Etiquette

[+budbug]

Greetings:

 

Just started our own caches in the last 6 months and planted our first travel bug in one of them. It was picked up on October 28th and logged by the traveler, but they've stalled with it. We've gently emailed but haven't gotten a reply from them.

 

Can anyone tell us the etiquette in terms of how long we should let someone keep the bug until the plant it again? It's going on 2 1/2 months - maybe we're being too hasty? Any help with this would be greatly appreciated.

[+BlueDeuce]

I recommend one full year. I know it seems like a really long time but considering that bugs sit for weeks in a cache and is held for months by a cacher, in the lifespan of a bug a year is about right. You don't want the bug to resurface right after you've release the copy.

 

If your bug is confirmed destroyed like lost from a fire, flood or muggle you can re-release right away. A bug simply disappearing from a cache or held by someone means you need to wait.

 

Give your bug some more time. You never know what might be going on in that cachers life that keeps them from caching. In another three months email them again and offer to find a local to take hand off of the bug, or that you will pay the postage to have it sent back to you.

Edited January 14, 2011 by BlueDeuce

[+The Blorenges]

What you've done so far is fine.

 

It's generally recommended that trackable items should be moved along within 2-3 weeks so, yes, they have had it quite a while and your "gentle email" reminder sounds OK - I usually send a First Contact email when someone has been holding one of my trackables for 6 - 8 weeks.

 

It looks like the cachers who picked up your dragonfly had all good intentions for it to "visit Obama" and they went to Washington DC and logged a Virtual cache there and took a photo of another trackable but not your dragonfly. Maybe they just forgot

 

It's a pity they haven't replied to your email yet but we've had Christmas... New Year... maybe try another email after another 4/6 weeks passes... and if there is still no response I think you'll just have to wait it out.

 

BTW, it would be good to edit the photograph of your dragonfly TB on its homepage to blur out the tracking number.

 

Hope Libelula gets airborn again soon.

 

MrsB

[+kunarion]

It looks like the cachers who picked up your dragonfly had all good intentions for it to "visit Obama" and they went to Washington DC and logged a Virtual cache there and took a photo of another trackable but not your dragonfly. Maybe they just forgot

Looks like they haven't found a cache since November, but recently logged onto the web site. Maybe the cacher placed the TB into a previously found cache, and failed to log it. But it's likely that they just haven't gotten around to dropping it, and have held the TB for a little too long. I hope it turns up!

[+TeamCassie]

I seem to be having the other problem as a cacher I go to caches that say a travel bug is in them about 4-5 so far and none of them have actually had one present....is there an Etiquette in this case? When I log the find and say there was no bug but should I be doing something else as well?

[+The Blorenges]

I seem to be having the other problem as a cacher I go to caches that say a travel bug is in them about 4-5 so far and none of them have actually had one present....is there an Etiquette in this case? When I log the find and say there was no bug but should I be doing something else as well?

 

It's good that you mention it in your cache log - it's even more helpful if you give the name of the trackable that isn't there - and you get extra kudos points if you also put a note on the trackable's homepage saying, "Not seen in Whatevername cache today" so that the trackable owner is made aware it may have disappeared.

 

MrsB

[+TeamCassie]

I seem to be having the other problem as a cacher I go to caches that say a travel bug is in them about 4-5 so far and none of them have actually had one present....is there an Etiquette in this case? When I log the find and say there was no bug but should I be doing something else as well?

 

It's good that you mention it in your cache log - it's even more helpful if you give the name of the trackable that isn't there - and you get extra kudos points if you also put a note on the trackable's homepage saying, "Not seen in Whatevername cache today" so that the trackable owner is made aware it may have disappeared.

 

MrsB

 

Thanks Mrs B I may spend some time tomorrow editing my logs as I only have 13 (yep I am a newbie) so I will go back through and find out what ones said they had coins and make sure I update with your suggestions.

[+kunarion]

you get extra kudos points if you also put a note on the trackable's homepage saying, "Not seen in Whatevername cache today" so that the trackable owner is made aware it may have disappeared.

Yes. I'd also like to see more folks leave notes about anything that they took or left (Swag). But that's a whole other llama.

[Guest]

Ive had exactly the same problem, my first travel bug i was really excited and placed it in one of my caches to let it out into the wild. some one picked it up within about 2 weeks, and still has it (or has lost it) 4 months later. I emailed him first after about 3 weeks once and he said he'd drop it off soon. I've since sent him 2 more emails which i have politely asked if he could move it on or let me know if its been lost, but i have had no reply. Its very frustrating!

[+GPS777]

Out of my five, only one is still moving. One was in a stolen cache and three have been held by people forever. I think profiles should have a "complaint" button or something. Kind of like the eBay feedback system. If they are a repeat offender or never answer messages, lock the account.

