Hello, all!
For the most part, this place has been eerily quiet.
Time to blow the dust off blog page 110...
Has everyone lost their pulse? Or nerve?
Let's hear from ya, folks!
Some RSVP notes:
RNFord --
About loan sharking... I will plead ignorant to not knowing the statutory limits of what constitutes it. That's the only reason I won't expound on it.
I bet you can name one group who *thoroughly* knows that facet of criminal law -- and how to manipulate/exploit it. Hint: Seven letters and starts with a "T."
More manipulation...
How 'bout they just redo the invoices for the amount they paid ESCORTS at the factory and take out all that false profit that they baked into those invoices when they "Sold" the paper to the dealers. (First reverse all that incentive pay to those employees that got bonuses for selling all that false paper) We all know that those were not sells -- but kites.
Irony here... bet the brainchild bookkeepers who laid out that scheme don't even fit under the extortion (errrr, financial) firm's Golden Umbrella.
What a freaking pity, eh? They are relegated to driving a Viper instead of a Porsche.
And to the TMs who stuffed their pockets with tractor-dumping cay$h and made a run for it: shame on you, sellouts!
SESS --
Question for the "wise" ones...
Some would say that "wise" is only half a word when referring to me. : )
When a ship is sinking and taking on water-at what point do you start bailing the water out?
Conventionally, you cork it before flooding becomes an issue... unless you are heavily insured for the boat sinking and the onboard drowning deaths!
This Farmtrac mess has been going on for 7 months now. Less than 50 tractors have been sold across the USA since Jan.
The Benjamins are not flowing... retailers report that on many a day, neither are the Washingtons.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT:
Wonder if those working for the Big T haven't pared their diets down to bread, antacids, ibuprophen ... and water to wash it down?
Spies say Ruth Criss' is still on their menus.
Contrary to belief, dealers do not set the price for the tractors sitting on their lots. The floorplan company Tex*** sets the price.
That sounds strangely familiar to what Huggy Bear does. Lemme guess... Kurt, the boys and Lizzy Leach are easily distinguished by the Roostah-like feather protruding from their fedoras.
With a very minimal amount of tractors sold for the year, don't you think it would be time to start DISCOUNTING the units to get them moving before the tires go flat and the paint fades away?
SESS, working-folk logic (and concern) has *nothing* to do with their actions.
For a moment, think like the animal you're observing [I realize it's tough, as we have internalized numerous pro-social and existential values]: The Evil Empire refuses to take a
cut... they intend to get full money -- from someone, somehow.
- If dealers sell tractors quick and eat the loss, Darth Raymond's crew gets it "up front."
- If dealers are unable (or unwilling) to eat the loss and don't sell units, TFC will push to collect interest and curtailments.
Translated: They have rigged the game so they'll win, no matter what the outcome.
If a byproduct is that retailers are screwed... do you think The Dark Side gives a rat's gluteus?
There are a lot of customers out there waiting to buy Farmtracs (and rightly they should because they are good running tractors)
Indeed. I hear about lots of satisfaction with the product. Even those taking it on the chin still say "but I really like their tractors."
They are not going to buy them at last years prices! They want discounts to reflect the age of the tractors and/or condition that it is in.
If I'm understand you correctly, you're saying... C'mon now,
cut the nonsense and dish out some legitimate price reductions.
Agreed. And goofy slant-the-book sales spinjobs aren't going to
cut it. That crap is transparent. The majority of customers know when the numbers are manipulated to
simulate a sale.
...we need to get some discounts and that will get rid of some of the water in the sinking ship!
While your quickly filling boat is going down.. but guess who is lazily dry fishing from the peer? See answer to the well-versed criminals answer above.
Hope the dealers escape the sinking boat and safely arrive on land... while TFC's fish wash to the shoreline and rot. The stench would be a ripe -- and fitting -- outcome.
--b