Anyone else having a HELL of a time getting a response on when they'll get theirseveranrce? I have been trying to reach HR/Payroll since Friday without any response. Spoke to someone today who basically told me, we'll get to it when we can, but the ONLY person who can approve severance packets will only be in the office a few hours this week!
This is unacceptable, and saddening. Is this seriously legal? If your job is to sign pieces of paper to help former employee welfare how are you allowed to leave your office without having that done? How about holding that person's paycheck until all of us receive our money?!?! Bet it would have been done already.
I was not upset with Cox until all of this. I am so disappointed!

I worked for this magazine for approximately 5 years as a top producer and a candidate for management, which I never accepted due to their poor negotiating skills. I am sorry to hear that so many good people lost their jobs. Management was horrible, there was no structure and no leadership. As they say "the right hand had no idea what the left hand was doing". Dealer pricing for ads was all over the place, distribution was never near the numbers they stated and there were never solutions for any problems; just "smoke and mirrors". Hopefully a capable hand steps in and takes over a product that has potential and can work even in a tough economy, it just takes business skills, determination and some gray matter. Shame on you Cox and its management team, shame on you!!!

M.W., yes I am aware it was not local managements fault, that is not the point. I am all for starting new magazines. The problem I have with this particular group of people has been their general attitude over the years. If you are not a "manager" we do not speak to you sort of attitude. I do not hate them for starting their own mag, I just think its a bit under handed to have a message on the old office number direct you to call them. Do I really care if it hurts Cox? No. I just think its a bit tacky but on the other hand more power to them. BTW, I have moved on, I have a new job in a completely different industry. Dont get me wrong, I sure miss the old days of autotrader, wish I was still there for sure.

M.W.

I could not have said it better myself. I also salute any former employees of Cox that have went out on their own to try and start a new magazine.

It is no secret that when Cox made the decision to pull the plug on the entire country that they left a lot of money on the table in doing so. There were several markets for print that were running a very healthy profit margin despite Cox's unbeleivable incompetence in the last 2 years since the split.

If some former employees want to try to profit from Cox's incredibly stupid decision to walk away from print markets that were running around a 40% profit margin, then more power to them. Anybody that thinks print is dead and everything should be on-line has lost their minds. Any ex employees that want to try to make money that Cox walked away from should not be ridiculed but commended.

Longtime Cox/Traderpub employee why such the hate? Don't you realize it wasn't your local upper management that did you wrong, it was Cox? If the allegations are true of a new magazine, let them be. EVERYONE is just trying to make it in a very difficult economy. I wish those who do come out with a new magazine the best of luck. Hopefully in the near future it will create more jobs for those who are still without one. Kudos for those who are moving on and to those(Longtime Cox/Traderpub employee)who choose to keep gossiping on what they think they know the truth is, realize the sooner you let it go, the sooner you will go on to bigger and better things. Good luck to ALL.

I knew it was Fridays, but we were told by the HR rep that came to our town that we'd see the 1st round of checks on Thur the 12th. Which I thought was bizarre. Then again, everything about this situation has been bizarre!
Thanks for the input!
BTW... I signed and FedExd all the paperwork!

Wow JK you should charge an online-access fee for this kind of drama! DR might hit syndication on SOAP network!

Seriously people let's avoid the legal involvement crap on this board, take it elsewhere.

I did receive my 1st check the other day. Of course they are screwing me out of 80 hours of vacation time I had accumulated. I did find out that in the Tulsa OK area the former rd, sales managers, and a few of the sales people have started a new free pub here. Shelly, does this have anything to do with your mag or is this going to be competition? Anyway, the funny part is that if you call our old office number, there is a recording saying if you are a dealer wanting to place an ad (caller would assume in the autotrader since that is the number they called) to call such and such at certain number. So in other words, these former cox employees are basically using a cox phone number to drive business to their new business venture they were probably in the works of starting while still employeed by cox. The only reason I mention this is not because am a big fan of Cox, but because my dislike of these certain people outweight my dislike for cox.

Paid nada: Payday has always been Fridays. If you are DD, you should see a deposit after midnight Thursday. You should also check and make sure that you signed all of your appropriate paperwork and sent it to (HR yourself, noyt just handed to someone at your office, and hopefully by registered and traceable mail)and, make sure that they received it. If they don't have it or you did not send it for whatever reason, you will not receive anything until they get it, since you had to agree to the terms and conditions on the agreement.

