Name & Shame!

[AndyWolves]

Hi folks,

 

Myself and my family are pretty new to geocaching, so we thought it would be really great to take a travel bug all the way from the UK to New Zealand earlier this year. Imagine our disappointment, when after only a few hops, our 'bug was taken and not placed in a new location. This was back in May, so we waited a while, then I sent a couple of nice emails to the fella asking when it was going to be placed. Even though this guy seems actively geocaching still, I have had no replies. What can I do??? Do I name & shame??? What recourse do I have???

 

Many thanks

[+Bear and Ragged]

Do I name & shame???

 

Just with that one post, you have named and shamed.

Not too difficult to look at your profile, you only have the one TB...

 

As is often said, if it's of any sentimental value to you, don't release it.

Once you place it in the first cache, you have NO control what happens next.

 

They do sometimes re-appear. We can only hope.

Edited September 3, 2011 by Bear and Ragged

[+The Blorenges]

It's frustrating, isn't it?

 

I think you've done all you can - two polite emails is enough for now - any more could be taken as pestering/nagging/harassment/mental torture (depending on the individual concerned ) and with some people it could mean your TB gets chucked in the nearest river.

 

Keep your fingers crossed. Hopefully he will move it along again eventually.

 

MrsB

[+BlueDeuce]

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....

[AndyWolves]

Do I name & shame???

 

Just with that one post, you have named and shamed.

Not too difficult to look at your profile, you only have the one TB...

 

 

Oh, how silly of me not to know that someone could do that....ahem.....

[+Max and 99]

Next time, just keep the special TB with you and dip it into the caches you visit. That way the TB will have a journey that matches yours. It's really a shame that TBs are stolen, but this is a lesson learned by all of us. Don't release any TB you aren't willing to part with!

[+kunarion]

Even though this guy seems actively geocaching still, I have had no replies. What can I do??? Do I name & shame??? What recourse do I have???

There are so many reasons email messaging could break down, it's entirely possible the cacher didn't receive your message, or you didn't receive the reply. AND remember that any reply may only raise more questions. And that's all I'm gonna say about that.

 

Usually, I'd expect they just didn't do the drop log properly. But that guy's holding FOUR Travel Bugs, two picked up in one day (one was yours that day). Maybe he placed all four and forgot to log any of them. Is he very absent-minded?

 

The first thing I notice about your TB page, is there's nothing obvious that would tell me there's a problem.

 

Here's my suggestion: Make a non-threatening "note" log for your TB, about how it's been a while since you've heard from the poor thing, and how you hope it's having a good time. Then make a nice BOLD text right at the top of the Mission, that it seems to be missing at this time. When any interested people view that page, they'll see that there's an issue, without having to rely on email.

 

Many Travelers turn up in a strange cache, due to just plain not being logged. Maybe yours is in that number. If you can't track it down, give it a few months and then mark it missing. If it eventually turns up, which is likely, thank everyone involved, and move on. Good luck!

Edited September 4, 2011 by kunarion

[+StephRoman]

There are so many reasons email messaging could break down, it's entirely possible the cacher didn't receive your message, or you didn't receive the reply. AND remember that any reply may only raise more questions. And that's all I'm gonna say about that.

 

Yeesh, I really hope it's just a technical difficulty to never get a reply. I've never had a problem with that though. I do get too many problems of people being politely confronted and they chicken out of ever sending a reply. It's just a bummer, because even when you don't have a sentimental tie with a Travel Bug, you're still pouring money into it. That's why I'm having a tough problem with releasing mine!

 

I think you should just re-message them and just say, "Having a hard time getting a hold of you, not sure if it's the site having difficulty again!" and maybe just add in, "Just checking if you have any plans in store for the Travel Bug!" since it's a really polite way to give notice that you're interested in progress.

[+kunarion]

It's just a bummer, because even when you don't have a sentimental tie with a Travel Bug, you're still pouring money into it. That's why I'm having a tough problem with releasing mine!

If you release it, attach as short a note as possible with its name and mission, and include something like this:

"Please type a note on the TB's page if any issue at all arises."

 

Let's say the guy who's listed as holding the TB, already put it in a cache months ago. That guy probably sees that Bug listed under his name sometimes, but has no idea what to do. I'd like to encourage people to at least post a note, even if it's just "sorry, I've lost that TB, please mark it missing". These things happen, I'd at least like a little clue to solve the mystery.

 

Anyone who finds my Travelers (or who know the status) should make a note, NOT rely on the GC message system, which was still an active problem this weekend, and NOT rely on email. Even if it's a non-cacher stealing things, vindictive ex-cacher destroying them, or simply that the TB was accidentally lost, I'd still like some kind of information about what's going on. And I'm updating all my Traveler pages with a better request.

