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Maintenance Service?


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The policy is to make a “Needs Maintenance” log. And in time, where appropriate, a “Needs Archived” log.

Except in special cases, maintaining other people's caches is not helpful. Best case, you're propping up a cache that will go away anyway. In the case of a friend who is temporarily unable to repair an otherwise well-maintained cache, that's fine, with the friend's approval, but it's just that one, and just for a time.

If it were my cache, I know the situation. I may be considering archiving the cache and completely re-doing it as a new cache. I'd hope nobody would go out of their way to unilaterally “fix it” for me. Simply log a Needs Maintenance, that's perfect, thanks.  Logs about the condition before it even gets to the point of "Needs Maintenance", yeah, that would be good, too.

The Cache Owner has the web site controls for “Owner Maintenance” (to clear a “Needs Maintanance” action) or other direct actions important to cache ownership. Other cachers don't. If you will be the person maintaining the cache, I'd suggest adopting it.

 

Edited by kunarion
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I believe that the OP is asking if he can start a maintenance service for other Cache Owners.  Not sure if this is free or a hire for profit service. 

I can see some times where this might be helpful when the CO is unavailable to do maintenance. Not sure how well this would work, as in order to maintain a cache you have to know exactly where it belongs, which might to different from where it is.  

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Geocaching HQ's expectation, as expressed in the listing guidelines, is that owners will be responsible for maintaining their own caches.  You might find yourself being asked to stop advertising such a maintenance service, particularly if you propose to charge a fee.

At the same time, everyone recognizes that geocachers are nice people, and friends like to help out their geo-friends.  If you and I were caching buddies, and you were planning to visit my cache that is 50 miles from my home, you could write me an email like this:

Quote

Hey, I'm planning on visiting your "backwoods" cache this weekend and I noticed there's a Needs Maintenance log about a cracked container lid and a wet logsheet.  OK if I swap out the old container and log for a new one?  I know it's a bit far away and I will be caching through that whole area anyways.  Besides, I still owe you one for helping me to learn GSAK at the last event cache.  Let me know if that's OK!

There's absolutely nothing wrong with that kind of informal help, which happens every day.  But formalizing this, and offering it as a "service" to people who you might not even know very well -- maybe not so much so.  You might acquire a reputation as a meddling cache cop, or worse, depending on how you "marketed" your service.  Try to stay on the "well meaning, helpful, nice geocacher" side of the line.

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I recently moved from a city about 150 miles away.   I still have high favorite-point caches there with no one to check on them other than people are still finding them.   I'd hate to archive them since so many people still enjoy them.  I only have non-cacher friends to look in on them but too infrequently.   I wish I had someone who could check on far away caches and I would be happy to do likewise in my area and provide maintenance within limits.    I wish there was a global site where people could volunteer at the request of a cache owner.   As well, I have lost many travel bugs, started a surrogate bug and a year later the original bug appears.  I wish I could send someone to a cache to verify the bug has been dropped off as it said it was.  

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1 hour ago, Keystone said:

Hey, I'm planning on visiting your "backwoods" cache this weekend and I noticed there's a Needs Maintenance log about a cracked container lid and a wet logsheet.  OK if I swap out the old container and log for a new one?  I know it's a bit far away and I will be caching through that whole area anyways.  Besides, I still owe you one for helping me to learn GSAK at the last event cache.  Let me know if that's OK!

. . . and I won't even claim it as a find like all the other throwdown masters.

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55 minutes ago, Team Christiansen said:

. . . and I won't even claim it as a find like all the other throwdown masters.

Why not claim a find? You are removing and replacing a damaged cache and log and with the CO's permission (I'm using Keystone's example) That is a far cry from a throwdown.

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9 hours ago, Keystone said:

Geocaching HQ's expectation, as expressed in the listing guidelines, is that owners will be responsible for maintaining their own caches.  You might find yourself being asked to stop advertising such a maintenance service, particularly if you propose to charge a fee.

Where does "being responsible for maintaining their own caches" prohibit me from hiring someone to do the physical action of maintainence?  They would do what I instruct them to do - my cache, my responsiblity, so my 'employee' does the work..  There are some home owner associations that require the owners to maintain the yard to certain minimum level, but that doesn't mean the home owner has to do the work, they can hire someone insead.  Washington state (where I live) has requirements that I maintain my car to a certain level of emmissions, but i can have a shop do the work instead of personally fixing the car. 

