i was sort of expecting an answer on the 2 we did on sunday the 12th within 24 hours..... was i just spoiled with the first 2 fast responses LOL and I may just be an impatient person by nature (thats what dh says)

 

anyways just looking for some average wait times

 

thanks

V

Edited September 14, 2010 by mudmonkey2618

[+Lostby7]

Are you waiting for them to say "I accept your answers, go ahead and log it"?

 

Don't bother waiting unless the cache owner is overly sensitive and has posted specifically that you must wait (which is really not up to him to decide to make you wait to log BTW).

 

Log your find and send the answers / photo and if there is a problem the Cache Owner will let you know.

[+t4e]

we log the EC before we get a reply from the CO

sometimes they don't reply

go ahead and log it

[+dfx]

yep, most EC owners do respond quickly, some occasionally there's ECs where the owner doesn't respond at all.

[+mudmonkey2618]

Thanks everyone for your replies! I just finished logging the second one already! LOL

[+PaneledZero]

I currently have (2) EC in play right now. I try to email finders back in a timely manner. I don't think its a requirement but I like to respond to everyone who visits mine, however, sometimes it takes me a little longer to respond then I would like.

 

I have felt the same way though on waiting to log until I get confirmation but I also do know that not everyone will.

 

I would say email the answers and log your find. Trust me you will know if you got the answers wrong or did not follow the specific guidelines that the CO set in place. I read all the emails that I get on my EC's and I have had a couple of cachers do one of mine completely wrong and gave them time to make it right.

 

PaneledZero

[+Manville Possum]

Are you waiting for them to say "I accept your answers, go ahead and log it"?

 

Don't bother waiting unless the cache owner is overly sensitive and has posted specifically that you must wait (which is really not up to him to decide to make you wait to log BTW).

 

Log your find and send the answers / photo and if there is a problem the Cache Owner will let you know.

I agree, some of us ECO's do not respond to all that correctly log a cache.

[+Arby Gee]

It's been my experience that the vast majority of Earthcache owners don't reply to correct answers.

[+Konnarock Kid & Marge]

First to the OP's question. Unless stated differently on the cache page like a few do, log and then send email.

Second, we can't speak for everyone else, but if the answers are sent and the photo posted (yes, the allowable or any other kind of pic) we almost always send a 'thanks' for visiting email to the cacher. We are more timely, depending on travels etc., than other times, but we always try to send the note.

Oh yes, I almost forgot, there are a couple local cachers who we wonder why they would go to one of our ECs because they never have anything good to say! Even with them, we generate a thanks for visiting note.

[savant9]

Every one that doesn't mask their email address, gets a "thanks for visiting" reply from me. I only have 2 published earthcaches currently, so I haven't had to deal with too many "finds" on them, but I would never expect someone to wait for a reply from me before logging. If your "find" is dis-allowed later, so be it, but log it and move on.

[+Harry Dolphin]

Curious to see how this plays out... My brother and sister just returned from a trip oversees, and found several EarthCaches. Two had the requirement "Wait for my approval before logging". He logged his with placemarkers (to keep his finds in order). She is awaiting approval.

Reminds me a lot of older Virtuals. Many Virtual cache owners are no longer members. If you wait for approval, you'll wait forever!

Of course, the backside of this is that many people log finds that are not compliant with the questions, and missing owners do not delete them. Tis a quandry that such caches require an active owner.

[+Konnarock Kid & Marge]

Curious to see how this plays out... My brother and sister just returned from a trip oversees, and found several EarthCaches. Two had the requirement "Wait for my approval before logging". He logged his with placemarkers (to keep his finds in order). She is awaiting approval.

Reminds me a lot of older Virtuals. Many Virtual cache owners are no longer members. If you wait for approval, you'll wait forever!

Of course, the backside of this is that many people log finds that are not compliant with the questions, and missing owners do not delete them. Tis a quandry that such caches require an active owner.

Very interesting points. Of the several ECs that we have found, we haven't encountered an 'approval before logging' cache. Like your your brother and sister, I guess we would comply with the owner's request.

[+Ambrosia]

I guess if the owner didn't respond in a week or two, I might send another email, but I'd eventually log the cache anyway, if I knew I had the correct answers.

 

Owners of Earthcaches and Virtuals that require a response from the owner before logging, need to be on top of their listings and respond, so people can log the caches. This is one of the reasons that Groundspeak doesn't allow caches with code words, emails, etc. (except for Earthcaches, Virts, and some of the original Challenge caches). An absentee owner shouldn't hang up the logging of a cache.

[+Konnarock Kid & Marge]

I guess if the owner didn't respond in a week or two, I might send another email, but I'd eventually log the cache anyway, if I knew I had the correct answers.

 

Owners of Earthcaches and Virtuals that require a response from the owner before logging, need to be on top of their listings and respond, so people can log the caches. This is one of the reasons that Groundspeak doesn't allow caches with code words, emails, etc. (except for Earthcaches, Virts, and some of the original Challenge caches). An absentee owner shouldn't hang up the logging of a cache.

 

I agree with everything you said but you mentioned something new to us. What are caches with code words? I know I am showing my ignorance here, but you have got me stumped. Thanks.

[+Ambrosia]

I think it was something that was once allowed? Basically, to confirm that you found the cache, they would put a code inside (loose, or in the lid, etc.). In order to log the cache online, you'd have to email the code to the owner. I think that this was used either with the logbook, or instead of. These are no longer allowed, because you can't trust that the owner will always write back and allow the find. Also, they can't be used instead of the logbook, anyway.

[+Konnarock Kid & Marge]

I think it was something that was once allowed? Basically, to confirm that you found the cache, they would put a code inside (loose, or in the lid, etc.). In order to log the cache online, you'd have to email the code to the owner. I think that this was used either with the logbook, or instead of. These are no longer allowed, because you can't trust that the owner will always write back and allow the find. Also, they can't be used instead of the logbook, anyway.

Thanks. Now we know.