# Reptiles down under



## Jaxon (Jul 25, 2017)

does anyone know what happened to reptilesdownunder?


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## Scutellatus (Jul 25, 2017)

I don't think anyone here knows. The site went down over a week ago. Hopefully they are just having some downtime to deal with the scammers.


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## Yellowtail (Jul 25, 2017)

They took my $10 via PayPal for a featured add that never appeared, that was 2 weeks before the site went down.
This has happened before so who knows?
A few months ago I did an ASIC search on the company owning the site, Australian Reptile Classifieds, and it had been deregistered which is not a good sign.

This message appears when you access the site now which would indicate they have not paid their hosting provider but that has happened before to. I hope they sort it out because it was the only site where you could quickly sell reptiles.

"Account Suspended
This Account has been suspended.
Contact your hosting provider for more information."


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## Pauls_Pythons (Jul 25, 2017)

I don't think it will be back this time guys


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## Jaxon (Jul 25, 2017)

Yeah it really was the best website for buying/ selling reptiles. What else can we use now?


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## Bl69aze (Jul 25, 2017)

Jaxon said:


> Yeah it really was the best website for buying/ selling reptiles. What else can we use now?


This when it gets setup properly to be easier to buy/sell


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## Scutellatus (Jul 25, 2017)

Bl69aze said:


> This when it gets setup properly to be easier to buy/sell


What do you mean by setup properly? It is setup just fine I believe.


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## Yellowtail (Jul 25, 2017)

Unfortunately until it becomes the goto selling site with thousands of adds and buyers it won't replace RDU.


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## SpottedPythons (Jul 25, 2017)

You know, loads of people hated RDU for the scams and stuff, but now we're all mourning our loss...


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## Rob (Jul 25, 2017)

Bl69aze said:


> This when it gets setup properly to be easier to buy/sell



Care to elaborate?


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## dragonlover1 (Jul 25, 2017)

Rob said:


> Care to elaborate?


I don't know about other people but it is difficult to remove or delete ads.
If something is sold we should be able to delete the ad easily


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## Scutellatus (Jul 26, 2017)

I am fairly sure that was the case with RDU as well. Sold items would have 'sold' written in bold on the ad and you couldn't open the ad for viewing.


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## Rob (Jul 26, 2017)

dragonlover1 said:


> I don't know about other people but it is difficult to remove or delete ads.
> If something is sold we should be able to delete the ad easily



Under the old Site structure this was by design, Marketplace threads were rarely removed. Removing contact info and adding a SOLD note was deemed sufficient.


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## Scutellatus (Jul 26, 2017)

Rob said:


> Under the old Site structure this was by design, Marketplace threads were rarely removed. Removing contact info and adding a SOLD note was deemed sufficient.


I think it is better that way. Then there is a record of what was for sale for people to be able to see what people were breeding and where the prices were at.


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## Pauls_Pythons (Jul 26, 2017)

dragonlover1 said:


> I don't know about other people but it is difficult to remove or delete ads.
> If something is sold we should be able to delete the ad easily



I can see where this is coming from.It would be nice to have the option to delete an ad. I have had ads up that I have previously wanted to delete. Not that it impacts on the site as a marketplace though.



Scutellatus said:


> I am fairly sure that was the case with RDU as well. Sold items would have 'sold' written in bold on the ad and you couldn't open the ad for viewing.



I think most ads would have been deleted at sale, (yes a few used the sold function), there was also an option to 'freeze' an ad once an offer was placed/accepted which was a pretty useful function.

I dont think there is anything really wrong with the market place here on AP its just that users of the site seem to prefer making purchases elsewhere. (Or at least thats what I think. Maybe I'm trying to sell the wrong animals)
I have seen some really top quality animals for sale on here with little activity, ads seem to sit there for months till the seller drops prices to what I see as being below market averages.
Maybe there are simply not enough active members on the site these days.


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## Yellowtail (Jul 26, 2017)

On RDU you could delete adds as well as mark them as sold but they were not automatically deleted, I left a couple there for years and people found them useful to compare previous clutches and prices.
While there were problems with scam adds these were obvious and never a problem to anyone experienced, it was a good selling site, I sold hundreds of hatchlings at very good prices on RDU over the years and purchased a few without problems.
I've tried other sites and never sold any and unfortunately if you look at the adds run here hardly any of those sell.

Sorry Paul I did not see your comment before I posted. RDU adds were free and there were thousands of them and this attracted thousands of "lookers" and resulted in quick sales. My featured adds ($10) used to get up to 400 looks in a week resulting in many serious enquiries and regular sales at good prices.
I'm now hoping some of my breeders are not gravid as I have no idea how I will sell hatchlings.
If the owners of RDU can't get their act together someone should buy it. An extension of the paid featured classifieds would produce more revenue and the scam add problem can be addressed by supervision.


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## Pauls_Pythons (Jul 26, 2017)

Yellowtail said:


> Sorry Paul I did not see your comment before I posted. RDU adds were free and there were thousands of them and this attracted thousands of "lookers" and resulted in quick sales. My featured adds ($10) used to get up to 400 looks in a week resulting in many serious enquiries and regular sales at good prices.
> I'm now hoping some of my breeders are not gravid as I have no idea how I will sell hatchlings.
> If the owners of RDU can't get their act together someone should buy it. An extension of the paid featured classifieds would produce more revenue and the scam add problem can be addressed by supervision.


a

Not a problem yellowtail. I agree somewhat with your comments. I have had animals sell at full price, no negotiation within 20 mins of posting adds on RDU. While I have had successes in other places unfortunately I can't say the same about AP marketplace.
Is someone taking over the RDU site even an option? How about it Stuart?


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## vampstorso (Jul 26, 2017)

I was thinking the same Paul, 
We need a fund-raiser for Stuart to take over it!