Has ANYONE recieved severance pay yet? Or know when these checks are supposed to arrive? I was told the 12th. Mail came and went, direct deposit empty.

Ex-trader alum your comments are very sincere and I hope you all the best.I only have one thing to add to it. My management,which I assume would be on your level,judging by your comments,set back for a 7 month span a took ALL the credit and incentives for the efforts ,ones under them should have received.So ,in behalf of the markets that these two represented,they deserve everything that is and will be dealt to them.They know who they are and what they done to the wonderfull hardworking employees under them

Call me Dan, you have my resume for the Carolinas.

The markets that were abandoned by COX wll have new magazines soon. Some will add automotive and be new, some competitors will expand into new markets, and some will start from scratch.

We started Oklahoma and will be opening in Florida, Texas, and the Carolinas.

If anyone is seeking opportunities in those markets please let me know. We need great people and we look forward to helping dealers sell more cars.

Last week I was at a store and saw the new books out, they were about 25% the size they used to be. Today I was looking at one a little closer then I realized they had 4 cities in the same book. Had different sections based on city. WOW.

Good comments by all....

Ex Trader Alum,
Beautifully written and delivered, my lord if you preached that tally of heavenly script in a church full of ex-Cox peeps they'd need to send baskets down the aisles too replace the trays, and they better have a Brinks truck outside, Wheeehw Hellawhoooyah!!
It'S a fact.... Print ain't dead, but it just ain't AS profitable as the digital AD stuff! TRULY Typing, there you have it folks - the REAL reason is out for Cox killing print.
The (juice) Print; paper, plants, magazines, delivery, sales, admin, and peep's overall wasn't worth the squeeze for Cox... sorry.
Just like our Military being based in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, or Middleastistan... the juice is oil, and it's worth the squeeze... for now.
I'll put it this way, if given the choice too own/run a print biz product for $100m year in revenue, 3,000 employees, which gives you $20 in profit.
Or
Run a online ad biz for $200m year revenue and $100m profit with 50% less peeps, which would you choose?
It's simple math, with a bitter touch of reality.
Print Ads will still get great results for business's, but the cost factors will decline over time.
Compare this too online Ads and Print becomes a small business opportunity, but just not designed or attractive enough for big biz.
The best message I gathered from Ex-Trader Alum was for former employees to start their own print biz locally, work your contacts, and create a profitable brand... And for Cox to acknowledge a dis-interest in legal action for doing so.

To All Ex-CAT/AM employees who signed Agreements with Restrictive Covenants:

I believe that it is time for you to unite as a group and send a clear message to the corporate entities to abandon enforcement of the agreemants that now are perceived as crippling those who just want to make a living doing what they know best...
You can be anonymous or outspoken, send email or snail-mail, but there are a few reasons that you should send a correspondence to:

Jimmy Hayes
Sandy Schwartz
Buddy Solomon
Joe George
Deborah Thomas

And....Tell everyone you know who is affected to do the same.

Times are tough. You all know that. Many ex-employees who were recognized many times for exemplary performnce over the years are now on the verge of having to cancel or diminish their lifestyles, purge thoughts and aspirations of prosperity, forget about hopes and dreams, and are even facing the prospect of pulling their kids out of college, out of private schools, or even dealing with the reality of losing their homes.

Alot of employees took a "leap of faith" at the time of the big divorce; they were told "that everything was going to be fine" only to then be subjected numerous changes including position eliminations or having to reapply for their jobs as many as 3 times in an 18 month period.
Combined with those agonizing periods of stress,(twice, yes TWICE, around the holidays, mind you) anguish, uncertainty about the future, false hopes and once again, shattered dreams, the least that this "great company" with so many "guiding principles" and evocation of statements about "how our employees make the difference", and all those other really nice attributes that prospective employees seek from a big successful company when they want a new place to call "home", it's time to prove it.

(This is the SAME company that unselfishly jumped in to help victims (as well as it's own employees) of Katrina, Rita and even Ike) That shows great generosity.
(This is also the same company who asked it's employees to go out and volunteer time for the good of others - like the 8 hour challenge, AND THEY DID!) That demonstrates teamwork!

So now, what can this great company do for the ones abandoned and scattered amongst the decaying ruins? Can they actually give back to their own after all of this?

