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Trackable Item "Amnesty Service"


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It’s undeniable that quite a few Trackable Items go missing on their

travels.

Some are stolen, some go missing from Muggled caches, and some just

disappear.

 

From reading these forums, it has become apparent that some of the

Trackables have become genuinely and honestly “mislaid”, rather than stolen.

 

We've all seen or heard of this sort of thing.

Somebody picks up a Trackable from a cache, in good faith, and fully intends

to move it along fairly quickly.

6 or 9 months later, they are genuinely surprised to find it tucked away

inside a caching bag, in the car, or in the bottom of a coat pocket.

 

What do they do with it?

Most cachers would want to return it to circulation, rather than throw

it away.

But how do they put it back without causing themselves any embarrassment?

They can quietly slip it into a cache, without logging their visit, but this

can often lead to confusion especially if an inexperienced cacher finds the

item.

 

Several cachers have been discussing the possibility of setting up an

"Amnesty Service" which would operate something like this..........

Anyone who suddenly "finds" a Trackable in their possession could put it in

an envelope and send it to a given "Amnesty" address.

This could, of course, be a totally anonymous method with no way of knowing

the sender.

 

No questions could be asked as to the origin of the item and the sender’s

conscience would then be clear.

The Trackable could then be placed back into circulation by the "Amnesty

Man", using a wide spread of caches across an area.

 

Having had several of my own Trackables go missing, I can sympathise with

those cachers who have seen their treasured, (and often expensive), items

disappear into the unknown.

 

I think that this “Amnesty Service” is an excellent idea, and I am prepared

to openly support it.

So, after much discussion, I have indicated that I am willing to act as

the ”Amnesty Man”, and give out my home address on this forum.

 

The address to be used for this service is………..

 

79 Froxfield Road

Havant

Hants.

PO9 5PW

 

The contents of this post have been approved by Geohatter, the Forum Moderator.

Groundspeak have been made aware of the "Amnesty Service" and have said that they have no objection

to it.

Edited by thekennelat79
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Sounds like a very worthwhile and worthy service to me. My only reservation is the Royal Mail - I'll keep my fingers crossed that all the TBs and coins get to you rather than being truly lost; I don't suppose the guilty parties will include a return address in case there's a delivery problem. It could be easier (and perhaps cheaper) for them to drop off the travel item in a local cache anonymously but sadly that's too much to ask of some accidental TB-nappers; I hope this postal option appeals to them more. Good luck with it. :D

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Without intending any pun it could be sent recorded delivery to it can be traced. The sender will have the trace number, but the recieving address still doesnt have to have the senders address.

 

And given that the sender has had the TB for quite a while I dont think its too much to ask to pay the little extra for the trackable service.

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Sounds like a worthy idea, although personally I think it's a bit sad when people can't own up to having mislaid a trinket attached to a tag, especially when what we're talking about is having found it some time later.

 

I lost someone's geocoin last year and when I realised I dropped them a note to apologise. As it happened I hadn't lost it, it turned up about 10 months later in a dark corner of a suitcase in a dark corner of the loft, so I put it into the nearest cache to home that afternoon.

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Lets hope they do put a stamp on the package! :D

 

 

Just to state what should be obvious, I will not be paying any outstanding postage or fines on items which arrive here. :anitongue:

 

If any item has incorrect stamps on it, and the Royal Mail want to charge me, then the delivery will be refused.

I feel sure that genuine users of the service will ensure that adequate postage is paid.

 

So, if you choose to send me anything which is going to cost me money, then please put a return address on the envelope :anitongue:

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Sounds like a worthy idea, although personally I think it's a bit sad when people can't own up to having mislaid a trinket attached to a tag, especially when what we're talking about is having found it some time later.

 

Agreed, grow some balls put a note on the tb page appologising for the mistake and return the tb to circulation, simples. This lets the tb owner know what happened. Losing a tb is something all of us could do and nobody should condemn you for an honest mistake.

 

The Amnesty service is a good idea if you are too chicken though :sad:

 

Philip

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Philip,

 

Whilst I agree with you in most cases and I would never berate another cache who genuinely held onto a TB, there are those who don't feel the same way.

 

We have seen here recently where a witch hunt was had here in the forums against a cacher who hadn't placed a TB in a timescale they had initially agreed with.

