• 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.

Bridget Congdon of internet stamp store [email protected]. WARNING...

This is the BOI

You do know this is the BOI ,correct?
And you have been here before ,correct?
So you are aware of problems your "Post" presents ,correct.
 
About 2 weeks ago Bridget Condon called me and ordered 10 okeetee corns and 15 albinos. She had me send a money request form to her and she was to pay for me to ship on the same day. I said great. We both agreed on a 50- 60 dollar shipping amount and she was to call me when she had sent the money. I also told her like I tell all of my customers that I will give an additional corn snake to make shipping a little less. So essentially she was getting them shipped for 45.00 dollars. This rate is more than fair to NY. I made if perfectly clear to her that I was not around the computer all day and needed her to call me when payment was made. I had other packages to ship of that day and had to pack them up along with hers. I tried calling her many many times to see how payment was coming about. I ship via DHL and its about a 20 minute drive to their nearest hub. I called her as I was at dhl and she said "oh didn't you get my email I was concerned about the pricing on the package". To make it real short she didn't want them after I have already packed them and just about shipped them. I think that she is a really poor communicator and should pay some kind of restocking fee. I actually sent her a 35 dollar paypal money request form and she cancelled it. Everyone here who packs multiple shipments a day knows that packing and shipping are very time consuming. What do you guys think. Do you think that she is obligated??? Let me know your opinion, I am just burned up about this.
Thanks,
Matt White
 
I wouldn't have even packed them up if she hadn't paid yet, or called you to let you know that she had paid. Simple solution.

I understand you are frustrated, but she really did nothing "wrong". Perturbing, perhaps.....but if you had waited to receive that call before packing them, none of it would have happened. A LOT of folks will say they want something, then change their mind before payment......picture collectors, and such.
 
Do you list any kind of "restocking fee" in your TOS? You can't just add charges after the fact to people who never even actually purchased anything.
 
Cat_72 said:
I wouldn't have even packed them up if she hadn't paid yet, or called you to let you know that she had paid. Simple solution.

I understand you are frustrated, but she really did nothing "wrong". Perturbing, perhaps.....but if you had waited to receive that call before packing them, none of it would have happened. A LOT of folks will say they want something, then change their mind before payment......picture collectors, and such.
Click to expand...

Cat

While I agree that an unannounced "restocking fee" is out of the question. The buyer did do something wrong. She struck a deal, agreed on terms and then reneged. She also took it a step further and agreed on a shipping date.

In what way is that not wrong? There is nothing that Matt can do about it but, I for one, think it merits mention here.
 
Perhaps I read the statement about the shipping "date" differently than you did, John. I originally read it as simply that she was to call when payment was sent, and then he would ship them that day....whatever day she sent the money...but re-reading, it does appear that she was to have paid the same day as the payment request was sent, with shipping to follow.....is that the way you are reading it? If that is the case.....well, it wasn't right. She should have been polite enough to at least make a call as she was asked to tell him she had changed her mind.

But again, I would have never even packaged up the snakes. It would have been her own fault if she would have had to wait another day or 2 to receive them, had the money been sent later. :shrug01:
 
We have sold animals to Bridget numerous times, and never had a problem.She takes big orders, pays fast and always buys when she sets up an order. We have never had a problem with her at all, and consider her a great customer.

Josh @ J&J REPTILES
www.jnjreptiles.com
[email protected]
 
Thanks for your responces. I do not currently have it stated in my TOS but I have updated it to read the following...

***ATTN: ALL ANIMALS PUT ON HOLD FOR A CUSTOMER AND TAKEN OFF THE MARKET ARE EXPECTED TO BE BOUGHT. IF SOMETHING IS TO HAPPEN AND THE AGREED BUYER DOES NOT PURCHASE THE ANIMALS THEN THERE WILL BE A CHARGE OF $35.00 FOR A RESTOCKING FEE. ANIMAL(S) VALUED OF $1000.00 WILL HAVE A 10% RESTOCKING FEE.

Please let me know if this seems harsh. Thanks for you responces fellas. This just erks the hell out of me when people do this. It happens too frequently.
Matt White
 
Not a bad idea, but if they are not going to buy the animals what makes you think they are going to pay the restocking fee.That is the hard part of things. Our policy is we do not hold animals, as there is way to many "buyers" who dissapear, if someone wants to pay at the end of the day, we tell them to check back before they pay as the animals might already be sold. Its a pain but that way we are not holding animals forever. We do not pack any animals up before we have scheduled the shipment and received full payment so that way we don't get stuck in the position you are in. Good luck with it.
Josh @ J&J REPTILES :reddevil:
www.jnjreptiles.com
[email protected]
 
Matt,

While I agree that she backed out on a deal, in my mind it is never truly a "sale" until the money arrives. I have heard way too many times that "the money is on the way", "Sounds great I will send money tomorrow", etc, etc, and no money ever show up. Again I never consider anything a sale until the money arrives and I put nothing on hold without a deposit. Until money arrives everyone is just a window shopper in my book.
 
Ican see if the person would send in a deposit,you could take the money out of that,but most TOS state that the deposit is non refundable anyway .
So if someone calls or e-mails you to set up a deal ,and asks you to put the animal on hold.
Then backs out of the agreement...How do you purpose on getting them to pay your $35.00 "restocking fee" ?
Its all good in theory..but it might make doing business with you a tad difficult.And unless you have something that you cant keep on your selves .people might just opt to not do business with you.And go to someone else that is more amicable to them. And most people will laugh at a $35.00 "restocking fee" ,and go elsewhere.

Don't pack to ship until the check clears, period.
You need to be more savvy when dealing with potential customers.
If you come off too anal.,there wont be any potential customers to deal with.

Just my .02
 
I'm not sure what all kinds of animals you deal with either, Matt......but people aren't going to want to pay a $35 restocking fee on a $30 animal, either.

Just make it clear to folks that an animal isn't considered SOLD until the money is in your hand, or at the very least you have a deposit on the animal, and situations like this can be avoided for the most part.
 
Sorry for the lateness of this reply but I haven't been on BOI lately....

On 9/13 I posted this thread looking for info on Bridget, she sent me numerous emails about baby corns I had for sale and promised to send payment a couple times with no follow through so I was curious:

http://faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=86735

After a few more emails she did send payment and I shipped her 17 baby corns on 9/18 . I assume they arrived fine and she was satisfied as I have heard no further from her. So I would consider it a good transaction.

Just like others have stated I don't consider anything sold until the money arrives, I would have had these snakes packed up several times based on "promises" to pay.

Matt just consider yourself lucky that she was honest and didn't just tell you she had sent the money and you went ahead and shipped. I would never take someones word over the phone that money was sent.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top