• Posted 12/19/2024.
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    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.

Freebies! Do you like to give/receive them?

X

Xelda

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I sometimes include food or water crystals with the orders I ship, but lately I've been experimenting by offering surprise bonus roaches. Now, in the invertebrate hobby, everyone loves surprise freebies and it's usually never a problem to prepare cages for them on the fly. But to my surprise, in the herp industry I've gotten mixed responses. Some people respond with, "OMG thankyousomuch for the extras!" But then I've had some people express displeasure because they absolutely have no room for another species. Now, I send the extra roaches in deli cups that are big enough to house them for awhile so they wouldn't cause an immediate inconvenience. But I still have a hard time understanding the negative responses because... it's free stuff. :eek:

In the case of animals, I appreciate it when the seller asks before shipping if I would be okay with the freebies, but I still love the element of surprise when I open the package and find more than what I was expecting. I'm a sucker for free things though.

What's your take on freebies?
 
I love giving freebies, I do so quite frequently and it makes me happy to do that. I don't believe I have ever received one, but it doesn't matter, the happiness I get from making someone else happy is enough for me!
 
KelliH said:
I don't believe I have ever received one
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It may not have been an animal but you have to of recieved something ... maybe a t-shirt or something?

I love giving freebies also. For animals, I always ask if it's ok though.

I also love to get freebies... who doesn't?
 
Oh yeah... you're right Jeremy, I have received T-shirts before (thank YOU and also Matt from Lizards of Oz) but I was thinking of freebie geckos. I include pens inscribed with HISS and our info with every new order but as far as geckos go I do not think I have ever received a freebie!
 
I like freebies as long as it isn't a "problem" animal that someone is trying to unload. I received one of those once, and wasn't real thrilled about it. I don't mind spending the extra time/effort on a special needs animal, but this one shouldn't have been shipped in the first place... However, thinking back, I've actually received quite a few VERY nice freebie-surprises and regardless of their value it's always nice to know a seller values your business enough to throw in a little something extra.
 
I've received a few freebies along the way, and am always more than happy to get them! I do have to agree when it's something living, it's nice to know ahead of time, though....sometimes, you just really don't have the room. A quick note just saying, "I'd like to include a free ____ with your order", a reasonable amount of time before shipping is all I ask, lol.

When I feel like someone values my business enough to send me a "bonus", I tend to keep doing business with that person.
 
I've received a few freebies along the way, and am always more than happy to get them! I do have to agree when it's something living, it's nice to know ahead of time, though....sometimes, you just really don't have the room. A quick note just saying, "I'd like to include a free ____ with your order", a reasonable amount of time before shipping is all I ask, lol.
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Yes, I agree. It would be disrupting to order a leopard gecko and receive in the package a 15 feet African Rock python as a freebe with a note stating "feed him twice weekly"...:D
 
The BoidSmith said:
Yes, I agree. It would be disrupting to order a leopard gecko and receive in the package a 15 feet African Rock python as a freebe with a note stating "feed him twice weekly"...:D
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:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Now THAT would be a surprise!!!!
 
I try to always add a copy of the Cornsnake Journal with each cornsnake purchase. I get sample copies free from Connie Hurley, the publisher, along with instructions on how to subscribe if desired. So even though it doesn't cost me anything, many customers comment that they were unaware of the journal and happy to read it. And a few even subscribe, which helps out the publication.

I also try to add in any other little things, such as a care sheet, or other info I might have. I would really like to add some other little gift, and may do that in the future. But it would have to be something small - couldn't afford free t shirts for all, unfortunately.
 
The BoidSmith said:
Yes, I agree. It would be disrupting to order a leopard gecko and receive in the package a 15 feet African Rock python as a freebe with a note stating "feed him twice weekly"...:D
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I got THAT call, lol.
My (at the time) girlfriend and I were going to a rehearsal dinner, and I got a call from the airport that they had a package for me. I had no idea what it could be, so I flew out of the house to pick it up. Turns out it was a 12 ft female and a 8-9 ft male. I really like rocks, but I was a little peeved. It took some doing, but I finally figured out where they came from. (I think I just got an idea for a new thread in the python forum, lol)
 
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since i don't sell animals i don't give any freebies, but i admit i do love gettiing them. i take it as a nice gesture for having done buisiness and certainly does make me remember them next i wish to place an order. i have gotten free shirts, heartgard, frontline, pens, etc. heck i've even gotten free pizzas from thankful people when we've seen their animals and they know we worked like heck to save them. let me tell you, that cup of coffee they bring in at 4 a.m. when i've been working doing cpr on your cat for 15 mintues and succeeded in bringing them back is the best thing in the world. i truly never expect it but i do appreciate it.
 
I have gotten freebies and loved it, and I think I got roaches somewhere a long long while back that I got a deli with an extra that I did order, I didn't have room for them but I said hey, free food for my chams for today lol (Might have been you Olivia but it was 2 years ago and I don't remember?).
 
Pretty interesting thread. As with everyone else, freebees are nice. I have gotten many, but probably not for the same reasons. LOL

In the 8 yrs I have volunteered for the wildlife rescue out here, I have recieved around 9 ball pythons, 1 Afrock, 3 burms, one of them a granite, 2 frilled dragons, a prehensil tailed skink, 4 veiled chams, 1 male jackson cham, 2 desert kings, and a Mali Euromastix.

As far as giving freebies............Out of the above list, 2 veiled chams did not make it, and one of the ball pythons died last christmas from a cancer on the liver. All the rest, I found good homes for and gave them away for free. (unless it had to be shipped. than receiver paid).

Does that count? LOL

Rick
 
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