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## Jaxon (Jul 26, 2017)

I would chip in to get the site back up and running I'm sure lots would


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## Smittiferous (Jul 26, 2017)

For the time being, where's the best place to find reptile classifieds? You don't see terribly much activity here


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## Jaxon (Jul 26, 2017)

Reptileclassifieds.com.au is the only other one I know


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## Scutellatus (Jul 26, 2017)

Smittiferous said:


> For the time being, where's the best place to find reptile classifieds? You don't see terribly much activity here


Just google 'reptiles for sale'. That is where I started many many years ago.


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## Stuart (Jul 26, 2017)

I wont lie guys and gals, I am looking options on where I can fill the gap left by RDU but I also know I could never replace them. There are a few options I have played with over the past week (and a few $$ spent), but I havent found something that I think is suitable or has worth..

Ill keep looking but if there are any volunteers who want to help offer suggestions or help set something up if I provide the groundwork and the foundation, I wouldnt say no. 

Lots to think about though in what people want vs costs etc as I wouldnt like to have 2 paying sites as that defeats the purpose of why I picked up APS in the first place, however I imagine it would pan out over time.

Stu


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## Yellowtail (Jul 26, 2017)

Stuart said:


> I wont lie guys and gals, I am looking options on where I can fill the gap left by RDU but I also know I could never replace them. There are a few options I have played with over the past week (and a few $$ spent), but I havent found something that I think is suitable or has worth..
> 
> Ill keep looking but if there are any volunteers who want to help offer suggestions or help set something up if I provide the groundwork and the foundation, I wouldnt say no.
> 
> ...


RDU worked because it was the obvious goto advertising site with thousands of adds and thousands of buyers, I could put up a featured add for $10 and within a few days hundreds of people had viewed it and I had several serious enquiries.
The site was simple and your eye catching photo and add heading were visible as soon as someone entered the site, one click and the potential buyer could see your period of membership, previous adds and see any positive feedback/references.
To get the volume of adds they have to be free but the paid for priority positioned feature could be developed more. I could easily justify $10 a week for featured adds, I just had to sell one $500 hatchling to pay for a years priority adds. I sold over 80 hatchlings on RDU in the last 8 mths, all at my relatively high advertised prices. I tried all the other sites and never sold anything and AP adds seem to get no response until the seller gets desperate and halves the price.
Reptileclassifieds.com.au has a similar structure but very few recent adds. (there were 13 for July last time I looked)
A couple onscreen shots of my adds enclosed.


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## MANNING (Jul 26, 2017)

Yellowtail said:


> AP adds seem to get no response until the seller gets desperate and halves the price.


I'm not sure the exact reason but the for sale ads here there isn't an option to publicly respond to these ads and instead says - You have insufficient privileges to reply here-
Im guessing the reasons are -I'm not yet a paid member plus it reduces chit chat and therefore keeps the subject at the forefront.

Just a suggestion? !
Could the sale thread OP maybe have a little more control on the ad. In that I mean allow all signed members to reply publicly but be able to clear messages as needed? Is this a thing already Or is this deemed unnecessary and be left to a PM or other contact details?
I know that allowing anyone to respond could be more work for sellers by way of lots of window shoppers but if there's interest shown it could coax that one person hanging back to jump in and buy? ?
Maybe?


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## Scutellatus (Jul 26, 2017)

MANNING said:


> I'm not sure the exact reason but the for sale ads here there isn't an option to publicly respond to these ads and instead says - You have insufficient privileges to reply here-
> Im guessing the reasons are -I'm not yet a paid member plus it reduces chit chat and therefore keeps the subject at the forefront.
> 
> Just a suggestion? !
> ...


That is the way it was on here many years ago and the ads got filled with endless questions that clogged up the for sale section and made a mess of the ads. I think pm is the best way to have it or if the seller choses to include their number for contact.
The problem lies in the fact that there isn't a huge regular member base anymore which made sales on here viable back then.

One thing I have noticed is that many of the ads on here don't include a price for the reptile which I don't think is helping with peoples sales either. Maybe making it mandatory to include a price could solve this issue and make buyers more interested.


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## Pauls_Pythons (Jul 26, 2017)

Scutellatus said:


> That is the way it was on here many years ago and the ads got filled with endless questions that clogged up the for sale section and made a mess of the ads. I think pm is the best way to have it or if the seller choses to include their number for contact.
> The problem lies in the fact that there isn't a huge regular member base anymore which made sales on here viable back then.
> 
> One thing I have noticed is that many of the ads on here don't include a price for the reptile which I don't think is helping with peoples sales either. Maybe making it mandatory to include a price could solve this issue and make buyers more interested.



I agree its better to use PM's for questions/discussions but adding a price or not doesn't make any difference on here. (Well it hasn't on my ads) We just don't have the active numbers who are looking to buy at fair prices. As shocking as this might seem even gumtree ads do better than on here because of the active numbers.


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## pinefamily (Jul 27, 2017)

According to my wife, there are a lot of active buy/sell/swap pages on the Dark Side (Facebook). I think that's where she found our panoptes.


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## Pauls_Pythons (Jul 27, 2017)

pinefamily said:


> According to my wife, there are a lot of active buy/sell/swap pages on the Dark Side (Facebook). I think that's where she found our panoptes.



Yes there are. Most breeders advertise on there too. This is now where I do most of my sales/buying.


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## Scutellatus (Jul 27, 2017)

Tracebook sorry I mean Facebook, is where most people are. I refuse to use it though due to the fact that they track and compile records on everything you say and do. Public profiling at its worst.
I prefer to keep my life and my business private.


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## Jaded (Jul 27, 2017)

I use Facebook with a fake name/profile. Has no friends and no posts so none of my personal info is on it but means I can join the groups and keep up with what's available. Have made many purchases there using that account.


