• Posted 12/19/2024.
    =====================

    I am still waiting on my developer to finish up on the Classifieds Control Panel so I can use it to encourage members into becoming paying members. Google Adsense has become a real burden on the viewing of this site, but honestly it is the ONLY source of income now that keeps it afloat. I tried offering disabling the ads being viewed by paying members, but apparently that is not enough incentive. Quite frankly, Google Adsense has dropped down to where it barely brings in enough daily to match even a single paid member per day. But it still gets the bills paid. But at what cost?

    So even without the classifieds control panel being complete, I believe I am going to have to disable those Google ads completely and likely disable some options here that have been free since going to the new platform. Like classified ad bumping, member name changes, and anything else I can use to encourage this site to be supported by the members instead of the Google Adsense ads.

    But there is risk involved. I will not pay out of pocket for very long during this last ditch experimental effort. If I find that the membership does not want to support this site with memberships, then I cannot support your being able to post your classified ads here for free. No, I am not intending to start charging for your posting ads here. I will just shut the site down and that will be it. I will be done with FaunaClassifieds. I certainly don't need this, and can live the rest of my life just fine without it. If I see that no one else really wants it to survive neither, then so be it. It goes away and you all can just go elsewhere to advertise your animals and merchandise.

    Not sure when this will take place, and I don't intend to give any further warning concerning the disabling of the Google Adsense. Just as there probably won't be any warning if I decide to close down this site. You will just come here and there will be some sort of message that the site is gone, and you have a nice day.

    I have been trying to make a go of this site for a very long time. And quite frankly, I am just tired of trying. I had hoped that enough people would be willing to help me help you all have a free outlet to offer your stuff for sale. But every year I see less and less people coming to this site, much less supporting it financially. That is fine. I tried. I retired the SerpenCo business about 14 years ago, so retiring out of this business completely is not that big if a step for me, nor will it be especially painful to do. When I was in Thailand, I did not check in here for three weeks. I didn't miss it even a little bit. So if you all want it to remain, it will be in your hands. I really don't care either way.

    =====================
    Some people have indicated that finding the method to contribute is rather difficult. And I have to admit, that it is not all that obvious. So to help, here is a thread to help as a quide. How to become a contributing member of FaunaClassifieds.

    And for the record, I will be shutting down the Google Adsense ads on January 1, 2025.
  • Responding to email notices you receive.
    **************************************************
    In short, DON'T! Email notices are to ONLY alert you of a reply to your private message or your ad on this site. Replying to the email just wastes your time as it goes NOWHERE, and probably pisses off the person you thought you replied to when they think you just ignored them. So instead of complaining to me about your messages not being replied to from this site via email, please READ that email notice that plainly states what you need to do in order to reply to who you are trying to converse with.

Bad business practices on Reptibid!

If I read this correctly....

one of the problems is with charging extra to cover the paypal fee. I just offer free shipping with cash or money order and buyer pays shipping on paypal orders.

Dave
 
David,

Your correct. It's a stupid rule that is easily worked around by changing your wording. But it has many ramifications in public opinion and can affect your sales. Remember in the retail world "perception" is "reality". Another example is an animal that is $100 plus shipping is the same price as one that is $135.00 shipped (assuming $35.00 is your shipping cost). Selling a corn at $25, labeling it the second way could cost you the same ($60 is too much and people will browse over it without reading that shipping is included) but selling a high end snake labeled "$1000 plus shipping" (the first way) can make you seem cheap and petty.

The consumer always pays the 3%, just to be compliant with the law you need to work that into the cost of your snake, instead of calling it a "surcharge" for using a credit card (or PayPal).
 
There's something of a nuance to the pricing thing...

Anyone can price their animals however they want provided they are honestly represented.

If a price is overinflated and the animal is misrepresented in order to justify said price, then it is not acceptable.

Fake hets are an easy example... but so are such things as claiming the animal came from stock that it didn't, claiming it's CB when it's not, claiming it's a certain age, claiming it eats well when it doesn't, claiming it's in perfect health when it's not...

Similarly, there is misrepresentation via impressions formed. Selling WC animals as "possible hets" with the justification "Anything is possible" is fraudulent, period. Using the phrase "never refused a meal" when the seller never tried to feed it... also fraudulent, even if it's 100% accurate.

I have no problems with people charging for quality, if an animal has had immaculate care or is the product of a long, hard, well organized breeding program then the person who is selling ti deserves to be financially compensated for that work.

