Rumors...what's the dealio?

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Smog Dog

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Makes perfect sense! Either that, or bob is the lawyer that the current regime have on retainer and is here spinning the obviously blinding truth! Gotta admit, you are pretty good bob. Regardless, I think you have dominated this thread and the other one in the members only enough. You gave your opinion, now let others form their own. It's pretty telling what you are doing or trying to anyways!

Amen....

Bill
 

sun diego

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I've been a member here for most of the last 10 years. I'm a member of about 5 car clubs. The level of condescension from officers and site moderators here is stunning. All the other clubs treat the members with respect, whether it's expensive cars or inexpensive.
 

Bobpantax

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No one in this dust up and the VCA do not "have me on retainer". What I am trying to do is bring some order to chaos and most people on both sides of the aisle know that. As for your last two sentences, it sounds like you wish to appoint yourself the new censor in chief. And that is very telling. This is a public Forum. Just put me on ignore if you do not wish to read my posts. So can anyone else who does not wish to read them. It's interesting how little it takes to bring out the censor in people.
Makes perfect sense! Either that, or bob is the lawyer that the current regime have on retainer and is here spinning the obviously blinding truth! Gotta admit, you are pretty good bob. Regardless, I think you have dominated this thread and the other one in the members only enough. You gave your opinion, now let others form their own. It's pretty telling what you are doing or trying to anyways!
 

mnc2886

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Is it just me or after reading the letter, and noticing the part where Chrysler is complaining about the negative content on this board, that the reason behind Chrysler having this big ordeal is because Gen V sales aren't so hot? Hell, every other thread is about a MotorTrend fail, marketing fail, or quality fail. I for one really like the Gen V, but like the car or not, one would have to admit its release has been pretty bad. Can't think of another car that went through such a bad launch.....
 

eucharistos

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Is it just me or after reading the letter, and noticing the part where Chrysler is complaining about the negative content on this board, that the reason behind Chrysler having this big ordeal is because Gen V sales aren't so hot? Hell, every other thread is about a MotorTrend fail, marketing fail, or quality fail. I for one really like the Gen V, but like the car or not, one would have to admit its release has been pretty bad. Can't think of another car that went through such a bad launch.....

respectfully, you do not know enough
 

madninjaskillz

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Those at the top of VCA have lost all credibility. It did not start with this letter. They need to leave and all records of a "non-profit" club need to be released. If these things do not happen, me and many others will never give our money to the club again.
 

virginiavenom

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so are the marshalls and Lee fired yet? not retired, no pension plan, no severance package. fired, get your crap and go, welcome to be a "member" only.
 

MoparMap

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I really don't think that club membership money is being mis-appropriated. There really isn't that much income from them to begin with. If what was said is true, then $55 of each membership goes to the member's local region. That would leave roughly $100 for national. If you read the details on the magazine, it says a yearly subscription is around $60 I believe. That would leave $40 for the memberhsip IDs (maybe $5 a piece if that) and other little trinkets they send you (I got a nice pen/letter opener set and a club shirt). There's really not much left over for them to do anything with. I think the majority of the money that gets spent comes from VPA, which makes sense because they're the for-profit side of things that can help to fund large events and things. It's not much different than a vendor sponsoring some get-together, so what they spend their money on is really sort of their choosing. In the end VPA is a business, and they can choose to spend their money however they want to spend it.

I'll agree that there is a fairly decent competitive advantage that VPA has in being so closely tied with the club and Chrysler, but that's not exactly their fault. They're just doing whatever they can to strengthen their business and I don't really think they've done anything illegal. Some people have argued that they're pushing other vendors out and getting a monopoly on Viper parts because they (VPA) sell aftermarket parts as well, but they only sell Mopar, so any company that makes something unique (like Vipair's carbon stuff or Lemke hardtops) actually has an edge over them. VPA is essentially the same as a dealership, you can buy your Mopar stuff there as well and people don't seem to complain.

If VPA is leveraging the club and getting competing vendors removed from the forums there's not really anything wrong with that. It's the club's choice who they let sponsor them, so they're only hurting their image and cashflow by potentially snubbing others and reducing advertising revenue. It's not like PartsRack has disappeared overnight because they're no longer on the club website. A simple Google search for Viper parts will lead you right to them and tons of other vendors.
 

