opinion on these Ringfinder guys

[jeepGold]

Seems to me like it's bad for the hobby for a guy to "employ" other MDer's then sit back and wait for people to respond to his Craigslist ad telling him where they lost their jewelry. Then he goes there, finds it rather easily because these people tip this "service" off to the general location. This "service" doesn't charge but pretty much puts their hand out for a tip.

Then there is the MD like myself and yourself who goes out there usually coming home with a few bucks in change and some occasional silver and even less gold.

Somewhat clever for the "service provider" but it screws with the hobbiest?

Opinions?

 

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[MrMikeJackie]

Just a bunch of guys looking to take advantage. They want the location and nothing else. Sure they will meet the person there and "look" for the ring, so what? They will say sorry no luck and come back later and scoop it up. Gimme a break, Craiglist? Ring finders might be more legit, but c'mon, some guy on craiglist that "wants" to come out and help you? They have nothing more to do then look for a ring to give it back to you? Maybe they are just looking for Karma? Yea right

 

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[TommyB]

I take exception to your comment MrMikeJackie. I have seen craigslist lost ring ads and have gone looking for the person. For KARMA's sake.
You don't have to be a member of a group like Ringfinders to want to be a decent person. I have been approached while hunting my local beach on several occasions to help find lost rings and have obliged and recovered them for no charge. I don't believe I'm the only decent guy out there. I think BAD people are the exception!

 

[jeepGold]

I think people who post on Craigslist saying that they have lost a ring showing a picture of the ring and giving a location of the ring are only asking for trouble. If that same person calls a service like the ring finders then maybe they have a chance assuming that those people are morally correct

 

[cudamark]

I'm not sure where to start in responding to this post. I'm a proud member of The Ring Finders. I'm the first in San Diego county. The only fee I ask for, is one to cover my cost to conduct a search, so, I can afford to continue the service. Any reward beyond that is completely up the the person who asked me to help. If you go the TheRingFinders.com website and look through our book of smiles and our personal blogs, they will speak for themselves. Can we have a rotten egg in our basket? Sure. What group is immune from that? I'm sure there are members on THIS site that wouldn't think twice about screwing someone out of their prized possession given the chance. I know most of my fellow members here in SoCal and know them to honorable and that they will return lost items without regard to whether they get a reward or not. Now, there are some guys who claim to be members, but aren't, and others who use the hobby only to feather their own nest. People just have to be aware and do some research to find someone they can trust. As for jeeps assertion that it's like shooting fish in a barrel, It depends on the situation. Sure, I've found lost rings in the matter of seconds. I've had others that were lost days, weeks, months, years and were found by persistence. That's something that your average detectorist doesn't do......hunt the same area over and over again until the item is found. I've had ring searches that took dozens of hours in the surf before the conditions were right to recover them. I had one just yesterday that I haven't posted yet. The ring was lost at low tide in waist deep water several days ago. Not an ideal situation. I agreed to give it a try. The surf was pounding me. Quick sets with lots of water behind them made it a real chore to make a recovery. If I had been there just for fun, I would never have stayed out there. I hunted for an hour and a half and found only 6 targets. 2 iron bits that fell through the scoop and were lost, 3 pieces of scrap metal, and finally the ring. You never saw a happier person when I gave that ring back to the woman. Crying, hugging me, and still in disbelief that the ring was found. It doesn't get any better than that IMO. I find hundreds of rings each year. Some nice, some junk. I have more than enough stuff where I can't find the person who lost them. Finding the owner and returning a lost item is fun for me. I post any find of value on Craig's list and offer my services to whoever needs it. I've heard a few detectorist crying that I'm taking their finds away. Boo Hoo.....who's to say you would have found any of these losses. Certainly not any of them on private property. As for proper detecting methods, we all should fill our holes and take any trash we dig up. Not doing so doesn't make you dishonest, mostly just lazy or spiteful. They deserve to dig that junk twice! The bottom line is, most people who lose a valuable piece of jewelry, don't know who to turn to for help. Advertising on TheRingFinders.com website, Craig's List, Lost My Stuff, etc. gives them options on who to have help them in their hour of need. The way they look at it is that they have nothing to lose. They can't find it, but maybe someone else can. Hopefully, they won't call the scammers that will take advantage of them. By showing our successes and posting them for all to see, we at The Ring finders hope to prove that we can be trusted to search, find, and return that treasured item. I don't know any other organization that is more trustworthy to do this type of work, do you?