Promoting such a service here would fall under the rules of advertisers, just as any geocaching store.

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7 hours ago, The Jester said:

Where does "being responsible for maintaining their own caches" prohibit me from hiring someone to do the physical action of maintainence?  They would do what I instruct them to do - my cache, my responsiblity, so my 'employee' does the work..  There are some home owner associations that require the owners to maintain the yard to certain minimum level, but that doesn't mean the home owner has to do the work, they can hire someone insead.  Washington state (where I live) has requirements that I maintain my car to a certain level of emmissions, but i can have a shop do the work instead of personally fixing the car. 

Promoting such a service here would fall under the rules of advertisers, just as any geocaching store.

I mean. This is a valid point. 

 

Cheers, fellow Washingtonian! 

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22 hours ago, RoombaCats said:

...    I wish there was a global site where people could volunteer at the request of a cache owner.   As well, I have lost many travel bugs, started a surrogate bug and a year later the original bug appears.  I wish I could send someone to a cache to verify the bug has been dropped off as it said it was.  

Check out the TB Rescue section of project-gc

You can create a mission that asks someone to check on a bug that may (or may not be) in a cache.   You can choose an area and volunteer to check on TBs that need an assist in your area.

 

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On ‎7‎/‎26‎/‎2017 at 5:22 PM, RoombaCats said:

I recently moved from a city about 150 miles away.   I still have high favorite-point caches there with no one to check on them other than people are still finding them.   I'd hate to archive them since so many people still enjoy them.  I only have non-cacher friends to look in on them but too infrequently.   I wish I had someone who could check on far away caches and I would be happy to do likewise in my area and provide maintenance within limits.    I wish there was a global site where people could volunteer at the request of a cache owner.   As well, I have lost many travel bugs, started a surrogate bug and a year later the original bug appears.  I wish I could send someone to a cache to verify the bug has been dropped off as it said it was.  

Why not just offer them up for adoption before they become an issue?

If only "non-cacher friends",  you know it's just a matter of time...

I'd be really surprised if anyone would volunteer their time, simply to see if a trackable's in a cache.  :)

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I'm really conflicted on this one --  on one hand, I'm all for MAINTAIN YOUR OWN DOGGONED CACHES OR ARCHIVE THEM IF YOU CAN'T BECAUSE COMMUNITY MAINTENANCE HURTS THE GAME.... 

But on the other hand, I have deep respect for people with a hustle -- and if somebody was wiling to pay for a "Cache Maintenance Service" -- is Groundspeak really in a position to deny that? The HOA mandating that you cut your grass, and you hiring the local landscape company is a great analogy. 

I was super convinced when this thread started that the OP was going to get roasted and was willing to fan the flames... But The Jester has created a hard question in my mind now. 

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3 hours ago, mvhayes1982 said:

I'm really conflicted on this one --  on one hand, I'm all for MAINTAIN YOUR OWN DOGGONED CACHES OR ARCHIVE THEM IF YOU CAN'T BECAUSE COMMUNITY MAINTENANCE HURTS THE GAME.... 

But on the other hand, I have deep respect for people with a hustle -- and if somebody was wiling to pay for a "Cache Maintenance Service" -- is Groundspeak really in a position to deny that? The HOA mandating that you cut your grass, and you hiring the local landscape company is a great analogy. 

I was super convinced when this thread started that the OP was going to get roasted and was willing to fan the flames... But The Jester has created a hard question in my mind now. 

I'm with you on this one. I thought for sure he was going to get hammered for asking. I'll bet there is a percentage of COs out there that would love to hire someone to manage their caches for them. 

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13 hours ago, SeattleWayne said:

I'll bet there is a percentage of COs out there that would love to hire someone to manage their caches for them. 

I got the impression (from watching some YT vids on GC Events) that there is a percentage of COs out there that (essentially) hire someone to build (or otherwise supply) their caches for them (buying/selling pre-built gadget caches, containers, etc.)

Hiring someone to manage them seems like a logical consequent.  YMMV.