Edited September 5, 2011 by kunarion

[AndyWolves]

To be honest, it's soured the whole geocaching experience for me and my family..... Looking at the other 'posts' in this forum, it looks like it's a more wide spread issue that I imagined. From the replies here, it pretty much looks like I've got to live with it...very poor... I'm certainly not going to upgrade to a premium membership now, what's the point?!

[+Bubbles&Bonkers]

I don't think it should sour you to the whole experience of geocaching. It's still a lot of fun! You might want to not release TBs anymore, though. I've released 6 and only 2 are still going. The rest are "lost". I emailed a newbie who had my (then) 6 yr old daughter's TB and tried to explain to her the process all sugary like since she was new and she, I guess, didn't believe me. That's the way her email came across. She didn't think she had to log it on the computer. Or she had to have a stuffed Winnie the Pooh so badly that she kept it. At any rate, the more you release, the more likely at least a couple will keep going. And I've had a lot of fun with my 2! Whatever you want to do.

[+The Blorenges]

To be honest, it's soured the whole geocaching experience for me and my family..... Looking at the other 'posts' in this forum, it looks like it's a more wide spread issue that I imagined. From the replies here, it pretty much looks like I've got to live with it...very poor... I'm certainly not going to upgrade to a premium membership now, what's the point?!

 

The (possibly temporary) loss of one TB costing about £5 plus whatever small item was attached to it has soured the whole geocaching experience for you?

 

Well

 

All trackables that are released into the wild to travel are a gamble, in the same way that sticking £5 into a one-armed bandit is a gamble. It's no more than an entertainment. You may be lucky and the £5 lasts all evening or you may be less lucky and it only lasts half an hour. It's the same with trackables.

 

As sweetpea suggests, the more you release, the more fun you have. Remember, when one has been missing in action for a year you can send out a replacement to start travelling again on a Copy tag.

 

Some are prepared to take the gamble regularly, some are not.

 

BTW, upgrading to Premium Membership has little (nothing?) to do with travel bugs going missing. It provides geocachers with extra perks... but that's a discussion for another topic.

 

MrsB

[+NanCycle]

To be honest, it's soured the whole geocaching experience for me and my family..... Looking at the other 'posts' in this forum, it looks like it's a more wide spread issue that I imagined. From the replies here, it pretty much looks like I've got to live with it...very poor... I'm certainly not going to upgrade to a premium membership now, what's the point?!

 

The (possibly temporary) loss of one TB costing about £5 plus whatever small item was attached to it has soured the whole geocaching experience for you?

 

Well

 

All trackables that are released into the wild to travel are a gamble, in the same way that sticking £5 into a one-armed bandit is a gamble. It's no more than an entertainment. You may be lucky and the £5 lasts all evening or you may be less lucky and it only lasts half an hour. It's the same with trackables.

 

As sweetpea suggests, the more you release, the more fun you have. Remember, when one has been missing in action for a year you can send out a replacement to start travelling again on a Copy tag.

 

Some are prepared to take the gamble regularly, some are not.

 

BTW, upgrading to Premium Membership has little (nothing?) to do with travel bugs going missing. It provides geocachers with extra perks... but that's a discussion for another topic.

 

MrsB

 

That's about what I was going to say, but MrsB said it much better than I would have.

 

Just want to add that (IMO) the best cure for obsessing over the fate of one trackable is to release more of them.

[+kunarion]

Just want to add that (IMO) the best cure for obsessing over the fate of one trackable is to release more of them.

Yes. And there's no guarantee that they'll go permanently missing. Of the 18 Travelers I've placed out in the wilds, four are in unknown locations, but only two are pretty much lost. A couple of them that I hadn't heard from in months turned up recently. It's a little sad and annoying when they seem to have been lost, and it's super FUN and INTERESTING see them logged again, many miles from where they once vanished.

 

If you just like to see how far your Traveler can go, place them and understand the risks. If you can't stand suspense, don't release them. You can keep them with you and still log some travels to notable caches.

Edited September 7, 2011 by kunarion

[+BlueDeuce]

Considering that you usually only hear from a bug once every three months, having many in the field will help you feeling like at least one of your kids will write home once in a while. However, releasing 18 fuzzy pink bears may not be the best way to keep your enjoyment going. I find it is best to look at the things that keep your bugs in circulation while at the same time having realistic expectations.

