• 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.

FedEx shipping quality down the toilet?

Ground and Home Delivery service.

They also have something called "SmartPost" service, which gets the package taken to the post office for final delivery. Which drives me nuts, since I don't have USPS delivery to the house, and only use our post office box at the post office. And you never really know WHICH service from a retailer they will be selecting for your shipment. Sometimes they will even state that they cannot deliver to a post office box and kick out my shipping address because I include the PO Box along with the physical address, then ship the merchandise via FedEx's SmartPost service, so go figure.

I haven't had any reason to use their Overnight service since I retired the reptile breeding business.

But these kinds of problems roll all the way uphill to upper management that can't seem to fix the problems.

FedEx no longer wants to receive emails from clients and customers, so I have had to resort to filing Better Business Bureau complaints when I get fed up enough. THAT gets someone's attention. And that usually fixes the problem, at least temporarily.

Lately when I place orders that are being shipped via FedEx (Ground or Home) I will get an email notice of a completely unrealistic delivery date. For instance, the package is still awaiting pickup at the merchant's store across the country somewhere, yet deliver is stated as being for the next day.

I guess just they are just another victim of "COVID Brain Syndrome". I am seeing a LOT of that lately. Don't get me started....... :NoNo:
 
You might have weird regional luck. A Bermuda Triangle of misfortune. Do you know any people in your area who likewise receive cruddy service from the non-Express business unit(s) of the company? I mostly keep to myself and enjoy the lack of intrusion, so I cannot gather neighborly info.

Even Ground treats us (or my area) very well. Express/Overnight deserves Christmas cards from me, really.
 
Yeah, we keep to ourselves here, too..

We also tip the drivers for both UPS and FedEx every now and again. And every once in a while we will contact Zaxby's and have lunches sent over to the post office. Sometimes I feel like tipping people around these parts is taken as a sign of weakness and gullibility (for paying more than you have to for anything). I may have to cease with that practice and just turn mean(er) on people. I guess I am now at the age whereby being noted as a crotchety mean old "bastid" will be socially acceptable. I guess I need to get a cane I can use to "prod" people with. :pokeowned:
 
I've heard complaints about Fed-Ex from other States. In the State of Michigan Fed-Ex is the only carrier that can tell my address from a hole in the ground. UPS and USPS can't find my house. Even though it's bright red with bright red vehicles in the driveway, with the only store for many miles on the front lawn. On a curve in the road. Where all you can see for a mile is my house. So at least in Michigan. Fed-Ex works great. But I hear stories it's bad in other States.
 
I am not certain about how local the problems are. Their website showing expected delivery dates is just showing fairy tales. I can place an order with someplace like Home Depot, and later that evening will get a notice that delivery is expected tomorrow, even though their status will show that the merchandise hasn't even been picked up at the destination yet. The only real believable status is that the label has been printed up at the source. So the delivery date can't possibly be accurate. So where does that programming and data processing originate from for those delivery dates to be issued via their website? Surely that is not done locally?

I sincerely hope their overnight service is a LOT better than their ground and home delivery service, because quite honestly, if I were still in the business, I would be sweating bullets sending live animals through them now.

As for the previously mentioned package, now their status is showing delivery for Tuesday, 06-29. It departed Grove City, OH on the day it was supposed to be delivered here (06-27) at 1:12PM. It supposedly showed up in Ellenwood, GA at 4:16am today. This is ominous, because in the past I have seen Ellenwood, GA become sort of a black hole for FedEx packages.

And to keep the laughing ball rolling, I have another package, again via FedEx Home Delivery that is claiming Scheduled Delivery: Monday, June 28, 2021 by end of day. Which if you will look at a calendar, is TODAY.

Travel history is showing the last scan as taking place in Ellenwood, GA on 06-28-2021 at 1:52am. Think I should hold my breath on this one too for delivery today? So it appears the FedEx black hole has two of my packages right now.

They are SOOOO screwed up....

:rofl:
 
I get those 'expected delivery tomorrow' when it hasn't even shipped yet notices all the time, I've learned to ignore the expected delivery date and just watch the tracking. It's a tad frustrating seeing 'label printed' and no update for multiple days from some sellers, "come on, go drop it off so it can at least get on the way" lol
 
I get those 'expected delivery tomorrow' when it hasn't even shipped yet notices all the time, I've learned to ignore the expected delivery date and just watch the tracking. It's a tad frustrating seeing 'label printed' and no update for multiple days from some sellers, "come on, go drop it off so it can at least get on the way" lol
Bear in mind that "label printed" doesn't mean that the seller has pulled the item you ordered from the shelf, packed it in a box, sealed it, and slapped the label on it. Often sellers have crappy inventory control systems and may not have the item in stock, so the label gets "printed" to a PDF file for later use when the inventory finally does show up at the warehouse.

I have a shopping cart/inventory control system for my business and if the item is not in stock you can not order it. You can put your name on a wish list so you are notified when the item goes back in stock, and then you can order it (assuming everyone else waiting for that item doesn't beat you to it).
 
yeah, I realized, I sometimes get that notice after hours right after placing the order when I know they didn't even do anything yet :)
 
I like how fedex makes it easier for local thief's to get your stuff. $300 impact wrench just waiting 8 feet from sidewalk.

avnETBB.jpg
 
It could be worse.

We went through a stretch where the FedEx driver would just leave the package at the end of our driveway, fully exposed to the road. Had one instance of packages being stolen because they made the delivery on a Saturday and I wasn't expecting that. It was a Ground shipment, and they don't normally deliver on Saturdays. The packages had been scheduled to arrive on Friday, but there was some sort of exception, so I didn't expect to see anything further till Monday. We don't go out all that often, so when I checked on the status on Monday, I found that the packages had been "delivered" on Saturday, and marked left at gate. Of course they weren't still there after a few days of sitting down there. I can't see the end of the driveway from the house, and had no reason to walk down there to look.

