• 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.

  • IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ!! About the Google Adsense ads being displayed

    =====================
    Posted 08/15/2025
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    Yeah, I know. They are a pain in the butt. But they pay the bills to keep my server running. Just a fact of life, I am afraid.

    Want to get rid of them? Simple. Just become a Contributor level member or above and they will be gone. -> Please click HERE."

    Is that too much for me to ask of you to keep this site running? Well, sorry about that. I too wish I could get everything for free. But alas.....

    =====================
    Addendum: 01/10/2026
    =====================


    Google Adsense ad revenue for December, 2025 was just $30 over the cost of the lease for the server running this site. So, in effect, the money providing the incentive for me to continue running this site is coming SOLELY from the paid memberships and sponsorships here. Which honestly ain't much....

Help!!! Need some advise

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">From now I should NOT charge a Surcharge on purchases.  

I shall have a 3% Handling Fee!!!</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>

Lewis, what that is saying is that you cannot charge a customer more for using PayPal than you would another menthod. In other words, if you charge a 3% handling fee for PayPal, then you must also charge a 3% (or higher) fee for checks and money orders.
 
I do not see what the big deal is with the 3%

If I had a snake for sale at $100.00... I would expect to get $100.00 for it

Personally I had not read the Surcharge issue while using www.PayPal.com. I have pay my 3% as much as I charge for it. Now I know it is wrong, and I will refrain from charging a Surcharge. But, the Handeling Fee seems like a reasonable option.

I mean if we are talking about right and wrong... Isn't it not shipping live reptiles accross State lines not only a violation of most Air Cargo Carries policies. But, also a Criminal Misdemeanor to Criminal Felony for violation of the LACEY ACT???

I do not meant to say lets do the wrong thing here.

I am only saying that a lot of us have done cerain things that are not by the rule.

Many Air Cargo Carriers do not ship snakes. A lot of people ship snakes as "Ohh it is a Lizard"

Miss-labeling is a direct Violation of the LACEY ACT and when shipping accross State lines is punishable by US Fish and Wildlife Service. This guys do not play arround.

Just my Thoughts and Two Cents.

LEWIS
 
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Lewis @ Nov. 07 2002,04:50)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">I do not see what the big deal is with the 3%

If I had a snake for sale at $100.00... I would expect to get $100.00 for it

Personally I had not read the Surcharge issue while using www.PayPal.com. I have pay my 3% as much as I charge for it. Now I know it is wrong, and I will refrain from charging a Surcharge. But, the Handeling Fee seems like a reasonable option.

I mean if we are talking about right and wrong... Isn't it notshipping live reptiles accross State lines not only a violation of most Air Cargo Carries policies. But, also a Criminal Misdemeanor to Criminal Felony for violation of the LACEY ACT???

I do not meant to say lets do the wrong thing here.

I am only saying that a lot of us have done cerain things that are not by the rule.

Many Air Cargo Carriers do not ship snakes. A lot of people ship snakes as "Ohh it is a Lizard"

Miss-labeling is a direct Violation of the LACEY ACT and when shipping accross State lines is punishable by US Fish and Wildlife Service. This guys do not play arround.

Just my Thoughts and Two Cents.

LEWIS</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>
I mean if we are talking about right and wrong... Isn't it shipping live reptiles accross State lines not only a violation of most Air Cargo Carries policies. But, also a Criminal Misdemeanor to Criminal Felony for violation of the LACEY ACT???
 
As a customer I have never dealt with individuals/companies that charge 3% for Paypal, handling charges, and or heat packs. Personal preference period. If you are selling a $100 snake, then sell it for $110 and cover all those expenses. The customer will never know and believe me it "looks better" at least from my customer perspective.

If a person(s) portray themselves as a company, with terms, conditions, surcharges, etc. I would expect them to be able to make good on their dealings immediately, and not to have an economic argument because maybe a $50 difference they can't come up with.

Best regards
 
When you sell an animal  and decide upon a price, a number of issues should come to mind when doing so.

How much can/should you charge... I'm not saying to gouge people here but quality animals or rare animals do command higher prices...

