Found a travel Bug but what to do?

[+Jayeffel]

I recently found a travel bug in a cache,. It had been logged as retrieved from another cache  1/1/18, then "placed" into cache 1/24/18; it was discovered 4/8/18 and 8/24/18, last logs. It apparently was placed in the cache but never properly logged as dropped. 

 

When I went to log this as retrieved the dropdown menu did not allow that option. That is what caused to me check its history. To get it back on its history path what do I do? I could  "drop" it in a cache, but since I could not "retrieve " it , may not be able to "drop" it. Or do I use the log menu to "grab" it, make it in my possession, then drop it? 

 

Cache involved was GC759DT

Edited February 17, 2020 by Jayeffel
spelling.

[RuideAlmeida]

If you Grab It, the last mileage will be lost... maybe you can send a message to the geocacher and ask him to log the Drop effectively.

[+TriciaG]

Assuming it's been in that cache for a while and that the last holder isn't planning on correctly logging it, I'd "Grab" it, then "Visit" it to the cache you found it in to correctly reflect its history. Then move it on as you normally would.

[+Jayeffel]

3 hours ago, RuideAlmeida said:

If you Grab It, the last mileage will be lost... maybe you can send a message to the geocacher and ask him to log the Drop effectively.

Thought of that about ten seconds after I pressed send!

[+cerberus1]

Similar to TriciaG, I'd assume that after a month the current holder isn't going to log it anywhere near "in a timely manner".   

If the option exists to Grab it I would,  then decide whether to "fix" the trackable's mileage  or not.   You aren't required to.

For us it depends on whether a member's still active in the hobby.  Sometimes we'll just Drop it in a cache (after Grab...), and that's it.

We've had some where there were errors for months before we got hold of it.  I'd like to help, but I'm not a sucker either...

To boot, the last couple trackables we "fixed" turned out to belong to members who weren't participating in the hobby any longer.  

[+colleda]

I once dropped a TB in a cache intending to log the drop when I got home. When home that same day I went to log the drop and found someone had already grabbed it from me. Sheesh,

[+Jayeffel]

I contacted the cacher who was liste as the owner of that TB, I  looked at the TB history and the cache logs. He stated he "placed "it in the cache , but no where did it show dropped.He had no recollection go it at all. So I grabbed it , left a note explaining the situation, Now to move it on. And it looks like the cacher who first started the TB has not visited  geocache.com since 2017.  

[+cerberus1]

8 hours ago, Jayeffel said:

I contacted the cacher who was liste as the owner of that TB, I  looked at the TB history and the cache logs. He stated he "placed "it in the cache , but no where did it show dropped.He had no recollection go it at all. So I grabbed it , left a note explaining the situation, Now to move it on.

 

And it looks like the cacher who first started the TB has not visited  geocache.com since 2017.  

 

One of the reasons you were having issues is that trackable is marked as "collectible". 

There's a few Drops (3) and they're called "Placed"  on the trackables logs (it doesn't say "Drop"...), so it looks like (to me) that the TO decided to "fix" their trackable for some reason.

 - Seems like another "happy happy button/click/button" thing (people love to click buttons). 

When I make like I'm gonna log it, the options are only Grab it, Write Note, and Discovered, so unless there's a different format somewhere, when you want to leave it in a cache there'll be someone asking the same thing.  

 

The Trackable Owner's "last visit" was may '19,  so it's possible that they may still be interested in trackables, and a mail asking to switch to an option  that better allows movement a good idea...

 

Edited February 18, 2020 by cerberus1

[+CAVinoGal]

You did what I likely would have done.  Sometimes you can make the record make sense; other times you just do what you need to  and get the TB moving and the record as sensible as you can.  Sometimes things get tangled through no fault of yours or anyone else, who do things right but something glitches.

 

I own a TB, a cacher was moving it around (ie, visiting to lots of caches), then folks started discovering it in a TB hotel owned by the cacher who had my TB.  I didn't show it being dropped in the Hotel, and it continued to be visited to caches by the CO of the Hotel. Discovers and visits all intermingled...wherre is it really?  I emailed the one who had my TB.  Seems he dropped 3 TB's into his Hotel using the app, and he must be one of those who visit every TB in their inventory to every cache found.  It was physically in the Hotel, but electronically still in his inventory (along with two other TB's).  I saw it in HIS HANDS and the TB page was recording all the visits; it did NOT show up in the Hotel.  He could not see it in his inventory though.  Something between the website and the app did not sync.  Finally was able to resolve it and I got this through the message center:

We still don't know what happened but we got yours and 2 other that Had been placed in the XX hotel. None of the 3 dropped that day went as planned. All 3 were NOT in our inventory, we had to figure  way to get them dropped. Luckily we keep a spread sheet so we were able to look up their numbers.  We've moved a Lot of TBs over the years with this new map, first time this happened. I think Groundspeak may have been working on on the system who knows. Just wanted to write you to let you know I Completed the task and your TB should be back up and racing around the globe.  Thanks for reaching out.  Happy trails.

 

It now seems to be resolved - the TB was dropped in the hotel, and it's there physically and electronically.  Other than a few visits to places mixed in with a few discovers in the hotel (no visits since all this took place mid-January) it's been discovered in the hotel a few more times, and I'm waiting to see where it goes next.   I'm happy to  see it in a nicely maintained Hotel with a CO who obviously keeps track of trackables (keeping a spreadsheet!).  Glitches happen....

 

[+Jayeffel]

I have Interesting adventures with TBs.!

 

I found a cache today that contained a TB. I was using my iPhone to record the find and went to "retreive" the TB. The response was the cache had no TBs in its inventory. 

 

So I ran the number of the TB and found that it had never been activated!  It does show age and  weather marks,  so I think it has been around awhile. And no one bothered to do anything with it it seems.Whee all it has been is anyones guess.

 

It is now activated, and that was a bit odd also. A new TB has an activation code for the purchaser to hang on to. This  TB had  the tracking number on it of course. but no activation code was available. Thankfully, someone provided a way to retrieve the activation code. I was a bit amazed it was easy, no third degree questions to ascertain legitimacy. 

 

What adventure awaits the next trip?

[+thebruce0]

On 2/17/2020 at 7:57 PM, colleda said:

I once dropped a TB in a cache intending to log the drop when I got home. When home that same day I went to log the drop and found someone had already grabbed it from me. Sheesh,

Yeah that's happened to me a few times. I try now to log the find with the drop as soon as possible especially in town in case someone's too eager to give TBs a day or two to be dropped properly.  grr

 

On 2/18/2020 at 11:27 AM, cerberus1 said:

Seems like another "happy happy button/click/button" thing (people love to click buttons).

Yep.

 

 

[+Max and 99]

On 2/17/2020 at 6:57 PM, colleda said:

I once dropped a TB in a cache intending to log the drop when I got home. When home that same day I went to log the drop and found someone had already grabbed it from me. Sheesh,

I think one of mine got taken about 30 minutes after I dropped it off, while I was waiting for cell service. I don't think this is listed under TB information for app users, but it should be!

 

Trackable tips:

• Try to move trackables within two weeks of taking them.
• If a trackable isn't listed in a geocache, wait 24 hours or contact the last geocacher who logged the trackable.
• If you think a trackable is missing from a geocache, contact the trackable owner or write a note on the trackable details page.