 

[BigWaveDave]

I take exception to your comment MrMikeJackie. I have seen craigslist lost ring ads and have gone looking for the person. For KARMA's sake.
You don't have to be a member of a group like Ringfinders to want to be a decent person. I have been approached while hunting my local beach on several occasions to help find lost rings and have obliged and recovered them for no charge. I don't believe I'm the only decent guy out there. I think BAD people are the exception!

My honorable mention was a craigslist find... by accident.

I found the ring.... contacted the police first, then I went on c-list... and there it was...I reached out to the guy, and it all worked out.

 

[MrMikeJackie]

I take exception to your comment MrMikeJackie. I have seen craigslist lost ring ads and have gone looking for the person. For KARMA's sake.
You don't have to be a member of a group like Ringfinders to want to be a decent person. I have been approached while hunting my local beach on several occasions to help find lost rings and have obliged and recovered them for no charge. I don't believe I'm the only decent guy out there. I think BAD people are the exception!

I never spoke about a person who posts on craigslist that has lost an item and needs help. I meantioned those who post ads looking to "help" people.

 

[cudamark]

I post an ad on CL offering my services as a member of The Ring Finders. If nothing else, it gives someone a choice between me and another person I won't mention by name, who is less than honorable. I post my name, phone number, and affiliation with TheRingFinders.com. The other guy only gives a phone number. I can't in good conscience let people go to him by default.

 

[MrMikeJackie]

I post an ad on CL offering my services as a member of The Ring Finders. If nothing else, it gives someone a choice between me and another person I won't mention by name, who is less than honorable. I post my name, phone number, and affiliation with TheRingFinders.com. The other guy only gives a phone number. I can't in good conscience let people go to him by default.

So you have one of those guys around there too huh. One local guy advertises on craiglists to anyone interested in the "history of their property" or "have lost something special". He then proceeds to hunt their property putting all the good stuff in one pocket and the "cool" stuff in the other. He then shows the homeowner the wheat cents, mercs, toy cars, bullets, etc. The older silver, jewelry, gold are never shown. Total loser.

 

[GreenMeanie]

And what makes someone who throws up a website any safer?

Why is craigslist bad? I've seen ad's on craigslist like this: I lost my ring south of the pier, in knee deep water, Help. Now Mr. digger reads the ad ,go out and finds the ring and never tell anyone that he found the ring. the owner of the ring fills a police report. the police find the ring in s pawn shop, the shop tell the police , Mr. Digger found the ring with a MD. get the point. BAD FOR THE HOBBY !!

 

[TheRingFinder]

And what makes someone who throws up a website any safer?

Green - Check out the website - I think it speaks for itself.

 

[bigfoot1]

mrmike jackie,

much of what you claim you are contriving....you dont know.I am offended by your insistance that we"pocket"the good stuff.I ask you and expect an intelligent answer......how do you know anything about what you post?...is it purely conjecture?Do you have personal expierience that shows what you claim as a trend?or are you simply bloviating about something you actually know little about?

You condecending and cavalier accusations are without warrant I could reasonably surmise....shame on you.

 

[MrMikeJackie]

mrmike jackie,

much of what you claim you are contriving....you dont know.I am offended by your insistance that we"pocket"the good stuff.I ask you and expect an intelligent answer......how do you know anything about what you post?...is it purely conjecture?Do you have personal expierience that shows what you claim as a trend?or are you simply bloviating about something you actually know little about?

