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What's up with this?

Another Basic Member rippoff or what?

When using the Message Center function, I tried to send a different personal email address to another geocacher, but the following message popped up:

 

"Only Premium members can send third-party links via Message Center. Please remove all third-party links to send your message."

 

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46 minutes ago, Fledermaus said:

What's up with this?

Another Basic Member rippoff or what?

When using the Message Center function, I tried to send a different personal email address to another geocacher, but the following message popped up:

 

"Only Premium members can send third-party links via Message Center. Please remove all third-party links to send your message."

 

Try it without a.b

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11 hours ago, Fledermaus said:

What's up with this?

Another Basic Member rippoff or what?

When using the Message Center function, I tried to send a different personal email address to another geocacher, but the following message popped up:

 

"Only Premium members can send third-party links via Message Center. Please remove all third-party links to send your message."

Workaround: Use the "Sent E-Mail" function instead. There is no such restriction.

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On 7/23/2022 at 4:11 AM, Fledermaus said:

What's up with this?

Another Basic Member rippoff or what?

When using the Message Center function, I tried to send a different personal email address to another geocacher, but the following message popped up:

 

"Only Premium members can send third-party links via Message Center. Please remove all third-party links to send your message."

 

Why haven't you paid for a membership, as you have certainly found enough caches to be over the testing stage? You can afford a phone after all. The geocaching site doesn't run on air and happy wishes.
There is no such thing as a "Another Basic Member rippoff or what?", as you haven't paid any money to support the site. Basically, paying members are supporting you, and you are ripping us off by not sharing the cost.

 

Edited by Goldenwattle
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5 minutes ago, Johannis10 said:

if this is your general opinion about BMs I would recommend to click into the BM profiles here. Maybe then you will notice something...

I'll let you explain that to me.

A basic member pays nothing. When I was a beginner and a basic member I paid nothing. However, I also couldn't afford a phone in those days either and was caching without a GPS or phone. When I finally was able to afford a GPS I joined almost that day. I felt too guilty not to support the site any longer, and have been a paid member ever since. Can you afford a phone? If yes, you can afford to be a member.  And so why aren't you a paid member as well?

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1 hour ago, Goldenwattle said:

And so why aren't you a paid member as well?

For me, there are several reasons.
Here is just one example:

https://forums.geocaching.com/GC/index.php?/topic/371424-richtlinien-zum-verstecken/&do=findComment&comment=5978304

 Since the text is unfortunately not in English, here is a certainly not perfect translation, but hopefully the content is still understandable:

GC94ZDP was a very elaborate and lovingly built cache, with hardware and software. A great weather protected location was found with permission from the property owner. However, the cache was not published because the reviewers interpreted it did not meet the guidelines as it was on company property.

"Into a business go" have the local Reviewer there probably so extended that neither on, nor at firm premises a Cache may be placed.

The cache had nothing to do with the company, and you also have no contact with the people working there.

The company premises restriction is not in the guidelines. Only that I am not allowed to enter any business. The cache location is a 24/7 freely accessible outdoor area with log cabins to look at. The wiederrum of course the company wants to sell. But I do not go into any business in my opinion. The reviewers saw it differently and since then there is again a disappointed cacher more, which has finally stamped the project, which has cost him a lot of time, money and nerves.

Summary:
To make other cachers happy I like to invest time and money. However, I hope that you can understand, that I would not like to support a company additionally through a premium membership, which destroys the commitment and invested money of cachers in this for me very unpleasant way.

 

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Rule are there for everyone to follow and there is an appeal process if you don't like the answer you initially get. I've appealed and was published. 

I actually think more scrutiny is needed on publishing not less. A cache was placed in my neighborhood green space. After one weekend the flowers were destroyed. I requested that the cache be moved or archived and it was.  My point is the process should ask questions and keep folks and property safe.  Otherwise they will outlaw or reduce this everywhere.

 

I obviously don't know your issue, sorry that it left a bad taste in your mouth. But I'm going to agree with others as a basic member and a dedicated cacher I say you kind of get what you get and be happy with the free service others provide you.  

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12 hours ago, Goldenwattle said:

you haven't paid any money to support the site. Basically, paying members are supporting you, and you are ripping us off by not sharing the cost.

There's ads as well, isn't there? So assuming a BM doesn't block those, he is actually contributing by being subjected to those. Me, I generally dislike the freemium model, crippleware and the combination of paid membership with ads. Therefore I waited until I had 1,000 finds until I started paying, just because it felt good to make that statement. Then I became a PM because in the end I do like to support the site and I always block all ads. I have been a PM ever since, and I think that is the only non-essential service I am paying for.

 

If the business model includes a free membership, people are supposed to be able to use it without feeling bad about it. Subjecting them to random crippling of functionality just to coerce them into premium members leaves a bad taste. I'm all for removing features that can be used by spammers and having PMO caches to protect precious installations from thieves and vandals, as I agree those people are likey to be BM:s.

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9 hours ago, MNTA said:

Rule are there for everyone to follow...

I have not criticized the guidelines here, but the way reviewers sometimes unfortunately deal with them, as can be seen in the example: Countless caches before and after were published in a comparable environment and I also see no contradiction to the published guidelines. If a cacher then relies on it, and he then such demoralisirenden consequences must bear, I find that very sad. Nobody has in this case any advantages. There are only disadvantages for all. Nice that many owners have never experienced such and similar things. Unfortunately, I know several owners who can not say that about themselves and the more elaborate the thwarted caches or the events were, the more annoying the experience. Some of my adopted caches also built from an owner who was alienated by GS...

9 hours ago, MNTA said:

I say you kind of get what you get and be happy with the free service others provide you.

In my opinion, just because a service is performed on a voluntary basis or  free service, it still matters how well or poorly it is done. GS does many things well, thank you for that. But there is still much to improve. My caches also cost nothing for the visitors, nevertheless I try to create appealing caches. If then a stage flops I am also happy about honest feedback and do not simply delete constructive criticism as it is unfortunately sometimes done here...

2 hours ago, ChriBli said:

If the business model includes a free membership, people are supposed to be able to use it without feeling bad about it.

+1

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