Leslie

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I really don't think that club membership money is being mis-appropriated. There really isn't that much income from them to begin with. If what was said is true, then $55 of each membership goes to the member's local region. That would leave roughly $100 for national. If you read the details on the magazine, it says a yearly subscription is around $60 I believe. That would leave $40 for the memberhsip IDs (maybe $5 a piece if that) and other little trinkets they send you (I got a nice pen/letter opener set and a club shirt). There's really not much left over for them to do anything with. I think the majority of the money that gets spent comes from VPA, which makes sense because they're the for-profit side of things that can help to fund large events and things. It's not much different than a vendor sponsoring some get-together, so what they spend their money on is really sort of their choosing. In the end VPA is a business, and they can choose to spend their money however they want to spend it.

I'll agree that there is a fairly decent competitive advantage that VPA has in being so closely tied with the club and Chrysler, but that's not exactly their fault. They're just doing whatever they can to strengthen their business and I don't really think they've done anything illegal. Some people have argued that they're pushing other vendors out and getting a monopoly on Viper parts because they (VPA) sell aftermarket parts as well, but they only sell Mopar, so any company that makes something unique (like Vipair's carbon stuff or Lemke hardtops) actually has an edge over them. VPA is essentially the same as a dealership, you can buy your Mopar stuff there as well and people don't seem to complain.

If VPA is leveraging the club and getting competing vendors removed from the forums there's not really anything wrong with that. It's the club's choice who they let sponsor them, so they're only hurting their image and cashflow by potentially snubbing others and reducing advertising revenue. It's not like PartsRack has disappeared overnight because they're no longer on the club website. A simple Google search for Viper parts will lead you right to them and tons of other vendors.

Check out the IRS tax return floating around.
 

Bobpantax

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It is showing up on new posts. That is how I check it and would guess so did those who posted above you.
 

FrankBarba

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I'm more interested in how the VCA Board of Directors used my funds the wrong way. Did i Really pay
to send these guys on trips just for doing what they volunteered for. To me this is Embezzlement. These
guys should be brought up on charges & prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Funny how when the VCA did
their tax returns they state that they are not chapters, or regions. This is Tax Fraud. Funny how when you have people
protecting you, it takes a long time for the cat coming out of the bag.
 

virginiavenom

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It must be your computer. It works for me.

dude, either you, or they are blowing so much smoke and hot air it's not even funny. I have been in the IT industry and web work for almost 13 years now.....you aren't going to play "oh it must be your computer"
ITS A WEBSITE! either the damn thing works, or it doesn't.
 

chorps

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I really don't think that club membership money is being mis-appropriated. There really isn't that much income from them to begin with. If what was said is true, then $55 of each membership goes to the member's local region. That would leave roughly $100 for national. If you read the details on the magazine, it says a yearly subscription is around $60 I believe. That would leave $40 for the memberhsip IDs (maybe $5 a piece if that) and other little trinkets they send you (I got a nice pen/letter opener set and a club shirt). There's really not much left over for them to do anything with. I think the majority of the money that gets spent comes from VPA, which makes sense because they're the for-profit side of things that can help to fund large events and things. It's not much different than a vendor sponsoring some get-together, so what they spend their money on is really sort of their choosing. In the end VPA is a business, and they can choose to spend their money however they want to spend it.

I've read (not confirmed) that the magazine printing is done by a related party to the individuals so it can be possible the $60 yearly subscription cost is deliberately high to direct funds to the publisher instead of getting the best value for the dollar for VCA members.

Publishing current financials and tax returns would allow some real and cogent discussion on where membership funds have been (re)directed.
 

MoparMap

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MoparMap there is a big difference between misappropriated and mismanaged. Let's just leave it at that.

Fair enough, I'll agree that there needs to be some better reporting of where the funds are coming from and going to (either VCA or VPA). To my knowledge the club's only direct revenue is through the raffle and the memberships. I'd have to look at the tax form again (not that I can really understand it anyway), but I don't really think the membership dues have much effect in the long run and I don't feel they're being wasted by any means. The raffle income is an interesting question mark though.
 

virginiavenom

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bob? aren't you going to tell me this is my computer problem still? cause I still don't see this thread. I even used another computer that has never been on this site as a guest and couldn't see this thread in the "new posts"
 

virginiavenom

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well I'll be damned, it's showing up now.....go figure, ***** about it and it gets fixed miraculously.....
 

virginiavenom

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VRYALT3R3D

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bob? aren't you going to tell me this is my computer problem still? cause I still don't see this thread. I even used another computer that has never been on this site as a guest and couldn't see this thread in the "new posts"
It only shows up if there is a new post not made by you. If you viewed the thread and then clicked "new posts" it wont show up. I hope that make sense. its
how all VB forums work
 
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