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## MANNING (Jul 27, 2017)

Scutellatus said:


> Tracebook sorry I mean Facebook, is where most people are. I refuse to use it though due to the fact that they track and compile records on everything you say and do. Public profiling at its worst.
> I prefer to keep my life and my business private.


Ill second that


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## Yellowtail (Jul 27, 2017)

I thought I was the only one not on Stalkbook, sorry Facebook


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## Scutellatus (Jul 27, 2017)

Yellowtail said:


> I thought I was the only one not on Stalkbook, sorry Facebook


Another name I have for it is Crackbook because it is like a digital drug to people. They can't go an hour or two without getting their fix. I am sure there are addiction treatment centres for it.
Welcome to Facebook Anonymous, my name is....... I am addicted to Facebook.

Sure it does have its merits but when people are posting their entire life there including things like their relationship problems and what they are eating at the time (with photos) it becomes ridiculous.


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## Yellowtail (Jul 27, 2017)

Not sure about Facebook for selling reptiles?
I remember "Vixen" had a very elaborate Facebook Timeline with excellent photos of her collection and hundreds of "likes" with comments like "I would kill to own one of them" but when she had to sell her snakes none of the Facebook "likers" bought any, she sold them by advertising on RDU, I bought some.


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## Nero Egernia (Jul 27, 2017)

Jaded said:


> I use Facebook with a fake name/profile. Has no friends and no posts so none of my personal info is on it but means I can join the groups and keep up with what's available. Have made many purchases there using that account.



While my profile is not fake, I too use Facebook in a similar manner. I use it solely to view reptile for sale pages or to contact people. I have a few friend requests but I have ignored them for the time being. I'm not interested in people's personal lives, nor what they just had for breakfast. I was once called out for this, and some people believe my profile to be fake. Perhaps I should accept the friend requests after all?


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## Jaded (Jul 27, 2017)

Oshkii said:


> While my profile is not fake, I too use Facebook in a similar manner. I use it solely to view reptile for sale pages or to contact people. I have a few friend requests but I have ignored them for the time being. I'm not interested in people's personal lives, nor what they just had for breakfast. I was once called out for this, and some people believe my profile to be fake. Perhaps I should accept the friend requests after all?


Mine is a version of my name but not quite... So people who know me in real life can't look me up with my name. And those I do business with on there don't ever request to be friends and I don't request them. Worked well so far.


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## dragonlover1 (Jul 27, 2017)

Stuart said:


> I wont lie guys and gals, I am looking options on where I can fill the gap left by RDU but I also know I could never replace them. There are a few options I have played with over the past week (and a few $$ spent), but I havent found something that I think is suitable or has worth..
> 
> Ill keep looking but if there are any volunteers who want to help offer suggestions or help set something up if I provide the groundwork and the foundation, I wouldnt say no.
> 
> ...


Hey Stuart,would it be possible for you to take over RDU and somehow link it to APS so that anyone looking at ads there would automatically be directed here ? I don't pretend to understand the logistics but it seems to me that it would increase traffic here which would only be a good thing ????



Jaded said:


> I use Facebook with a fake name/profile. Has no friends and no posts so none of my personal info is on it but means I can join the groups and keep up with what's available. Have made many purchases there using that account.


I am similar,fake name/profile to promote my dragons etc. didn't want any of that fake friend rubbish.
I sell my dragons and upload reptile posts and updates to help spread the word but don't link friends or look at what they had for lunch.


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## Bl69aze (Jul 27, 2017)

dragonlover1 said:


> Hey Stuart,would it be possible for you to take over RDU and somehow link it to APS so that anyone looking at ads there would automatically be directed here ? I don't pretend to understand the logistics but it seems to me that it would increase traffic here which would only be a good thing ????


What he could do is setup a proper market place on here then add tags to that section so when people were to search "rdu" or "reptilesdownunder" etc,
It wouldn't come up with aps new market system (that everyone (maybe 10post count req) can post on and having sponsor put their listing as permanently at the top (till sold))


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## Stuart (Jul 27, 2017)

Unfortunately taking over RDU and getting it stood back up is not possible without the former owners and I going through the right processes and agreements.

Thanks to those who have offered advice and assistance though. I have the weekend set aside to test and play...


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## Jakob Dawson (Jul 29, 2017)

If we cant get it back up, someone should make a new reptile classifieds website that is a close copy to RDU.


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## Wally (Jul 29, 2017)

Support this site, put genuine traffic through it, contribute to discussions in a meaningful way and the rest will work itself out.

Why would anyone want to advertise anywhere else. There was a time not long ago where RDU didn't exist and this site was the centre of the universe for all things reptile related in Oz.

Guess what?

APS is still here!! Can't say the same for anyone else....


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## dragonlover1 (Jul 29, 2017)

well said Wally,this was the first reptile forum I found years ago and I am still here even though I was just into beardies then! and we have more than 10 species now


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## Wally (Jul 29, 2017)

dragonlover1 said:


> well said Wally,this was the first reptile forum I found years ago and I am still here even though I was just into beardies then! and we have more than 10 species now



This site has been good to me over the last five years or so. I've bought and sold a few thousand dollars worth of reptiles and accessories and I don't see why it can't benefit others the same way. It is what you make of it.


