• 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.

Time for the annual rate hikes... (Fedex)

M

Mark and Aimee

AussieDragons.com
Joined
Apr 8, 2003
Messages
775
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Location
Colorado Springs, CO
We got the friendly notice in the mail from Fedex today... Tis the season... To increase your shipping rates! Great...

Here's the web version:

http://fedex.com/us/update1.html/

FedEx rate changes, effective January 3, 2005

FedEx Express package and freight published rates will increase an average of 4.6% for U.S. domestic and export services.

We will reduce the overall fuel surcharge by 2%, resulting in a net average increase of 2.6% in express rates.

----------------

There is also a fair amount of new surcharges that will effect some of us.
 
I am goin to start my own shipping company...It is really getting out of control...Be nice if they would set on rate...I know inflation is not going at that rapid of a rate.
 
I got a letter last month stating UPS will be doing something similiar... I forget the actually numbers however
Click to expand...

UPS sucks as bad as the rest of them (at times, of course).

http://ups.com/pressroom/us/press_releases/press_release/0,0,4479,00.html

ATLANTA, Oct. 28, 2004 – UPS (NYSE: UPS) today announced package shipping rate adjustments and a change in the fuel surcharge that will take effect on Jan. 3, 2005.
Rates for UPS Ground, UPS Next Day Air®, UPS 2nd Day Air®, UPS 3 Day SelectSM and U.S. international services will increase 2.9 percent. UPS Hundredweight Service®, an alternative to that offered by less-than-truckload carriers, will increase by 5.9 percent, producing rates still half those of most major LTL carriers. There will be no changes to most UPS retail rates offered at nearly 3,600 locations of The UPS StoreSM.
Click to expand...
 
This is great, so what your saying is when i buy a 10 dollar gecko, its gonna cost me60 dollars to get it? :eek:
 
Dimensional Rates

The main issue with Fed-Ex and UPS is not the minor rate increase, but their changes to their dimensional weight policies. They used to only apply dimesional weight charges to packages over 1 cubic foot. That is no longer the case. Now every lightweight package is billed as dimensional. I just received a bill from UPS for four shipments this month with an additional $85.00 tacked on for dimensional weight charges - how special.

What this means to the shipper and to the consumer is that a standard reptiles shipping box that used to ship Next Day Air for just under $40.00 is now going to cost just under $60.00.
 
On average the rates have gone up about $10. I use 15x11x7 insulated boxes and it went from an average of $38 to $46-$48 for Next Day Air. But if I were to use a 12x9x6 box it would knock it back down to around the $38 range. In the last 3 years the rates have gone up about $20 per package for next day shippments. :toiletcla
 
I don't think they are applying dimenisonal charges if you use their boxes rather than your own. I use the Fedex "large" size box. I get my boxes free from them, just login to my account online and go to order supplies. They will ship the boxes out to you in a day or 2 totally free, no charge for the boxes or the freight to get them to you. You can order as many as you need.
 
Yup I have seen the same on my bills. I shipped about 10 boxes this week and all were about 45-52 dollars each.. Then I ship to Canada, about 20 times a week... What was costing about 15-20 is now about 17-30... Sucks!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top