Dear Appreciative:

COX was a 50% owner/partner in Trader Publishing Company since April 1991, with Landmark being the other 50% partner/owner. The partnership was quite financially productive to the owners under the inspired and visionary leadership of Conrad Hall and the senior executive team that paved the way to a very successful branded stable of publications as a result of carefully thought-out and deliberate strategies that were spot on with the times. Not too many companies can boast the double-digit gains in revenues and profits that were enjoyed during the next 15 years, especially from a point of where the internet evolved from relative obscurity to what it has become today.
I believe that the point that many ex-communicates are making on the blogs out there is that COX embraced their new ownership of the agreed-upon entitlements very generously at first but then quickly changed that environment into one of disconnect and obfuscation of facts and strategies.
When an associate of mine scribbled "The beatings will continue until morale improves" on the sales board in the office, it was simply an innocent attempt at humor, but also and unfortunately vibrant foreshadowing of the unpleasant times ahead.
By the way, Morale improved, but the beatings continued, all the way to the very end.
I think that most employees will agree that they would have much rather known the truth early on so they could go out and get better jobs that came up, rather than pass them up based on false hopes that things would get lean, but at least continue on.
It's all speculation at some point, but the reality is that alot of employees were left out in the cold with nowhere to go and now their non-competes are being waved in their faces as they simply try to survive in this new world, doing what they know best.
I agree with some of the posts earlier on, and that is to let the people go out and work, create jobs [even as competitors] and try to eek out an existence. If COX stands behind their declaration that print is in fact dead, then it really does not matter, because any competitive print startup will fail miserably, right? And, those failures will further reinforce the story they tell... right?
Just a couple thoughts.

You guys all need to put on your big boy/big girl panties and be glad we all got what we got-they didn't have to give us anything! It doesn't matter how long you were employed, COX let us go-NOT TRADER PUBLISHING CO. We only worked for Cox for 2 years so I feel they were very fair! Go ahead-sound off against me but it's time to move on. It is what it is so just focus on the future.

Hi everyone. I'm also a former employee of Auto Trader. I just came across this article and had to comment. The bold print of generous severance package is freakin hillarious! We were all notified through EMAIL that our jobs were being eliminated due to the decline in print media. The funny part about it all is that right before thanksgiving weekend we had some big shot fly from the east coast to California. We thought at that point that they were shutting down production due to rumors...but instead he came out to notify us all that "we were sitting in the basement with the lights off". And that all rumors were not true and although times were hard there was no way that we would be closing. He said he flew across the country to tell us that...hmmm...then on January 2nd we were all sent the lovely email. Details on why they were closing the doors, but still had to remain for another month while everything was settled and transitioned to the .com reps. As you can imagine the atmosphere was horrid and managment didnt make us feel any better. One rep in my office was "transfered" to autotrader.com...and the rest...well who knows. Anyway, the way they let us go...the way we had to see our dealers knowing we were about to be unemployed...and the not generous severance package was just all over wrong.

Has anyone seen the Auto Solutions book in RI getting bigger and bigger every week, and all with old Auto Trader/ Auto Mart customers, that tells you how dead print is, and it is a fine looking book....... Pick one up

Just wanted to pop back on here and give you guys an update on whats been going on from this end of the pipe...

Equipment trader (landmark) was phased out/ discontinued this week, its now combined with the Commercial trader...which even with the addition is about as thick as it was without it...

Books themselves all around are pretty thin... I'd speculate that RV trader will be combined somehow next, as it is VERY thin this week, even by current standards.

And given the size, the books seem to be covering a laughable amount of territory..... like 4 or 5 states or more....

To top this off did a little more chatting then normal with my customers (stores) today and all in all came up with about 10 or so inquiries (just this past week) for Tradin Times.... plus an inquiry in person from someone who saw me putting this weeks books out on the rack. While there is no doubt that print isnt what it used to be given competition from the net, its far from dead... When targeted and done correctly it seems like it has a very good chance even here in one of the worst states economically..

Hope this info helps...

Print is dead? That's bollocks, the fact of the matter is that rag racks the country over are still flush with print ads.

You keep perpetrating such poppycock, it may well assist in keeping competition down.

Cox's drunken fumble will end up ushering in a golden age for small independents, captained by those who actually made the cogs turn at previous bloated behmoths.