Not sure who wound up paying for it (total came to close to $1500 for the both of them), but both places sent me replacements after a lot of aggravation and time on my part on the phone with both of them explaining what happened. But it sure as heck wasn't going to come out of MY pocket!

I think the driver either got fired, or resigned from all my complaints about him. The guy was rather heavy set, and I guess the long walk up the driveway was too much for him. Everyone else seemed to be able to get the truck up the driveway and maneuver back out, but I guess he was just kind of *special*.

Lately FedEx has been delivering everything OK. Knock on wood.
 
Amazon delivery here is good. They always put item where it cannot be seen from street or sidewalk then send a pic of it to my email.
 
Amazon delivery here is good. They always put item where it cannot be seen from street or sidewalk then send a pic of it to my email.

Amazon delivery? Any orders I have placed with Amazon (reluctantly, I might add) have been delivered via UPS or FedEx.

I did notice recently that a couple of miles from me at a convenience store there is a huge green cabinet looking thing that says something like "Amazon deliveries" or something to that effect. No telling what that is. But then again, I am not a real big fan of Amazon.
 
Amazon delivery? Any orders I have placed with Amazon (reluctantly, I might add) have been delivered via UPS or FedEx.
In many areas they have their own delivery drivers and trucks. They deliver seven days a week.
 
Amazon delivery? Any orders I have placed with Amazon (reluctantly, I might add) have been delivered via UPS or FedEx.

I did notice recently that a couple of miles from me at a convenience store there is a huge green cabinet looking thing that says something like "Amazon deliveries" or something to that effect. No telling what that is. But then again, I am not a real big fan of Amazon.

In my area they have prime drivers. Some in big marked vans that say prime and also people who deliver in personal vehicles. I ordered some skin and paw treatment for dog last Sat and it was delivered Sun afternoon.
 
Amazon delivery has been getting much better than it was a few years ago. I am using the Amazon pharmacy for my meds because it is cheap and reliable, and often the Amazon drivers will get it here the next day, so I'm happy with that. UPS is good. Fedex for many of my packages is not delivering on time, but a day or two later.
 
Never seen an Amazon delivery truck around here.

Lately FedEx has been doing something interesting with their estimated dates of delivery. When I get email notices of the order from the seller concerning shipping via FedEx, FedEx will often make an unrealistic claim of estimated delivery at the same time. For instance, had I placed an order today, when that order is processed and FedEx gets notice of a label having being created, they will claim a delivery date of tomorrow, even though the package had not even been picked up yet, and the small matter of the package being clear across the country from where I am located. So every day there will be an "update" to the estimated delivery date. Often FedEx will claim one problem or another as an "EXCEPTION". Sometimes the package shows up earlier than their most current delivery date. More often it shows up at least a day later.

So when I get the initial delivery date estimate, I know it is just pie in the sky, and deserves as much attention as that.
 
Well, FedEx is "excelling" at their job. Again.

Ordered something from a place in Ohio on 08/31. They created the shipping label on 09/01 at 08:12am. FedEx didn't pick up the package until 12:00am on 09/02. At that time, the estimated date of delivery was Friday, 09/03. Package is being sent via FedEx Home Delivery.

ETD then changed to Saturday, 09/04 (today).

Then late last night (Friday night) it changed to Sunday, 09/05 (tomorrow).

Package got into Kennesaw, GA at 3:36am this morning (09/04) and there it has sat all day long. ETD is still Sunday, 09/05, but there is a red notice on the page saying "POTENTIALLY DELAYED". Yeah, THAT is a surprise!

I have had packages choked up in Kennesaw, GA, before, sometimes for a couple of days. Not sure what that FedEx depot is like, but seems they have some real issues there.

And, of course, Monday is a holiday. :face_palm_02:

So, what are the chances for me to actually get this delivery tomorrow? :nonod:
 

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FedEx tracking is saying that the package is on the truck and out for delivery today. It is now 5:00pm, and normally FedEx will show up before noontime. I am expecting an email saying there was some sort of "EXCEPTION" and they are rescheduling the delivery for Tuesday. This has happened before. I have heard the excuse that the driver couldn't find my address, the road was impassible (yeah, right), the gate on my driveway was closed (it wasn't) and the truck broke down enroute. Wonder which one they will use this time? Perhaps "the dog ate the driver's homework"?

OK, so I thought that during my typing the above, I would hear the driveway alarm indicating the truck was pulling in. No such luck. :angry:

So, I am wondering if the package was never really put on the truck for delivery today, only scanned that it was, or if the driver is just planning on making up some excuse so he can cut the day shorter by not making the delivery?
 
Well this is a surprise. 8:20pm, no package, and FedEx's tracking number says DELIVERY: PENDING.

So I called FedEx on the phone and just got some numbskull located in Puerto Rico who as about as helpful as gravy on a doorknob.

I spent the entire weekend just waiting around for the delivery.

And just to set the record straight, there were actually three boxes in this delivery, not one. I had a subwoofer die, and decided to replace three of them that were getting pretty long in the tooth.

I am so pissed right now. I can't see straight. I am sorely tempted to tell the driver when he shows up on Tuesday (assumed) to just take that package and shove it where the sun don't shine and get the hell off of my property and stay off. I will ask companies I am buying from, and if their only mode of delivery is FedEx, I will decline doing business with them. Screw this. Best thing FedEx could do is to just go out of business and let people who know what the heck they are doing, DO IT.

:angry: :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry:
 
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