How long before chasing up someone who has one of my TBs?

[+Gatwick Girl]

Just a query... one of my trackables was retrieved by a cacher three months ago and hasn't logged it all since then, not even as a 'visit'. There's even a label on the TB 'Please Do Not Keep, Move On Soon'.

 

What is a reasonable amount of time before contacting the cacher to gently remind them to move the TB on? I don't want to be pushy!!!

 

Thanks!

[+HCompleto]

The recommended maximum time to keep a TB, without a warning, is 2 weeks. However, let's say that the person who took your TB messaged you saying "Hye, I've noticed that your TB's goal is to travel to Italy. I'll fly to Italy in 1 month, mind if I keep it until then?" then you are aware of the situation, and it's up to you if you want to tell them that they should keep it or not.

 

In your case, 3 months is too much time, from my point of view, so I guess a little poke wouldn't harm!

[+SageTracey]

A friendly message is definitely timely. Without knowing the circumstances, the cacher who picked up your TB may be a newbie who doesn't know what to do with it, or they may have some personal circumstances that have prevented them from dropping it.

[+dprovan]

What is a reasonable amount of time before contacting the cacher to gently remind them to move the TB on? I don't want to be pushy!!!

Then don't be pushy, just start a conversation with them about the TB. "Got any cool plans for my TB?" Your goal is to remind them they have it, not to remind them to move it. And you also show them you're watching in case they didn't think you were.

 

Sure, they may not know that they have it, or they may not know what a TB is, or they may not know that they're supposed to put it in another cache, but that will come out in the conversation.

[+BlackRose67]

One of mine was picked up 3 years ago, visited a year later, and then nothing.

 

All in the hands of a caching family. They also have several other TB's and coins from others.

 

I've contacted them several time to no avail.

 

I've marked the TB as missing and added ***STOLEN*** to the TB name.

[+kunarion]

I've marked the TB as missing and added ***STOLEN*** to the TB name.

Heh .

 

I have sometimes turned one of my TB pages into a "Lost TB Poster", with the page photo showing a red "Missing" across it, and I appended "[MISSING]" to the end of the TB name -- so that it's easy to identify it as "Missing", in any inventory. I've done that long before officially "Marking It Missing", in preparation to do so, while I continue to research and wait. If a cacher is in fact still holding my TB and is confused about logging it, and I then Mark It Missing, it removes the TB from his Inventory and therefore adds a new layer of confusion.

 

I won't change mine to say "STOLEN" , since in many cases, Geocachers truly have no clue, they don't know how to log a TB, or, frankly, don't care to learn. And they don't seem to read nor comprehend messages when they read them. But they may have already dutifully placed it into a cache container, and the TB is still there just fine. Improperly logged, but unstolen.

Edited October 6, 2015 by kunarion

[+Gatwick Girl]

Thanks, all!! I think a friendly nudge is in order!

[+Shop99er]

 

I've marked the TB as missing and added ***STOLEN*** to the TB name.

 

I've done that as well.

[CertifiedCasher]

Be sure to give the cacher the benefit of a doubt. I should know, as I am a newbie and have been WAITING for a chance to move a TB I have had in my inventory for almost a year toward its intended location. I made sure the owner knew, though, and they said it was fine. Basically, my advice is to do as dprovan said, and just say something like "Got any neat plans?" If they still don't reply, try 1 more time after waiting for a while, and THEN mark your TB as missing, but if you think it might be moved eventually, just put Missing in the name. Hope this helps!

[+Harry Dolphin]

Have one that was picked up in May 2006. Found one cache. Promised to move the TB on. Oh, well.

Have another that was logged into a cache in June 2006 in Massachusetts. Was picked up at an event in February 2015 in Florida. Moved to a cache in July 2015 in Illinois. Given to another cacher to take to Idaho. That cacher hasn't signed in since July 2015. Oh, well. Maybe it'll show up agai0 nin another sine years?

[+Scratch Ankle]

I had one I recently released which was moved once and two weeks later retrieved by a new cacher that found 78 caches and hasn't logged in since. I had hopes that since he had two trackables he would be moving it on eventually. Turns out both were picked up the same place and same time and the other was even one I had handled not too long prior to that. I contacted him and got no response and I assume there will be no further movement of this trackable. That's the cost of doing business if you play this game. You will lose some trinkets and you may find that's what happens with this one. Don't obsess over it. There are serious problems to get upset about and this ain't one of them. Put some more out there. You can also mark this one missing and send out a proxy. As soon as I can find something I like I will do that with this one and the other one I had out that disappeared during maintenance work.

[+Gatwick Girl]

Success at last!! Within a couple of days of sending a friendly reminder to move my TB on, the person replied with an apology and said he had forgotten he had it. He's now dropped it off so happy days.....!!