• 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.

Inquiry A new scam: scammer hijacking ad replies - John Richard

D

DLenaRuth999s

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Ad: 2022 CB Female Dumerils Boa, posted April 8, 2024 by Santa Cruz, name on account Brian Troy. $400 for snake, $350 for a T10.
Sent inquiry 8/17/24 as an ad reply.

I’m contacted through my email by a John Richard who offers the snake for $350 shipped, and sends me the original picture from the ad.
I question the different name, and am told this is his work mail. Syntax is off, dates on the emails are off by a day. That is, my emails sent today (Sunday 8/18 are date stamped as Monday 8/19).

This seems like a new scam, where the scammer trolls for people responding to an ad and hijacks the communication.

I’ve got screen shots of the original posting and the emails if someone wants them.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Thanks for the heads up.

Can I offer a suggestion for anyone reading this who wants to avoid it? Good -- it is this: do not ask about availability in the ad. Instead, PM the seller. If no one knows that you're trying to open a communication line, no one can hijack it.
 
DLenaRuth999s said:
Ad: 2022 CB Female Dumerils Boa, posted April 8, 2024 by Santa Cruz, name on account Brian Troy. $400 for snake, $350 for a T10.
Sent inquiry 8/17/24 as an ad reply.

I’m contacted through my email by a John Richard who offers the snake for $350 shipped, and sends me the original picture from the ad.
I question the different name, and am told this is his work mail. Syntax is off, dates on the emails are off by a day. That is, my emails sent today (Sunday 8/18 are date stamped as Monday 8/19).

This seems like a new scam, where the scammer trolls for people responding to an ad and hijacks the communication.

I’ve got screen shots of the original posting and the emails if someone wants them.
Click to expand...
I had a similar situation. A person contacted me about two turtles I was interested in. Told me he will send pics via email. I email him, get pics from him. Showed me photos of the turtles, asked me to pay 300$ plus shipping, I said no and he asks how much Id take for it. I said 165$, he goes onto agree and says okay. Then he gives me an email to his paypal which is an entirely different email. I thought its fair as I like to use different emails for potential spammers. I sent him the money, he,said he'd send it out in the morning. Morning comes, says hes late to work. Says hell do it the next day. Next day he shows signs of slight ghosting. Says he will send on the weekend for weekend delivery. I tell him no, id rather cancel and retry at a later date. He keeps avoiding the question and says hell ship out next week since i didnt feel comfortable. Doesnt reply. I file a dispute. Instantly next day I get an email from a random "lady" claiming thats her paypal account and how i need to get on whatsapp, give her my number so that me and him hash it out because he took the money and all.

Says thats the company email for the company paypal account. Tells me to cancel claim. Says i wont win easily. Goes on,and drags it on for 21 days. Meanwhile on paypal someone speaks in spanish saying im scamming him. He doesnt know I too speak spanish, so I reply in spanish and ask him to provide evidence of shipping. etc etc.

He's banned from here now thank to an admin but it was an ordeal.

Learn from my mistake and either do stuff locally or research a seller or buyer out.
 
XSeed said:
I had a similar situation. A person contacted me about two turtles I was interested in. Told me he will send pics via email. I email him, get pics from him. Showed me photos of the turtles, asked me to pay 300$ plus shipping, I said no and he asks how much Id take for it. I said 165$, he goes onto agree and says okay. Then he gives me an email to his paypal which is an entirely different email. I thought its fair as I like to use different emails for potential spammers. I sent him the money, he,said he'd send it out in the morning. Morning comes, says hes late to work. Says hell do it the next day. Next day he shows signs of slight ghosting. Says he will send on the weekend for weekend delivery. I tell him no, id rather cancel and retry at a later date. He keeps avoiding the question and says hell ship out next week since i didnt feel comfortable. Doesnt reply. I file a dispute. Instantly next day I get an email from a random "lady" claiming thats her paypal account and how i need to get on whatsapp, give her my number so that me and him hash it out because he took the money and all.

Says thats the company email for the company paypal account. Tells me to cancel claim. Says i wont win easily. Goes on,and drags it on for 21 days. Meanwhile on paypal someone speaks in spanish saying im scamming him. He doesnt know I too speak spanish, so I reply in spanish and ask him to provide evidence of shipping. etc etc.

He's banned from here now thank to an admin but it was an ordeal.

Learn from my mistake and either do stuff locally or research a seller or buyer out.
Click to expand...
You were smart to use PP G&S instead of a payment method that does not provide buyer protection. Also you can back up your PP G&S payment with a credit card, so that if PP doesn't rule in your favor your MC/Visa/AmEx probably will.

Any request for contact on Whatsapp = immediate red flag for a scam.
 
bcr229 said:
You were smart to use PP G&S instead of a payment method that does not provide buyer protection. Also you can back up your PP G&S payment with a credit card, so that if PP doesn't rule in your favor your MC/Visa/AmEx probably will.

Any request for contact on Whatsapp = immediate red flag for a scam.
Click to expand...
Honestly it was all a red flag but he showed pics and knew names so I took a semi risk. Hate scammers. Its why I don't want to ship. Only local sales. Im in NJ and would rather meet up in a state I can purchase or sell/rehome 1-2 turtkes
 
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