Caches only in premium listed???

[martina1]

I did Geocaching back in 2007 before there were smartphones and apps and I wanted to give it a try again now. But without buying a premium version, there are zero caches listed, no matter which area I try in northern Germany. I'm puzzled... Can't I use the app in basic version? What's it for then?

[+Max and 99]

5 minutes ago, martina1 said:

I did Geocaching back in 2007 before there were smartphones and apps and I wanted to give it a try again now. But without buying a premium version, there are zero caches listed, no matter which area I try in northern Germany. I'm puzzled... Can't I use the app in basic version? What's it for then?

You sure can! There are some limits, though. I am unable to look those up at the moment but I'm sure someone else will soon. 

[martina1]

9 minutes ago, Max and 99 said:

You sure can! There are some limits, though. I am unable to look those up at the moment but I'm sure someone else will soon. 

Thank you! I only downloaded the app tonight and after closing and opening it a couple of times, now all by it sudden it's showing me the available caches! :-)

 

[RuideAlmeida]

17 minutes ago, martina1 said:

But without buying a premium version, there are zero caches listed, no matter which area I try in northern Germany.

 

If a Basic Member use the official app, the map will show only a few easy D/T Traditional caches (and Events), close to the location. It may happen that there are any where you searched... but has soon you move to other location, the map will update. But, you may search any other caches you want in the homepage, and then save them as waypoints on the app.

[+GeoElmo6000]

On 6/9/2020 at 7:01 PM, RuideAlmeida said:

 

If a Basic Member use the official app, the map will show only a few easy D/T Traditional caches (and Events), close to the location. It may happen that there are any where you searched... but has soon you move to other location, the map will update. But, you may search any other caches you want in the homepage, and then save them as waypoints on the app.

 

But if a basic member uses the website, they'll see all non-premium caches, right?  

 

I was a basic member for a while, back when my GPS receiver wasn't broken.  I originally became a premium member because I thought I needed to do so to hide geocaches, though I don't regret getting premium even though my original reasoning was mistaken.

 

If it's true that basic members see more caches on the website than with the app, I don't understand the reasoning.  Hopefully it's not for upselling. 

[RuideAlmeida]

6 minutes ago, GeoElmo6000 said:

If it's true that basic members see more caches on the website than with the app, I don't understand the reasoning.

 

Consider the app as a game demo... a free appetizer for buying the real deal (turning Premium) and support the hobby for everybody. 

[+niraD]

5 minutes ago, RuideAlmeida said:

13 minutes ago, GeoElmo6000 said:

If it's true that basic members see more caches on the website than with the app, I don't understand the reasoning.  Hopefully it's not for upselling. 

Consider the app as a game demo... a free appetizer for buying the real deal (turning Premium) and support the hobby for everybody. 

Yep. Sounds like upselling...

 

It sure creates a lot of confusion, with basic members being unable to see PMO caches, as well as being unable to see "advanced" caches (basically, anything but traditional caches with a D/T rating of 2/2 or less). The distinction between PMO and "advanced" is lost on most newbies.

[+on4bam]

17 minutes ago, GeoElmo6000 said:

If it's true that basic members see more caches on the website than with the app, I don't understand the reasoning.  Hopefully it's not for upselling. 

 

It is

 

Point is that as a PM you have PQ's and  16000 cache API "credits".

 

[RuideAlmeida]

6 minutes ago, niraD said:

Yep. Sounds like upselling...

 

And yet... you can still use the homepage and access more than 90% of all the caches for free (not considering internet, equipment and energy bills, of course).

[+on4bam]

59 minutes ago, RuideAlmeida said:

 

And yet... you can still use the homepage and access more than 90% of all the caches for free (not considering internet, equipment and energy bills, of course).

 

Yes, but while many may think about the extra PM caches they get full API access, PQ's and notifications may well be more important. Depending on location having access to PM caches may be more or less important. High quality caches seem to be PM more than non-PM (but PM caches are not necessarily higher quality).

 

Compared to the total cost of caching $30/year is peanuts anyway.

 

[+IceColdUK]

57 minutes ago, on4bam said:

Compared to the total cost of caching $30/year is peanuts anyway.

I spend more than that in lost pens. ?

[+on4bam]

1 minute ago, IceColdUK said:

I spend more than that in lost pens. ?

 

I save on pens. We try to travel as much as possible and take the pens from our hotel rooms.  Come to think of it... buying pens might be cheaper

 

[+niraD]

2 hours ago, RuideAlmeida said:

And yet... you can still use the homepage and access more than 90% of all the caches for free (not considering internet, equipment and energy bills, of course).

I found it amusing that you omitted the sentence, "Hopefully it's not for upselling," when you quoted GeoElmo6000, and then proceeded to explain that yes, the purpose is indeed upselling.

 

One of these days, I need to figure out what third-party app is going to replace CacheSense (RIP). I'm one of those people who considers full access to the API a primary benefit of premium membership.

[+SamLowrey]

 I took a long break, too, and came back in the smartphone age.  Always glad to see someone from the older era.

[+cerberus1]

On 6/9/2020 at 6:39 PM, martina1 said:

I did Geocaching back in 2007 before there were smartphones and apps and I wanted to give it a try again now. But without buying a premium version, there are zero caches listed, no matter which area I try in northern Germany. I'm puzzled... Can't I use the app in basic version? What's it for then?

 

This is said often, but is incorrect.        The other 2/3rds had a blackberry and online in 2000.

She  had a geocaching app (Trimble) for blackberry in 2005. Even the iphone came out two months before you started, in 2007.   

 

Curious...what did you use to find caches before ?  You can load any cache type and D/T (other than pmo) by simply using the website.

It's a little awkward maybe to mark waypoints using the app, but you can get all "advanced" caches through the website for free.

[+colleda]

11 hours ago, on4bam said:

 

Compared to the total cost of caching $30/year is peanuts anyway.

 

I spend more than that a month on nuts. (Pistachios, macadamias & cashews mostly.)

[+Max and 99]

I came across this blog post today, and thought of this thread.

 

 

[+GeoElmo6000]

14 hours ago, Max and 99 said:

I came across this blog post today, and thought of this thread.

 

I spent $10 on that app, and thought it was great; anything a basic user could see on the website they could see on the app.  Now the app is free but basic users are limited in what they can find, though they can still see all non-premium caches on the website.

[+TeamRabbitRun]

On 8/24/2020 at 10:32 AM, IceColdUK said:

I spend more than that in lost pens. ?

 

I don't have that expense.

 

I find all my pens laying next to caches in the field.

 

Thank you all, BTW.

[+terratin]

On 8/24/2020 at 4:32 PM, IceColdUK said:

I spend more than that in lost pens. ?

 

My employers tend to have very well filled stationary cabinets. For some reason those pens always end up in my pockets when in leave in the evening or get lost somewhere in my office.

 

If I use the website I could probably do without premium, though pocket queries are extremely convenient from time to time.