The cost of it's maintenence. Food, Electricity, Bedding, Space, Time spent... All factor in here.

Additional costs related to the sale itself... If you're setting up at a show, usually you price a bit low because you're trying to attract potential buyers but you also need to cover your transportation costs, the table fee, any lighting or special  accomidations you used the cost of deli cups and the three large pizzas you eat for lunch.  If you sell it online you add in things such as packing materials to ship it off (box, styro, heat/cool packs etc), that three precent paypal charges without specifically calling it a 3% increase in cost the cost of advertisements like the banner ads here on fauna or a kingsnake account, long distance phone calls and such...

If the cost of shipping is figured in seperately, you give the buyer an estimate and the seller eats any difference over that amount within reason of course... an extra $50 or $100 on an  animal that's not selling for much more than that then you need to get back to your buyer for instructions (within a reasonable period of time and in an appropriate manner)... If the cost of shipping is under the stated amount, it's usualy  good customer relations to simply  refund any noteable  amounts along  with the package... the same way you don't like learning it will cost $50 more than you anticipated, buyers don't like seeing it cost $20 less (and it will be marked on the package)... This is a good argument for quoting an animals price as "$XXX Shipped" once you get to anticipating the general delivery costs...

What one must realize of course is that these costs are partitioned out over the total animals sold and/or shipped... A single styrafoam liner is $8-15 depending on the size... a group of  fifty purchased at once is far less... more than that is even lower. Same goes for boxes, heat packs, delis, any of that display material for shows, feeders are cheaper in bulk and so on... Multiple sales diversify these additional costs. It is still very difficult to make any profit.

After the costs are all totaled you add in a reasonable amount for your own profit.

The difficulty with doing this on an infrequent basis is that those costs are not diversified over multiple sales and the burden on an individual sale becomes higher. Compound that with the fact that someone selling only infrequently is less likely to be buying supplies in bulk, have  worked in the costs for their advertisements and personal costs and probably doesn't have an account to ship animals legally (or in compliance with company policies, lets not quibble over the morality there, accepting a rule is accepting a rule even if it doesn't get you jailed for violating it) through a reasonably priced carrier and the cash flow situation where they can afford to sit ona payment for a month just to make sure everything is in the clear and you can see how it becomes quite difficult to overcome these small shipping hurdles or matters of refund.

Just because it is difficult  does not make it morally  right however. Sometimes doing what is ethical, moral and in both your best interests and your customer's can be, to put it mildly,  a royal pain in the ass. It still needs to be done however, only the crooks take easy routes out or try and justify a position that is clearly wrong to  escape responsibility for their actions.

It is also of some note that the reasons that shipping is more difficult on a small  time breeder/hobbiest listed  above are identical to the reasons that explain why it is so difficult to really show a substantial profit in this industry without some amazing stroke of luck or an enormous almost overwhelming amount of hard work and dedication over the course of years.

Just a few thoughts, take them how you will.
 
I was going to stay out of this one, but...If a person or a company can not afford the 3% charge that is imposed to them by PAYPAL or any other credit card processing service, then they need to only accept money order or checks. It is a contractual agreement that every user agrees to when they sign up for the service. I pay it on all PAYPAL transaction as well as all of my other credit card transactions I process. That is the price for having the luxury of using such a service.  The handling fee may only be assessed if you are charging the same amount or more for accepting other payments as well. i.e. you can asses the handling fee on Cash, Money Orders, and Checks. But you can not only asses the handling fee on PAYPAL or Credit cards.  I would think these people would value the use of the service more than the piddly amount of money they are requesting.  Hell I did a sale last night that was $955 the fee I was charged on that transaction is $28.  I am not about to make the customer pay for my desire to use an easy payment accepting service like PAYPAL.  On the $100 sale it is only $3  If someone can not afford a $3 charge then maybe you should not be selling animals or you need to incorporate your expenses into your price.  On most of my ads, I incorporate all of my expenses into the price. i.e. cost of animal,care,feed,shipping,packing materials,fees charged,anything else and the customer only pays one price.  The only time I charge extra for Packing materials,shipping, etc. is when the price of the animal is almost wholesale or on my wholesale accounts.  I would suggest to all that charge the 3% to their customers to rethink their process on that. Remember this site has put everything out there for these companies and the Government enforceing these rules to see it in writing.  If the companies want to read this and see your admissions to the violation then you could subject yourself to loss of your privilege of using their service, and possible criminal charges from certain states and Gov. authorities. Just my thoughts on these and you can do with them as you wish. I would just hate to see someone lose the ability to use the service, or possibly cause others to lose their ability to use the service because of a few that can't, won't read the rules or follow and abide by them.
 
