I generally agree; it can get annoying. Here’s what one can do:

1. In your found it log, you can state that it’s missing. For responsible CO’s that’s all you need to do.
2. You can email the cache owner directly.
3. You can post a “needs maintenance” log regarding missing trackables – I’d only do that one if it’s been missing for a long time with no response from the CO.
4. If all else fails, you can email the trackable owner to let them know and they can mark it as missing from their end.

I’ve done 1, 2, & 3. Not sure if I’ve ever done #4.

I’m with sloughfoot, although I have marked a trackable as missing in one of our caches… after a long time. Trackables are the responsibility of their owners, so I would contact the trackable owner first before saying anything to the CO. I would certainly not use a NM log for that.

I have also gone on to the trackable’s page to write a note that as of such a date, I did not see the trackable in the cache. The trackable owner will get that notification that way if you don’t want to sent an email directly.

But again, not my responsibility as a cacher or as a cache owner to keep track of trackables for their owners.

When we first started caching, we, like many, thought the whole trackable thing was a big deal. They’re still fun, but we quickly learned that there’s no point in being disappointed when we visit a cache and the listed trackable isn’t there. Like sandlanders, we’ll contact the trackable owner if one in our cache is missing, and after ages, might mark it “missing.” Maybe we did that once or twice after someone else got snippy with us about marking a trackable in our cache “missing.” Caching for us isn’t about trackables, but about the places we discover and the great outdoors. The trackables are just a fun add on. I know others are really into the whole trackable thing so I do understand, but…..it’s unfortunately part of the game, just like DNFs.

Also, I believe there is a site dedicated to helping rescue missing bugs. I have heard comments that it’s helpful. Maybe someone has that site info they can share.

You should know that there used to be a feature on gc.com, where when a cache was archived, any travellers in that cache were automatically marked as missing. The problem was that the site posted notes to the bug, in the name of the person archiving the cache, that the item was marked missing. Apparently certain individuals were offended by the site posting notes in their name (note that this would always be the cache owner or a reviewer). Rather than fix it, the site just chose to eliminate the feature.

I’ve pretty much lost interest in trackables.

just put out nanos and you never have to worry about trackables going missing from your caches.

If someone tells me that a trackable is missing from one of my caches I’ll mark it as missing. Also when I do maintenance on my caches I’ll also check to see if what is listed in the cache is still there or not.