Cox Auto Trader Makes Strategic Moves to Improve Online Automotive Advertising Business

[Richard (blog)]

Employee,

Don Stapleton is not entirely right. Non-competes are illegal in CA for the most part but not all cases.

There are a couple of circumstances of where they are enforceable and they have to do with selling ownership in the company.

Regardless of what state you are in, I would suggest you consult with legal counsel before making your own determination. It could end up costing you if you make the wrong decision.

 

[Dan Stapleton]

The key semantic difference in a non compete is "you will not provide services directly or indirectly, in connection with the marketing, sales, promotion, production, or distribution of any conflicting product in any conflicting territory. As marketed by Cox print has been a separate entity wholly different from the internet. It would be extremely difficult for a valid non compete claim to be enforced. Cox by their previous marketing in that they differentiated print and internet will doom their efforts to prevail legally. However that does not mean that they will not threaten and bluster. Consult an attorney if you have doubts and good luck.

 

[Ex-Trader Employee / Owner of ZoomAutos.com]

I worked for Trader as a sales rep for 18+ years. Four years ago after loosing faith in Trader management, I joined 6 other disgruntled employees to start ZoomAutos.com Magazine in San Diego(Trader's strongest market). There is great opportunity for everyone who has just been dumped by Trader. Start your own Magazine! I am offering ZoomAutos.com as a "Production Hub" for anyone wanting to start a new magazine anywhere in the country. We can provide Magazine layout, Display page building, Website creation and management, Internal ad management site, Dealer feed processing, Distribution plan, and General guidance for an affordable rate. You just need Sales and Distribution teams (and of course money). Checkout our site and email me anytime if you are considering your own magazine. [email protected]

 

[ex-employee@ atlanta]

I don't understand, I got an Email from my manager this morning and he talked about some secret managers meetings and that some cities may be looked at to continue running the pubs. Has anyone heard any more on this?

 

[Dan Stapleton]

even if true do you really want to trust your future to a company that obviously does not care about its employees. At the first opportunity they will spit you out.

 

[Soon to be jobless]

According to HR at Cox - every no compete will be held on a case by case basis.They may not enforce it but will enforce the confidentiallity agreement. I think this is hillarious considering we will be sharing trade secrets that apparantly don't work.LOL. I think we should all focus on the main issue here - the girl that posted this is HOTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!

 

[Longtime Cox/Traderpub employee]

First of all, my last day was Friday, and to all who are wondering the severance is 1 week of your average pay over the last year for every 1 complete year of service.

Getauto is dealer specialties, which is dominion, and NO getauto.com is not going to take over the print books. Your dealer specialty rep doesnt know what he is talking about.

As for the non-compete, yes its in place but there is really not going to be anybody around (locally) to enforce it.

Our market here is still VERY strong in the book. I would not be surprised if somebody does not come in and start one up again. Our publication here, like other cities, was started years ago and was a family owned and run business, then cox (trader pub) bought them out.

I have not heard anything about some cities continuing to put out the book, its a nation wide deal, they are not going to pick and choose what to keep and what to dump. They are dumping the whole thing.

 

[employee]

Always in need of a laugh. Especially as next week approaches!
Wish me luck on my round two interview tomorrow.

 

[Concerned Ex-Employee]

I worked on AutoExtra.com for a little over a year. I was a developer on the website. It's no wonder this is happening when the entire web team is telling management the site needs to be redesigned and instead of allowing their own design and web teams do this, they hired an outside firm that charged around 2 million bucks. A lot of this money was for advertising and such, but why wasn't the in-house team allowed to do this? Some folks in upper management should've been canned for that, but instead, all of the hard-working employees are being laid off. Luckily, I jumped ship right after the first round of layoffs occurred in the Norfolk office.

 

[ex-employee@ atlanta]

Dan, I think you sound sexy when you get so passionate, you must be very bitter. I think I like it.