Contact info inside caches

[Richary]

I guess a lot of us are probably guilty of not putting contact info inside our caches, such as email or phone numbers. I had an example tonight though where I had left a calling card inside a Melbourne cache 2 years ago back before I discovered a lot of people considered them trash and a waste of space.

The mobile rang from a Melbourne number and it was a muggle who had discovered the cache and contents scattered on the ground. She could gather enough info to work out what it was and who to contact, but couldn't do much on the GC site as she was not registered, or able to know the coordinates to search for it. Luckily my old calling card had my phone and email on it.

She rang to ask if I knew what she should do with it which was very nice. So I explained a bit about the hobby, and she is going to put everything back in the box and place it nearby, then let me know via email where it is so the owner can replace it in the correct spot. I found out which park it was in from her while on the phone. Since then I have worked out which cache it was and let the owner know her phone number as well.

So having contact info in there is useful - and the calling cards that are maligned by a lot of people have proved their worth at least once. Though since previous threads I only leave them now occasionally when travelling interstate or overseas.

[PesceVerde]

When placing a cache I sometimes (but not always) put a contact phone number and/or email address in the front of the log book or with the stash note. Thinking being that it would be an easier contact process for an accidental finder. After a few missing caches though I'm still waiting for the call from a concerned person, so can't say it's effective in my case.

[mundoo]

I place my phone number on the back of the log book and also the stash note on the caches I place.

I had a phone call a couple of months ago from a council worker who had found my cache box when they were ripping out all the shrubs and trees to redevelop the area that my cache was in. The whole area including the bird-hide was being removed for the redevelopment. The worker saw my phone number on the logbook after opening the cache box and rang me to come and retrieve it.

I went, asked about the redevelopment plans (he said 3 months, now has been 4 months and not looking anywhere close to being finished yet), and collected my box.

I am very pleased that the workers were so considerate and rang me to retrieve the cache box.

[Team Ladava]

I too had a positive response to my phone number.
A contractor cutting down the now dead hollow tree our cache was in found the container and rang my mobile.
I was able to pick up the cache on my way home and reconfigure the multi to a different final location.
Ian
Team Ladava

[Trigg-A-Nomics]

Great idea, and not just for muggles either!

I was so impressed by one of JadedOptimist's recent multis that I SMSd them while writing the log to tell them how much I enjoyed it!

[CraigRat]

As someone who gets semi frequent queries from the general public when a cache is found, if your cache is a Groundspeak listed one it would be REALLY appreciated it you have geocaching.com's URL and their contact email/your email on the stash note too!

It takes quite a bit of back and forwarding to try and determine what cache it is and who should be contacted (sometimes these people are quite angry about caches planted on their property usually they don't want to get in to extended dialog from me trying to figure out whose cache it is) .. a contact email for yourself or GC really speeds things up and makes my life easier to boot! (I have to spend time determining if it's a GCA or a GC cache to see what can be done about the listing)

thanks!

[caughtatwork]

For years now my logbooks all have a sticker with caughtatwork, the site (geocaching.com or geocaching.com.au) and my mobile phone number.

I have had one or two calls so they work.

One was in a cemetery and once they spoke to me they were happy to have it there and returned it to the hiding place.