• 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.

question on selling a snake opinions

GREGORY J HALL

GREGORY J HALL

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Got a guy on FB wanting to buy a 800g female spider from me told him to call me to discuss the sale and he says he cant talk because he has no minutes left??? does that send up a red flag? then he wants to pay with PayPal I said I dont pefer paypal because of the high fees he says why do want to raise the price of the snake to cover it? Just seems funny to me why somebody would want to pay almost $700 for a snake and not talk to the seller?? strange or what?
 
Yeah it does seem a bit odd.. I would think if ya cant afford minutes on your phone how the hell ya going to buy a snake and feed it??!! As much as a sell would be cool I would hold off for another buyer.. To many red flags for me.
 
I pretty much refuse to speak on the phone during transactions myself...mainly because I like everything that we discuss to have a paper trail. That way there is no possibility of "he said, she said"

as far as Paypal.... that's really up to you. I personally don't accept it anymore. Postal Money Orders all the way. It's a felony for me to scam someone who paid with one, and they cannot pull charge back crud on buyers remorse or spite (Not that any of that has ever happened to me personally...but I've read enough horror stories)
 
I do agree with that paper trail. This is true. even texts work for me. But after all the email & text are done a phone call is always cool.
 
Willow said:
I pretty much refuse to speak on the phone during transactions myself...mainly because I like everything that we discuss to have a paper trail. That way there is no possibility of "he said, she said"
Click to expand...

:iagree: I never do business over the phone...text or email all the way for me. And I feel totally comfortable sending someone money without talking to them on the phone.
 
The minutes thing wouldn't bother me, because cell phone plan rates are ridiculous, and I know what it means to run out of minutes sometimes. I also like to text and email. Even if I do talk to someone over the phone, the details discussed in the phone call will end up in an email following the conversation, mainly if I have never done business with the person before. CMA is the only way! I used to offer to pay peoples paypal seller fees as well. I thought it was a nice gesture, and that way, people still get the exact amount that they were asking. Ever since that last thread about Paypal fees came about, I quit doing that, because everyone almost looked down upon it it seemed... don't know why you would complain about someone offering you more money. Just my opinion.
 
just something seems strange about the whole thing maybe ill offer him to pay with postal money order see where it goes from there.not really asking thing most people ask about snakes just seems strange thanks guys for the input
 
I can assure you people are fickle! They will but a snake for $??? and not have money for the rent or groceries. Yes, I know that sounds cynical but it is who we are because it is what our society has produced.

All that aside, I have talked with buyers and sellers over the phone and used email and texting. I only accept US Postal Money Orders for the animals I sell that are being shipped, unless I have done business with a person in the past and know them personally.

Pay Pal is convenient but I am one who was burnt by a buyer, they charged back the fee and I never got the animal back! Pay pal said there was nothing they could do, so by by Pay Pal unless I know the person very well.
 
Yeah, if he is truly serious, and you are willing to hold the animal for the few days it would take to receive his money order, that is an excellent way around it. you will find out his true intentions from that offer for sure. Good luck Greg!
 
Maybe his minutes will refresh on the 1st and you guys can complete the deal then? Gives you some more time to check up on the buyer if you want, maybe ask for references? I also only do business via PM or email.

edit - however if you already feel sketchy about the deal, probably best to listen to your gut.

btbutler said:
I used to offer to pay peoples paypal seller fees as well. I thought it was a nice gesture, and that way, people still get the exact amount that they were asking. Ever since that last thread about Paypal fees came about, I quit doing that, because everyone almost looked down upon it it seemed... don't know why you would complain about someone offering you more money. Just my opinion.
Click to expand...

I've only seen people complain about when the seller requests the fee.
 
A lot of people don't trust people that won't talk to them on the phone...though that really makes no sense to me. It isn't as if scammers can't pull off a phone conversation. I'll occasionally make the phone call for the sake of making the sale; but more often than not, it isn't worth it to me. If a seller wants me to call, I'm even less likely to do it.

I had a person interested in a snake recently, and I wouldn't call him (I explained my reasons)...I didn't recognize the name, but he had a trade ad for something I was interested in - after our prior interaction, and my explaining why I wasn't going to call, his response to my inquiry was "Call me".
I didn't :shrug01:

The excuse might seem lame, but not wanting to talk on the phone isn't unusual, IMO.
 
AbsoluteApril said:
I've only seen people complain about when the seller requests the fee.
Click to expand...

yeah, I went back and found the thread. You are right April. Nobody really mentioned anything about offering to pay the fees. It was sellers requesting. I guess I must have jumped to conclusions about the whole thing lol.
 
The nice thing about a Postal Money Order is that it offers the seller protection as well since it is upgraded to a Federal Offense to scam someone with a Postal Money Order.

Trust me, phone conversations do not equal safety from scams. I got scammed big time on the taxidermy site by a guy that I had been emailing with, talked to the phone with, and even had purchased from him before. Then one day he posted a whole bunch of stuff for sale, a whole bunch of us bought from him and then he vanished. And he didn't get in a car accident or anything, he deactivated all his online accounts and disconnected his phone. Got away with about 3000$ (200 of it from me).
 
I tend to not talk to people on the phone...but that is only because I don't like talking on the phone. I prefer emails.
I also work/sleep weird hours...so email works better.

But as far as your concerns, they do seem valid, though some good points have been made. Perhaps his cell plan has set minutes (not like a card...like a monthly plan) and he is just a popular dude on the phone.
-shrugs-
 
I hate the phone.... But im also going to be going to a prepaid phone to save the 100.00 a month it costs me for my iphone. Why keep paying for a service i just DONT use? when i can buy an itouch, message over wifi ( I ALWAYS have wifi!) and buy a cell phone with prepaid minutes that ill use for pretty much emergencies only.

I am not skeptical of the buying minutes thing, Id probably barely remember to put them on my phone too... but thats just because, again, i hate phones. ( An excuse for people not being able to call me! haha)

Can he call you from a landline when he is available? ( or she? ) That would be another option if youre determined to talk. id just as well not speak on the phone and do a bit of research through google and the like. Offering to pay more is interesting, is it a very nice snake and the buyer wants you to be cool? Its good to be skeptical.
 
I sell most of my snakes without ever speaking on the phone with my customers, but I do leave myself available for a phone conversation if the customer wants to speak directly to me.
I do not try to force a phone call though, and a person not having minutes on their cell phone would probably send up red flags
If we have a phone conversation I ask the buyer to email me or pm me or text me any set plans we make on the phone, that way it's not just a spoken conversation and we both have it as a permanent record.

Paypal scares me at times but I have never had an issue selling and taking funds through paypal.
I would assume a bunch of my sales would have gone away if I insisted on money orders.
 
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