S02.E11: Swanson's Fish Market

[Tara Ariano]

A successful second-generation business that burnt to the ground a few years ago leaves the company drowning in debt.

[aliya]

I realize Marcus wants to take people at their word and all, but you'd think he'd at least run a title serch before offering to buy a building.

 

A terrible family that deserves to lose - too bad they are going to take their employees with them. I hope the daughter goes back to wherever and lives her own life. Hmm, and isn't that one vendor she dealt with, promising a check that same day, going to be ticked off when he doesn't get his money. 

[JasminePhyllisia]

Does Marcus really do business based on a "handshake" without any background checks on the people and their businesses? That part didn't ring true. Also, he pointed out the poor daughter driving an old car while her mother lived large, driving a BMW. Did he not notice the Louis Vuitton bag on the daughter's desk?

[KHenry14]

There's a lot of this episode that doesn't ring true. Like, the rebuild of the building netted them 200k from the insurance after the rebuilding....so why is there a mortgage? Stuff like that must have driven Marcus crazy. There is seemingly all sorts of strange money dealings that just don't add up. And if I'd been working there and giving money out of my pocket to help the business while the owner flaunts their BMW, Louis Vuitton etc. I would have told them to pound sand.

 

In the end, it's no surprise that Marcus walked away.

[raiderred1]

Anyone else think daddy's doing some type of pharmaceutcal therapy? Of course who could blame him when he is married to that evil bitch. My skin crawled when "mommy" tried to comfort the daughter. Family issues much? Those poor employees.

[clod]

paid up on the business mortgage?  "Yes"      wow.  you're in the foreclosure process!

 

I was surprised when Marcus proposed a real estate deal, with no financial or operating control.

 

 

 

and I think he missed it during the moment (live), and added the narration bit about  contractors and painters at the house - they're remodeling????

 

 

 

 

 My skin crawled when "mommy" tried to comfort the daughter. Family issues much?

 

Marcus looked uncomfortable watching it.

 

That daughter needs to leave.   just leave. 

Edited October 29, 2014 by clod

[aliya]

I don't put much stock in fancy handbags. They sell very good knockoffs on the streets in Philly and NYC all the time. If it's real, it may have been a gift, she might have bought it on sale. On the other hand, the car and the freaking boat were real and sucking out a lot more money than a handbag.

 

These folks were trying to get out of debt while keeping their toys and keeping their employees footing the bills as long as possible. What awful people. 

[Lola16]

Anyone else think daddy's doing some type of pharmaceutcal therapy? 

Yes.  He was awfully twitchy.  There are comments online from the time of the fire that one of the principals had a drug issue.  The money is going somewere.  I'll be a few miles away tomorrow, will swing by if I remember. 

 

Larissa worked in the store in 2010 according to an article about the re-opening of the store.  She has an older sister that wasn't mentioned on the show (but was around for the reopening in 2010).  I wonder how little Larissa really knew versus what they were hiding from Marcus.

 

So what's the insurance payout timelines?

 

Store fire in July 2009.  Loss = 1 M$.  Payout = 1.2M$

Warehouse fire in December 2009.  Loss = 30K$.   Payout = 225K$

Boat flood in ??  Loss = 25K?  Payout = 75K$?

 

What about their house that they are remodeling?  I am sure there are claims from hurricane Sandy or Irene.

 

There's something more going on.  Drugs, gambling, second family/mistress.   It can't just be mismanagement.  There's got to be a misappropriation of funds.

 

The BMW was a symptom not a cause.  And if it wasn't leased, would they get enough from the sale to pay off the loan?   Doubt it.

 

I thought the Queens stitchery company was shady.  Swansons was much worse.

[dialyn]

I just saw this episode. Wow.  The mysterious disappearance of insurance money.  The BMW. Remodeling the house.  Not disclosing the boat.  Not revealing they are in foreclosure. If the father and mother aren't a pair of scammers, they sure are acting like it.  The daughter needs to exit stage right before she ends up taking the fall for their activities.  The parents are a lost cause.  I don't know why Marcus didn't do research before entering into a financial arrangement with them.  I feel sorry for the employees.  They deserved better than to work for two people who didn't care about them or the family business but just wanted to feed their expensive habits.  Apparently they aren't too bright if they thought being on "The Profit" would help their business...some of the postings on Yelp are scathing; however, someone identified as Larissa posted: 

 

Swansons has a whole new staff and the fish is delivered off the boat every two days! The whole store has been under new management .

I'm hoping that is the daughter and somehow someone cleared the parents out of the business so it could survive. Still feel bad for the former employees.