 

edited for clarification

Edited September 8, 2011 by BlueDeuce

[+Harry Dolphin]

Ach. I quickly learnt not to have too high expectations for Travel Bugs. It's a very interesting side light to geocaching, to be sure. But, it is misunderstood by many. I think I still have eleven moving as of this year. My North to Alaska geocoin is in British Columbia! My geocoin that wants to go to Scotland has made it to Switzerland (via California)! Wannabe has traveled 46000 miles, and is in Sweden. Osito has traveled 20000 miles. It's his third reincarnation. First travelled from New Jersey to Washington. So, my brother took it to the Czech Republic to visit my sister in Maine. She took it to France to return to us in New Jersey. He's currently in the Netherlands.

On the other fin, 30 or so of my TBs have disappeared. I put one in Tennessee. The next person picked it up, and nothing. After six months, I enquired whether he would be putting it out soon? Three months later he did. Into on of his archived caches. Then a month later marked it as missing.

Yes. They can be fun! But more often than not, they can be disappointing. I still have 15 or so I can put out, but it is discouraging. (I talked my siter into buying me shirts for Christmas this year, rather than more TBs.)

That being said, this has no effect on my enjoyment of Geocaching! Two entirely different things.

As to premium membership: I do that to support the game I enjoy so much. And I enjoy the privileges: Pocket queries!!!!

Trackables can be fun! But they're a very minor part of Geocaching. (And we won't mention the pink lawn flamingo that my sister was sending me, that got left behind at an event at a bar in New Hampshire. How could anyone not see the pink lawn flamingo still sitting on the bar stool!)

[+kunarion]

Even though this guy seems actively geocaching still, I have had no replies. What can I do???

You can change your Trackable's page.

 

I've just now set up my verified missing TBs' pages. I've added "[MISSING]" to each of their titles (makes the status apparent in most any bug list). I've placed an info text as high as I could in big red text. And I've splashed a banner "MISSING" over the bug photo.

 

http://www.geocaching.com/track/details.aspx?id=2151831

 

That way, there's no mistaking the status of the Traveler, and there are specific instructions to make a "log note" -- since I may not receive an email through the profile Message system (that's got problems). And I'll immediately fix the page when or if the TB ever turns up. There's no shame or name, which is good since some TBs were placed somewhere but never logged. The intention is that if someone knows what happened to it, they'll make a log note, regardless of whether or not it's actually lost forever.

Edited September 10, 2011 by kunarion

[+baack40]

I looked this TB up and noticed that this cacher also picked up another TB the same day 5/17/11 and has yet to release that TB also. Perhaps he misplaced them but that is no excuse for not responding to the emails sent to him about the matter.

 

I wonder what would happen if all the people posting on this forum would email him and ask him about the TBs not being released? Only kidding. But could you imagine his surprise to see all the emails he would receive about a TB? Wow! I would think I was being tracked down by the FBI or something. LOL I would surely explain myself really quickly as to what happened to those 2 TB's. LOL

 

I too get upset about all the problems with TBs and have gone to great lengths to correct mislogged items and contact owners etc. Such a fun part of geocaching and don't get why people have to steal them and ruin all the fun. In this case it looks like maybe he misplaced them and hopes he finds them later to move them on as he has moved several others. But don't understand why he just can't notify the owners and let them know what happened.

[+Eartha]

Please, don't everyone email this guy. That would be harassment and a violation of the TOU.

[+kunarion]

don't understand why he just can't notify the owners and let them know what happened.

Because of email difficulties. Suppose you send an email (either via member message or directly to the email address), and the addressee doesn't get the email, for whatever reason. You THOUGHT they got the email, so you thought the issue was resolved. And the fact that there's no reply, kinda indicates the conversation is over anyway, good or bad. So if your email was an apology and explanation about how you left the TBs in a cache (and made a huge logging mistake), you're sure it's not an issue anymore.

 

My parents sometimes can't get email from me (ONLY me, everyone else's is received fine), and it requires their low-quality ISP to "change a setting" -- so email CAN and DOES get lost. There's also a chronic issue where GS member messages sometimes don't get sent. I don't know why people don't leave a note on the TB's page itself, to tell the TB owner what happened. But nobody does that.

[+baack40]

I was just kidding about emailing this guy. I certainly hope everyone realized that when I typed Just Kidding after the fact. Please don't email him. I was just saying how I would feel if I got a bunch of emails about a couple of TB's. LOL

[+Trucker Lee]

Keep your hopes up and be patient. Recently, a co-worker that had tried caching then gotten distracted by life gave me a couple travel bugs that had been packed away during an earlier move. After over 2 years, these things are back in circulation.

Edited September 16, 2011 by Trucker Lee