To the CEI Mgmt Teams:
Show some respect, show some good will, and RELEASE every single CAT/AM employee that had to sign an agreement as a condition of their employment, promising that they would not jump ship and go somewhere else,(and they did not, the ship left them), and let them go pursue gainful employment doing what they know best.
So what if it's a competitor? If your own ex-employees don't do it, someone else will! So what difference does it really make?

COX said through it's actions: "PRINT is DEAD", not your employees.
The print media arena has therefore been abandoned through those actions.

CEI,and through the actions of the remaining Execs in charge have selected the "superstars" that they wanted to take along for the rest of the big ride, and cast the rest of the synergy that made it all work aside.
At least let those who you hold no value for do what they do best.
Let them do their part in trying to revive an ailing economy any way they are able.
A magnanimous action on the part of CEI will do far more good for the bottom line than the alternative of slapping restraining orders on those who are just trying to eeek out a living in a cruel and harsh world.
8%+ unemployment??? We have not seen anything yet. 500K jobs lost each month?
Does CEI want to really give back to the communities that it serves?
Let these people go!

So, it's time, my brothers and sisters, to write to the ones who are trying to tie your purse strings and ask to be freed, once and for all.

Jimmy, Sandy, Buddy, Joe and Deborah: You are all great folks, good corporate citizens and just like the rest of us.
I really hope you look at sounding boards and forums like this one, to keep your pulse on what eventually should feed your very souls in the end.

Now, only four little words...

"DO THE RIGHT THING".

Make it a big announcement and be proud.

Let them go out and at least try to survive.(Some might even come back one day when things get better.)
No disparaging remarks, no crude comments, no hateful prose... Just a plea for your ex-employees who gave so much and are asking for so little in return.

Open letter to all sales reps...
I have published Cruisin' Style Magazine for the last 15 years and never really had a sales "Staff". Check out the mag online. Anyone across the country who needs an income and can sell display ads is welcome to contact me at ray@cruisinstyle.com. Being an independent publisher, in these hard economic times, I don't have deep pockets for draws or salaries so I'll make it simple... I'll give 50% commission on all ad sales for the first two months - paid cash in the door. After two months we'll look at the sales reps on an individual basis and adjust the compensation. After you get your ad sales up to a decent weekly amount my goal is to have all sales reps on 25% commission. At that point you can make as much as you want. Our reps get paid every two weeks. You can check out our rates by clicking on the link "Advertising" on the left side of the home page. We discount these rates to local/regional businesses but this will give you a range. What do you think? Let me know... Thanks for your time. Ray Martino, Publisher

I read the string about Bill Reith and Richard Jamin. Like you I miss the days where these guys were leading the charge. Bill retired because he hated seeing the changes taking place and felt his ideas fell on deaf ears.

Jamin was a smart leader who pulled the Employment Guide out of tough times after 9-11. In fact, they ran higher margins on the business after 9-11 on lower revenues. I know for a fact that Jamin was fighting for several strategies that would have worked and kept the publising units operating well beyond today. He was also an inspirational leader who understood the value of good local management and strong sales teams. I was at the national meeting where he stood up and SINCERELY celebrated the success of the top reps. Hell, half the room was in tears. This guy got it!

It seems that anyone who had a different viewpoint than Cox was quickly transitioned out.

As for the IC's, check your contracts, you should receive cancellation information in writing, it's the law. Also, CA distribution people were employees not contractors, they would recieve severance.

where did this info come from as far as dominion and auto mags? I still have some contacts at dominion, maybe I should see if they know anything.

That may be Cox's way of getting out of the original lawsuit regarding the distribution agreement... Let them have their auto magazine, as long as Cox is allowed to cease its involvement in distribution. Who knows? Dan... On a scale of 1-10, how reliable are these sources, regarding the books in VA, FL, TX,etc.?

If cox does not want to do print magazines anymore, why would they care? Well, we know why but still...

I heard from sources that Dominion will be rolling out Auto mags in Texas, Virginia, Florida, and Mississippi in phase one of their rollout. Apparently they are going to be in violation of their non-compete with Cox. Looks like a legal battle is brewing.

I'm still hearing rumors about books starting up all over the place. Do you all know of any that have launched yet?

I also thought this was interesting. Their source code tag gives the following description: "Find a new or used car or truck using AutoFind Search. Better and faster results than cars.com or AutoTrader. Ajax technology makes this the best vehicle search out there."