Advice on a lost travel bug.

[+HD_Diva]

As a fairly new cacher just wondering if someone can give me a bit of advice. Unfortunately and shamefully I lost a travel bug. It was a small coin in which I placed in my pocket to put into a possible cache. I had a bit of bushwacking to get to the cache and I figure it fell out of my pocket along the way.  I could not find it. About 2 weeks ago I tried to contact the owner to let them know and offered to make a replacement for them. I did not get a response. Should I 1. Make a replacement and drop it in a cache? 2. Log that I dropped it in the cache in which I lost it near hoping someone may find it. or 3. Is there a way to log it as lost so it is no longer in my inventory. Or is there something else that is supposed to be done in this situation. Thanks for any suggestions.

Edited July 21, 2017 by HD_Diva

[+cerberus1]

If you're not the TO, or CO of a cache, you can't mark it missing.

I'd simply write note on the trackable's page that I lost it, and doubtful, but grateful if someone finds it.

Have you tried the message center and/or email to contact the TO?  Some have a favorite.  We do.  

 

I'd think it  a really carpy thing to do if you logged it in a cache just to clear your inventory.  You lost it.

 - But if you have the tracking code, and after a month or so of no response from the TO, guess you could make a proxy and place it in a cache.

[+NanCycle]

13 hours ago, HD_Diva said:

As a fairly new cacher just wondering if someone can give me a bit of advice. Unfortunately and shamefully I lost a travel bug. It was a small coin in which I placed in my pocket to put into a possible cache. I had a bit of bushwacking to get to the cache and I figure it fell out of my pocket along the way.  I could not find it. About 2 weeks ago I tried to contact the owner to let them know and offered to make a replacement for them. I did not get a response. Should I 1. Make a replacement and drop it in a cache? 2. Log that I dropped it in the cache in which I lost it near hoping someone may find it. or 3. Is there a way to log it as lost so it is no longer in my inventory. Or is there something else that is supposed to be done in this situation. Thanks for any suggestions.

 

1.  It is not your place to make a replacement for someone else's trackable.

2. Don't log a drop into a cache where it is not really.  (Terrible sentence construction-but I think you  can get the point.). If someone does find it, wherever it is logged, they can grab it and go from there.

3. Since you don't have any caches of your own, send an email to Eartha (Moderator of this forum) or your local reviewer; either one can mark it missing for you.

4. If you haven't already, apologize profusely to the owner.  

[+justintim1999]

I've lost a few trackables.  I e-mailed the owners and offered to replace them.  It was a mistake but my mistake.

 

There's no rule that says you have to replace it but I thought it was the right thing  to do.

 

I wound up replacing one of them.  In both cases the owners were very cool about it.

[+justintim1999]

One thing I forgot to mention.  After the second incident I put an empty lock n" lock in my caching bag to hold any found travel bugs & Geocoins.

 

Haven't lost one since.

[+Goldsmith]

First of all, my metaphorical hat is off to you for taking the time to worry about the right thing to do. That is an act of simple courtesy that too many people are apt to neglect these days. You have already done the exact thing I would have done by contacting the owner. Sometimes it takes awhile for people to get around to checking messages so don't give up on hearing from them--especially if you can tell they are still actively geocaching. I have waited a few weeks to hear back from a tb owner. Sharing a note on the online log for the cache about  what happened might prompt other finders to look. I like to read recent logs and I would certainly look for the lost trackable if I saw the story. Twice on trips to New Orleans I have been convinced I lost tbs and both times I found them right after I contacted the owners. One was in a corner of a backpack I had searched over and over and the other was still at home under a card on my desk. I would have sworn each time I had them in my Kava bag and lost them out. You never can tell.

[+HD_Diva]

Thanks for the advice. The owner has gotten back to me. All is good. They were very understanding as it does happen. I will leave a note on the log for the cache that it was lost in the area hopefully someone will find it. Mind you it was a very small light weight plastic coin so I would be surprised.  My fingers are crossed. 

[+Frozen Buns]

If you go to the <removed by moderator> and then let it go as a thank you to the owner.

Edited August 21, 2017 by Eartha
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