[rehoboth]

So shady!!!  Even I picked up on the insurance money discrepancies and would have stopped right there until I knew where the money went.  The retail building was not overly improved (no swimming pool or tennis courts in the back) so the money had to be going into the owners pockets.  When Marcus went to look up the records, I thought he was going to do research on the owner's house(s).  (And yes, I, too, thought that the title search would have been done right away; this was one month into the deal.  Head scratcher.)  I caught that they added in a voice over that  Marcus' money was put in an escrow account and that the owners could not touch it.  They knew the viewers would be upset if those owners got it.

 

As far as the daughter's handbag goes, she worked in retail before coming back to the business so I think she really earned that purse.  Or maybe it was a gift -- from the mother.

[onomea]

Wait...I am so confused.  I get it that he walked away, and I am glad -  but didn't Marcus pay for all those bills?  He had them call their cridtors to negotiate and offer immediate cahier's checks, and he bought all those displays and refrigerators.  The money was in escrow- but it was still spent.  Did Marcus lose all that outgoing money?  And how much do you think he lost?  Frankly, I am surprised at Marcus' mistakes this time around.

[Primetimer]

Something's rotten in Fairfield -- and it's Swanson's fish market. Will Marcus Lemonis cut bait?

Read the story

[Ketzel]

Wait...I am so confused.  I get it that he walked away, and I am glad -  but didn't Marcus pay for all those bills?  He had them call their cridtors to negotiate and offer immediate cahier's checks, and he bought all those displays and refrigerators.  The money was in escrow- but it was still spent.  Did Marcus lose all that outgoing money?  And how much do you think he lost?  Frankly, I am surprised at Marcus' mistakes this time around.

I'm starting to wonder if Marcus Lemonis actually is the hot shot entrepreneurial financing wizard he's supposed to be. This show isn't doing his reputation any favors.  He's making it seem as if he has no concept of due diligence at all. If he really was used to doing deals just on a handshake, one would think after  the deals gone wrong (or nearly so) that were Jacob Maarse Florists, A. Stein Meats, Skullduggery, Key West Key Lime Pies, Planet Popcorn, he'd be a little more savvy about getting all the paperwork in order before disbursing any cash. (And I have to say, if he really was used to doing real estate deals on a handshake, he must have given every lawyer who works for him stress ulcers. But I don't think it can possibly be true.)

Edited October 29, 2014 by Ketzel

[Sister Havana]

Wow. This one was a doozy. The parents were beyond shady, and Sue just seemed exceptionally entitled. Poor Larissa. She seemed to be the only family member who was aboveboard. (Didn't Marcus say she was the one who contacted him?) 

[RaiderTheo]

There was something really weird about these people. The mom looked like she was on some sort of drug...maybe painkillers. The dad seemed a bit bi-polar. I'd put a wager on it that they set the fire themselves to feed their drug habits. The daughter was smoking hot. 

 

These people are parasites and I hope their business fails. 

[Rickster]

I'm starting to wonder if Marcus Lemonis actually is the hot shot entrepreneurial financing wizard he's supposed to be. This show isn't doing his reputation any favors.  He's making it seem as if he has no concept of due diligence at all. If he really was used to doing deals just on a handshake, one would think after  the deals gone wrong (or nearly so) that were Jacob Maarse Florists, A. Stein Meats, Skullduggery, Key West Key Lime Pies, Planet Popcorn, he'd be a little more savvy about getting all the paperwork in order before disbursing any cash. (And I have to say, if he really was used to doing real estate deals on a handshake, he must have given every lawyer who works for him stress ulcers. But I don't think it can possibly be true.)

You have to remember this is a TV show, not real life. I have no idea about Marcus' abilities, but I do know that watching accountants and lawyers poring through spreadsheets and contracts does not make for exciting TV visuals. It wouldn't surprise me that he knows exactly what he's getting into, and everything you see is made-for-TV drama.

[profitfan]

I signed up just so I could comment on this show! 

 

I watched the first season practically marathon style a little while ago.  I found the show extremely appealing and actually thought it was "real".  After watching this episode it lost most if not all credibility with me.

 

The biggest problem I had was Marcus lying to the vendor by telling the daughter to lie to them. 

 

"All we have is 35."   - (35,000$)

 

While I understand the concept of "negotiating" a lower price, the fact of the matter is they OWE the total amount and should PAY that amount.  Especially since they know they have it!  (It makes me think there was a "backroom" deal between Marcus (or the production team) and the vendor given that its name was mentioned as well.)  If I was the vendor I would have told them I wouldn't do any further business with them unless the total was paid off.  (Perhaps "negotiate" an additional surcharge on each subsequent order until the total was paid.)  To me this is no better than the owner getting more money than he should have from the insurance companies.

