When do you grab a trackable?

[+terratin]

Picked up a trackable 1.5 weeks ago. Logged cache, found trackable not yet checked into cache but still in the hands of someone. Sent them a message. No answer yet, trackable still in their hand. At what time do you grab it, check it into that cache and go on with your life? Note: I might not go out this weekend, but I have a trip abroad coming up soon, and being a bit chaotic I'm sure I'll drop it off and then realize in my hotel later on that I don't hold it yet. Not sure how good local mobile data is either, thus...

[+Northern Trekker]

If you have it then the prior carrier of the trackable forgot to electronically "leave it".  When you can, drop it in another cache and carry on. 

[+niraD]

16 minutes ago, terratin said:

Picked up a trackable 1.5 weeks ago. Logged cache, found trackable not yet checked into cache but still in the hands of someone. Sent them a message. No answer yet, trackable still in their hand. At what time do you grab it, check it into that cache and go on with your life?

A week should be plenty of time for the other geocacher to at least get back to you. At this point, I'd grab the trackable, drop it into the cache where I found it, and then retrieve it. (I'd also send the other geocacher email explaining what I did and why.) If there's no rush, then you could wait a little longer, but definitely get it done before your trip abroad.

[+terratin]

4 minutes ago, niraD said:

A week should be plenty of time for the other geocacher to at least get back to you. At this point, I'd grab the trackable, drop it into the cache where I found it, and then retrieve it. (I'd also send the other geocacher email explaining what I did and why.) If there's no rush, then you could wait a little longer, but definitely get it done before your trip abroad.

 Yeah, I'll probably make a note on my phone to sort this out after the weekend. If they've not dropped it off until then (they did log caches since) then I'll grab it.

To be honest, I'm usually a bit miffed if I drop off a trackable, get home to log, and find that someone already grabbed it from me. There are lots of places without phone signal out there. Plus I like to give trackables a log as well. But that's the other extreme here.

[+MNTA]

If you found a trackable and took it you should log immediately use "Grab It (Not from a Cache)"    This takes physical possession from the previous cacher and places in your inventory. I've found multiple trackables where the cache I found it in was not logged by the cacher in possession of the trackable which tells me multiple cachers have not logged properly. 

[+niraD]

49 minutes ago, MNTA said:

If you found a trackable and took it you should log immediately

Immediately? Not everyone logs everything in the field with a smartphone. Give the person who dropped it in the cache where you found it time to log it.

 

But with that said, a week and a half is enough time.

[+fuzziebear3]

You've given them enough time.  They likely forgot, or maybe just don't know how or don't handle trackables well.  Also app logging isnt as trackable friendly.  Go ahead and grab it.  Give it a dip in the cache you found it in if you want to help its history along.  And then place it in the next cache you would like to.

 

 

 

[+JL_HSTRE]

If I have physical possession of the traceable I'm logging retrieval as soon as convenient.

 

If it's still showing in someone else's inventory so what? They've already got credit for the discovery and I can take care of dipping or dropping it where I found it so the trackable history is accurate.

 

Edited May 16, 2023 by JL_HSTRE

[+niraD]

1 hour ago, JL_HSTRE said:

If it's still showing in someone else's inventory so what? They've already got credit for the discovery and I can take care of dipping or dropping it where I found it so the trackable history is accurate.

Until they grab it back and drop it in the cache where they left it.

[+MNTA]

6 hours ago, JL_HSTRE said:

If I have physical possession of the traceable I'm logging retrieval as soon as convenient.

 

If it's still showing in someone else's inventory so what? They've already got credit for the discovery and I can take care of dipping or dropping it where I found it so the trackable history is accurate.

 

Ok first i agree but will play devils advocate here.

 

The only thing I see as benefit of waiting is that the former cacher in possession gets to claim a "dropped of log" which is used in some challenges.

 

So some may see it as a courtesy to wait. Fine I get it but it is not a requirement. I'd log specially if they had logged the find and failed to log the trackable. Yes the apps interface for trackables could use a lot of improvement it is not difficult. They probably forgot or did not care.

