• 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, obviously inferior to UPS.

bliss

bliss

Blue Ridge Dragons
Resident Demon
Joined
Jan 31, 2007
Messages
521
Reaction score
19
Points
0
Age
37
Location
Morganton, NC, USA
I hate FedEx.

Don't knock, don't ring the doorbell. And then take my package back to the station which is an hour drive from me.

I hate FedEx so friggin' much. Anyone else?
 
I usually have that same trouble with ups and not fed ex. Although the last package I got from UPS, he actually knocked loudly. I was shocked.

I don't think DHL is delivering residential anymore, but they were horrible. They scanned in a package as delivered by the guaranteed time of 11 am and I didn't get the package until 1pm.
 
You'll find that the services varies significantly from region to region. FedEx here is awesome, UPS sucks.
If you have those problems, maybe you should speak with a manager at the hub...or bypass the delivery option and have the package held for pickup. If that isn't feasible, it really isn't that hard to get a feel for when they'll be coming - make the effort to collect your package...be waiting for the delivery, rather than the doorbell. If it turns out that the driver is just saying screw it, I'm not going to bother, that needs to be addressed by the company. (I've had that experience, as well as a tendency to misdeliver, with other companies)
 
I agree Harald, it does vary from place to place.

Here, UPS is always on time and always knocks or rings the doorbell.

FedEx, though, has always been late and never knocks or rings the doorbell. Any package I've ever gotten has always shown up at least an hour - 2 hours late.
 
If you don't mind PMing me your address, I'd like to check something.
 
bliss said:
I agree Harald, it does vary from place to place.

Here, UPS is always on time and always knocks or rings the doorbell.

FedEx, though, has always been late and never knocks or rings the doorbell. Any package I've ever gotten has always shown up at least an hour - 2 hours late.
Click to expand...

I NEVER had an issue with FedEx, but would just as soon see UPS fall off of the earth completely.

It's probably the driver in your area being a slacker. Just report such instances and usually FedEx will take care of the problem. There are plenty of people looking for jobs if someone doesn't want to take theirs seriously. They do make their drivers jump through hoops and wouldn't appreciate one of them giving their customers a good reason to go to the competition.
 
For me, it's the opposite as well. I always trust FedEx - I don't want to ship or receive any other way. UPS drops and runs.
 
LauraB said:
For me, it's the opposite as well. I always trust FedEx - I don't want to ship or receive any other way. UPS drops and runs.
Click to expand...

I agree wholeheartedly!!

UPS SUX ROCKS!!

Even when I've called to complain, they keep f*****g up.
 
I don't order animals online, so forgive me if this is naive or presumptuous, but why not just open your door or sit on the porch if you expect a package? Then they can't pretend you weren't there... From what I can tell people expecting live deliveries devote an entire day to staying home waiting for it anyways...
 
Alex G said:
I don't order animals online, so forgive me if this is naive or presumptuous, but why not just open your door or sit on the porch if you expect a package? Then they can't pretend you weren't there... From what I can tell people expecting live deliveries devote an entire day to staying home waiting for it anyways...
Click to expand...

Yeah-that would be a nice thing to do...making them not have to actually do their jobs...but not all of us have some sort of roof or awning on our porch...some may only have a door with steps.

I have a porch-minus the roof/awning, so why should I have to sit in the rain or snow to collect my package when I was told by UPS that I was being added to their "MUST SIGN" list?? There's also a note stating they have to tap on the front window due to no door-bell (My land-lord doesn't believe in doorbells..go figure.) and two steel doors that I can't hear through.

What's the big freaking deal?? Can't tap on the window after you throw the box, or just a totally ignorant or illiterate driver??

The last delivery consisted of me looking out my window for the 50th something time, only to see the BACK of the driver as he walked away-signing MY NAME to his clip-board!! After he THREW my box on the porch.

I ran out and tore him a new one, then called UPS and told him what he pulled, and they just said, "Well, it WAS SIGNED...RIGHT??"

One of these days, some of my hood neighbors are gonna steal my package, and they'll have my driver's signature-NOT MINE.

What will they do then??
 
And the debate rages on........

I think people will argue which one is better or worse until teleportation is perfected and shipping anything no longer exists lol.

Alot of it falls to the actions of a particular driver. UPS may be totally unreliable in one community but in another town 20 miles away they may be the pinnacle of reliability.
I have a regular UPS driver, and as long as she's not on vacation, I never have any problems. Once I had a delivery of frozen rats. It was summer and I wasn't home when she came. She knew what was in the package, and didn't want it to set in the sun all day. She also knew where my wife worked at the time, a fact I would have never suspected she knew, so she took the package to her so she could keep it cool. Not many would go to that trouble. The substitute drivers however can be a nightmare.

I suspect that neither company is all that much better than the other overall. It's a matter of which is better or more reliable in a given area. Some people have particularly bad service from one or the other, but I find the service in my area is not tremendously different, both have decent records. I'm not prone to having problems with either one, but I have had more problems with UPS. They don't mess it up that often, but it seems when they do they mess it up good.
 
Clay Davenport said:
I have a regular UPS driver, and as long as she's not on vacation, I never have any problems. Once I had a delivery of frozen rats. It was summer and I wasn't home when she came. She knew what was in the package, and didn't want it to set in the sun all day. She also knew where my wife worked at the time, a fact I would have never suspected she knew, so she took the package to her so she could keep it cool. Not many would go to that trouble. The substitute drivers however can be a nightmare.

I suspect that neither company is all that much better than the other overall. It's a matter of which is better or more reliable in a given area. Some people have particularly bad service from one or the other, but I find the service in my area is not tremendously different, both have decent records. I'm not prone to having problems with either one, but I have had more problems with UPS. They don't mess it up that often, but it seems when they do they mess it up good.
Click to expand...

I'll agree with this... My NORMAL UPS guy is wonderful. We have a system worked out if Im not home and I have is cell number programed into my phone if I need him or want to meet him a couple towns over and pick it up there.

I do however prefer FedEx because my packages arrive in an AC'd van NOT a delivery truck and FedEx normally gets to me about 4 hours earlier than UPS. Im not getting anything from UPS before 2pm.... doesn't matter how you ship it.
 
I have not had negative experiances with either but I prefer all my packages to be shipped to me via UPS and held at the hub for me to pick up. This way I can be there when they open and get it first thing in the AM. Ever since I have started this practice I feel much better when getting animals in the mail.
 
Since I have owned a supply for 15 years, I know most of the UPS drivers on a first name basis. IMO UPS it better for regular packages. But I have confirmed and reconfirmed all the way up to corporate UPS that they will not ship snakes ever. Even during all the SYR, RE, and so on.

I have used strickly Fedex for snake shipments for 5 years now and never had a single problem, except one late shipment due to snow storm. Even then all I did was call to make sure they knew the package contained a live animal, They were nice enough to keep the package in a warm office until they were able to deliver the next day. The snake was just fine when he arrived.
 
UPS is horrible around Daytona, late shipments and the people at the local office were kind of rude, but I guess my route kept gettin new drivers, got real bad for a while there.

Fedex is always within a half hour of estimated arrival time in my expierience, I try to urge every shipper to use them for my orders.
 
Does FedEx normally come back if you are unavailable? A second delivery attempt never happened for my cricket delivery on Friday. No attempt on Saturday. That box is going to smell!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top