• 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.

Is this a scam?

F

FamilyZoo

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Need some advice.

-Made a deal to sell two Boas two weeks ago (price included shipping)
-Buyer said he would send a money order overnight so we would have it on Tuesday 12 -June and he wanted them shipped 13 June for a 14 June delivery (buyer stated he would send a tracking number for the overnight delivery of the money order on Monday 11 June). Buyer states he needs shipping prior to the weekend, because he is going on vacation for a couple of weeks, starting on the weekend.
-11 June- comes and goes, no email, no tracking number, we figured he changed his mind
-12 June- we get a phone call from a woman stating to be his wife that they have sent the money via western union. Money was sent by a third party in Canada. Buyer lives in Buffalo, NY (Woman gave spelling of the name, but the spelling was way off)
13 June -Snakes sent for delivery on 14 June (tracking info emailed)
14 June- FedEx calls us and states the address doesn’t exist. FedEx leaves messages on two telephone numbers provided. We also leave phone messages. We send multiple Emails. No replies.
-15 June- we contact FedEx at the buyers end and make arrangements for the snakes to be shipped back to us if they are not picked up by. We ask that they hold the snakes at their station as long as possible, but to have them shipped back to us for a (16 June) Saturday delivery.
-15 June 8am- Contact wife on her cell phone. She states someone has already left to pick up the snakes. (No one ever arrives to pick up the snakes)
-16 June- (Saturday) FedEx delivers snakes back to us
-17 June- Receive this email

Hello Mark, I don't know what happened with this situation. What a mess...Well I got one of my assistant to go pickup the boas, but he totally forgot and that is very irresponsible of him...so much so that I fired him aon the spot once I heard of him screwing up! Mad is an understatement on how I feel about this guy and his actions! Well I went today "Saturday" to the FedEx office and was notified that the boas had been sent back. I am so sorry about this incident and it has been a mess for all. I am actually not on vacation...totally skipped it just to make sure the boas are pickedup and are alright. Now I am stuck, the wife is not too happy either, we planned this trip for some time now.
Well please get back to me, and once again I am deeply sorry.

This all seems like a scam to me. A $600 deal and the buyer does not communicate with me until after the snakes are returned. Im waiting for him to request the remainder to be sent back to him and not the person in Canada the the money was sent from.

Any recommendations? I can find no info on this guy on BOI. Snakes seem ok.

Thanks
Mark Burgett
 
Obviously, if you're asked to return the funds, you would wait until they're actually in your account before doing so. You probably should wait for a week or longer after that, to make sure the bank doesn't find out later that the money order is fake. Once I did have the money, I would deduct the shipping and any other costs, return the money, and kiss this looser good bye.
 
kmurphy said:
Obviously, if you're asked to return the funds, you would wait until they're actually in your account before doing so. You probably should wait for a week or longer after that, to make sure the bank doesn't find out later that the money order is fake. Once I did have the money, I would deduct the shipping and any other costs, return the money, and kiss this looser good bye.
Click to expand...

This is really good advice! I've heard of people getting burned 2-3 weeks after depositing a MO or cashier's check, even after the bank has said it cleared within 5 days of deposit.
 
Money was sent Western Union, by a third party in Canada. Money was for exact amount. We took the money as cash vice a check from our local Western Union place. So we put the cash in the bank.

I figure that when I return the remainder, I will send it back to the 3rd party minus what it cost me to ship there and back, if its all legitimate, there should be no problems with right people getting some money back.

How is that for a plan?

I have no idea, but can someone send via western Union with a CC? I wonder if a stolen CC was used to pay me?

This all seems to wierd.

Thanks
Mark
 
FamilyZoo said:
I have no idea, but can someone send via western Union with a CC? I wonder if a stolen CC was used to pay me?
Click to expand...

Yes, I just went to Western Unions website. IF I had a Visa or Mastercard issued by a Canadian bank, I could use it to send funds "from" Canada, even though I'm sitting in Arizona. So it would be very possible for someone to use a stolen card.
 
That doesn't sound good.


One question, this confused me "We took the money as cash vice a check from our local Western Union place." Did you actually get cash, or a check?
 
At Western Union, they asked us if we wanted a check or cash. We said cash and they gave us cash.
 
OK, thanks.

The only two things I can think of are them having you send the cash to someone other than the person who wired it to you, which would tell me that it is a stolen CC.

Or (and this is farfetched I know), trying to extort you for taking the money but not sending the snakes. Saying that You ripped them off, and if you don't pay up they'll trash your rep, press fraud charges. Like I said, farfetched I know, but anything is possible.
 
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