logging a trackable some has already picked up?

[diggerpol]

I've been carrying a travel geocoin around with me for several months, and haven't been able to help it get any closer to its goal, but today thought I'd put it somewhere that lots of people visit. I dropped it off and once home ( about an hour or so later ) went to log that I'd dropped it off ... and I couldn't, as someone has already picked it up and logged it as found!

 

I've left a note at the cache I left it at to say I'd dropped off a trackable, but I can't find out how to say where I left it or to log that I actually left it on the geocoins page.

 

do I just leave it, as found and being moved on? or is there someway of logging where I left it?

 

thanks x

[+on4bam]

It happened to me too and this is how I handle it.

 

Drop Coin/TB

Log cache + drop coin/TB(GSAK API)

If I notice coin/TB has been grabbed already, I grab it back (I keep trackingnumbers in my GSAK database) and drop it in the cache as intended.

I send an e-mail to the cacher who took it before I could log it and explain that I grabbed it back and that it's good practice to wait to "retrieve" a trackable until the previous cacher has logged it.

 

BTW, I will not "grab" a trackable without checking if the previous cacher has already logged the cache. I always put such trackables on my watchlist so I'm notified when the TB is dropped in the cache so I can log it as retrieved as soon as possible.

[diggerpol]

It happened to me too and this is how I handle it.

 

Drop Coin/TB

Log cache + drop coin/TB(GSAK API)

If I notice coin/TB has been grabbed already, I grab it back (I keep trackingnumbers in my GSAK database) and drop it in the cache as intended.

I send an e-mail to the cacher who took it before I could log it and explain that I grabbed it back and that it's good practice to wait to "retrieve" a trackable until the previous cacher has logged it.

 

BTW, I will not "grab" a trackable without checking if the previous cacher has already logged the cache. I always put such trackables on my watchlist so I'm notified when the TB is dropped in the cache so I can log it as retrieved as soon as possible.

 

thanks x

[+cerberus1]

I've been carrying a travel geocoin around with me for several months, and haven't been able to help it get any closer to its goal, but today thought I'd put it somewhere that lots of people visit. I dropped it off and once home ( about an hour or so later ) went to log that I'd dropped it off ... and I couldn't, as someone has already picked it up and logged it as found!

Sure you could just grab it back, but then what do you do with it?

It's not in that cache any longer.

I believe you create more issue than it's worth doing that.

Another side may be... If I find a trackable, notice a buncha "took it to" logs and no drop off, I log it asap, so the Owner knows it's (really) still in play.

[+dprovan]

Don't listen to them. It's done. The other guy has it and is moving it along. Don't worry about it. Log a note to the trackable page saying where you put it and why. (Well, "why" is kinda optional, but what you explained to us about trying to help it towards its goal for a couple months but finally letting it loose strikes me as a good why to put in your log.) The person that grabbed it should have logged a visit to the cache where you dropped it, but if you don't see a log like that, include the GC code or, even better, make a link to the cache.

 

This stuff happens. You logged the drop a little too slow -- quite possibly because it was impossible for you to log it quicker, but no sweat either way -- or the other guy logged the grab too fast, which is equally non-problematic. Not getting the strictly correct logging isn't quite as nice, but it's not really bad, either. Better that than the person grabbing it having to wait for you before he drops it.

 

Anyway, the bottom line is it's no big deal, so don't disrupt the system by grabbing it back as the other responders are suggesting. That changes the situation from the TB being listed in the right place but with the minor glitch of a missing log entry to the TB being in the wrong place altogether. You can add your log, true, but it still won't really be accurate because it will be in the wrong order. So log the note, which is just as good in this situation.

[+on4bam]

This stuff happens. You logged the drop a little too slow --

 

You're turning things around. The other cacher should have the courtesy to give you time to log properly. Not everyone logs on the spot with a smartphone.

It all has to do with the "I want it NOW!!!" mentality.

Just looking at forum threads a lot of people don't know how to handle TBs anyway.

 

Fortunately I haven't encountered this a lot, longer multis don't have a lot of visitors compared to P&G anyway so many times we're the only ones to do such a cache on a day (or week).

[diggerpol]

This stuff happens. You logged the drop a little too slow --

 

You're turning things around. The other cacher should have the courtesy to give you time to log properly. Not everyone logs on the spot with a smartphone.

It all has to do with the "I want it NOW!!!" mentality.

Just looking at forum threads a lot of people don't know how to handle TBs anyway.

 

Fortunately I haven't encountered this a lot, longer multis don't have a lot of visitors compared to P&G anyway so many times we're the only ones to do such a cache on a day (or week).

 

I emailed the cacher who picked up the geocoin and asked if they minded if I grabbed it back, 'dropped it' and then they could pick it up again, and they said fine. they are new to caching and it was the first time they had found a trackable and so were very keen to 'share' all done now.

[+The A-Team]

I will not "grab" a trackable without checking if the previous cacher has already logged the cache.

Thank you. It's too bad more people don't do this.

[+dprovan]

This stuff happens. You logged the drop a little too slow --

You're turning things around.

I'm not sure how you can say I turned it any which way since I present both possibilities as equally accurate descriptions. And my point was that both are correct statements of fact which don't imply either party did anything wrong.

 

The other cacher should have the courtesy to give you time to log properly. Not everyone logs on the spot with a smartphone.

I don't log with a cell phone, but I see no particular reason to demand the other party wait.

 

It all has to do with the "I want it NOW!!!" mentality.

Could be, although let's keep in mind that when this issue comes up, someone usually uses exactly the same arguments to claim that only waiting a week before making the grab is too quick. Wanting to move a TB within a couple days of picking it up can't possibly be described as "I want it NOW!!!"

 

Just looking at forum threads a lot of people don't know how to handle TBs anyway.

All the more reason to not worry about this case which (would have) resulted in only the slight inaccuracy of the OP posting a note log to describe the drop instead of a drop log.

[+niraD]

I dropped it off and once home ( about an hour or so later ) went to log that I'd dropped it off ... and I couldn't, as someone has already picked it up and logged it as found!

When this has happened to me, I've grabbed it back (since I keep a record of the tracking codes), dropped it into the cache, and sent email to the person I grabbed it from, letting them know what I'd done, and letting them know that they'll need to retrieve it to get it back in the cache.

 

For reference, see the Help Center article Fixing the Historical Record.

[+Walts Hunting]

I vote for leave it be and don't worry. TB's locations are so inaccurate these days that it doesn't matter. It will self correct when the holder drops it and logs the drop. I have had about half a dozen grabbed from me over the years by proponents of the grab and email. There is no requirement that you wait to grab it. That is something made up by the TB police.

 

I just ignored it after. It is no longer my problem when they do that. And of coure since I don't have it in my inventory I can't log the drop when I drop it in a cache so it is still out of whack. Either way don't worry about it. to much fuss about so little.

[+Gill & Tony]

It gets weird sometimes.

 

I logged a cache on 30 Dec and retrieved a trackable from it. While I was signing the logbook I noticed several log entries dated 31st Dec - folk who obviously wanted the souvenir. When I logged the find online (still on 30th) I realised that the trackable wasn't in the cache's inventory, so I grabbed it from the player who had it, dropped it into the cache and immediately retrieved it.

 

Next day there was a "Found" log by someone who noted that they had dropped the trackable into the cache.