HQ Needs a New Policy

[+Red Starred]

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Many of my Trackables have gone missing over the years. Attempts to find them are generally unsuccessful as geocachers refuse to answer communications. I am ending the business of geocoins and travel bugs because HQ tolerates this practice of theft.

A well-managed geocaching program would NOT allow membership to continue for an individual who will not play the game according to the rules. HQ should be revoking membership for individuals who retrieve geocoins/TB's and then refuse to answer queries from the owner as to the whereabouts of their Trackable.

I am Red Starred, and if HQ would check my communication page they would find almost a dozen queries that are being ignored.

This game is no longer fun. Frustration one does not need.

[+Manville Possum]

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Many of my Trackables have gone missing over the years. Attempts to find them are generally unsuccessful as geocachers refuse to answer communications. I am ending the business of geocoins and travel bugs because HQ tolerates this practice of theft.

A well-managed geocaching program would NOT allow membership to continue for an individual who will not play the game according to the rules. HQ should be revoking membership for individuals who retrieve geocoins/TB's and then refuse to answer queries from the owner as to the whereabouts of their Trackable.

I am Red Starred, and if HQ would check my communication page they would find almost a dozen queries that are being ignored.

This game is no longer fun. Frustration one does not need.

 

There is nothing HQ can do. I will still buy select geocoins for my collection, and I will still buy and release a few TB's knowing that they will end up missing. It's my choice, and I do it for fun. Geocaching is relaxing, and giving away really cool swag is fun.

[+T.D.M.22]

Number one, geocaching does nothing more than list the caches. They really have no control over what's in them (or not) or who geocaches.

 

Number two, ya it would be a good idea. But how exactly are you going to police it? Sure you could go after the people who last logged the trackables but that's not fair. I have had several trackables that I have given people who don't log them from me. So I should be banned because someone else didn't log the trackable I gave to them?

[+cerberus1]

This hobby is geocaching, not trackable whodunnit.

 

We're aware of numerous instances where a person was falsely pegged by others as a cache/trackable thief.

One was us.

Almost didn't continue with this hobby afterwards.

We caught the creep ourselves. Not a single jerk apologized to us.

 

No, as a listing service, I don't believe that HQ would be rushing out as Trackable Enforcer (but we have seen them act at times), though if they ever have that position open, I'm applying for the cool title.

 

The other 2/3rds lost around a dozen coins (over 200 staying safe at home), we lost all the TBs.

Way things are today ("Me! Me! I want mine!") just not doing any more, other than the freebies (and they last longer).

Less stress...

[+Wet Pancake Touring Club]

No, as a listing service, I don't believe that HQ would be rushing out as Trackable Enforcer (but we have seen them act at times), though if they ever have that position open, I'm applying for the cool title.

Having watched your posts over the years, I'd vote for you!

[+Scratch Ankle]

When I started messing with TBs I read up on them and one thing I figured out before ever releasing one is that they are going to disappear. But my wife was interested in being able to follow them in their travels so I bought several. I gave one away to new cacher to try and I still have one in my possession that is going to be a key chain trinket for my wife since she lost interest in trying to follow them. Sitting in caches for months on end, not being logged when picked up, cache disappearing, someone holding it for a year, or the innumerable visit logs just didn't return any enjoyment for her. I went into it with my eyes open and with the low return of enjoyment we're cutting out losses early on and with no hard feelings. At least with fishing when I toss a $5 to $10 lure into the brush where the fish are there is a return in enjoyment for the lures I lose. At least there's enough to keep me at it for 60 years. But there really isn't much difference in tossing out a fishing lure or tossing out a TB since I took something that was mine and put it out where it was at risk of getting lost. I did it myself and I don't expect Geocaching to make it up to me for the loss of a trackable any more than I expect the sporting goods store to make it up to me for the lures that get lost in the brush. It's simply the cost of playing the game. When the cost exceeds the enjoyment get out of it.

[+cerberus1]

I kinda agree, but...

 

When I'm casting a lure and lose it, that loss was from my actions alone.

I have no problem telling myself I'm a clutz, and will attempt to do better next time.

 

Whole different story if I get to blame others.

[+Scratch Ankle]

Ever had a fish take a lure and drag it into the brush and hang it up to where you lose it (fish and lure)?