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## KingsReptiles (Aug 3, 2017)

Nooooo how can RDU be gone forever that was the best site and t only one that worked for me


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## Yellowtail (Aug 3, 2017)

I re-joined APS recently and have tried to make a useful contribution to discussions but unfortunately the for sale section just does not seem to work. I just checked and there were only 6 new adds for snakes placed since 1st July and they have generated just one enquiry. I am prepared to give it a go but from Feb to June I sold 3 clutches of Albino Darwins and one of Julatten Jungles on RDU, all at my advertised price of $500 each with a few special ones higher. Individual snakes advertised all sold within 2 weeks. You could count the total number of snakes sold on APS over the same period on one hand. I don't know how you attract the RDU audience but the small number of members who are regularly here are not going to buy many snakes and many seem to be from WA so they can't buy from the East. Even back in the "good old days" I seem to remember members complaining about the limitations of selling to the small market ("to each other") who generally waited till the seller was desperate.


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## dragonlover1 (Aug 3, 2017)

I just found a new online magazine with their own classifieds,it has only just started and there are no ads yet but it might be the answer,check out https://iherpaustralia.com.au/news/


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## Antsnest (Aug 3, 2017)

surely someone knows the owner of rdu I mean they must be into reptiles to have the site for starters.


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## danyjv (Aug 3, 2017)

dragonlover1 said:


> I just found a new online magazine with their own classifieds,it has only just started and there are no ads yet but it might be the answer,check out https://iherpaustralia.com.au/news/



A free monthly magazine[emoji108] 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## dragonlover1 (Aug 3, 2017)

danyjv said:


> A free monthly magazine[emoji108]
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


AND FREE ADS so that should attract some customers


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## pinefamily (Aug 3, 2017)

Antsnest said:


> surely someone knows the owner of rdu I mean they must be into reptiles to have the site for starters.


They are into reptiles alright, exotics included. The owner was recently arrested for smuggling exotic reptiles I believe.


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## Bl69aze (Aug 3, 2017)

pinefamily said:


> They are into reptiles alright, exotics included. The owner was recently arrested for smuggling exotic reptiles I believe.


He must have been the one making the posts selling ball pythons! (Sarcasm, sort of... I guess its possible)


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## Yellowtail (Aug 3, 2017)

It's interesting that he has resurrected the Snake Ranch site but not RDU which is where they sold most of Snake Ranch's snakes, they always had the first couple of featured adds.


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## Antsnest (Aug 3, 2017)

Yellowtail said:


> It's interesting that he has resurrected the Snake Ranch site but not RDU which is where they sold most of Snake Ranch's snakes, they always had the first couple of featured adds.



Did he resurrect it recently or a while ago?


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## Yellowtail (Aug 3, 2017)

I think late May, well before RDU went down. It's a new site but they tried to make it appear to be a continuation of the old business.

The Snake Ranch site went down immediately after the smuggling thing but RDU kept going for months.


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## Antsnest (Aug 4, 2017)

Reptileclassifieds seems like a better site then RDU hope it kicks off. They have a Facebook page that also posts all the adds on there page


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## Jaded (Aug 4, 2017)

I hope it takes off too. It doesn't seem to have anywhere near the audience. I have had no luck selling there so far, only one bite and they ended up being a time waster.


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## SpottedPythons (Aug 4, 2017)

Who owns Snake Ranch now? I think it used to belong to John Weigel and Gavin Bedford, then it got sold to Chris Williams... who was the smuggler?


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## Yellowtail (Aug 4, 2017)

Chis Williams had a partner, ex Rugby league footballer Martin Kennedy, who is the alleged smuggler (google his name) and Chris recently left to "pursue other interests".
The plot thickens. The new website has changed since I last viewed it a couple of weeks ago, now all reference to Martin Kennedy has been removed as have photos and references to a lot of the original Snake Ranch animals like Black Prince they claimed to still own 2 weeks ago.

There is now this vague statement:

"The new website owners share a lifelong interest in reptiles and have been involved in the hobby for many years. It’s our aim to build on the good name Snake Ranch currently holds, and take the company to new and exciting heights with the help of the dedicated contacts who continue to work with an exciting array of species, and remain at the forefront of morph development in Australia."

That could indicate they no longer own the reptiles and are acting on behalf off whoever does.
Also interesting is a sole add on the site, for Australia Zoo.

There are people on APS with better contacts than me that may know more?

https://au.news.yahoo.com/a/3456378...-international-wildlife-smuggling-ring/#page1


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## Antsnest (Aug 4, 2017)

Haha wow I remember seeing him in one of Peter birchs youtube videos talking about anteresia


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## SpottedPythons (Aug 4, 2017)

Yellowtail said:


> Chis Williams had a partner, ex Rugby league footballer Martin Kennedy, who is the alleged smuggler (google his name) and Chris recently left to "pursue other interests".
> The plot thickens. The new website has changed since I last viewed it a couple of weeks ago, now all reference to Martin Kennedy has been removed as have photos and references to a lot of the original Snake Ranch animals like Black Prince they claimed to still own 2 weeks ago.
> 
> There is now this vague statement:
> ...


The vague statement was there on the original website, just that instead of the "new owners" it said Chris Williams and Martin Kennedy. This sucks... Snake Ranch used to be one of the best snake breeders in the country. And now with RDU gone...  Chris Williams is still the President of the AHS, not sure what these new projects are.


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## Yellowtail (Aug 4, 2017)

The last featured add I paid for on RDU did not get placed so I have made a claim back from PayPal just to see what happened. Australian Reptile Classifieds (RDU) does not respond but it is interesting that PayPal have now been communicating with [email protected]


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## pinefamily (Aug 4, 2017)

As long as you get your money back mate. If not, surely you can report them for trading insolvent or something similar.


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## Yellowtail (Aug 4, 2017)

An ASIC search shows the company behind RDU, the one that took your money, was deregistered 22/01/2017 and should not have been trading since then.