You condecending and cavalier accusations are without warrant I could reasonably surmise....shame on you.

Am I missing something?

 

[bigfoot1]

Just a bunch of guys looking to take advantage. They want the location and nothing else. Sure they will meet the person there and "look" for the ring, so what? They will say sorry no luck and come back later and scoop it up. Gimme a break, Craiglist? Ring finders might be more legit, but c'mon, some guy on craiglist that "wants" to come out and help you? They have nothing more to do then look for a ring to give it back to you? Maybe they are just looking for Karma? Yea right

it is this I comment on and earlier post/all I say can also be directed to jeepgold as well.I think you are good guys but I have no idea where this came from.specifics?

 

[bigfoot1]

I am honest and trustworthy.I am not in the minority.I believe that good deeds are rewarded.I am not in the minority.My word is my bond and I protect that.I am not in the minority.

by and large we are good folks...there will always be jerks in all areas of life.WE are not them

 

[MrMikeJackie]

it is this I comment on and earlier post/all I say can also be directed to jeepgold as well.I think you are good guys but I have no idea where this came from.specifics?

Maybe my post wasn't clear. I never said anything about people who respond to an ad posted by someone who lost something. I'm talking about guys who specifically put ads on craiglist advertising their wanting to help find something which may be lost. And yes I have one of those guys in my area.

 

[ToastedWheatie]

Maybe my post wasn't clear. I never said anything about people who respond to an ad posted by someone who lost something. I'm talking about guys who specifically put ads on craiglist advertising their wanting to help find something which may be lost. And yes I have one of those guys in my area.

Even those guys aren't necessarily bad.

I had a friend that used to put up ads like that. Got his access to property that he wouldn't have otherwise got.
Offered the following deal: When I find your specific lost item, it's yours. Anything else I find, I keep. Fair deal and all are happy.
I haven't put up an ad, but I have met many people, under many different circumstances, that have found out I detect. And I always mention that if they lose something, just call. A few have, and I've had successful recoveries. never took a reward. that's not what it's about.
I like to hunt. And looking for something specific and finding it is fun, plain and simple. That's why I can get excited about a 1919 wheatie.

 

[jeepGold]

I posted this thread because I was curious if TheRingFinders were a legit group of guys or some CL thing that used CL as a tool to hone in on peoples losses. It seems as it is a legit group of guys ( assuming for the most) as ANY great service can have a bad apple at times.

I realize that it's a service and was just curious if its legit

 

[cudamark]

I posted this thread because I was curious if TheRingFinders were a legit group of guys or some CL thing that used CL as a tool to hone in on peoples losses. It seems as it is a legit group of guys ( assuming for the most) as ANY great service can have a bad apple at times.

I realize that it's a service and was just curious if its legit

I can assure you it is. If you'd like to come to our next get together and meet our local members, just say the word.

 

[cudamark]

Maybe my post wasn't clear. I never said anything about people who respond to an ad posted by someone who lost something. I'm talking about guys who specifically put ads on craiglist advertising their wanting to help find something which may be lost. And yes I have one of those guys in my area.

That's exactly what I do. I advertise my services as a metal detectorist who is willing to look for anything you may have lost or want to know what's buried on their property. Any split agreement is up front, and in writing if the want it that way. They can hang over my shoulder and watch me closely if they wish. Hopefully, they'll call me and get their item back, rather than call the "other" guy and maybe not. Without my ad, the other guy wins, and possibly leaves another black eye on our hobby.

 

[MrMikeJackie]

That's exactly what I do. I advertise my services as a metal detectorist who is willing to look for anything you may have lost or want to know what's buried on their property. Any split agreement is up front, and in writing if the want it that way. They can hang over my shoulder and watch me closely if they wish. Hopefully, they'll call me and get their item back, rather than call the "other" guy and maybe not. Without my ad, the other guy wins, and possibly leaves another black eye on our hobby.

The "other" guy is the one I have been referring to all along.