 

As for accuracy of the logs. I rarely log all my visits of trackable due to the afore mentioned app deficiency. 

Edited May 17, 2023 by MNTA

[+terratin]

5 hours ago, MNTA said:

Ok first i agree but will play devils advocate here.

 

The only thing I see as benefit of waiting is that the former cacher in possession gets to claim a "dropped of log" which is used in some challenges.

 

So some may see it as a courtesy to wait. Fine I get it but it is not a requirement. I'd log specially if they had logged the find and failed to log the trackable. Yes the apps interface for trackables could use a lot of improvement it is not difficult. They probably forgot or did not care.

 

As for accuracy of the logs. I rarely log all my visits of trackable due to the afore mentioned app deficiency. 

No, the benefit of waiting is for the trackable owner because they can follow the actual trip of their trackable. I’ve seen it so often that an over-eager cacher grabbed a trackable shortly after I dropped it off without dipping it into the cache it came from, maybe missing a whole country this way. That’s just rude

[+Hynz]

1 hour ago, terratin said:

No, the benefit of waiting is for the trackable owner because they can follow the actual trip of their trackable. I’ve seen it so often that an over-eager cacher grabbed a trackable shortly after I dropped it off without dipping it into the cache it came from, maybe missing a whole country this way. That’s just rude

Exactly ^this.

Immediate grabbing and even

19 hours ago, Northern Trekker said:

When you can, drop it in another cache and carry on. 

is skewing the history of the trackable (as is IMNSHO extensive use of visiting).

I would remind the current holder and would grab after one or two weeks.

I would not write the TB-owner but would write some explaning text in my grab > drop > retrieve > drop logs

[+JL_HSTRE]

12 hours ago, niraD said:

Until they grab it back and drop it in the cache where they left it.

 

If the TB is no longer in their inventory and they don't physically have it they can only grab it back if for some reason they wrote down the code. Which is possible but unlikely.

[+niraD]

1 hour ago, JL_HSTRE said:

If the TB is no longer in their inventory and they don't physically have it they can only grab it back if for some reason they wrote down the code. Which is possible but unlikely.

I can't say how "likely" it is, but I don't delete my notes of tracking codes after I drop the trackables in a cache. And if I had the trackable visit a goal-related cache before dropping it in another cache, you can be sure that I'll grab it back if someone prematurely grabs it from me.

[+terratin]

Ok, things are getting confusing. I grabbed the trackable, and noticed the previous holder had visited caches with it after they dropped it off. which now totally messes with the history. I contacted the owner if there might be a copy in circulation, just in case. But no answer yet. So either the previous holder didn't realize they dropped it off, or they're a victim of the current date bug and did not correct the dates for the trackables. Hmpf.

Edited May 17, 2023 by terratin

[+Smitherington]

They may just automatically have their TBs visit each cache.  If they don’t realize they dropped it off it could go on for a long time. In that case they won’t notice if you grab it.  Go for it.

[+Harry Dolphin]

On 5/16/2023 at 10:24 AM, niraD said:

Immediately? Not everyone logs everything in the field with a smartphone. Give the person who dropped it in the cache where you found it time to log it.

 

But with that said, a week and a half is enough time.

 

Yes.  I was on a weeklong trip.  I don't have a cell phone or laptop.  I log them when I get home.  I dropped a trackable of mine in a cache in Tennesee.  Two days later, when I got ome, someone had grabbed it, but not logged into the cache where I put it.  So I grabbed it back, and dropped it in the cache wher I had left it.  Irritated the thief!  

[+cerberus1]

Sorta similar to MNTA maybe, I'll look at the trackable's history and the "cacher" who had it earlier, to see what they've done with it first.

We've seen so many instances of logging errors, even with long-time premium members, that I'm not gonna get too involved...

We used to wait up-to a month to finally log a trackable we're still holding because some dope doesn't know to log when they can.

One example, after a full month, with two emails to the last holder, we Grabbed it and finally Dropped it in a cache with a note, "It's been a month...".