I do have a problem with animals with an overinflated price when it's accompanied by misrepresentation. I think many of us will remember someone who was caught reccently selling a "Pastel Ball" that simply wasn't... Then claimed it was a huge mistake. Only scumbags misrepresent their animals and the only reason they do so is to rip off those who are less informed. Buyer beware only goes so far, when a buyer is outright lied to it ceases to be their fault.
 
I do have a problem with animals with an overinflated price when it's accompanied by misrepresentation.
Click to expand...

The original point was that the price itself was a misrepresentation. I think everyone that's posted on this thread agrees that misrepresenting your animals is unethical and usually done to cheat people (there are that 1% that make mistakes). The debate is on how much responsibility is placed on the seller for the appearence his price (and price alone) affect the sale.
 
The original point was that the price itself was a misrepresentation.
Click to expand...

I think that there existed some debate about what qualified as misrepresentation though...

If I have an average imported ball python that I paid twelve bucks for because I bought fifty of them and wanted to sell them individually... I've had them for three weeks and have given a single round of panacur/flagyl and attempted a single feeding...

Selling them as:

"LTC ball pythons, eat great, beautiful healthy animals $120"

Is misrepresentive of the product. I think most people would agree on that...

How about if LTC is taken out? Is three weeks enough time to really verify their health?

How about "eat great"? While eating the first meal offered is a good sign, it's not entirely ethical to sell an animal as eating with no problems because it took a single meal.

Now... what if the ad read:

"Ball pythons, beautiful healthy animals $120"

Those same three week imports that ate once are being advertised, they're probably just as likely to have small ticks or start to refuse food or possibly have infections which haven't surfaced yet... Is it still dishonest to sell them for $120, when the price is going to give buyers an impression of quality that isn't accurate?

Or... how about a very specific situation which prompted a similar debate... A long while ago, Upstate was selling eastern legless lizards as being super-rare animals... I forget the exact wording on their ad, but the price was four times what I had seen similar animals *retailing* for earlier the same week. Now... eastern legless lizards may not be for sale frequently but this isn't because they are rare or hard to find... it's because they don't have much appeal as a pet to the majority of the buying public. The price was inflated to give an impression of value that wasn't accurate... Was this dishonest or not? I think so... but others at the time disagreed.
 
All those instances are misrepresentation. But we were looking at something like the following:

1 get 100 of something in (ball pythons, panther chameleons, tortoises). Most go for $X. There is one that has a particular attraction (special marking, lighter color, robust size, flawless body, something that makes it stand out from the group). I accurately represent the time frame I've had it, it's eating habits, it's health but mark the price up due to it's unique appearence. Let's say $X x 10. Daniel was making the contention that it would be unfair because I would be misleading the buyer. My contention was that I could sell that animal for what the market would bear, it's up to the buyer to decide the value of the animal (especially in this market as value is dependent upon your own personal likes and dislikes).

Using terms like "possible gravid". "Could be het for piebald", etc are used to increase the chance of the sale even if the price is the same as a normal. These are deliberate attempts to mislead the customer even if you don't increase the price.
 
HI I have a question -== if I buy a snake for $25 and pay $35 for shipping why shouldn't I ask $75 for it when I want to sell it ?? I have covered what I paid for it plus shipping and I make a small amount of $15.00 for the care of it and feeding it ??
 
Just for laughs Seamus they still selling those feeder legless lizards i got a hungry coral lol.

I agree with misrepresnting a animal it shouldnt be done ever then again how many have the moral or ethics as many of this sites members?

As for purchasing animals and reselling them later at what a person feels they should get. That is fine so long as its not misrepresented. I have taken losses in animals i purchased with high hopes for then turned out not to be what Ihad wanted. I absorbed the loss and sold it at fair market value even after dumping time and meds in to the animal. But If i could take a realitively lousy animal and get it feeding and cleaned up and looking very good i certainly have the right to ask what i feel is a price that compensates me for the animal and what i had to do to get it up to speed. Yes It might not sell but it also might sell there is not harm in trying so long as its correctly represented.

EXAMPLE{ Imported 01 Surinam redtail 5feet and solid body weight, full medical treatments provided and feeding great cost 450.00 + shipping}

Yes i may have only paid 60 for it at the time but i dumped 100 in meds in it and 50 in feed and who knows how much in time and labor. Sure you can find cheaper but atleast with that add the truth is up front and if a person is honest they have the records.

I know on my animals i have records of meds, feeds, shed, refusal to feed, even deffication. Send that info on to the buyer.

Scott Bice
 
looking for reptibid

I use to get reptibid on my old pc now I just purchased a new compaq & can't get it it comes up a white page nothing else.Are they still active? : :(
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top