• 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.

Turtlesale.com- using stolen pictures

Ken Harbart

Ken Harbart

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Recently, it's been brought to my attention that the website turtlesale.com is using stolen pictures to misrepresent animals that they have for sale. The most glaring act of theivery and misrepresentation is a photo from John White.

John's picture of an eastern painted turtle is being used to represent western painted that they are pandering. John's photo was being used without his knowledge and consent, and he has requested numerous times that his photo be removed from their site both via email and telephone, yet the photo is still posted.

For those who would like to get in touch with these guys and let them know it's not nice to steal, here's some contact info:

[email protected]
727/943-2786

Technical contact:
SWANIEC, DUANE
[email protected]
4925 ANN DRIVE
HOLIDAY, Florida 34690
519/754-0914
 
Also, it wouldn't come as a surprise if John's picture isn't the only one on that site that's being used illegally.
 
Sounds like someone has taken a few notes from William Horn \ Briarpatch herps

Has anyone contacted this individual and got a response?
 
Website

TURTLESALE.COM
244 FIFTH AVENUE
SUITE 2867
NEW YORK , NEW YORK.
10001-7604
1-800-517-1809
Click to expand...

Found on another site.

http://www.zoomed.com/html/findstore.php?st=FL&sortID=&pgid=8
Seltrut Inc.
4925 Ann Drive
Holiday, FL 34690
Phone: 727-647-3186
Click to expand...

(727) 647-3186
Type: Cell PhoneProvider: Nextel CommunicationsLocation: Clearwater, FL
Click to expand...

If you have questions you can check our Message Board, email us at [email protected] or call Norm at 1-727-943-2786.
Click to expand...

Swaniec, D

street address not available

Tarpon Springs, FL

(727) 943-2786
 
ha ha their banners are all over google system. It was even here at top of page 1.

whatever you do though dont keep clicking their banner costing them money and making rich money. We dont want to hurt turtlesale.com by costing them a fortune in advertising <wink>
 
Thanks!

Can they make a sticky about this evil place? I'm still hearing from people who are buying sick and dying turtles from them. It's horrible. :(
 
David, the best thing you can do is to tell each of those people who have purchased ill or dying turts from them to post about their story here. "Secondhand information" or anonymous third party info isn't allowed here on the BOI, but it can only help others to get the word out about this place if more folks tell their story.

Proof that they are selling sickly animals would probably convince more people not to buy from them!
 
Granted it’s a January 2007 issue, but tell me how a shady outfit like this can run full page ads (page 17 to be exact) in Reptiles magazine?

Regards,
Steve

P.S. That’s the only issue I have handy at the moment.

P.S.S. Yes...my question was rhetorical. ;)
 
Yeah, I think the same thing every time I see an ad from Turtlesale in Reptiles, and there's an ad of one sort or another in every issue.
 
They definitely have very savvy business sense. They are able to get their ads posted on banners across all of the major commercial reptile websites on the internet through their use of Google Advertising. I'm not sure how much control these guys have over who they allow to advertise on their sites or magazines.
 
There was an issue not too long ago where someone wrote in to the editor and asked why the magazine allowed them to post their ads, when they practiced purposely breeding genetically defective animals.....the magazine's answer was that the ad didn't say they were breeding them, so they must just be selling the naturally occurring ones (paraphrased, as I can't find the issue at the moment....)

We aren't the only ones noticing them.
 
I saw that blurb in "Reptiles." I don't buy that argument though -- on their website they state directly that they bred the parents of their first eyeless turtle together once again and produced eyeless babies. That sure sounds like deliberately breeding for a crippling defect to me. I realize that in mass-produced sliders, defects pop up often in even the best breeding operations. Still, even if they're lying, and the animals are just a random accident, they are least seem to want people to think that they're breeding for defective animals.

I find the whole thing repugnant not only because of their lack of concern for the animals themselves, but because they advertise so much on Google and whatnot that they're bound to be seen outside the serious herp community. I fear that this sort of thing is what non-herp folks are going to see us as: people who treat animals like a commercial commodity, and are unconcerned with the animals' welfare. Not only that, but they seem to be catered more towards non-serious-herpers and I can just imagine what happens to the majority of turtles that leave their facility -- especially the poor free ones :ack2:
 
Yeah, their name pops up from time to time on different turtle forums and always with regards to someone just getting a sick baby turtle and not knowing what they should do. It's really sad.
 
Nirvana said:
I saw that blurb in "Reptiles." I don't buy that argument though -- on their website they state directly that they bred the parents of their first eyeless turtle together once again and produced eyeless babies. That sure sounds like deliberately breeding for a crippling defect to me. I realize that in mass-produced sliders, defects pop up often in even the best breeding operations. Still, even if they're lying, and the animals are just a random accident, they are least seem to want people to think that they're breeding for defective animals.

I find the whole thing repugnant not only because of their lack of concern for the animals themselves, but because they advertise so much on Google and whatnot that they're bound to be seen outside the serious herp community. I fear that this sort of thing is what non-herp folks are going to see us as: people who treat animals like a commercial commodity, and are unconcerned with the animals' welfare. Not only that, but they seem to be catered more towards non-serious-herpers and I can just imagine what happens to the majority of turtles that leave their facility -- especially the poor free ones :ack2:
Click to expand...

I understand that, and agree (did you read the other thread about them? I believe Tim Cole started it). It was a lame excuse from the editor, IMO....
 
Cat_72 said:
David, the best thing you can do is to tell each of those people who have purchased ill or dying turts from them to post about their story here. "Secondhand information" or anonymous third party info isn't allowed here on the BOI, but it can only help others to get the word out about this place if more folks tell their story.

Proof that they are selling sickly animals would probably convince more people not to buy from them!
Click to expand...
Is this the only thread about turtlesale.com on BOI? I couldn't find another one that specifically dealt with their reputation as regards the selling of sick/dying animals. I'm thinking that the more posts we can get that show their name in a negative light, the more likely it will be to show up on a google search along with the negative comments when someone tries to do research on them.
 
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