Missing TB

[smudger105e]

I entered a TB in the UK to Australia TB race recently, and a cacher retrieved it, took it to a few caches and then left it in a cache for moving on. The TB is http://coord.info/TB5N8NA

The cache was subsequently found three times with no mention of the TB. It was then found a fourth time, and the finder kindly messaged me that the TB was not in the cache. http://coord.info/GC17A54

I have contacted the three intermediate cachers and they have all messaged me back stating that the TB was not in the cache when they found it. I have messaged the cacher who placed the TB in the cache, but not received a reply yet.

It seems to me that as the cache has not been muggled, the TB has most likely been deliberately removed. Apparently there have been several TBs in the race that have so far gone missing, and so it therefore seems like a campaign of interference or spoiling behaviour on someone's part is being waged on the race participants.

Any suggestions as to what should be done? Should I report it to Her Majesty's Constabulary, as the tag and attachment cost me around £9 and this has now been stolen?

Any suggestions or opinions would be much appreciated.

[northking]

As a former cop I would say that a report of theft would be difficult. There are all kinds of issues about leaving items in caches for trade or just to be moved on. Unless you are considering an insurance claim I would suggest that there is little point in reporting it.

Having said that I am aware of occasions where cache thieves have been apprehended (think it was in the States and Germany).

[eusty]

I've had a similar thing where I can narrow it down to a single catcher...but they said they never take a TB out of a cache...although their stats say different.

Yes it cost £9 but imagine going to the police...

"Where did you last see it sir?"

"Someone left it for me in a Tupperware box, 50 miles away, next to a road..."

Put it down to one of those things.....

[daddyanddude]

put it down to experience ( or bad luck ) happens to us all at some time, you can get a replacement with the same number on a re send it out ( if its allowed by the race organisers)

[DrDick&Vick]

It's a risk you take once you release a TB/GeoCoin out into this big and nasty geocaching world. It might survive for 3 yrs and it might only survive for a week or two.
To be honest we have had that many go missing that I no longer bother releasing anything that is trackable, a few of ours were soft toys and I should imagine that it was a case of "Of course you can keep it sweety, the nice people who released it won't mind if you do"
One MIA coin was a quite nice Cornish coin in the shape of an old Cornish Engine House, it's mission was to travel to mining areas. It survived for 12 months of travelling around Wales and the Northern Mining areas but when it returned to Cornwall it went missing within a week, somewhat ironic!!

[mollyjak]

You cannot predict what can happen. I sent out 6 TBs for my school - one for each class - 1 went within a few weeks. 1 a year, 1 came back and was handed to me and is now back in school and 2 are still travelling well ( can't remember 1 of them ) and that since Jan 2005 so can't tell

[muddypad]

What can you do when a trackable item you own and set out travel the world which is registered as not collect able and then along comes a cacher who writes a log saying they have it and then keeps it and does not answer any email messages but is still clearly logging into the website?

I had one which a cacher in Spain has held for quite sometime and is not responding back to my messages.