Unfortunately, the other shoe is players hiring someone to find their GCs for them.  I had a**-u-me-d (silly me) that this was/would be "against the rules", but the more I learn about this activity, I'm learning that--as in so many other pursuits--there are loopholes.

Edited by RufusClupea
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Do you have a kayak?  You are hired!  Ha Ha.  Just kidding.  I think I have seen this brought up before.  I think in most cases I would archive before paying someone to maintain them.  However there is a value there.

  I have a series of kayak ones around a lake (well 2 lakes right next to each other)  and they tend to often disappear.  Every now and then I will take a day to go threw and fix them all up.  It pretty much takes up most of the day to do this.

One time over a year ago a cacher said they were going to go do the trip around the lakes. They asked if it was OK to replace/fix up the few that needed new logs and whatever..  I said sure. I could tell from there logs they put some efforts into fixing them up for me and I felt like I should give them something for the effort. I decided to buy them a year of premium membership to there account.  Well worth it as it saved me a day out there.

 The extra cool thing was that there was one they didn't have the supplies to fix.  I guess they were grateful of my giving them that and they went back a couple of days later and fixed up that last cache!

 This was not them asking for something before they did it like a service, just a friend of mine who is a cacher who seen they could help me out and never asked for anything but I did see a value in it.

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On 7/26/2017 at 11:43 PM, The Jester said:
On 7/26/2017 at 2:08 PM, Keystone said:

Geocaching HQ's expectation, as expressed in the listing guidelines, is that owners will be responsible for maintaining their own caches. 

Where does "being responsible for maintaining their own caches" prohibit me from hiring someone to do the physical action of maintainence?  They would do what I instruct them to do - my cache, my responsiblity, so my 'employee' does the work..  There are some home owner associations that require the owners to maintain the yard to certain minimum level, but that doesn't mean the home owner has to do the work, they can hire someone insead.  Washington state (where I live) has requirements that I maintain my car to a certain level of emmissions, but i can have a shop do the work instead of personally fixing the car. 

I can see the merits to both sides of this. However, geocaching,as a hobby of choice, makes me tend to side with my initial, "gut" reaction that hiring someone to do cache maintenance is in conflict with the whole geocaching ethic, and one of the reasons I became a "geocacher".  This is a hobby that I have CHOSEN to pursue.  It's not at all comparable to a homeowner's association or car ownership where I may not have the skills or ability to fulfill the requirements of "ownership", so I hire it out.  I want to build, hide, and challenge other geocachers - not hire someone to do my hobby for me.

I have chosen to pursue a hobby, and made a conscious decision to hide a cache.  With that comes maintenance.  If I, personally, cannot maintain it, I shouldn't have planted it (just my "newbie", humble, personal opinion).  I would not WANT anyone else maintaining my caches - I've already seen too many throwdowns and poor substitutes for original caches  (with the original still in place and in fine shape!!!) on my son's local caches ... it's not going to happen to anything I place.  I will do my best to keep my own maintained!

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13 hours ago, RufusClupea said:

I got the impression (from watching some YT vids on GC Events) that there is a percentage of COs out there that (essentially) hire someone to build (or otherwise supply) their caches for them (buying/selling pre-built gadget caches, containers, etc.)

Hiring someone to manage them seems like a logical consequent.  YMMV.

Unfortunately, the other shoe is players hiring someone to find their GCs for them.  

I don't get this at all - this is a hobby - a personal choice to pursue.  Hiring someone to find caches, or maintain, or hide them for you?  That's not goecaching, IMHO - geocaching is all about seeking, finding, discovering, and providing the same challenge to others.  If you don't want to do that, then don't.  To go out of your way to pay someone to pursue your hobby makes no sense at all to me ... 

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1 hour ago, CAVinoGal said:

I can see the merits to both sides of this. However, geocaching,as a hobby of choice, makes me tend to side with my initial, "gut" reaction that hiring someone to do cache maintenance is in conflict with the whole geocaching ethic, and one of the reasons I became a "geocacher".  This is a hobby that I have CHOSEN to pursue.  It's not at all comparable to a homeowner's association or car ownership where I may not have the skills or ability to fulfill the requirements of "ownership", so I hire it out.  I want to build, hide, and challenge other geocachers - not hire someone to do my hobby for me.