OK.... let's forget about the fact that it's against PayPal's TOS.... let's look at it from the CONSUMER'S PSYCHOLOGICAL point of view....

What scenario LOOKS better to you? And which one would you rather have and pay for....

Snake for sale.... $250 SHIPPED!

OR....

Snake for sale.... $200

NOT INCLUDING...

$30 for shipping
$7 for handling
$6 for PayPal surcharge
$5 for an insulated box
$2 for a heat pack

$250 total....


Need I say more??

....Neil
 
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Neil Gubitz - The Snake Pit @ Nov. 07 2002,12:00)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">OK.... let's forget about the fact that it's against PayPal's TOS.... let's look at it from the CONSUMER'S PSYCHOLOGICAL point of view....

What scenario LOOKS better to you? And which one would you rather have and pay for....

Snake for sale.... $250 SHIPPED!

OR....

Snake for sale.... $200

NOT INCLUDING...

$30 for shipping
$7 for handling
$6 for PayPal surcharge
$5 for an insulated box
$2 for a heat pack

$250 total....


Need I say more??

....Neil</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>
Neil,

I would think the Snake for $200.00 would be best.

People is rather cheap!!!

Personally when I sell a snake, I buy an insulated box at my local fish-aquarium store. No charge for a snake bag or heat packs. No handeling fee!

Just the 3% I was used to charging because if I am selling a snake for $200.00 that is what I expect to get for it.

As a rule uf thumb any sale under $1,000.00 buyer is responsable for any shipping cost.

Let's not forget that Paypal servise is for the costumers benefit as well. I have had my money order send back because someone else used Paypal. To me that really sucks!!!
I really wanted that snake.

LEWIS

PS From now on, I will ad the 3% to the sale price.  <img src="http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':D'>
 
Lewis.... whether I agree with you, or not.... we are talking about YOUR business.... and you have EVERY RIGHT to run your business ANY WAY YOU WANT!
I wish you luck!

....Neil
 
Lewis,

As a customer I'll tell you, I'll go for the $250 shipped, no additions, no ifs or buts.

Now if you want to add 3, 5 or even 10% to the price you want for your snake it is your prerrogative (as it is mine buying her or not). The only thing that I was stating is charge that you can charge $110 instead of $100 if you will. But you don't need to state it's $8 for the box plus $2 for the heat pack. At least it will look better in my eyes as a customer.

One final sound business suggestion that is meant to be constructive. Maybe yours was a one stand sale. But if you plan to continue to buy and sell in the future, I would consider leaving out comments such as "I can't return the money because I used it to pay for X". Maybe I could understand the situation if it was a piebald, and you invested the $15,000 you were paid. But not over $50 or $100. Just MHO.

Best regards,
 
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (alvaro @ Nov. 07 2002,14:48)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE"></td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>
The problem with giving a custumer a Shipped Price is one can not just figure out a shipping fee. Especially if you are a once in a while kind of shipper. Shipping is dependent on:

1.- Location
2.- Weight
3.- Container Size

How could one figure the shipping cost???

Without a scale and some shipping charts, you can only guess!!!

I understand the idea behind the adding the additional my cost of paypal service (Which I now know we are not supposed to charge), the insulated box, snake bag, heat packs and delivery to the shipping carrier costs to the reptile price as a Total Sales Price.

Like I said before, in every sale I have made, I have NOT charged my customer with my cost of an insulated box, or my cost of a snake bag, or my cost of any heat packs or anything on my cost of the delivery to the shipping carrier. That is all part of what I offer my customers as a free service.

The ONLY exception is if I need to have an oversize snake bag made and if I have to make a large insulated wooden box.

