• 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 fees

I think it is relatively easy and pretty straightforward to work this out but obviously some sellers just do not think ahead!

FOR EXAMPLE

If mr x really wants $240 for his animal, all he has to do is advertise it at $250, If I decide to buy at that price, everybody is happy, I do not know and could not care less he has factored in a couple dollars to cover the fees, seller is getting his money, PayPal are getting their fees and I am getting my animal, deal all round.

If however mr x wants $240, lists it at $240, I decide to buy and THEN he says " btw you have to send as a gift or pay the fees"
WRONG, WRONG, WRONG!

In that scenario, PayPal loses their fees, I as the buyer get annoyed because the seller has not thought this through and is now asking me to shortchange PayPal AND/OR lose any chance of coverage through the PayPal system.

VERY SIMPLE SELLERS, JUST TAKE A MINUTE OR TWO TO THINK IT THROUGH FIRST RATHER THAN LOSE A SALE OVER A SIMPLE MATTER AND ALIENATE YOUR POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS

Nuff said on this matter I think.
 
Herps Alive! said:
gets his 3% from the buyer (which, btw, I agree is wrong...cost of doing business). As a non-profit, we get a lower rate from PayPal, but many people choose to make donations as sending money to family and friends. If they ask which, we make clear that we cannot ask them to that, as it is a violation of the PayPal TOS. Rehoming fees must be sent as goods and services.
Click to expand...

For some reason (probably my fat fingers) part of my response was deleted. If the animal isd $500, price him at $515 or $500 with a $15 handling fee

(which is legal per PayPal TOS. The seller .... (read above)
 
Herps Alive! said:
or $500 with a $15 handling fee

(which is legal per PayPal TOS. The seller .... (read above)
Click to expand...

It is *acceptable* under PayPal's TOS, provided that the handling fee is charged regardless of payment method. In other words, one cannot charge a handling fee for paypal purchases if it isn't charged for cash(, check, or money order) purchases.
 
I have run into 2 instances of this... it's really irritating and raises all kinds of red flags as a buyer.

First instance was for a snake being advertized on a list, I contacted the seller - oh it's actually his friend's animal, he's advertizing for him. No problem, I go to make the purchase... and get the "can you send it as a paypal friends and family" because his buddy set the price and "didn't know about the fees"... NO. I ended up offering to pay the difference and sent it as a normal payment... so *I* ended up paying the fees, because I really wanted the animal.

Second instance, my husband and I were repeat customers and so qualified for an automatic discount... last minute, "can you send it as a paypal friends and family because I it's already a discounted animal and I'm giving you another discount on top, I can't take the hit"... NO. We ended up paying the fees again, but we have decided we cannot do business that way, which is a real shame, and we will probably never do repeat business with that seller again. :( Makes me sad because I really like some of their animals and would love to bring a few more home in the future... but we will not deal with people who ask for that payment option anymore moving forward. It's just too easy to get scammed.
 
Aercadia said:
I have run into 2 instances of this... it's really irritating and raises all kinds of red flags as a buyer.

First instance was for a snake being advertized on a list, I contacted the seller - oh it's actually his friend's animal, he's advertizing for him. No problem, I go to make the purchase... and get the "can you send it as a paypal friends and family" because his buddy set the price and "didn't know about the fees"... NO. I ended up offering to pay the difference and sent it as a normal payment... so *I* ended up paying the fees, because I really wanted the animal.

Second instance, my husband and I were repeat customers and so qualified for an automatic discount... last minute, "can you send it as a paypal friends and family because I it's already a discounted animal and I'm giving you another discount on top, I can't take the hit"... NO. We ended up paying the fees again, but we have decided we cannot do business that way, which is a real shame, and we will probably never do repeat business with that seller again. :( Makes me sad because I really like some of their animals and would love to bring a few more home in the future... but we will not deal with people who ask for that payment option anymore moving forward. It's just too easy to get scammed.
Click to expand...


Not only is it irritating as you state but it IS clearly a violation of PayPal TOS.
I turned down a deal that could have probably netted me a huge return in pure monetary terms simply because I refused to pay the fees on principle, I could have easily stumped up the $75 extra but refused to do so. Yes I missed the deal but the more people refuse to bow to these kind of demands the better off as a community we will be.

After all PayPal provides us with an excellent service overall and they need to get paid for their service or we will all be back to sending that MO through snail mail again!
 
Black Adder said:
After all PayPal provides us with an excellent service overall and they need to get paid for their service or we will all be back to sending that MO through snail mail again!
Click to expand...

Ah, truer words were never spoken, lol! PayPal refunded my entire purchase price, including shipping, on a very sick snake I bought last fall. Item was "not as described", and they promptly took care of it for me.

The fees they collect allow them to continue providing excellent service, and I don't understand why sellers complain about a few bucks, while essentially expecting PayPal employees to work for free!

Kathy
 
Interesting...when I was in that position several years ago, I was told that "item not as described" was limited to eBay purchases...and that their buyer protection did not cover animals.
PayPal is not really a great service for sellers, as the protections have become heavily biased towards buyers; but it is the most widely used means of online payment & allows low volume sellers to receive credit card payments at a competitive rate.
 
hhmoore said:
Interesting...when I was in that position several years ago, I was told that "item not as described" was limited to eBay purchases...and that their buyer protection did not cover animals.
PayPal is not really a great service for sellers, as the protections have become heavily biased towards buyers; but it is the most widely used means of online payment & allows low volume sellers to receive credit card payments at a competitive rate.
Click to expand...

I think that was the situation for quite some time but it seems that since eBay and PayPal went through their "divorce" , PayPal has become a little more seller orientated and does not now exclude live animals per se in their protection services.
Still have to pay as goods and services AND in one complete sum to qualify but I think they have made some small steps in the right direction over the last year or so.
 
I no longer sell, so I may have missed changes that came over the last year. They have been making changes for a few years...but they're primarily of benefit to buyers, and create additional risk for sellers. That said, I have never wavered in my stance on gift payments or the request that buyers pay fees.
 
Just got this update to PayPal TOS yesterday. Starting next month, one of the changes is that they will no longer require an item to be purchased with one payment in order to qualify for their buyer protection.

Enough people probably complained about getting shafted after making multiple payments for an item, only to be told they're SOL when they filed a dispute. A step in the right direction.

Kathy
 

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For a lot of people the bottom line is is the item worth what they are paying? If so then it really doesn't matter if the price is 600 with free shipping or 550 dollars with 50 shipping or 540 with 50 shipping and 10 in PP fees. If the animal is worth the 600 then that is what it will cost.

Normally if an ad states I must pay the PP fees I will simple hit the back button but if it is an item I am really interested in and the price is still acceptable I may proceed. It does have to be stated up front though. I won't agree to a fair price only to have the fees added even if it is still a fair price. I won't under any circumstances do the friends and family for purchased goods.
 
I also have the same issue with paying fees or sending as friends and family. If I have done business with you a number of times, I'll sometimes send the payment as friends and family so you don't get hit with fees. But otherwise I will not do that. I also ONLY use credit cards with regular purchases through paypal which you cannot use as a friends and family purchase. I too have walked away from deals because sellers wanted fees or a friends and family payment. I always make sure to tell them that this is why I am not purchasing the animal. If enough do that, people will realize it is costing them sales.

The only time I can see a seller requesting a friends and family payment is for non-refundable deposits. Even then though the remainder of the balance should be paid via a regular payment.
 
I am moving this thread to a more appropriate forum....
 
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