I have chosen to pursue a hobby, and made a conscious decision to hide a cache.  With that comes maintenance.  If I, personally, cannot maintain it, I shouldn't have planted it (just my "newbie", humble, personal opinion).  I would not WANT anyone else maintaining my caches - I've already seen too many throwdowns and poor substitutes for original caches  (with the original still in place and in fine shape!!!) on my son's local caches ... it's not going to happen to anything I place.  I will do my best to keep my own maintained!

For the most part I agree, but having retired a couple of years ago we've started traveling.  So far the longest trip was 10 weeks, but next year we're looking at 4-6 months away from home.  In that case, it would be nice o have a service I could call on to deal with a cache that has problems while I'm not around - disabling is fine, but for that long it would be nice to get it back in the game quicker.  I can also see this for health problem, milatary deployment or such, where the CO is temporarily unavailable.

 

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6 hours ago, The Jester said:

For the most part I agree, but having retired a couple of years ago we've started traveling.  So far the longest trip was 10 weeks, but next year we're looking at 4-6 months away from home.  In that case, it would be nice o have a service I could call on to deal with a cache that has problems while I'm not around - disabling is fine, but for that long it would be nice to get it back in the game quicker.  I can also see this for health problem, milatary deployment or such, where the CO is temporarily unavailable.

This is where the local geocaching community comes into play, and you ask a fellow cacher to help with maintenance temporarily, or put the cache out for adoption.  Kunarion made some very valid points and how HQ might view the idea of a maintenance service, and the more I think about this, the more I am in agreement.  This is a hobby, a pasttime, a passion for some.  Hiding caches is an optionnal part of the "game".  Should you choose to hide one or more, you agree to maintain them.  When that is no longer possible or desirable, archive or adopt out so someone else takes full responsibility.

On 7/26/2017 at 1:49 PM, kunarion said:

The policy is to make a “Needs Maintenance” log. And in time, where appropriate, a “Needs Archived” log.

Except in special cases, maintaining other people's caches is not helpful. Best case, you're propping up a cache that will go away anyway. In the case of a friend who is temporarily unable to repair an otherwise well-maintained cache, that's fine, with the friend's approval, but it's just that one, and just for a time.

If it were my cache, I know the situation. I may be considering archiving the cache and completely re-doing it as a new cache. I'd hope nobody would go out of their way to unilaterally “fix it” for me. Simply log a Needs Maintenance, that's perfect, thanks.  Logs about the condition before it even gets to the point of "Needs Maintenance", yeah, that would be good, too.

The Cache Owner has the web site controls for “Owner Maintenance” (to clear a “Needs Maintanance” action) or other direct actions important to cache ownership. Other cachers don't. If you will be the person maintaining the cache, I'd suggest adopting it.

 

As I said, I can see some of the logic used in coming up with the idea of hiring out maintainance, but there are difficulties, and it isn't what geocaching was intended to be, IMO.

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8 hours ago, CAVinoGal said:

I don't get this at all - this is a hobby - a personal choice to pursue.  Hiring someone to find caches, or maintain, or hide them for you?  That's not goecaching, IMHO - geocaching is all about seeking, finding, discovering, and providing the same challenge to others.  If you don't want to do that, then don't.  To go out of your way to pay someone to pursue your hobby makes no sense at all to me ... 

There's a cost to maintaining caches even when you personally do the work. I see no significant difference between paying for gas drive to the trailhead, then spending the time to hike to GZ, and hiring someone else to do it. Now for me personally, yeah, I can't see why I'd ever do that, and I'm not convinced such a business would be successful, but logically I have no problem with someone offering the service and a CO paying for it.

I was surprised by Keystone's response since I've never heard anything to suggest that maintenance had to, every time, be personally done by the CO's own hands. If GS tried to shut such a service down, I can't see it being based on the guidelines for maintaining caches. If anything, paying for a service shows the CO is taking responsibility for maintenance in spades. More likely it would be the rules that discourage competition with GS. Not that GS offers such a service, but such a service would leverage GS's product, so they might make a case against it based on that. But a licensing fee could solve that.