I try to be as fair as possible and I research the market before I post any animal for sale. Besides, I am not in the hobby to make money!!!

Like the Ball Python I offered Chritopher...

A 1999 captive bred adult 4' foot long female Ball Python. A snake that eats mice or rats, live, fresh-kill or frozen-thaw. Guarantee to be properly sexed. Guarantee to be healthy. A Problem free adult female Ball Python!!! For $125.00 + shipping cost of the shipping company of preference.

I do not think I am being unreasonable here.  

LEWIS

PS I also understand the extra information comment. It makes sence!!! I am just being truthfull about why I no longer have the money. No Transportation = No work. I figure Christopher would have been very please once he had seen this Ball Python. I feel that the misunderstanding on who was responsable for the shipping costs was the reason I lost this sale.

LEWIS
 
If you own reptiles, you should have a scale anyways to keep track of your animal's weights. I use the same one for figuring out the shipping weight of the package. I then go to the shipper's web site, put in all of the information, and it gives me a shipping cost. It is relatively foolproof. <img src="http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':D'>
 
As much as people may be "cheap" and be drawn to better prices, they're also "Lazy" and like things easier.

Adding in a reasonable amount for shipping is easy for the buyer, in a positive manner...

It's easier to figure out how much you'll be paying, round numbers being what they are.

It's easier to deal with since the shipping then becomes entirely the responsibility of the shipper so there are no situations like this one, where the money keeps changing and nothing gets done.

It's easier for the  seller as well, they can over-quote the price to a degree and get away with it...  Shipping may be say... Thirty seven dollars and forty eight cents... The seller can just add fifity dollars to what they would have sold the snake for to start, they don't have to worry about refunding additional shipping money and they ensure that their costs are covered. The buyer has no cause for complaint since that was a total price.
 
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">The buyer has no cause for complaint since that was a total price. </td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>

That's exactly my point.

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">As much as people may be "cheap" and be drawn to better prices, they're also "Lazy" and like things easier.
</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>

What the customer in general wants is not a "cheap snake", but a nice snake at as low a price as possible. In short a good deal.

Let us suppose you want to sell a snake for $100 but you start adding all the surcharges and you get up to $150. What if instead you offer the snake for $150 and you add FREE SHIPPING (key words that stick authomatically in the customer's mind&#33<img src="http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=';)'>

Lewis, I know you were being honest about your economic situation.

Just as an example there was a recent add posted by a well known reptile dealer ("flashy" web page, terms and conditions, shipping via airlines, etc.). His add stated something like... "this snake was a hold-back but economic hardship forces me to sell her, she is going for $100 shipped"...How do you think the customers perceive that add? Do you think they believe it's a bargain?

Best regards.
 
Lewis

As a rule of thumb, this should work fairly well for you.  $35 will cover shipping, insulated packaging, and a heat/cold pack pretty much anywhere in the U.S. provided you keep the box under a cubic foot in size and the package weighs less than htree ponds total.  This is based on UPS shipping charges.  I averaged my shipping costs over a period of six months.  (a total of 64 shipments) and came up with an average of $33 and change.  If the box weighs more, add a few dollars for each pound of weight.  

You will, on rare occasions, eat a couple of dollars.  However, that is the beauty of a flat shipping charge.  You will make that up on the few that actually end up costing only $31.  The customer has the added benefit of knowing the exact shipping charges prior to making his decision. ...Everyone ends up informed and happy.
 
John,

Under a cubic foot heh?

12 x 12 x 12 = 1728 cubic inches

Where could I find any premanufactured Insulated Box that size??

The smallest Insulated Box I am able to get through my locale fish-aquarium store is 17 x 17 x 9 =  2601 cubic inches. That is over 1.5 cubic foot.

By the way the snake in the Box weights 5 Lbs  (4.99Lbs to be exact)

I try looking for the UPS web site... Do you have a link???

LEWIS
 
Superior Enterprises sells insulated boxes that measure 11 X 7 X 15 which meet the criteria.  They come with either 1/2" or 3/4" foam lining.  You can find them in under suppliers on the kingsnake home page.
 
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