 

Also, it gives people who initially pick up the game and decide later on its not for their tastes somewhere they can send a TB without having to worry about finding a cache to place it in. As with any hobby, you often find the most experienced people suddenly drop it for a variety of reasons (often out of their control).

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Philip,

 

Whilst I agree with you in most cases and I would never berate another cache who genuinely held onto a TB, there are those who don't feel the same way.

 

We have seen here recently where a witch hunt was had here in the forums against a cacher who hadn't placed a TB in a timescale they had initially agreed with.

 

Also, it gives people who initially pick up the game and decide later on its not for their tastes somewhere they can send a TB without having to worry about finding a cache to place it in. As with any hobby, you often find the most experienced people suddenly drop it for a variety of reasons (often out of their control).

 

That's a good point, not everybody has a range of reasonably sized caches within a short distance of home. Let's hope the OP who set up the amnesty box never goes that way :sad:

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Fab idea, and after some chats behind the scenes, I for one am really pleased that thekennelat79 had taken the plunge and got this up and running.

 

For those of you who would prefer a physical amnesty drop off then I have recently hidden an amnesty cache for trackables. Still in the reviewer queue at the moment, but hope it will be published soon. Hopefully the two systems will complement each other and mean that we can get those TB’s and coins back out in the wild where they should be. :sad:

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Thing is though, whilst an Amnesty Cache is great, you can't log it because otherwise it's not difficult to trace the TB...

 

For instance, if I own a TB and it is last seen in Cache A on 1/1/2005 and it suddenly appears in cache B on 26/10/2010 then it's not difficult to work out who visited the caches around those times (if you know what I mean)

 

Or have I missed the point (I have read the cache page)

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Thing is though, whilst an Amnesty Cache is great, you can't log it because otherwise it's not difficult to trace the TB...

 

For instance, if I own a TB and it is last seen in Cache A on 1/1/2005 and it suddenly appears in cache B on 26/10/2010 then it's not difficult to work out who visited the caches around those times (if you know what I mean)

 

Or have I missed the point (I have read the cache page)

 

I think not logging it is the small price you pay for having kept the trackable too long! :unsure:

 

MrsB

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Thing is though, whilst an Amnesty Cache is great, you can't log it because otherwise it's not difficult to trace the TB...

 

For instance, if I own a TB and it is last seen in Cache A on 1/1/2005 and it suddenly appears in cache B on 26/10/2010 then it's not difficult to work out who visited the caches around those times (if you know what I mean)

 

Or have I missed the point (I have read the cache page)

 

Maybe it could be a liar's cache where every once in a while someone gets nominated to claim a find even if they haven't been within miles of the place?

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Thing is though, whilst an Amnesty Cache is great, you can't log it because otherwise it's not difficult to trace the TB...

 

For instance, if I own a TB and it is last seen in Cache A on 1/1/2005 and it suddenly appears in cache B on 26/10/2010 then it's not difficult to work out who visited the caches around those times (if you know what I mean)

 

Or have I missed the point (I have read the cache page)

 

Maybe it could be a liar's cache where every once in a while someone gets nominated to claim a find even if they haven't been within miles of the place?

Does anyone really care who made a mistake and hung on to a coin/bug too long, as long as they get back in to circulation at some point it is all part of the journey, as there is no timescale set, it doesn't matter :D

Edited by Scrumpy & Son
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Why not just try being honest email the owner and say sorry and move on asap. we all make mistakes, and every owner is glad to get back a TB they thought was gone for ever.

setting up a hole system so people dont have to admit they are only human seems a lot of wasted time and effort.

  • Upvote 1
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As with any hobby, as pointed out earlier but only picked up by 1, there could be legitimate reasons someone cannot carry out their intentions.

 

An example, I am a keen photographer and vanished from all websites just over a year ago for over 6 months with no explanation. Even now, I am only just catching up and have been out only once on a physical photo shoot.

 

The reason: I was ill, very ill and was admitted to hospital the same day. Several operations later and it is unlikely I will work ever again.

 

I was never ill before and if it can happen to me, it can happen to anyone.

 

 

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I think it's a very good idea & you are actually doing something about it instead of just hoping the trackable items turn up eventually. Well done for all the hard work & effort that must have gone in to & is still going into this.

 

I'm a newbie but how about taking it back to the original cache it came from or sending it back to the owner (after owning up and emailing) ?

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I think it's a very good idea & you are actually doing something about it instead of just hoping the trackable items turn up eventually. Well done for all the hard work & effort that must have gone in to & is still going into this.