22 hours ago, RufusClupea said:

I got the impression (from watching some YT vids on GC Events) that there is a percentage of COs out there that (essentially) hire someone to build (or otherwise supply) their caches for them (buying/selling pre-built gadget caches, containers, etc.)

You say that as if it's rare. I must have found 100 blinkies in my career, and I think only one wasn't purchase from a geocaching store.

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8 hours ago, CAVinoGal said:

I don't get this at all - this is a hobby - a personal choice to pursue.  Hiring someone to find caches, or maintain, or hide them for you?  That's not goecaching, IMHO - geocaching is all about seeking, finding, discovering, and providing the same challenge to others.  If you don't want to do that, then don't.  To go out of your way to pay someone to pursue your hobby makes no sense at all to me ... 

I don't disagree at all--just making an observation, and following through as a sort of thought experiment.  Neither do/would I--as a lifelong gamer--advocate or condone such practices, however they're beginning to occur in this hobby, and there are precedents:

Boring game? Hire a player
Now You Can Hire Someone to Play Pokémon Go for You

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On ‎7‎/‎26‎/‎2017 at 4:01 PM, Rough Draft said:

I'm thinking about offering a maintenance service for geocachers in my neck of the world.

If I "hired" someone, I'd want to be sure they're similar to us in maintaining hides.

Sometimes, and for no real reason (few issues with these...), I'll just bring another, filled ammo can and just swap 'em out.

To be sure you were legit/trustworthy (our name's on the OM...), I'd wanna check.    Doing so  means I could have simply done it myself anyway...  :)

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22 minutes ago, dprovan said:
22 hours ago, RufusClupea said:

I got the impression (from watching some YT vids on GC Events) that there is a percentage of COs out there that (essentially) hire someone to build (or otherwise supply) their caches for them (buying/selling pre-built gadget caches, containers, etc.)

You say that as if it's rare. I must have found 100 blinkies in my career, and I think only one wasn't purchase from a geocaching store.

No doubt!  A geocaching store would be a perfect example. 

I'm still a noob (~2 weeks).  What I know (so far) is what I've seen on some YT vids and what I'm picking up on this site.  What I surmise is that buying pre-/ready-built gadget caches (what I was thinking when I wrote the above) is... let's say... uncommon, because--to quote Bill Maher, "I don't know it for a fact, I just know it's true.;)

Edited by RufusClupea
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I don't think this would end up being successful though. If you were doing it just for fun and not for profit it might be OK but I don't see many cachers paying what it would cost to make a profit out of doing it. I see so many using containers that they have just had laying around and not spending a lot of money on there hides I can't see many spending what it would cost for someone to make a profit out of doing this.

  Maybe if you lived somewhere like Hawaii and someone on vacation wanted to place a hide and there back up was a service like this they might be willing to pay the (I would guess) $50 to make a replacement container and then drive out there and replace it but I can't see that being the case for most that just have hides in there area.

  I would guess it would have to be around $50 to make a duplicate container.  Then drive out to the place,  have to figure in time and gas and making the container. Then maybe hike to replace a cache you have already found.  What is everyone thinking the price would be?  Guess it would depend on how hard the container would be to make and how hard it would be to get to the place to replace it.

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9 hours ago, WarNinjas said:

I would guess it would have to be around $50 to make a duplicate container.  Then drive out to the place,  have to figure in time and gas and making the container. Then maybe hike to replace a cache you have already found.  What is everyone thinking the price would be?  Guess it would depend on how hard the container would be to make and how hard it would be to get to the place to replace it.

I was imagining a flat fee, maybe $10 a year per cache. Obviously it would have to be more if the container cost $50 to fabricate. If the cache needed to be replace, I thought it would be with a stock container that cost a couple bucks. Or the service might do routine maintenance, then charge an additional fee if a new container was needed.

One of the things that strikes me as odd about the idea is that there's not really any difference between paying someone to maintain a cache and paying to have someone else plant the cache to begin with. That's what makes me think it would actually work as a business.

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8 hours ago, dprovan said:

One of the things that strikes me as odd about the idea is that there's not really any difference between paying someone to maintain a cache and paying to have someone else plant the cache to begin with. That's what makes me think it would actually work as a business.

Am I the only one that thinks the whole concept of paying someone to geocache for you is just ... nuts?  It's a hobby, a choice.  If you don't want to DO it, then don't.  

