• 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.

Are you kidding me???

WebSlave

Maybe seeing a light at the end of the tunnel.
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So I get an email today saying that Best Buy was going to give me a birthday present this month. Just click on the link.... So yeah, I did that and went to a page that looks all spiffy and obviously supposed to make me feel real good about turning 69 years old this month. Heck, 10 percent off. Not a fortune but what the heck. It is something, right?

Celebrate Your Birthday with 10% Off a Select Item

Choose a qualifying product to receive your birthday discount. See exclusions below.

The kicked from above is the statement "See exclusions below."

Well, here are the exclusions....
Terms and Conditions
Offer valid 6/24/19–7/31/19. Markdowns taken from regular or Was prices. Not valid with any other coupons, offers or price match requests. Excludes Apple® products; Magnolia Design Center products; Amazon voice assistant and streaming players; Google voice assistant, Chromecast and Chromecast Audio; Bose® audio products; SONOS; Polk Audio; Denon; select Samsung home audio, TVs, Blu-ray and DVD players; Sony home audio, TVs and 3D glasses, Blu-ray players, DVD players and set top boxes; select LG TVs and Blu-ray players, select Sharp TVs; TCL TVs; all gaming consoles; Leap Motion Controller; Wacom stylus; subscription software services; kate spade new york tech accessories, headphones and portable speakers; POSA cards; Sony camcorders, digital cameras, Alpha cameras, NEX cameras; Canon DSLR cameras, mirrorless cameras, XA and XF series camcorders, lenses and flashes, G1X, G1X MARK II, G7X, N2, N100, S120, SX50, SX60 and G16; Nikon DSLR cameras, mirrorless cameras, lenses and flashes, Coolpix A, P340, P530, P600, P610 and S810c; GoPro cameras and accessories; Olympus point and shoot cameras, interchangeable-lens cameras, lenses; Drones $499 and up; unlocked phones; contract mobile phones; mobile broadband devices; digital music services and download cards; Electrolux major appliances; air conditioners, fans and dehumidifiers; Dyson; Pacific Sales products; Vitamix, Breville, Capital Brands, Nespresso; Magnolia products: Samsung TVs, sound bars and Blu-ray players, Sony TVs, Blu-ray players and projectors, Sharp TVs, LG TVs, Sunbrite TVs; Epson projectors, JVC projectors; iRobot; Sennheiser, Bowers & Wilkins, Rotel, MartinLogan, McIntosh, Universal Remote Control, Arcam, Peachtree, Savant, Sonus faber, Oppo and special order merchandise; special order, clearance, refurbished, pre-owned and open-box items; gift cards; taxes. Selection varies by store. Limit 1 offer per customer, per household. Valid on in-stock items only. Excludes stores in Puerto Rico. Not valid at Best Buy Express kiosks. Online and in-store offer may vary. Best Buy employees are not eligible for this promotion. No dealers. No copies. No cash back. No cash value. Offer must be presented at time of purchase.

Gee, thanks bunches. Nearly everything worth thinking about buying is on that list. Unless I wanted some nickle and dime cell phone protector or some sort nonsense.

For something that is supposed to be a gesture of good will, this is way off of the mark, IMHO. Actually, it is having the exact opposite effect, to be honest.

Who comes up with these things? :face_palm_02:
 
Who comes up with these things?

Greedy businesses that have your email address, phone numbers, etc. We, as a society, have turned into a bunch of morons who are half brain-dead and buy into half the crap fed to us. Thankfully, you (and I) and other consumers don't fall for the BS :)
 
So I get an email today saying that Best Buy was going to give me a birthday present this month. Just click on the link.... So yeah, I did that and went to a page that looks all spiffy and obviously supposed to make me feel real good about turning 69 years old this month. Heck, 10 percent off. Not a fortune but what the heck. It is something, right?



The kicked from above is the statement "See exclusions below."

Well, here are the exclusions....


Gee, thanks bunches. Nearly everything worth thinking about buying is on that list. Unless I wanted some nickle and dime cell phone protector or some sort nonsense.

For something that is supposed to be a gesture of good will, this is way off of the mark, IMHO. Actually, it is having the exact opposite effect, to be honest.

Who comes up with these things? :face_palm_02:

This would be my feeling as well. Not enough to not shop at Best Buy if they had what I needed but enough to think twice about simply heading there without shopping around.

How many people don't bother reading the exclusions and when they get to the store all excited about saving 10% on their new Iphone and finding out its not eligible make the purchase anyway or simply find some other cheap do dad they don't need but buy anyway to save the 10%.

If you feel like killing some time go to the store and pick up something on the list and go to check out. When they tell you it is excluded tell them you didn't know, and don't want it. Then leave it at the counter and go pick up something else on the list. Leave them with a cart full of stuff to put away. I'm sure you have AC and if its too hot you stay home but I don't so it might be a good way to kill a hot afternoon in the comfort of an AC store. Maybe find something for under a buck (if thy have anything) at the very end and act like you just won the jackpot when you save your 10%.

Either that or go pick out the most expensive thing on the exclusions list spend a couple of hours wasting their time with questions and adding on all sorts of items (warranties, geek quad, delivery, installation etc) and then when they tell you its excluded simply say "oh? that sucks" and walk away.
 
yeah I get those emails as well, they basically want to sell you appliances with all the items excluded. lol
 
Leave them with a cart full of stuff to put away.

Either that or go pick out the most expensive thing on the exclusions list spend a couple of hours wasting their time with questions and adding on all sorts of items (warranties, geek quad, delivery, installation etc) and then when they tell you its excluded simply say "oh? that sucks" and walk away.

I get the frustration with those ridiculous coupons that exclude everything, but why take it out on the sales people? They aren't the ones who make store policies, and you're just taking time away from those serious buyers who need assistance.
 
I get the frustration with those ridiculous coupons that exclude everything, but why take it out on the sales people? They aren't the ones who make store policies, and you're just taking time away from those serious buyers who need assistance.

Yeah, not to mention that the next time I go to that store, I might really be serious about buying something, but none of the sales people would likely come near me. So I might have to wait a few days for turnover to put in a whole new lineup of sales people. :hehe:
 
I get the frustration with those ridiculous coupons that exclude everything, but why take it out on the sales people? They aren't the ones who make store policies, and you're just taking time away from those serious buyers who need assistance.

Yeah, not to mention that the next time I go to that store, I might really be serious about buying something, but none of the sales people would likely come near me. So I might have to wait a few days for turnover to put in a whole new lineup of sales people. :hehe:

Both good points but I'd still be tempted. I've never really been assisted that much by best buy sales people so I guess I didn't see that side of it. The best I usually hope for is for them to point me in the direction of where I can go to find the information I am looking for.
 
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