 

But it still comes down to I took an action putting my stuff at risk. It isn't always some cacher "stealing" the TB. I lost someone's TB for about 6 weeks once. If I hadn't found it finally it would have disappeared forever but it wouldn't have been "stolen". Then there is the maintenance crew that trimmed trees at a rest stop that caused a cache to disappear that contained my TB. Not much chance they did it with malicious intent and I wouldn't put any money on the whether there was actual permission for the placement. Animals mess with caches, young muggles find them and have no idea they are messing with something they shouldn't, muggles who should know better mess with them. And so on, none of which are cachers at fault. Then, of course, there are those cachers at fault either through carelessness and ignorance, those that start and quit the game, and those that simply take it because it's interesting.

 

When it reaches the point where you have to place blame for a loss of something you put at risk of loss then I submit the cost of playing the game exceeds the fun of it for you. And it sounds like the OP has no fun playing the game anymore.

 

If you want to play you spend your money, release the TB, take a deep breath, and get a refreshing beverage and hope for the best because there is nothing you can do about what happens after that.

[+sporfrog]

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A well-managed geocaching program would NOT allow membership to continue for an individual who will not play the game according to the rules. HQ should be revoking membership for individuals who retrieve geocoins/TB's and then refuse to answer queries from the owner as to the whereabouts of their Trackable.

 

While Red Starred's post may seem a little extreme it does have some merit.

 

It would be nice if somehow cachers were encouraged to maintain an email address. I suspect many don't answer communication because they entered a netzero.net email address long ago and have never gone back to change it to their new email address. Nobody wants a pesky trackable owner bothering them, but at the same time a simple inquiry should be possible.

 

Groundspeak could also do a little bit more to make trackables easier to understand. Make it clear they are not swag. Make it clear what they are. Improve the instructions for logging a trackable and reduce the number or clicks to get there. Fix the confusion around "Collectible Preference" - which should be reworded "OK to Keep?" and default to NO.

 

Given the nature of our game, I don't think "HQ" can prevent trackables from going missing, but there is some room for improvement. Remember though...it is just a game! Have fun!

[+cerberus1]

While I agree that this "collectible" thing needs to get fixed, it doesn't seem to be confusing what, "Trackable on geocaching.com" and, "Do Not Keep Me" mean.

 

Seems odd that we started moving trackables a few weeks after starting with no issue, and without all the hand-holding that's done today, while with all the help they do get now (videos even!), folks still manage to mess this simple side-game up.

Pick it up, drop it off, rinse, repeat.

 

Has the attention span of toda... Oooh, a squirrel!

[+sporfrog]

While I agree that this "collectible" thing needs to get fixed, it doesn't seem to be confusing what, "Trackable on geocaching.com" and, "Do Not Keep Me" mean.

 

 

Yes, Groundspeak should add "Do Not Keep Me" on every trackable tag! Add that to the list of things that would help. The old classic aluminum colored tags still say that, however a very high percentage of all the others do not.

[+kunarion]

Groundspeak should add "Do Not Keep Me" on every trackable tag! Add that to the list of things that would help. The old classic aluminum colored tags still say that, however a very high percentage of all the others do not.

Worse, there's a misconception that a Trackable marked "Collectible" means that a finder may keep it. Be sure to get the word out that it is NOT up to the finder to decide, nor even in Groundspeak's power to pronounce that "a Trackable item marked Collectible means you can keep it". The finder must first ensure the Owner approves. Which is what the process of moving it to a Collection is for -- honest people who are acknowledging who owns the Trackable, and making the proper logs, so there are no misunderstandings. It is only the Trackable Owner (the person to whom it is registered) who may gift the Trackable, and in that case (since it is activated), the best course of action is to Adopt it to the new Owner.

 

Not only should Trackable items include "Don't Keep Me", but Groundspeak must clearly define what that means. People on this very Forum pretend to not understand. But also, Groundspeak must get rid of all the text about how to "Keep The Trackable". And stop ignoring me and others who request this. I haven't seen any changes, have you?

 

If it were ever allowed by TPTB to be a unilateral decision of the finder to keep a Trackable, we must insist that Geocaching.com add that info to the Geocaching Shop so that potential buyers can think twice about buying the things. The "Only A Listing Service" who tells finders to "Keep It", and also sells it, is getting some truly horrible legal advice.

Edited June 21, 2016 by kunarion