We are new to this, and just beginning to hide a few, and adopt a few.  We are hiding them with full intentions of taking care of them - that's the fun of it.  Watching what happens, and putting caches back in to play when they go missing or have issues is part of the fun of geocaching. Maybe it's because of our newness, but we watch the logs, and get out and check when things seem amiss.

The issue of the cache owner having access to the maintenance logs - either the service person would also need the login, giving them access to the entire account, OR the cache owner would have to maintain the logs after the  service was completed.  I, personally, would not be comfortable with handing out my login and access to my cache profile, pages, etc.  And if I was logging a maintenance performed, I would probably check to be sure it had been done to my satisfaction ... in other words, I might as well just do it myself to begin with.

The whole idea strikes me as odd.  YMMV, and neither is right or wrong (as long as GS has no issues with a "maintenance service").  It wouldn't work for me, is all I am saying.

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7 hours ago, CAVinoGal said:

The issue of the cache owner having access to the maintenance logs - either the service person would also need the login, giving them access to the entire account, OR the cache owner would have to maintain the logs after the  service was completed.  I, personally, would not be comfortable with handing out my login and access to my cache profile, pages, etc.  And if I was logging a maintenance performed, I would probably check to be sure it had been done to my satisfaction ... in other words, I might as well just do it myself to begin with.

I'm kinda with you on the concept, it's not something I would ever consider using, but I don't think that's how it's intended to work.

The idea is I still manage my caches as I always have, but if a situation arises where I get a notification that one of my caches needs maintenance but I'm away on holiday, or really busy with other stuff (or I just can't be bothered), then rather than leave it until I have time I could call the guy and say "hey my cache GC????? at N?? ??.??? W?? ??.???" is broken, please go and replace it, the container is a 1L lock-n-lock",  money changes hands, the cache gets fixed, and everyone's a winner.

No need to change any notification/mail/login settings.

I can't see how the service would fall foul of any Groundspeak guidelines, unless you start advertising the service on cache pages on Groundspeak's own forums, but as others have said I can't see anyone making enough money out of it for it to be a profitable proposition.

 

 

 

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1 hour ago, MartyBartfast said:

 I can't see anyone making enough money out of it for it to be a profitable proposition.

1. Replace the container

2. Take multiple photographs of the container in place from slightly different angles

3. Remove container - take it home for the next job

4. Receive payment

This would help to increase the profit margin.

The next seeker will be days/weeks/months into the future by which point the service provider can simply blame muggles - and get another fee for replacing the cache again - only this time they don't need to visit GZ - just upload another photograph from the batch taken on the original visit.

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9 hours ago, CAVinoGal said:

Am I the only one that thinks the whole concept of paying someone to geocache for you is just ... nuts?  It's a hobby, a choice.  If you don't want to DO it, then don't.  

 

There are lots of things about how some participate in this hobby that I don't understand but I may be able to come up with a plausible explanation.   Cache owners that manage to place and maintain a large number of caches gain a reputation and respect from other geocachers.   Some may want the reward of respect from their peers without putting in the work.  Someone else wondered if some would pay others to find caches for them.  As much as he act of finding caches is enjoyable, let's face it, there are a lot of pretty lame caches out there.  For someone that wants the reward of a high find count but doesn't want to spend the time finding a lot of lame caches (and could spend that time going on long hikes) paying someone to put their name in a log book might be something they'd consider doing.   I wouldn't do it and you wouldn't do it but some might.

 

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2 minutes ago, NYPaddleCacher said:

For someone that wants the reward of a high find count but doesn't want to spend the time finding a lot of lame caches (and could spend that time going on long hikes) paying someone to put their name in a log book might be something they'd consider doing.

 

That would be incredibly sad.

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1 hour ago, NYPaddleCacher said:
1 hour ago, Team Microdot said:
1 hour ago, NYPaddleCacher said:

 For someone that wants the reward of a high find count but doesn't want to spend the time finding a lot of lame caches (and could spend that time going on long hikes) paying someone to put their name in a log book might be something they'd consider doing.

That would be incredibly sad.

Agreed.  Given how some people choose to play the game though, it wouldn't surprise me.

