Geocaching Etiquette

[+Justin Of Terrytown]

I should have asked this question before I sent an email but better late than never.

 

A few months ago, I found a Geocache. I sometimes to check on Geocaches that I found to see how many people have found it after me. This one Geocache appears to went missing after I found it (I was the last one to find it on July 11, 2015 and six people could not find it after me). For Christmas, I received some Geocaching containers and one of them is the exact one that may be missing (same container, same color).

 

In this situation, is it okay if I send an email to the owner and asking if he wants me to check on it and replace it if is missing?

 

Of course, if sending an email like this is okay, I would NEVER replace one if the Geocache owner says no.

[+kunarion]

I should have asked this question before I sent an email but better late than never.

 

A few months ago, I found a Geocache. I sometimes to check on Geocaches that I found to see how many people have found it after me. This one Geocache appears to went missing after I found it (I was the last one to find it on July 11, 2015 and six people could not find it after me). For Christmas, I received some Geocaching containers and one of them is the exact one that may be missing (same container, same color).

 

In this situation, is it okay if I send an email to the owner and asking if he wants me to check on it and replace it if is missing?

 

Of course, if sending an email like this is okay, I would NEVER replace one if the Geocache owner says no.

It's OK to write to the CO. I've done that, and replaced the containers for a couple of caches. That's good only in very specific situations. I don't highly recommend doing that, because it prolongs the inevitable.

 

If I were the Cache Owner, I'd already have a replacement container planned. No need to do it for me, thank you very much.

[+T.D.M.22]

It's the owners job to maintain the cache. If I want my cache replaced, I'll replace it. If I want it archived, I'll archive it. If I want to change it, I'll change it. If the owner doesn't want to do anything, then just mark it as needs archived and let the cache die.

 

I say don't replace it, don't even offer to. Maybe if you personally know the owner, ok. There are only really 2 reasons to do it. One is people who do it just so they can log the cache as found (which is just dumb. The really didn't find the cache.) The other is so "other people can enjoy finding the cache." Well there's literally over a million caches, it won't even be a drop in the ocean if that cache isn't replaced.

 

You also say nobody has been able to find it in over a year. Well then the CO really doesn't care about the cache, so you'd just be putting out another cache that won't be cared for. If you like it so much place your own after that cache is archived.

[+cerberus1]

Are there NM on the cache page?

If so, has the CO offered any info as to those NMs? Still active?

 

I rarely go back to a cache page after logging, but if I did and saw an issue such as you're presenting, I'd realize it wasn't any fault of mine ... and move on.

What does that "missing" cache that belongs to another have to do with you?

[+colleda]

I should have asked this question before I sent an email but better late than never.

 

A few months ago, I found a Geocache. I sometimes to check on Geocaches that I found to see how many people have found it after me. This one Geocache appears to went missing after I found it (I was the last one to find it on July 11, 2015 and six people could not find it after me). For Christmas, I received some Geocaching containers and one of them is the exact one that may be missing (same container, same color).

 

In this situation, is it okay if I send an email to the owner and asking if he wants me to check on it and replace it if is missing?

 

Of course, if sending an email like this is okay, I would NEVER replace one if the Geocache owner says no.

If you want to do something about this situation you could check the cache is still where you put it after finding it. Are you sure you replaced it in the original (correct) position? If its gone then log a NM then, after a month (presuming there have been no other NMs), if there's been no response from the CO, log a NA. The NM is a way of notifying the CO of a perceived problem. If gets archived you are free to list your own cache, IF, you think it is a place others may enjoy visiting or your cache is one others may enjoy finding.