TB ettiquette

[+maxx borchovski]

I'm new to this and have recently set a TB on its merry way. Its been doing fine up until a couple of weeks ago. It was picked up and visited another cache, but has been in the person's possession for a couple of weeks now. I know not everyone caches all the time, but I was wondering when does is become acceptable to send a friendly message to the cacher to nudge them along?

[+stijnhommes]

People are typically supposed to move it along in 3 weeks. Given them 4 before you nudge them and wait at least two weeks before sending another nudge - preferably more if you can stand to wait that long.

[+The Blorenges]

It would be wonderful if every cacher moved trackables along within two/three weeks of picking them up but, realistically, that doesn't happen. Many take 3, 4 or more weeks to drop them off into a new cache.

 

If one of mine is stuck in a cacher's hands my own timetable is (roughly)

 

after 6 - 8 weeks I'll send a 'polite reminder' email,

 

after another 6 - 8 weeks I'll send another one, and ask if there's any problem or difficulty for them re. placing it in a new cache. Sometimes, if it's a geocoin, I'll offer to send a pre-paid envelope so it can be mailed back to me.

 

If there's still no reply/no action then I leave it. (Too much hassling can have a negative effect.)

 

 

MrsB

Edited November 7, 2012 by The Blorenges

[+luvvinbird]

Yes, I have to agree with the last line of The Blorenges comment. My one and only TB has been sitting in someone's desk for well over a year and, despite several polite e-mail requests to move it along, it hasn't budged. I've pretty much forgotten it even exists.

[+dprovan]

I'm OK with 4 weeks, although personally I don't worry about it until it's been a few months. As long as your attitude is always that you and the guy holding the TB are friends, you could even nudge him earlier in the form of a friendly chat about your TB and how much he's enjoying it. After all, even after a couple weeks, your hope is that he just forgot he had it or didn't realize you'd rather it move quickly instead of being admired for long periods.

 

The important thing about TBs it to recognize they get sidetracked and, more often, lost. Think of them like skipping stones: yeah, it's really cool when you skip a stone all the way across the pond, but you should still have fun if some of your throws don't skip at all. If nothing happens when you give a nudge, don't get discouraged, just launch another one!

[+maxx borchovski]

Thanks for all the replies, I'll just try to learn to be patient. I did look through their caching history and they do only seem to go caching every couple of weeks, so I will keep my fingers crossed that the TB goes caching this weekend

[+313JTG]

I usually visit the TB's every so often if I go to an interesting cache. Nearly every month or two I have to take a 250 mile trip north and I usually dump the TB's at rest areas or caches easily accessible from the freeway. If I get to the point where it's been over four weeks and I still have a bug in my hands, I'll just drop it wherever to be kind to the owner.

 

I have three tags to activate and I want to see as many logs as possible when my TB's circulate