 

I'm a newbie but how about taking it back to the original cache it came from or sending it back to the owner (after owning up and emailing) ?

You may have split up with your caching partner, and not be the one with the GPS.

You may not be in the area of the original cache, or it may be Unavailable or Archived.

 

The Amnesty Service allows you to send it to someone anonymously with out having to make contact with anyone. (Who may well start sending unfriendly emails, once they get their traveller back!)

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I think it's a very good idea & you are actually doing something about it instead of just hoping the trackable items turn up eventually. Well done for all the hard work & effort that must have gone in to & is still going into this.

 

I'm a newbie but how about taking it back to the original cache it came from or sending it back to the owner (after owning up and emailing) ?

You may have split up with your caching partner, and not be the one with the GPS.

You may not be in the area of the original cache, or it may be Unavailable or Archived.

 

The Amnesty Service allows you to send it to someone anonymously with out having to make contact with anyone. (Who may well start sending unfriendly emails, once they get their traveller back!)

 

Well Im quite happy for anyone to send them to me and I will return to the next cache I go to in London:

 

Jill Bulgan

15 Broome House

Pembury Road

London E5 8LL

Edited by BellydancerA1
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I remember when the post was first started and the service first provided, and I'm just wondering how it's going? Have you had many TB's returned to circulation as a result of the Amensty? Yes, this is the Tony side of TonynChelle. I'm a bloke, I love stats :D

Edited by TonyNChelle
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I wonder if any of theTb's I have adopted will make their way to you. they are MIA.

Mind you I read a few times that folk write "took TB" on the log page online and they think that is it, all done and dusted! so there is no mention of the TB in the cache, or it states there is one there and when you go along there aren't any. it would be nice it this helps get some back into circulation. Nice idea.

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I have been very disappointed by that large number of coins and TBs that I have sent out since I started in 2007 ! I would be over the moon to get back the 95% lost .. It's a shame that people start off and give up on caching without wondering how it effects others. Oh well , good luck and can we have a report back on how many have been collected so far?

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I have been very disappointed by that large number of coins and TBs that I have sent out since I started in 2007 ! I would be over the moon to get back the 95% lost .. It's a shame that people start off and give up on caching without wondering how it effects others. Oh well , good luck and can we have a report back on how many have been collected so far?

 

Truth be told if someone gives up due to health issues the trinket on a tag in a dark corner of a bag probably isn't uppermost on their mind.

 

I've had periods of caching inactivity of up to about six months for various reasons, usually if I knew I wasn't going to be caching for a while I made sure I dropped off TBs but sometimes life just got in the way. With the best will in the world when life is sufficiently busy that I can't get out and do the things I enjoy, it's sufficiently busy that I don't necessarily stop and think I've got a trinket attached to a tag.

 

That said for all my initial thoughts were "grow a pair, fess up and return it to the owner" if someone is willing to provide an address so someone can do the right thing, with or without anonymity, if they are so minded it doesn't hurt to provide another option. And, as someone highlighted further up, people from outside the UK can use the service to shift bugs to the UK if they feel the urge.

 

I've put out a few trackables and all but one disappeared within a very short time, the one survivor disappeared for months more than once and has currently chalked up about 200 miles of travelling in three years. I'm inclined to believe that if you're not willing to regard a TB as being the equivalent of making a paper plane out of a £10 note and throwing it out of a high window just to see where it ends up you shouldn't release them. They do go missing, sometimes people steal them, sometimes people think they are trade items, sometimes caches get destroyed or muggled and sometimes people find them in a bag after several months and dump them out of embarrassment. It's a shame, but it's a risk of putting them out there.

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Hello all, thought I would give this a try as other methods have failed. A well-traveled TB of ours was placed in this cache, a new 5x5 <_< near Chatham. Two weeks later, the cache was archived for some mysterious reason (see the logs). I've tried contacting the CO to learn the fate of this (and the other two) TBs to no avail. I'm not asking for anyone to return it back to the States, rather to see if it can get moving again. Or to learn of its unfortunate demise. Any help will be appreciated! Cheers!

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Hello all, thought I would give this a try as other methods have failed. A well-traveled TB of ours was placed in this cache, a new 5x5 <_< near Chatham. Two weeks later, the cache was archived for some mysterious reason (see the logs). I've tried contacting the CO to learn the fate of this (and the other two) TBs to no avail. I'm not asking for anyone to return it back to the States, rather to see if it can get moving again. Or to learn of its unfortunate demise. Any help will be appreciated! Cheers!

