• 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.

Info Yaz Mansour - Poor Shipping

Insomniac101

Insomniac101

Contributing Member
Contributor
Resident Demon
Joined
Apr 26, 2009
Messages
709
Reaction score
137
Points
43
Location
Metro Detroit, Michigan USA
I really hesitated to post this, but after thinking about it, and showing the photos to a couple friends, I decided that people should at least be aware of how their animal(s) may arrive from this seller.

I purchased this beautiful diamond python from Yaz Mansour last month. Just to clarify, I have no issue with the critter; just the way it was shipped.

I pre-paid for the shipping, and emailed the labels to him, after getting box dimensions, and weight.

I received a plain brown box, obviously not the white, reptile-specific one that is required to ship live reptiles.

After opening it, (first making sure the snake was okay), I was very disappointed that this snake I paid $1,300 for was shipped in such an unsafe manner.

The box insulation was less than 1/2", not meeting the 3/4" that is required. It was also 3.5" too short for the box height. The top piece was much too small for the box, with large gaps around it.

This box offered no crush protection, which also voided any live-arrival guarantee from the shipper. I paid just under $120 to ship this snake, of which $30-something was for insurance.

Obviously, I'm glad that it arrived okay, but very irritated that Yaz would do something so careless with someone else's money, and a living creature. This could have been disastrous, and I would have no recourse through Reptiles Express, because the animal wasn't packaged correctly.

Yaz has not responded to my texts regarding this issue.

Just an "FYI" for anyone considering a purchase.

Thanks,

Kathy Robbins
 

Attachments

  • Screenshot_20190911-134221_Chrome.jpg
    Screenshot_20190911-134221_Chrome.jpg
    344.3 KB · Views: 174
  • 20191006_112150.jpg
    20191006_112150.jpg
    157.1 KB · Views: 170
  • 20191006_113730.jpg
    20191006_113730.jpg
    147.4 KB · Views: 170
  • 20190924_194547.jpg
    20190924_194547.jpg
    153 KB · Views: 167
Thanks for sharing. It appears from the label that the shipper used Reptiles Express? If so, I would contact them directly as not only does shipping a snake in this way violate Reptiles Express's policy, but no labeling on the box violates federal law and Reptiles Express absolutely should be made aware of this violation because they could lose their FedEx shipping privileges (and thus, their entire business) if USFWS caught wind of this.
 
Here are the other labels, which are in compliance. The first post would only allow me four photos.
 

Attachments

  • 20191006_135740.jpg
    20191006_135740.jpg
    134.3 KB · Views: 157
  • 20191006_113011.jpg
    20191006_113011.jpg
    166.3 KB · Views: 161
  • 20191006_135733.jpg
    20191006_135733.jpg
    152.7 KB · Views: 158
Glad he got to you in good shape. I thought long and hard about buying this snake for a female that looks identical but I'm just too paranoid to buy anything anymore with the Nidovirus epidemic .

I assume youre having him tested right away ?

Which lab are you going to use for testing ?
 
Thanks for the clarification on the labels, Kathleen. Still, it wouldn't hurt to shoot a complaint to Reptiles Express with photos showing the box the snake was shipped in. I'm not sure if they'll do anything at all, but at least the ball is in their court at that point. Improper shipping can impact their FedEx agreement so they probably would like to know.
 
Hi Jim,

He's in quarantine, and will be for several months.

I would like to have him tested, and will talk with my herp vet as to choice of labs. I think University of Florida's School of Veterinary Medicine performs the assay. I've sent histological specimens to them before, and was pleased with the customer service.

Thanks
 
snowgyre said:
Thanks for the clarification on the labels, Kathleen. Still, it wouldn't hurt to shoot a complaint to Reptiles Express with photos showing the box the snake was shipped in. I'm not sure if they'll do anything at all, but at least the ball is in their court at that point. Improper shipping can impact their FedEx agreement so they probably would like to know.
Click to expand...

I'm actually the purchaser, so I wonder if that muddies the water a bit. Obviously, I had no control over the box he used, but since I'm Reptile Express's customer, perhaps the responsibility shifts to me.

Now I need to know, and will call them tomorrow!

Still no excuse to send an animal out like that. :mad:
 
Insomniac101 said:
Hi Jim,

He's in quarantine, and will be for several months.

I would like to have him tested, and will talk with my herp vet as to choice of labs. I think University of Florida's School of Veterinary Medicine performs the assay. I've sent histological specimens to them before, and was pleased with the customer service.

Thanks
Click to expand...

When you decide could you send me a PM letting me know how you made out ?
Last protocol I heard was getting three tests over a nine month quarentine period ; one test every three months. It's now like crypto where one negative result doesn't mean anything.

Best of luck with him.
 
Insomniac101 said:
Yaz has not responded to my texts regarding this issue.
Click to expand...

This was an expensive purchase, but no matter the price tag all critters should be shipped safely. It is disturbing that there is no feedback from him here regarding the issue. Perhaps contacting him in another way might be worthwhile?
 
Lucille said:
This was an expensive purchase, but no matter the price tag all critters should be shipped safely. It is disturbing that there is no feedback from him here regarding the issue. Perhaps contacting him in another way might be worthwhile?
Click to expand...

When I was texting inquiries about the snake, he responded promptly. The silence when texting with a problem, tells me a lot. I don't really feel any further obligation to try bringing this to his attention, because I think he already knows.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top