Proprietors may indeed take some time to warm up to doing business again after having been sodomized by Cox. (Crikey, pun not intentional, I promise.) But once honest small time pubs are given the chance to show their colours, even the most jaded old sod will be clamoring for a print spot.

But you mark my words, a return to business values and God's honest customer care will do for this industry and this land what no room full of suits filled with smug sacks of questionably useful flesh or even a bloated stimulus package can ever hope to achieve.

The best revenge is to succeed. So get right back out there and do that.

And 16% is standard commision there chap

Print is dead? That's bollocks, the fact of the matter is that rag racks the country over are still flush with print ads.

You keep perpetrating such poppycock, it may well assist in keeping competition down.

Cox's drunken fumble will end up ushering in a golden age for small independents, captained by those who actually made the cogs turn at previous bloated behmoths.

Proprietors may indeed take some time to warm up to doing business again after having been sodomized by Cox. (Crikey, pun not intentional, I promise.) But once honest small time pubs are given the chance to show their colours, even the most jaded old sod will be clamoring for a print spot.

But you mark my words, a return to business values and God's honest customer care will do for this industry and this land what no room full of suits filled with smug sacks of questionably useful flesh or even a bloated stimulus package can ever hope to achieve.

The best revenge is to succeed. So get right back out their and do that.

And 16% is standard commision there chap

Have you not read the board, print is dead, automart/autotrader are dead, they dropped us all like hot potatoes, are you out of your mind???

Just found this board - I am considering a position with a regional trader type magazine out west - commission is 16% on everything I sell - is this normal? What did Cox pay (AutoMart/ AutoTrader)

Thanks for your help!

I never should have left Cruisin' Style Magazine. I became a freelance graphic artist in 2007. Last year I got a call that seemed like a dream job...

AutoTrator contacted ME about a graphic artist position in Tampa, I didn't go looking for them. They offered me all kinds of bonuses that were oh, so tempting. I was supposed to get $41k a year salary, $4100 for a bonus in February, quarterly raises and sent to the Photoshop/Adobe seminars to keep my skills sharp.

I took the bait, only it turned out to be a bait-and-switch.

Every one of those promises were broken. Starting with the "salaried" position. I ended up working 45+ hours a week with no overtime compensation, which turned out to average somewhere around $13 an hour. I was forced to use PDO's for doctor's appointments where I only needed to be gone an hour or two. Only after pitching a fit about the overtime was THAT resolved.

The next thing that never happened was the quarterly raise. They said that since we were now AutoTrader.com instead of AutoTrader Classics we were only going to be getting yearly raises. I was unable to meet the excessively (impossibly) high expectations of the art director who admits to being OCD and a perfectionist to boot. Somehow the final decision was determined by Atlanta which is hundreds of miles away.

Bye bye raise.

Next on the hit list was the 10% bonus I was promised verbally at the interview. Only after finding out that the bonus had evaporated, did I re-read the offer letter. It was cleverly written in perfect CYOA: "0-10% of your yearly income..."

Bye Bye Bonus.

Finally to add insult to injury, I ended up getting left out of the photoshop convention because some one had to stay behind at the office from the art department just in case. What was so important that it wouldn't wait until Monday- the next business day? The brand new professional photographer/graphic artist in training got to go, but I didn't, even though I was there longer. I even offered to pay my own way, but was told if I didn't show up to work I would be fired.

Asshats were going to fire me anyway. So I was doubly screwed on that deal.

No matter what I did, it wasn't good enough. If I improved on an area that they wanted me to, they'd look for something else to give me grief about until they were nit-picking to the point of pointing out that one picture box in a layout was 51/5000ths of a inch lower than the one next to it.

Do you think that a reader is going to pull out a micrometer and say "this box is .0106 inches lower"? That was less than half the width of a 1pt line. InDesign itself didn't even pick that up.

All of this came on suddenly over the last 3 issues. I was banging out magazines once a week. All of the editorial of the core books were mine to layout. If I had to ask for help, I was punished for it. If I didn't ask for help I was punished for it. I just wished someone would make up my mind...

The only thing I got that they promised was insurance, and its a good thing too, because the stress was making me sick.

I left a WONDERFUL job freelancing because I was stupid enough to reach for that carrot that AT dangled in front of me. I am eternally grateful for the work I had from Cruisin' Style. It wasn't until looking in retrospect, that I realized the amazing deal AutoTrator promised, wasn't much more than what I had been getting all along by just freelancing.