 

Like some here I also had a long period where I wasn't able to get out and had a couple of trackables in my posession. One the owners emailed me asking to return it to them by post which I was happy to do. The other I simply cannot find and I guess I should email them to let them know. Personally I think it's easier to just drop it in a suitable cache and log it and let the owners know it's back in circulation but all the same this new service has merit.

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i have seen from the few logs that are in our area TB's are dropped off but then there is no mention of them leaving and they are still logged there. I am wanting to send some out myself I have one here i picked up a few days ago that has been going since 07 i will duly find a place to send it on shortly. But having a place to send any to if life gets in the way or injury sounds like a good idea. One cache i was going to try and ifnd had a note to say it looked like it had been muggled as the box not where it shoudl have been and was empty with a note saying took everything ha ha.

 

Makes me cross that does.

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There is no need to have an amnesty address or a postal address for mislaid TBs. All that is required is a log in anonymously (as there is on the forums)option on the trackable log page and then a 'dropped location' option in the drop-down menu then the mislaid TB can be dropped in any cache and the TB owner can grab the TB and drop it in the correct location.

Many TBs go missing because newbie cachers log TBs as Discovered when they take them to move on. The TB then stays in the Cache inventory and the Newbie is not offered the option to drop them on new finds. When the newbie tries to edit the Discovered log they are not allowed to change it because there is an action associated with it. I once did this myself and had it done twice to me. Just look at the logs for lost TBs and see how many have the last log as Discovered.

 

The Discovered option needs clarifying in the drop down and should say ; Discovered and left in cache, and the Retrieved option should say; Taken to move on'.

this would drastically reduce lost TBs

 

I have found if a TB is mistakenly logged Discovered instead of Retrieved there are two options make a new log as grabbed or delete the original discovered log and start again. For some reason although you cannot edit the discovered log you can delete it (WHY).

Edited by Billisue
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I had a TB out of circulation as someone had it for months they put it back in circulation and said sorry they had been really ill, I said thanks for returning it now hope you are better, these things happen. I wish you could log TB's on cache sense though on the blackberry, not having this feature makes it really hard while on holiday.

 

How many TB's have you had now ?

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I had a TB out of circulation as someone had it for months they put it back in circulation and said sorry they had been really ill, I said thanks for returning it now hope you are better, these things happen. I wish you could log TB's on cache sense though on the blackberry, not having this feature makes it really hard while on holiday.

 

How many TB's have you had now ?

 

To date, I've had around 25 to 30 coins and TBs arrive via post.

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Interesting idea this ... there are a few TB's allegedly sitting in caches near my home area and I find it annoying that some have allegedly been there for years (4½) in one case. Isn't there some way to have the cache inventory cleared when it's been reported missing? Or is it intentional to leave them in the inventory as a warning that this cache is vulnerable? ... I know I won't be putting any trackables in it and I have it on my watchlist so if anyone does, maybe I can get there first to move it on, just in case.

I'm very new to geocaching and only on my 3rd week (my daughter's 2nd) did we pull up at a roadside cache and found a geocoin lying in the grass ... we promptly logged it as grabbed (it wasn't logged to the nearby cache) and took it on it's way. Both the owner and previous holder messaged their thanks to my daughter almost within minutes of her logging the "find."

 

Me personally? If I had possession of anyone's tb I would freely admit I'd done a booboo by losing it. Anything else just wouldn't be worth considering.

Ron

 

P.S. One of the very 1st geocoins I found I posted via snail mail to the owners as they had said they wanted it returned after 5 years of going walkabout. They were very grateful and, as I requested , logged it as grabbed from me etc. I noticed someone mentioned the costs of posted ... well, to buy a small padded envelope at the post office, and send it recorded delivery was a mere pittance (£2.40 ish) compared to the value of the coin.

Edited by Auld Pharrrt
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Great service indeed!  I've actually just come across my first trackable and fully plan on leaving it somewhere fun.  I'd like to get it at least 20+ miles away from here in Norwich, but now with work travel severely disrupted I'm not sure how much opportunity I'll have in the immediate future.  But fingers crossed and if for whatever reason I'm still in posession in a few months, I'll definitely consider hadning it off to someone who can give it it's proper due.

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