AUSTRALIAN REPTILE CLASSIFIEDS PTY LTD ACN 152 587 883

Extracted from ASIC's database at AEST 13:22:36 on 04/08/2017

Australian Company

Company Summary

Name: AUSTRALIAN REPTILE CLASSIFIEDS PTY LTD ACN: 152 587 883
ABN: 54 152 587 883

Registration Date: 10/08/2011 Next Review Date: 10/08/2017

Former Name(s): REPTILES AUSTRALIA MAGAZINE PTY LTD

Status: Deregistered Date Deregistered: 22/01/2017

Type: Australian Proprietary Company, Limited By Shares Regulator: Australian Securities & Investments Commission

Further information relating to this organisation may be purchased from ASIC.


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## SpottedPythons (Aug 4, 2017)

Lotta fishy stuff going on here...


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## Antsnest (Aug 4, 2017)

you are some sort of detective wizard yellow tail


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## dragonlover1 (Aug 4, 2017)

Yellowtail said:


> An ASIC search shows the company behind RDU, the one that took your money, was deregistered 22/01/2017 and should not have been trading since then.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


well done Yellowtail,keep up the good work, my son was trying to buy lacies through RDU as late as last month.


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## MANNING (Aug 4, 2017)

Yellowtail said:


> The last featured add I paid for on RDU did not get placed so I have made a claim back from PayPal just to see what happened. Australian Reptile Classifieds (RDU) does not respond but it is interesting that PayPal have now been communicating with [email protected]


I've been down this path with PayPal before. You'll 100% get your money back - especially if the original seller doesn't respond. They would have told you it'll take a few weeks to receive the money back


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## Shaggy77 (Aug 10, 2017)

That Iherp site really looks like it has some potential, but I noticed no one mentioned herptrader? I always found their site to be easy to use! Im not sure why they arent promoting there sites a little more now rdu is gone, if they did im sure people would start selling there!


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## Pauls_Pythons (Aug 10, 2017)

Shaggy77 said:


> That Iherp site really looks like it has some potential, but I noticed no one mentioned herptrader? I always found their site to be easy to use! Im not sure why they arent promoting there sites a little more now rdu is gone, if they did im sure people would start selling there!



Herptrader used to be good but once it was taken over a few years ago it lost popularity due to the prices they charge.
And again as it lost popularity for sellers its also lost traffic from buyers so they charge a decent price for ads that get little activity.


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## Shaggy77 (Aug 10, 2017)

Yes that is a good point Paul, I often wonder what these people are thinking when they see practically nothing happening on their site (for years) and dont make any changes? I think herp trader has a better classifieds section compared to APS (still love this site though) but the prices are a turn off?


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## dragonlover1 (Aug 10, 2017)

a little more news about iherp,I spoke to Ben Dressen about the magazine.he does an article about basic reptile care,Michael Cermak writes as well and the owner was the publisher for Scales and Tails before it's demise.So it looks like a good team of reptile lovers,let's support them and hopefully it becomes the next big thing!
If the online mag works out they are looking at a limited print magazine to start with,so keep your fingers crossed


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## Yellowtail (Aug 10, 2017)

I know I've said it before but if this sites classifieds was changed to a format similar to RDU, with mostly free adds and payment for priority position, it would slowly get the traffic.
You would also have to make the classifieds and associated advertising the front page but it would bring hundreds of new members to the forums via the classified traffic and the whole thing would snowball. Like RDU with a Forum added, could be huge. It has it's critics but a Breeders Directory as part of it would get all the breeders placing adds.


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## Antsnest (Aug 11, 2017)

Fingers crossed RDU starts working again


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## Iguana (Aug 11, 2017)

Surprised no one has mentioned Gumtree? (unless I missed it)
Quite a lot of stuff on there and easy communication between buyer and seller, i've used it to buy herp stuff before. I frequently see breeders put their clutches up, some really nice animals pop up time to time. 
But I suppose it's a hit or miss, there are some time wasters and idiots for sure.


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## Yellowtail (Aug 11, 2017)

Gumtree won't take adds for reptiles in NSW as it is not legal as they are not an organised reptile group. You can advertise cages etc but not the animals.

I did however advertise my live Super Mice on gumtree for 2 months for only 2 enquiries and one sale for 9 mice. The same add on RDU sold hundreds of mice including a lot interstate.


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## Iguana (Aug 11, 2017)

Yellowtail said:


> Gumtree won't take adds for reptiles in NSW as it is not legal as they are not an organised reptile group. You can advertise cages etc but not the animals.



Ah I see, I had no idea. No wonder it's not popular then lol
it's fine in VIC as long as you give your license number if I recall.


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## Antsnest (Aug 11, 2017)

I'll have to start writing letters to Martin in jail


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## Jaded (Aug 11, 2017)

I have seen reptiles listed on gumtree in NSW and enquired about a few myself. Never knew it wasn't allowed because so many still did it. Haven't had a look there in a while though.


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## Shaggy77 (Aug 11, 2017)

Yeah let's get behind Iherp, I posted a link on Facebook, so let's see what others think of it!

I used to advertise frozen rodents on gum tree and my add often got removed due to rat lovers complaining lol.


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## NicG (Aug 11, 2017)

There is obviously a massive hole to fill. I'd personally like APS to pick up that slack, as long as they can provide a similar service. For whatever reason, I don't think the forum-based mechanism is going to work. There's no definitive explanation why that should be, apart from history suggesting otherwise.

I also think this is a good opportunity to get everyone back to APS. Facebook obviously initially provided what people thought would be a viable alternative but it's not. With no realistic ability to search backwards in time, then it's use as an information repository is negligible. And who can keep up with 10 different variants of virtually the same thing?

I'm the first to admit that I don't come to APS as often as I used to, but I feel like it's time for it to re-establish itself. A web-based partnership with RDU would be the ideal scenario. It's inevitable that something will fill the void; let's hope it's something that actually provides the much-needed service to the greater herp community.