I'm sure I remember several years ago somebody offering to do exactly this, basically you pay them and then they sign your name in the caches they find;  though at the time it was not clear whether that was a genuine offer or a joke, but I could imagine someone buying it.

 

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23 minutes ago, MartyBartfast said:

I'm sure I remember several years ago somebody offering to do exactly this, basically you pay them and then they sign your name in the caches they find;  though at the time it was not clear whether that was a genuine offer or a joke, but I could imagine someone buying it.

 

There's a few "make money" off this hobby threads.  Last I looked, none of the OPs cache anymore.  One is "locked".

Funny that someone would offer for pay, when in this area, a couple "teams" have all members names entered  in the middle of  logs  (only one member placing...) for free.    Just start a team.    :D

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Being a retiree who like to travel a lot, I'm often away from home, even overseas, for several weeks at a time.  Touch wood, I've never had any major dramas with my caches while I've been away, but should that happen, I would simply contact one of the local (to home) cachers who has found the cache and ask for help.  Failing that, I'd simply disable the cache until I could get home.

Pay someone to do my voluntary work for me?  No thanks.

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9 hours ago, Gill & Tony said:

Being a retiree who like to travel a lot, I'm often away from home, even overseas, for several weeks at a time.  Touch wood, I've never had any major dramas with my caches while I've been away, but should that happen, I would simply contact one of the local (to home) cachers who has found the cache and ask for help.  Failing that, I'd simply disable the cache until I could get home.

Pay someone to do my voluntary work for me?  No thanks.

+1   Yep.   :)

We don't travel often (work gets in the way...), but when we do, we've had plans set with others for a few years to handle any issue if it's needed.

Temp fixes mostly, until we're able to handle it ourselves.  We do the same for them (and have). 

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On 7/31/2017 at 1:17 AM, MartyBartfast said:

I'm kinda with you on the concept, it's not something I would ever consider using, but I don't think that's how it's intended to work.

The idea is I still manage my caches as I always have, but if a situation arises where I get a notification that one of my caches needs maintenance but I'm away on holiday, or really busy with other stuff (or I just can't be bothered), then rather than leave it until I have time I could call the guy and say "hey my cache GC????? at N?? ??.??? W?? ??.???" is broken, please go and replace it, the container is a 1L lock-n-lock",  money changes hands, the cache gets fixed, and everyone's a winner.

No need to change any notification/mail/login settings.

I can't see how the service would fall foul of any Groundspeak guidelines, unless you start advertising the service on cache pages on Groundspeak's own forums, but as others have said I can't see anyone making enough money out of it for it to be a profitable proposition.

 

 

 

If you cache falls apart while you're on holiday just write a note saying you're on vacation, and you'll tend to your cache once you're home. If you're gone for longer then a month, just update your cache log with another note saying you're on vacation so people know what's going on. Pretty easy. No need to pay someone for anything in this game. 

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4 hours ago, SeattleWayne said:

If you cache falls apart while you're on holiday just write a note saying you're on vacation, and you'll tend to your cache once you're home. If you're gone for longer then a month, just update your cache log with another note saying you're on vacation so people know what's going on. Pretty easy. No need to pay someone for anything in this game. 

There is definitely no NEED to pay anyone for anything in this hobby. But that doesn't change the discussion as to whether or not there are those who would WANT to pay for such a service. 

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There are a number of people who make money off of this hobby. A lot of them live in or around Seattle and work for Groundspeak. I have NO problem with them making money off of this hobby... they are providing a service that allows this hobby to exist. Some people make money by making coins, containers, games, displays, etc. I think if someone sees a need and creates a niche market, let them be. I definitely don't live in an area where this service would be needed or wanted, but if someone does and people want to pay that person, I think it's awesome. 

I think people need to heed Keystone's warning - "Try to stay on the "well meaning, helpful, nice geocacher" side of the line." Don't take advantage of people and don't create a situation where Groundspeak or anyone else would need to get involved and I think it could be an outstanding service.

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6 hours ago, RufusClupea said:

So this is nothing new?  Please elucidate!

