• 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.

Paypal Alternatives. Help please. Seller woes

I didn't mean to imply you were wrong about the live animal policy, James. Like Lucille mentioned, it is hard to keep up with PP's changes, and I thought you had new info that I wanted to be updated on. I guess I'm glad you were mistaken, though. :)

Yes, there is a manual card entry option on the Square app. I've not used it, and I think there is a ~0.5% extra fee for manual entry, but it is an option.

I've not used Square long enough to stumble on any real problems (so I'm not exactly promoting their service here, just giving factual info), but the app is slick and their card readers (I got a free swipe one, and then upgraded to a chip one I had to buy) work really well. Square gives you a debit card (like PP Business accounts get) so you can use your funds without having to give them a bank account number -- this has worked well, too.
 
Beyond GenetiX said:
My preferred payment method is firearms though ������
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Most buyers and sellers are not FFL's though, which means one side is paying transfer fees. It also doesn't work if the recipient of the firearm is a "prohibited person", and there are more than a few in the reptile trade.
 
bcr229 said:
Most buyers and sellers are not FFL's though, which means one side is paying transfer fees. It also doesn't work if the recipient of the firearm is a "prohibited person", and there are more than a few in the reptile trade.
Click to expand...


For someone shipping to me there are no transfer fees, since I am an ffl and yes, I only ship to an ffl. I won't ship firearms to an individual.
 
Thanks to everyone again for your help with this!

I did see where Venmo is a subsidiary of PayPal, so if one is avoiding PP, Venmo is not one of the answers.
 
Yeah, sometimes it is REAL discouraging concerning the number of compromises we have to make with who we have to do business with just to keep our own businesses running, isn't it?
 
WebSlave said:
Yeah, sometimes it is REAL discouraging concerning the number of compromises we have to make with who we have to do business with just to keep our own businesses running, isn't it?
Click to expand...
:iagree:
Yes it is. Had to change jeans, ice cream, soft drinks and financial resources...still have to hold my nose to buy other stuff, but there are sometimes no alternates.
 
If I can avoid Paypal, I will. Everything seems to be a risk one way or another for either the buyer or the seller. Best of luck
 
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