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## Wally (Aug 11, 2017)

I'm not sure APS needs to partner with anyone. Nor does it need the headaches that come with the masses trying to sell snapping turtles.

I vividly remember the night that all hell broke loose on this forum a few years ago. Other forums were created, accusations were flung about and the end of this forum was celebrated. Funny how things turned out if you ask me.


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## Pauls_Pythons (Aug 12, 2017)

While I agree there is probably no benefit in APS entering any type of partnership I think the points raised about the forum based sales page might have some weight.
Could it be that the future sales page for APS be a separate entity to the forum? I think the issue with the APS sales page is primarily the layout though there could be a lot of benefits from making that particular section more accessible to the masses though it would need to be self funding of course (advertising & paid ads).
Link the 2 for APS members who pay a subscription getting prime position for their ads. 

I hear lots of comments about getting behind iherp.....I like the mag and I think it will take off but it is still in its infancy and needs a lot of work. Their classifieds are no better/different in design to reptile classifieds which is again not getting the traffic through the site. What made RDU so popular? I think its easy access, simple layout & search functions. APS sales for me is a bit dated (Sorry Stuart).


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## Stuart (Aug 13, 2017)

I guess the classufied part being worked on isnt up to par 

Taking all advice on board so please keep offering..

I doubt RDU will ever come back to the state of being able to participate in a partnership so its not something Ill be persuing however the other commentary has merits.

One thing I would like to clear up and reiterate too, I am *NOT* here to make money or a name for myself. I will happily see what I can do to fill a gap and benefit the online herp community however to those that are PMing me offering $$ to do things a specific way, promote them over someone else or ask me to ignore certain businesses, I am not interested...

If I do manage to get something suitable up, it will be for the herp community with hopefully enough to cover some fraction of the costs.

Stu


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## RoryBreaker (Aug 13, 2017)

Remember where Rdu came from. 

Originally it was called Australian Herp Classifieds (AHC). It was bought by the 'then' new owners of Snake Ranch (who also bought the now defunct Australian Reptile Forum ). Did they have dreams of domination of the aussie herp scene? Who knows. Wheels have fallen off now.

Maybe get in touch with the creator of the original AHC which was just as successful as rdu without the need for it to be monetized. 

Cheers,
Dave.


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## benjamind2010 (Aug 26, 2017)

Well, this is a shame. I was advertising my two Childreni on there, and that's why I haven't had any response from prospective buyers...the site went down!

And why should exotics have anything to do with this nonsense? Sure, the guy gets busted for smuggling, but that shouldn't mean the site goes under and we all get screwed over. Someone should have assumed control of the website, someone perhaps related to the herp scene who could have maintained the site until further notice.


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## Yellowtail (Aug 26, 2017)

I suspect it was financially viable because it gave Snake Ranch a means to advertise their animals, (the top featured adds were usually theirs) now that is all gone and there are no doubt significant costs and bills to pay to get it up again and no business to pay for it.


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## Yellowtail (Sep 10, 2017)

I have been watching the Reptile Classifieds site and there seems to be a few of the ex RDU advertisers now using it so I tried an add for the last 4 of my Julatten Jungle hatchlings on 03/09, paid the $5 for "Featured". Result 178 looks, a few good enquiries and sold them all in less than a week for $400 each, all now paid in full. Might be a fluke and I used to sell them for $500 on RDU but it gives me some confidence for next season.
Stuart, I will give APS a go with my next lot of hatchlings but just watching the lack of sales does not give me confidence and nothing to sell right now.


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## Jaded (Sep 10, 2017)

I've still not had any luck there. A fair few time wasters, a couple of people who don't read the ad properly and ask the questions that were answered in the ad only to find out it wasn't what they wanted anyway. Have removed my listing and will keep the animals. Hope to find a better avenue for selling in the next few months when we really need to start downsizing.


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## Yellowtail (Sep 10, 2017)

Jaded said:


> I've still not had any luck there. A fair few time wasters, a couple of people who don't read the ad properly and ask the questions that were answered in the ad only to find out it wasn't what they wanted anyway. Have removed my listing and will keep the animals. Hope to find a better avenue for selling in the next few months when we really need to start downsizing.


I found on RDU that to get sales you had to pay for a featured add and have good photos, it also helped that I had feedback references? More than half the animals I sell go interstate with the buyer paying in advance.


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## Yellowtail (Sep 20, 2017)

Latest instalment in RDU - Snake Ranch saga.


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## Pauls_Pythons (Oct 21, 2017)

For those who have been thinking Reptile Classifieds site might fill the gap after RDU went under, you might like this.
I posted an ad on the site this afternoon around 2pm and at the same time I posted the same ad on a few of the fb pages I frequent.

Within 4 hours we had received several inquiries and a sale was made through fb. (Not the cheapest animals in the world I might add)
The ad we posted on Reptile Classifieds is still awaiting approval some 6hrs after it was posted. 
So far I have seen nothing from that page that excites me. 4 ads, no sales, no inquiries and the most recent ad still awaiting approval after 6hrs. 
(I decided to leave the ad running and see how long it takes before they approve it just for a laugh)


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## Yellowtail (Oct 21, 2017)

Interesting Paul, maybe I should try fb but I have next to no experience there. Much to my surprise my experience with Reptile Classified has been positive, my add for 4 Julattens resulted in selling all in less than a week and I have left the add there (bumped a few times) and taken $100 deposited advance orders for 5 of my next lot of hatchlings. I also ran adds for an advanced albino hatchling and a yearling darwin het (also without result on APS) and sold both quickly. I have an add running for supermice that has resulted in a few sales as well, the adds are still there if you want to look. I paid the $5 for featured and if you become a "Verified" advertiser they go up immediately, my first add took a while for approval.
Did I see your add on Herp Trader? Any luck there?


