+PattiButche Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 I may be beating a subject already well beaten, but after spending time at the GeoWoodstock event, I just had to ask this question (seriously): Is the trackable 'problem' just a USA issue? I've released trackables, and I've had friends released trackables. My travel bugs have such a high failure rate, as compared to several of my foreign friends, that I'm about to give up on them entirely. It is too costly to throw away money. A very simple example is this: I released several bugs, but every single one of them (save the most recent 4) have all died in the USA. The one and only bug I released in South America is happily bouncing around Europe and Asia. My Germany-based friend has released 3 bugs only - and has all 3 living a long and happy traveling-life in Europe. But, I bring 2 of HIS bugs over to the USA, and they all 'die' after being released. They aren't event logged as being picked up. Same with my friend from Africa, S. America, Canada, Ireland, and England. When their bugs come over to the USA - they quickly vanish. Seriously, it seems that the only place suffering a displayed percentage of bug failure is the USA. Maybe it is just bad luck. But after meeting and talking to several cachers, it seems a real problem. Even the caches seem to be always 'wrong' - I find caches with 4-6 bugs in the inventory - but when I get there, nothing. Does anyone else find this trend familiar? Is there any logical reason / theory? Any advice - other than avoid dropping trackables in the USA? Quote Link to comment
+steben6 Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 Sorry to tell you, but that has been our experience, as well. Our trackables that make it overseas do WAY better than the ones that stay in the U.S. It makes me really sad, but I always try to get our coins/TBs to Germany, South Africa, or any place away from the US in the hopes they will travel longer. And they always do. Sad statement for geocachers in the US. I also find that any trackables that we have placed in events (especially) mega-events, have never been retrieved. At the moment, we have 57 geocoins/trackables that we have moved that have not been logged since we dropped them - going all the way back to 2013. Many of them were dropped at mega-events (including GeoCoinfest!) and never retrieved. I have given up on moving trackables at all and will be dropping the last of the ones that I have picked up in the next month. It is such a fun part of the game, but I feel so bad when somebody else's trackable goes missing when I was the one who dropped it somewhere. On the other hand, we have a number of coins that have been traveling all over Europe for several years and are still moving. Quote Link to comment
+Twentse Mug Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 I have more than 300 trackables out running and a few dozen in the usa. My experience is that the USA is a good country for travel bugs. Quote Link to comment
+Ringrat Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 I've only ever released two, and then gave up. One went missing rapidly in BC, after travelling very little. The other bounced around BC for a bit and then went to France and then Germany where it also disappeared. So I'm 0/2 with one in Canada and one in Germany. Quote Link to comment
+cerberus1 Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 Similar to Ringrat, we've experienced our losses (my coupla TBs and CJ's dozen or so coins) in a few Countries, and it seems (to us) they go missing in certain areas, rather than one Country in particular. But then, the worst trackable thief/hoarder/**** wasn't (really) too far from Groundspeak... Quote Link to comment
+Shinook & White Juan Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 We released a few and all went missing south of the border except for one, which went MIA in New Brunswick. We don't bother with TB's or coins anymore as far as releasing them. We don't want to help fund others Coin/TB collection. Quote Link to comment
+Cachefoxxe Posted May 27, 2015 Share Posted May 27, 2015 Well I have one missing in scotland so it does happen overseas too. Quote Link to comment
+Traditional Bill Posted May 27, 2015 Share Posted May 27, 2015 Almost all of the trackables that I've released in the USA have gone missing. Quote Link to comment
+Zepp914 Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 I used to think it was theft, but I think there are other issues going on. Newbie cachers make mistakes or sometimes they take a bug, get bored with caching, and leave it in a drawer somewhere. I have at least 3 bugs being held by newbies who haven't logged anything since November. Then there are the seasoned veterans that go to so many events and log so many caches, that they have no recollection where they left your TB or if they even had it at all. I have several bugs that were last seen at an event and haven't been seen since. I think more often than not TBs are just lost in the shuffle. There is no rhyme or reason to it. Your TB may be underneath somebody's car seat and it will be found whenever the car gets vacuumed out. Quote Link to comment
Andronicus Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 My only tip is to re-release them with replacement tags. You can use the copy tag, or there are several companies that sell replacements. It costs a little less than buying a new TB tag, and may help put some preasure on Groundspeak to try to do something about the problem. Quote Link to comment
+Shinook & White Juan Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 , and may help put some preasure on Groundspeak to try to do something about the problem. That will never happen. Quote Link to comment
+fuzziebear3 Posted June 10, 2015 Share Posted June 10, 2015 Yes to re-releasing them; You don't even have to have the copy tag or a purchased proxy tag. Just make a laminated card with the information on it including the tracking number, and if desired attach that to a small item and send it out again. I attach laminated tags to my travel bugs anyway, and I feel that a laminated tag and a small item has the feel of a travel bug and will do almost as well as the version that had the tag. Quote Link to comment
+PattiButche Posted June 10, 2015 Author Share Posted June 10, 2015 I had never considered re-using / re-releasing the trackables (once they vanished). It seems obvious now, but I didn't even think of it. I think I will review all of my trackables and their history - and release them again. Thanks for the idea Quote Link to comment
+BlackRose67 Posted July 4, 2015 Share Posted July 4, 2015 I've released 7 TBs in total. The only one that is not missing is the one on the back of my vehicle. One went to Africa last November and hasn't been seen since. One went disappeared with a newbie caching family in Ohio almost 2 years ago. One went missing in Nova Scotia. One was found in Panama City and is now apparently in the hands of a cacher in the Netherlands. One is apparently in Newfoundland in the hands of an inactive cacher. And then there is this gem, posted by a cacher with over 5,000 finds: "TB Drop. Handed this TB to some newbies but they have not logged the find yet." Quote Link to comment
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