Ray Martino is an awesome guy to work for and Cruisin' Style is one hell of a magazine. Its readers are faithful and its a nationwide publication. CSM is the car show bible with hundreds of event listings from across the USA. Its grassroots and appreciates its readers, advertisers, contributors and employees. Its one of the few publications that interacts with its reader base.

If you want to work for a company that treats you like a PERSON, contact Ray. Visit www.cruisinstyle.com There you can link to the actual magazine and see the way it looks printed. There is an interactive site that allows you to flip through the magazine page by page. Its a really cool function!

I'm looking forward to going back to a magazine where my creativity and opinion are valued and promises that are made are kept. Cruisin' Style is awesome. I shouldn't have believed that a cold, corporate giant like AutoTrader would be better. After all, its only a rag mag (newsprint) fit for the back of a toilet at a swap meet.

I heard a rumor that AutoTrader former employees were starting their own company. A letter came down from the corporate office ranting and threatening legal action against any opposition, so I figured it must be true. I feel like being a rebel. If there really is a magazine made by former AT employees, the editors/owners can feel free to contact me. I'm available for freelance work. AT has no hold on me anymore.

AT expects you to get written permission to work ANYPLACE other than AT, even if its babysitting. Psychos... There is no need for a Non-compete clause, I am a professional who's been doing graphics for 20 years, 9 of which were with Cruisin' Style. I know how to handle a client base. I don't share trade secrets. Your graphics are secure with me.

My email is located on my under-construction site GrafixASAP.com I'm available 24-7

We have launchd two markets that were abandoned by Trader. We are in OK and Texas and the economy may be tough but dealers are still seeking solutions. I have heard that many other ex-trader people are doing the same and we should compare notes someday.

Interco is now printing outside titles and they have good pricing.

Well first week severance check mailed, next week, was direct deposited, now its the 3rd week, no direct deposit, has not shown up in the mail. Guess Im going to have to call a raise some heck

I can not wait until Cox close all their offices and shut down the printing plant.

The two quotes from above are obviously from the same person. Not sure if you work for the plant or Dominion - but what is your objective - Who are you with- really?
And why would you have us call Dominion and not the plant?

yes that is true we are printing outside work now.CALL DOMINION FOR A QUOTE!

Hey, I heard from a pal who is still employed at one of the plants, that they are started to bid on outside work and that 1 plant has even started running other start up books from outside the company. And the pricing is great!

If you took the severance agreement, you have released Cox. Read the language in the agreement.

Anybody ever hear of this law and does it apply here?

Advice is absolutely correct! I witnessed in horror the complete dismantling of spirit and enthusiasm of this highly profitable business. The beginning of then end began with the split from Landmark. Bill Rieth and Britt Reid were the architects of what was a wonderful business for over 15 years!. Then came the team of destruction... A group of inadequate, dysfunctional leaders who managed in less than two years to level the business and morale to the ground. I have moved on, and I am enjoying what I do best, building and developing a business I love.

Winners Win!

Shrek-

Dominion books are thin!!!!!

From what I hear, they doubled or tripled rates in some markets - customers are dropping like flies.

Hi

Please email to [email protected]. Cell: 858-603-9871

Pogo

POGO....please let us know an e-mail address to submit to you.

anyone heard how dominion is doing after losing all those titles?

I worked for Cox Autotrader in Orlando for 5 yrs. i bailed ship before it started sinking in 2007. Their structure is horrible, business ethics were lacking, customer service was horrific, service was sketchy, and people were over-paying for ads. $69/2 weeks come on now...The biggest and best got to their heads and too many people over-paid for non-useful positions. ex: $2500 sign on bonus w/NO terms, so they would get the job, then take the $$$ and never show up again. Print is over, they will be lucky to save online... I am now their boating competition and we are about to surpass boattrader.com and their 2nd hand "have to have because of print" online site. Good luck to all the employees who were laid off, some good advice, "the biggest and the wealthiest companies are not always the best to work for"

all this has got me thinking of a Nietzsche quote "God is Dead and we've killed him."....basically Cox wants dealers to think print is dead..."Print is dead and Cox killed it."
It is so not true. Really, targeted print is key. It still contributes a significant percentage of automotive sales, has a high pick up rate and generates leads.