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## Pauls_Pythons (Oct 21, 2017)

You did see one of mine on herptrader. Thought I would give it a bash and not a single inquiry there either.
I saw your add for supermice and it does seem to have had quite a bit of interest.


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## Wilfred (Oct 22, 2017)

Back in the day this used to be the place to be before Facebook Buy and sell pages where the in now there’s bugger all hopefully aps picks back up soon


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## AusReptiles (Feb 21, 2018)

Hi All,
Any further news on this issue?
Where is everyone advertising these days?
I have noticed Facebook has now started to refuse ads listing animals for sale so I am looking for other avenues to advertise & am not having much luck finding options.


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## Foozil (Feb 21, 2018)

AusReptiles said:


> Where is everyone advertising these days?


Reptile classifieds: http://www.reptileclassifieds.com.au/


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## AusReptiles (Feb 21, 2018)

Thanks Foozil, just waiting for ads to be approved.


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## MANNING (Feb 21, 2018)

@Stuart What's the latest on APS classifieds?
I know things are busy-busy. Is there any update?


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## Sdaji (Feb 21, 2018)

Especially if you're saying you're not in it to make money, having free classifieds on APS would be a good idea. People don't like paying for stuff when there are free alternatives, and the Facebook groups, RCA, Gumtree etc are free. Having free classifieds would increase the number of advertisers which would attract more buyers which would help grow the forum which would allow you to either just enjoy having a larger more active community, or bring in more revenue through site sponsors and paid banner type advertising.

Paid classified type advertising seems counterproductive in the current online herp scene. In my opinion, alternatives to Facebook would be very welcome. As it is, there is little incentive to pay for classifieds here.


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## cris (Feb 21, 2018)

Sdaji said:


> Especially if you're saying you're not in it to make money, having free classifieds on APS would be a good idea. People don't like paying for stuff when there are free alternatives, and the Facebook groups, RCA, Gumtree etc are free. Having free classifieds would increase the number of advertisers which would attract more buyers which would help grow the forum which would allow you to either just enjoy having a larger more active community, or bring in more revenue through site sponsors and paid banner type advertising.
> 
> Paid classified type advertising seems counterproductive in the current online herp scene. In my opinion, alternatives to Facebook would be very welcome. As it is, there is little incentive to pay for classifieds here.



Hey man, nice to see some of the good people still lurking here. Good post, my thoughts too.


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## Foozil (Feb 21, 2018)

cris said:


> nice to see some of the good people still lurking here


waddoya mean by that?


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## Pauls_Pythons (Feb 21, 2018)

Sdaji said:


> Paid classified type advertising seems counterproductive in the current online herp scene. In my opinion, alternatives to Facebook would be very welcome. As it is, there is little incentive to pay for classifieds here.



Agreed.
Herp Trader is the only paid site that I'm aware of and the activity on there speaks volumes.


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## Murph_BTK (Feb 22, 2018)

Foozil said:


> Reptile classifieds: http://www.reptileclassifieds.com.au/


.
.
Sweet didn't know that this was a site!! and they have a Merterns for sale near me


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## Foozil (Feb 22, 2018)

Murph_BTK said:


> .
> .
> Sweet didn't know that this was a site!! and they have a Merterns for sale near me


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## Stuart (Feb 22, 2018)

Let me look into a free selling and refunds when I do...
[doublepost=1519285248,1519285160][/doublepost]


MANNING said:


> @Stuart What's the latest on APS classifieds?
> I know things are busy-busy. Is there any update?



Sorry for the delay Manning, Ill do some work on this tonight and over the next couple of days.


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## MANNING (Feb 22, 2018)

Stuart said:


> Sorry for the delay Manning, Ill do some work on this tonight and over the next couple of days.



No stress on the reply mate
Please don't think I am rushing you either, just simply asking. Just thought because it was asked where others are selling it might be worth making mention that the APS classifieds will happen. 
Not my business to ask weather or not we (APS) need more traffic to the site or not


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## Stuart (Feb 24, 2018)

All good @MANNING , I havent been attentive as of late with a lot on my plate. Robs been excellent at looking after things though.

On a side note, has anyone got a contact email for Reptile Classifieds please?


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## Foozil (Feb 24, 2018)

Stuart said:


> All good @MANNING , I havent been attentive as of late with a lot on my plate. Robs been excellent at looking after things though.
> 
> On a side note, has anyone got a contact email for Reptile Classifieds please?


[email protected]
Not sure if that's their proper email but thats the one they provide on the site.


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## Stuart (Feb 24, 2018)

Thanks


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## dragonlover1 (Feb 24, 2018)

MANNING said:


> No stress on the reply mate
> Please don't think I am rushing you either, just simply asking. Just thought because it was asked where others are selling it might be worth making mention that the APS classifieds will happen.
> Not my business to ask weather or not we (APS) need more traffic to the site or not


I still think an advertising website linked to here would only be good for this forum,people would naturally be directed to this forum (which is the first reptile forum I found ) thus increasing membership.


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## MANNING (Feb 24, 2018)

dragonlover1 said:


> I still think an advertising website linked to here would only be good for this forum,people would naturally be directed to this forum (which is the first reptile forum I found ) thus increasing membership.



Yeah mate, my point exactly
In the forum topics we could have 

General Reptile Discussion 
Herp Help
Reptile Classifieds 
An so on - or something similar?
I knew that this was still in the works and as people were asking where others are selling, I thought it only beneficial for APS to fill this hole.
If only it brings in subscriber membership to the site to be able to post in the for sale section and most of these sellers don't contribute to the forum. It'll definetely ease the burdon on the admin crew and help keep the doors open for everyone to enjoy


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## ShaunMorelia (Feb 25, 2018)

Hey all!
I don't get on here anywhere near as often as I should...

