My TB had a quick journey

[jakesnake27]

In April of 2011, a whole 2.5 years ago, I let loose my first (and only) TB. Well, someone picked it up a few days later and then have not done anything with it since. The TB page says ''in xxxxxxx's possession''. I have tried emailing the cacher several times with no responses. So I guess it had a short journey? Just let me know what you think and if this has ever happened to you. Thanks.

Edited December 6, 2013 by JakethesnakeMO

[+kunarion]

In May of 2011, a whole 2.5 years ago, I let loose my first (and only) TB. Well, someone picked it up a few days later and then have not done anything with it since. The TB page says ''in xxxxxxx's possession''. I have tried emailing the cacher several times with no responses. So I guess it had a short journey? Just let me know what you think and if this has ever happened to you. Thanks.

One of my TBs evaporated from a cache, with nobody picking it up, zero miles. One of mine was picked up by a cacher who immediately fell out of the universe. Oh, well, nobody liked him anyway.

 

But one email is plenty. If you get no response, there may be an email problem. And it may be on your end, and the recipient is getting more and more annoyed at your increasingly frustrated emails. You may post some non-accusatory text on the TB's page, just the facts, and let it go.

 

Actually, it's high time you revived yours. You don't have to risk it in caches anymore, make a T-shirt or something. But you may instead choose to place the new version into a cache, and try again.

Edited December 6, 2013 by kunarion

[+dprovan]

Yeah, same thing happened to me on at least one of my handful of TBs. Newbie picked it up and it was never heard from again. That's the breaks.

 

But one email is plenty. If you get no response, there may be an email problem. And it may be on your end, and the recipient is getting more and more annoyed at your increasingly frustrated emails. You may post some non-accusatory text on the TB's page, just the facts, and let it go.

Well, yes, one e-mail is enough. And I recommend never accusing anyone one of anything, and held TBs are a good example of when there might be a reasonable explanation. But on the other hand, "the system says you have had my TB for 2.5 years and something needs to be done about that" isn't an accusation, it's just a fact. And there's no "my end" of geocaching.com e-mail that I can see, so I'm not at all worried about frustrating the guy that appears to have my TB with multiple e-mails. It's just pointless, because if they don't respond or react to the first e-mail, they'll almost certainly not respond or react to any subsequent e-mails.

[+sparklefingers]

I had one that wasn't picked up but instead the first cache I dropped it in was found by teenagers that thought setting it on fire would be a good idea….

[+kunarion]

I'm not at all worried about frustrating the guy that appears to have my TB with multiple e-mails.

If you wish to aggravate the current holder of your TB, that's your prerogative. I'm simply helping the OP keep a TB in the game. Many posts around here are about "The guy won't reply!", and when the OP is asked to check his Spam folder, it's full of replies. And there are posts around here by actual Geocachers insisting that if someone keeps asking about a TB, they (the taker) "will just trash it". So I'm not advising people to frustrate anybody.

 

"the system says you have had my TB for 2.5 years and something needs to be done about that" isn't an accusation, it's just a fact.

There's no need to not accuse anybody by stating that they have the thing. Mark your TB missing, and that corrects the system error. The OP's TB is still shown in a cache Inventory.

Edited December 6, 2013 by kunarion

[7rxc]

Now that you have drawn attention to it online, expect many more virtual discovery logs.

 

I'd recommend blurring the tracking number on the cache page photo or delete it completely and another photo.

Showing that number invites false logging. Just blur a copy image using MS Paint etc. and repost it, remove the one with the tracking number completely.

 

Doug 7rxc

[+Seaglass Pirates]

We have had it happen various times. Most of the time we gets sorry email and off it goes again. However we have one that is in someone's possession and although they will reply to emails they keep - not putting it out.

 

In short it's theft. From there what you were to do is your choice entirely. I think a polite email asking it be moved on or sent back can often work well. But obviously with the free app and no traceability as such it invites all age groups and all kinds of people. We had a lovely email back when we had been ignored several times and we had sent this message.

 

"Hi it seems you are ignoring our emails for some reason. If there is a problem please let us know what it is right away and we can come to some sort of arrangement. If you no longer wish to geocache that is fine but you still have our property. You do realise that it is our property and does not belong to you don't you. Therefore if we have not heard from you within 7 days we will have to follow the advice with regard to TB's and that is to treat it as stolen property. This is not something we feel comfortable about but the cost of them is growing and we simply cannot afford for them to keep going missing. So unfortunately if we fail to hear from you we will have to assume you intend to keep our property against our wishes.

 

If there is anything we can do to help you out, for instance send you a stamped addressed envelope to send it back to us please let us know right away. We are very reasonable and understand that geocaching isn't for everybody. But it is for us and the TB was purchased for us to enjoy. Not to be kept by others. We look forward to speaking soon to sort this out quickly and easily.

 

Very Best Wishes etc etc etc

 

Now I just know some will moan on about this type of message. But whatever. It is your property and you have every right to get it back. The terms and conditions of using geocaching ensure that you by geocaching are governed by its terms and conditions and therefore you must release TB's when requested to do so. I couldn't be bothered with the hassle of holding into someone's property. Emails etc. but others can't be bothered with dropping it in a cache as they go elsewhere. Others can't be bothered to follow up on a TB. Dunno which one you are but we had a lovely reply back explaining exactly why they had not replied and they very kindly placed our TB out again. And good luck with that and any possible further TB's. Most geocachers want nothing more than to help a TB on.

[+htweelz]

One of my TBs has been kidnapped. My wife and I dropped two TBs in Wyoming and had them race back to us in Maryland. Well hers made it back. Mine made it to Virginia and someone picked it up and just keeps it and logs it as visiting the caches they visit. That's great but they aren't honoring my wishes of getting it back to me. We are going to Utah soon and I wanted to start the race again but I guess I can't until it comes back. I sent them a nice email thanking them for taking my TB everywhere but I really want it back. We will see what happens. It's been kidnapped since July of 2012.

 

If I don't hear from them I will cut my losses and make another one.

[+worstcaster]

From what I understand 2.5 years is actually a good run for a TB.

[+Seaglass Pirates]

I logged one that's been out since 2008 yesterday and was amazed. Then I logged the other 10 and amongst them was one that was activated and set off in 2005. It's had several hulks attached to it since then but the original tag.