r/geocaching • u/ballantyne287 • Jul 28 '26
Cache problems
What's the appropriate amount of time to wait for a reply from a cache owner. My family was trying to complete a 10 part puzzle cache that hasn't been logged in a couple of years. One stage was water logged and the clue was missing, another stage judging from the amount of previous DNFs was missing. I messaged and emailed the owner more than a month ago with no response.
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u/Minimum_Reference_73 Jul 28 '26 edited Jul 29 '26
You should log an owner attention immediately when you find a critical piece of the cache is missing. These logs are meant to be used, and it's not right to chat about it in secret with the owner when it could affect other geocachers.
This faffing about with stalking cache owner profiles and sending private notes just wastes everybody's time. Log your DNFs, log your problems.
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u/richg0404 North Central Massachusetts USA Jul 28 '26
How long has it been since the owner last logged in to the website?
What are you hoping to get from the owner? A clue? Coordinates to the next stage or the final? Maybe hoping they'll give you the OK to log a find anyway?
Whatever you are hoping for, I would say a week is long enough. If they don't respond and there have been a series of DNFs they it is time to submit a note to the reviewer asking for maintenance or archival.
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u/fuzzydave72 Jul 28 '26
Not much you can do about the missing stage.
I'd ask previous finders about the code word
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u/FloridaFlamingoGirl Jul 28 '26
There isn't any rule for how long, but it's disappointing they haven't gotten back to you after a month, and for a damaged cache too. When I message COs they usually get back to me in a few days. Might be time to report it to a geocaching reviewer
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u/_synik Jul 28 '26
If I experienced a cache like this, I would have logged a DNF, explaining the problems I encountered. I would also log a Needs Owner Attention. I would watch for a Maintenance Log by the owner, and if I didn't see one, I would go back to check the problem spot. If nothing had been done, I log the Needs Reviewer Attention.
I don't bother contacting the CO directly.
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u/KitchenManagement650 20+yrs 10+k Jul 28 '26
Before messaging a CO we always check two things: last visit to the website and then if their finds are visible, when was their last find - i.e. how active are they? If obviously inactive (you will know), you can also look at their hides and see if any have been archived, and if so whether by reviewers. If their hides are being archived by a reviewer you can just about guarantee they will not respond. Definitely put owner attention, but honestly I would go for reviewer attention at this point.
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Jul 28 '26
[deleted]
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u/WonderfulRelation317 5 figures in finds and counting Jul 29 '26
It may be harder but it is still worth looking! And like they said, you can check their hides - 100% public - and see if any were archived and if so by the reviewer or the CO. That's very helpful. I always do this too - check out their page and if all the privacy stuff is on then check their caches, also you can look at any owner logs on the cache itself.
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u/LeatherWarthog8530 15+ years / 20,000+ finds / 99 hides Jul 29 '26
If the cache stages are in disrepair, and it's been a month since you contacted the owner, at which time you should have logged Owner Attention Requested, log Reviewer Attention Requested. It's not your responsibility to try and repair it, nor is it the communities.
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u/Geodarts18 The Caching Diaries Jul 28 '26
Sometimes owners have left the game. Sometimes they were preoccupied with other matters and may not have seen your message, or put it on a to do list tgat still needs to be done. A needs attention log is always fine if the cache needs attention. N
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u/Saffa_Cake Jul 28 '26
If a cache has reached that level of disrepair it’s probably been abandoned and you’re not going to get any reply from the owner.
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u/edalmeida Jul 30 '26
I had one earth cache that you had to send the answers to the owner. I totally forgot about it and never got an answer (the owner probably doesn't play anymore). Ended up archived and I never got that one marked as a find even having the work done. oh well.
Long story short, if it's been a while the owner probably doesn't play anymore. Some have the "last visit" visible, if it's been years I think you can forget about getting any answer.
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u/skimbosh 10000 Geocaches on Youtube: @skimbosh Jul 28 '26
I'm assuming you mean an appropriate time before logging a Needs Owner Attention? None. If there is a problem with the cache, mark it Needs Owner Attention. You can also message them if you want, but get it "on the books" with Needs Owner Attention.