I am the owner of www.reptileclassifieds.com.au

This website isn't going anywhere and have recently had a bit of downtime due to upgrading servers.
It is continually growing with over 1200 registered members and getting over 10000 hits a day.

There will always be free adverts available with option of fetured and a few more options coming into effect over the next month or so.

Cheers
Shaun


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## Freckle1 (Feb 25, 2018)

Let’s hope it grows as big as Rdu was


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## dragonlover1 (Feb 25, 2018)

I hope somebody gets it together REAL SOON.I have put up several ads on crackbook recently and every one has been rejected for some reason,they say you can appeal but no-one ever gets back to you
[doublepost=1519547357,1519545647][/doublepost]


ShaunMorelia said:


> Hey all!
> I don't get on here anywhere near as often as I should...
> 
> I am the owner of www.reptileclassifieds.com.au
> ...


I just spent 20 minutes trying to place an ad but it keeps stuffing me around,It keeps saying enter a valid number???? How is 70 not a valid number? I tried several variances,From $70,70,from 70.$70 and yet none of them worked.WTF.


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## ShaunMorelia (Feb 26, 2018)

dragonlover1 said:


> I just spent 20 minutes trying to place an ad but it keeps stuffing me around,It keeps saying enter a valid number???? How is 70 not a valid number? I tried several variances,From $70,70,from 70.$70 and yet none of them worked.WTF.



Hi @dragonlover1 thanks for the "quality" feedback. Your issue is the first I've heard, with many users not having an issue at all.
Can you please PM with a more elaborate description of what you encountered.
eg. Device used, Browser and version, what fields you were trying to enter information to and your username.

Thanks
Shaun


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## ronhalling (Feb 28, 2018)

Stuart said:


> Let me look into a free selling and refunds when I do...
> [doublepost=1519285248,1519285160][/doublepost]
> 
> Sorry for the delay Manning, Ill do some work on this tonight and over the next couple of days.



*REFUNDS* ???? WHAT !!! no way man you do such a stellar job of running, maintaining and administering this site mate, i am sure the fair dinkum members here would agree with me that whatever you get from the site is not enough for the job you do.






*( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) -ronhalling-*


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## Pauls_Pythons (Mar 24, 2018)

@ShaunMorelia 

Is the site likely to be down for any length of time Shaun?


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## Yellowtail (Mar 24, 2018)

It's my fault I just placed an add, happens every time.


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## Bl69aze (Mar 24, 2018)

Yellowtail said:


> It's my fault I just placed an add, happens every time.


Must have paid for his dinner


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## Pauls_Pythons (Mar 24, 2018)

Yellowtail said:


> It's my fault I just placed an add, happens every time.



Well stop placing adds then grrrrr. (And you knew this would happen too lol)


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## Yellowtail (Mar 25, 2018)

Mine was the last add before it went down?


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## Bl69aze (Mar 25, 2018)

I’ll take a 5$ tri colour albino!


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## Scutellatus (Apr 20, 2018)

Yellowtail said:


> It's my fault I just placed an add, happens every time.


Have you placed another ad Yellowtail?
Reptile Classifieds are down AGAIN!


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## Yellowtail (Apr 20, 2018)

Scutellatus said:


> Have you placed another ad Yellowtail?
> Reptile Classifieds are down AGAIN!


Yep, I just bumped my adds and it went down straight away.
It was down for more than a day earlier this week, Shaun did email me an explanation then about hacking attempts, robots etc. Clearly he has not fixed it.


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## Stuart (Apr 20, 2018)

Looks like its a hosting issue again. I do feel for Shaun as a few of you know I went through the same issues after I took over APS and its frustrating reaching limits that have not been explained to you.

And @Yellowtail, stop advertising on Fridays when this seems to happen


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## swampie (May 1, 2018)

How long does it take for Reptile Classifieds to approve an ad? I joined the site last week as a verified member, I posted up some ads and they are still awaiting approval. When I joined it said in the email that if I pay the fee and join as a verified member there is no wait time for ad approval.
I’ve emailed them a couple of times about the matter and still haven’t received a reply.....not happy.


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## smellavella (Sep 30, 2018)

was the website good? a lot of u seem to make it sound really good and i'm upset I didn't get a chance to look at it myself. I do have a really good place tho where you can purchase reptiles as well.


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## Elite_Reptiles (Nov 9, 2018)

smellavella said:


> was the website good? a lot of u seem to make it sound really good and i'm upset I didn't get a chance to look at it myself. I do have a really good place tho where you can purchase reptiles as well.



I'm all ears smellavella, where is this place you can purchase reptiles?


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## Reptiles Down Under (Jun 29, 2019)

Reptiles Down Under will be back under new ownership!
We still have a few things to sort out but most of the legal side of this is just about complete and after spending a heap of $$ in the process im happy to say our website will be launched very soon!
We have some new ways of selling reptiles that may become a game changer to the hobby!
Our website and Facebook page is still currently unpublished but we have started an Instagram where most of our information is being posted at the moment.
We are taking some extreme measure to insure the website will be scam free, we have implemented photo ID request upon registering and mobile number verification along with a few other little bits and pieces to hopefully rule out the scammers!
We are hoping to link arms with NPWS in the Near future to add a Reptile license verification systems that only allows members to register with a valid Reptile License,
this will be a long while yet as we have to link up with all the states and territory systems to apply this feature. 
We will have a team of people monitoring all posts and anything that seems dodgy to our members can be flagged, removed and put down for review straight away.
now Facebook is cracking down on reptile sales we are hoping we can be the go to site once again!

Thanks
Reptiles Down Under


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## Matthew smiley (Jul 2, 2019)

Jaxon said:


> Yeah it really was the best website for buying/ selling reptiles. What else can we use now?


Reptile classified pretty good


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