There have been some attempts at businesses that place and maintain caches on behalf of others, but now that I think about it they have all been in conjunction with outside businesses and organizations. It just never seems to take off. I can think of three off the top of my head. There was one around here that sold subscriptions to small businesses all over the region. They just kind of disappeared one day, their website went dark, and the caches got archived. I recall another group trying to organize meetings for a similar venture. I think they were looking for other geocachers to get involved in placing and maintaining. Again I think they were trying to get small businesses and organizations to subscribe and it just wasn't feasible. And there's a small community a couple of hours away from here that tried to arrange some sort of non-profit geocaching project to boost local tourism and last time I looked, it wasn't doing very well either. The cache placement guidelines make it pretty much impossible to really link a business to a geocache, and most geocache visitors just grab the cache and keep moving.

I don't think I have seen anyone with a business that attempted to sell maintenance to other geocachers. I don't think I have ever heard another geocacher earnestly express a need for such a service, either.

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13 hours ago, SeattleWayne said:

If you cache falls apart while you're on holiday just write a note saying you're on vacation, and you'll tend to your cache once you're home. If you're gone for longer then a month, just update your cache log with another note saying you're on vacation so people know what's going on. Pretty easy. No need to pay someone for anything in this game. 

Except for Groundspeak, vendors, retailers (for phones, gps, etc.), gas stations, software companies ... ;)

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6 hours ago, narcissa said:

There have been some attempts at businesses that place and maintain caches on behalf of others, but now that I think about it they have all been in conjunction with outside businesses and organizations.

???  :huh:  Isn't that what we're talking about?

6 hours ago, narcissa said:

I don't think I have seen anyone with a business that attempted to sell maintenance to other geocachers.

:huh::huh::huh:  ?  Could you please clarify; that appears self-contradictory with the previous statement.

6 hours ago, narcissa said:

I don't think I have ever heard another geocacher earnestly express a need for such a service, either.

I believe that, but that doesn't necessarily mean such a need doesn't exist, nor a desire.  I think the issue might be volume--is there enough of a need/desire within a geographical area/range to make such a venture feasible.

Spoze... (I'm big on "spozin'" :rolleyes:)  there were a person/persons who desired to concoct various types of caches--standard, mystery , gadget/puzzle caches, multi-s, etc.--but was/were unable to maintain (or possibly even place) them as they would care to, yet had the resources to pay someone else to perform those tasks for them?  Granted, even with several million geocachers worldwide, I'd be surprised (delighted, but surprised) if there were enough people who fall into that category (especially the last part) within a geographical area to support/warrant such an endeavor.

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9 hours ago, narcissa said:

There have been some attempts at businesses that place and maintain caches on behalf of others, but now that I think about it they have all been in conjunction with outside businesses and organizations. ... There was one around here that sold subscriptions to small businesses all over the region.  . . . I recall another group trying to organize meetings for a similar venture. . . . Again I think they were trying to get small businesses and organizations to subscribe and it just wasn't feasible. 

I don't think I have seen anyone with a business that attempted to sell maintenance to other geocachers.

 

1 hour ago, RufusClupea said:

???  :huh:  Isn't that what we're talking about?

:huh::huh::huh:  ?  Could you please clarify; that appears self-contradictory with the previous statement.

 

So I haven't gotten the hang of this multi part quoting in the new forums, so forgive me...

I *think* what Narcissa was trying to say is that the groups/business she's seen try this service have been marketing the service to other businesses. Not to individual cachers. Companies/groups that would try to use cache placement as a marketing platform -- which, is basically impossible due to the commercial restrictions on cache listings. 

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3 hours ago, RufusClupea said:

Spoze... (I'm big on "spozin'" :rolleyes:)  there were a person/persons who desired to concoct various types of caches--standard, mystery , gadget/puzzle caches, multi-s, etc.--but was/were unable to maintain (or possibly even place) them as they would care to, yet had the resources to pay someone else to perform those tasks for them?  Granted, even with several million geocachers worldwide, I'd be surprised (delighted, but surprised) if there were enough people who fall into that category (especially the last part) within a geographical area to support/warrant such an endeavor.

A relative who uses a wheelchair to cache goes on Handicaching time-to-time, and notes that with friends they've met, they haven't even seen this subject come up.

 - Maybe another group...

They know that if they'd like, I'd place/maintain for them.  I'd bet other families would do similar.

 But yeah, probably rare.

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