[+FloridaFour]

I've recently emailed 3 people who have my travel bugs. One didn't reply, but then put my bug in their own unpublished cache. They had the bug 3.5 months and it moved a whole 2 miles. Ugh. At least I know it's still around, hopefully that cache will be published soon. Another lady emailed me that she hadn't had time to cache, but would move it by end of Jan....still waiting. It's been since October. The third I just emailed today (it is in a race) and the cacher hadn't ever logged a TB before and didn't know what to do with it. They were happy I emailed them, and I sent them a link to the trackables page and said they can ask me anything they want. (I wish I hadn't waited a month on that one, since it was in a race, but I hate to bother people). I usually give it at least 2 months, unless it goes missing, then I do ask people if they've seen it.

 

The whole thing has been a bit frustrating to me because it is so fun to see them move. But hey, I keep thinking...it's just a piece of metal. But it does seem to me with the limited experience I have, that people often hold them for up to 6 months without even batting an eye. They just don't hold the same importance to everyone.

[Guest]

Out of my five, only one is still moving. One was in a stolen cache and three have been held by people forever. I think profiles should have a "complaint" button or something. Kind of like the eBay feedback system. If they are a repeat offender or never answer messages, lock the account.

 

I completely agree, beingable to leave "positive or negative" feedback or a system where if we have no luck an administrator prompts them to move it on, if they fail to do so lock or delete their account. Its such a selfish thing to do, and at just under £5 travel bugs aren't exactly cheep to get stolen!

[+BlueDeuce]

Banning someone simply guarantees your bug stays missing.

[+farrtom]

I confess I am guilty of hijacking a bug or two. I have had good intentions of picking some up while on the road (I travel a lot for work) and wanting to move them closer to their goals, place them in the perfect cache and / or move them a greater distance, BUT we just had a new baby and with winter we have not been out geocaching in awhile (the older I get the more I hate the cold!).

This thread has / will help me to repent and I will get out and drop off my bugs this week.

Edited February 9, 2011 by farrtom

[+BlueDeuce]

Excellent! Glad to see you weren't banned before you had the chance to get them back out there.

[+JBnW]

FWIW, one of my few remaining TBs had been picked up by a relative newcomer to the game; not entirely a newb as they had moved several TBs before. They immediately went on a 4-month hiatus from the game, never logged on, didn't log any new finds, didn't respond to my 'gentle reminder' emails, nothing. I was preparing myself to write its obituary when they returned it to an active cache last week.

 

I guess I'm finally figuring out that the real purpose of TBs is to teach us patience!

[+Eartha]

Don't forget, caching slows waaaaaaaay down for a lot of people when winter sets in. We have to be patient. When Spring rolls around, and the snow melts, and the birds start singing, you could send another friendly email reminder, and keep it short and sweet. Then hope for the best.

[+cb461]

I have one thats been held since Jan 1st. I know winter has been kind of brutal where its at so I am giving them the benefit of the doubt that they have been held up by the winter and that it will be re released into the wild soon. I personally think if someone takes a trackable they should try to drop it into another cache within 1-3 weeks and if for some reason they can't they could easily email and let the owner know whats up.

Edited February 16, 2011 by cb461

[+TheWeatherWarrior]

Ettiquette, well don't make your first message include something like this:

 

...thanks for taking the fun out of my game and loosing another

car to a collector, hope you enjoy it.

Yeah...I screwed up and kept it for more time than is reasonable...but piss someone off, they'll just keep it or throw it away. Edited February 23, 2011 by TheWeatherWarrior

[+BlueDeuce]

Ettiquette, well don't make your first message include something like this:

 

...thanks for taking the fun out of my game and loosing another

car to a collector, hope you enjoy it.

Yeah...I screwed up and kept it for more time than is reasonable...but piss someone off, they'll just keep it or throw it away.

 

Snoogans' TB longevity strategy #5. If you must email a TB holder to do anything other than thank them, DO NOT give an order, or be even the slightest bit negative. Sugar coat every word. Do not transfer your standards and expectations to another person. Unless you are related, you do not really KNOW their situation.

 

These kinds of stories get talked about at events. Things like I'm gonna (X-Y-Z) that bug if I ever run across it again get said over a few beers. Makes ya think....

[Little Miss Muffet]

My daughters bug was moving along pretty swiftly last summer/fall thru Europe...then one guy picked it up in October. Around Christmas I sent him an email just asking that he did have it, and that it wasn't lost or not logged. He confirmed he had it. Maybe it was a language thing, but that was pretty much all he said. Still no word. So last week I sent another email (being polite as could be, apologizing if I was being a pest, explaining how my daughter is really attached to it, etc). He replied again, but also explained that they are in the middle of winter and there's a few feet of snow on the ground so he hasn't been out caching. So that explains alot. I'm here in NC wearing a tshirt and my brain just wasn't thinking about there being a few feet of snow on the ground in Germany. LOL. He did place it over the weekend, and since then 2 other people have moved it, so I guess its warming up over there.

 

Be patient, polite and not a pest.

[+Shimalas]

We grabbed our first TB about a month ago and we held it for a couple of weeks.....my wife said we should place it somewhere soon. so we did. It took a few minutes to figure out how to pick up/drop off a TB but it wasnt too dificult to do. We have done 2 so far and after reading this topic we will do our best to move TB's along swiftly.