Hours later the dope who's still logging "visits" Grabbed it from the cache we just put it in.   

Now the next person's stuck with it messed up again.   By posts, even the OP has the same issue now.   

 

Edited May 18, 2023 by cerberus1
deleted delete

[+niraD]

12 minutes ago, cerberus1 said:

Sorta similar to MNTA maybe, I'll look at the trackable's history and the "cacher" who had it earlier, to see what they've done with it first.

We've seen so many instances of logging errors, even with long-time premium members, that I'm not gonna get too involved...

We used to wait up-to a month to finally log a trackable we're still holding because some dope doesn't know to log when they can.

One example, after a full month, with two emails to the last holder, we Grabbed it and finally Dropped it in a cache with a note, "It's been a month...".

Hours later the dope who's still logging "visits" Grabbed it from the cache we just put it in.   

Now the next person's stuck with it messed up again.   By posts, even the OP has the same issue now.   

[+baer2006]

18 hours ago, Smitherington said:

They may just automatically have their TBs visit each cache.  If they don’t realize they dropped it off it could go on for a long time. In that case they won’t notice if you grab it.

^This!

 

The "auto-visit everything in my inventory" feature of many caching apps is downright evil IMHO. Do this for you own trackables (for "tracking" purposes or whatever) - fine. But not for others' trackables, which you are only moving on. WIth the "auto-visit", you probably never actually look at your inventory, so that it's very easy to forget to log a TB drop. Couple this with high-numbers caching and automated copy&paste logging, and it's more or less certain to happen sooner or later.

[+Goldenwattle]

On 5/16/2023 at 2:50 PM, terratin said:

Picked up a trackable 1.5 weeks ago. Logged cache, found trackable not yet checked into cache but still in the hands of someone. Sent them a message. No answer yet, trackable still in their hand. At what time do you grab it

After a day or two. One and a half weeks is too long. If they complain, you can then delete your log, let them drop the trackable, and then you relog. You should have logged it by now.

[+Bear and Ragged]

On 5/17/2023 at 9:40 PM, terratin said:

Ok, things are getting confusing. I grabbed the trackable, and noticed the previous holder had visited caches with it after they dropped it off. which now totally messes with the history. I contacted the owner if there might be a copy in circulation, just in case. But no answer yet. So either the previous holder didn't realize they dropped it off, or they're a victim of the current date bug and did not correct the dates for the trackables. Hmpf.

If I was in the situation you are, given the above that the previous holder has logged more caches, I'd Grab the TB and log things in the order I've done them with the TB.

ie Grab, Drop in the cache it was found, retrieve from cache, continue with it's travels...

[+Mysterion604]

It also may be that they are not someone who logs in very often.

 

If you are stuck for an answer, then ask the owner of the trackable to see what they want done.

 

(There are even duplicates of TBs floating around, so what you have or the other cacher has could be a proxy / replacement TB.) 

 

[+Harry Dolphin]

17 hours ago, mysterion604 said:

(There are even duplicates of TBs floating around, so what you have or the other cacher has could be a proxy / replacement TB.) 

 

I found a trackable that had not been found in quite a while.  The CO asked me to mail it back to him, since the proxy was wandering about Europe.  Easier to mail back the one in the same country.  He mailed me my postage and a gift.

[+lee737]

On 5/17/2023 at 7:31 AM, JL_HSTRE said:

If I have physical possession of the traceable I'm logging retrieval as soon as convenient.

I just grab it straight away, unless it appears the previous holder literally dropped it there the same day, then I'll leave it to the next day.

If they have an issue and let me know, I'm happy for them to regrab it and log it properly. Nobody has had that issue.

[+Upham]

I had one just recently that started Florida seven years ago. The person that picked it up made a note that it was on it's way to Europe but never logged as picking it up, so it was still in the cache he found it in (according to the site). I found it in Rhode Island a week or so ago, so I contacted the owned and he told me he didn't even remember it. LOL. So we decided I would pick it up (by computer) in Florida from it's last home and drop it in MA.