 

While the show makes it seem the daughter is caught in the middle here, I can't also believe that.  Others have noted her bag and I would also note her manicured fingernails.  (I know not such a big deal, but hey...)  For her to be commuting 2 hours everyday and give up a job in retail - she has to be making money at this job.  She's been working there for quite a long time to be making the same commute daily.  So I am sure she either does quite well or she has a vested interest in the business.  (Given that on the Yelp page for the business it is her photos and comments which accompany the reviews.)

 

I also find the requisite "crying" per episode now way too much to watch! 

 

If I knew for sure these shows are "fake"  I think I wouldn't watch them.  I only do now because I still hold out hope.

[dialyn]

I signed up just so I could comment on this show! 

 

I watched the first season practically marathon style a little while ago.  I found the show extremely appealing and actually thought it was "real".  After watching this episode it lost most if not all credibility with me.

 

The biggest problem I had was Marcus lying to the vendor by telling the daughter to lie to them. 

 

"All we have is 35."   - (35,000$)

 

While I understand the concept of "negotiating" a lower price, the fact of the matter is they OWE the total amount and should PAY that amount.  Especially since they know they have it!  (It makes me think there was a "backroom" deal between Marcus (or the production team) and the vendor given that its name was mentioned as well.)  If I was the vendor I would have told them I wouldn't do any further business with them unless the total was paid off.  (Perhaps "negotiate" an additional surcharge on each subsequent order until the total was paid.)  To me this is no better than the owner getting more money than he should have from the insurance companies.

 

While the show makes it seem the daughter is caught in the middle here, I can't also believe that.  Others have noted her bag and I would also note her manicured fingernails.  (I know not such a big deal, but hey...)  For her to be commuting 2 hours everyday and give up a job in retail - she has to be making money at this job.  She's been working there for quite a long time to be making the same commute daily.  So I am sure she either does quite well or she has a vested interest in the business.  (Given that on the Yelp page for the business it is her photos and comments which accompany the reviews.)

 

I also find the requisite "crying" per episode now way too much to watch! 

 

If I knew for sure these shows are "fake"  I think I wouldn't watch them.  I only do now because I still hold out hope.

 

 

You make several good points.  Negotiating a better price is one thing; lying to a vendor who provided product in good faith is another.  And the daughter may well not be as innocent as she first appeared to be....pretty hard to know the right to do things when you have a pair of amateur con people as parents (and I do think the parents look like schemers in this episode).  I don't think Marcus is stupid....we do see more of an edge to him in some episodes...but I can't believe he wouldn't investigate more before he signed any checks.  I could see him buying the fish company outright because it looked like it could have been doing decent business if anyone had a real interest in it, but giving money to that family would be pouring money into a black hole (it would disappear and never come back out again).  I'll probably keep watching unless the deals become completely absurd.  I don't know if I am learning much about running a business, however.

[Ketzel]

You have to remember this is a TV show, not real life. I have no idea about Marcus' abilities, but I do know that watching accountants and lawyers poring through spreadsheets and contracts does not make for exciting TV visuals. It wouldn't surprise me that he knows exactly what he's getting into, and everything you see is made-for-TV drama.

Well, I wouldn't insist on seeing the spreadsheets on camera myself. I just cannot buy into a storyline that has someone repeatedly spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on behalf of failing businesses without even a token nod to due diligence - like sending an assistant over to the registry of deeds to make sure the owners actually own the real estate that is the underpinning of the deal. The Swanson owners were sending out so many signals that they were untrustworthy, the idea that Marcus thought he could rely on a handshake deal made him look naïve. And I don't think he's naïve. So if he's participating in all this for the sake of the show, I think he needs to be more protective of how he's being portrayed.

[Shibori]

Sue parked her BMW in the handicapped space. It's clearly visible in the one scene as she rolls in over the wheelchair symbols. Classy.

I'd like to know who their insurance company is, I'd have a policy with them tomorrow, because I just got my fireplace ready for the winter!

It sounds like they tried to claim that bill we saw the daughter negotiate was for the mortgage (you know, the mortgage they didn't have). By the time a building is in foreclosure, a decent amount of what's due is escalating interest and fees, so you could get a bank to settle for a lower amount, because they're still likely recovering the principal. That said, I've been a real estate attorney and agent for years, and I've never seen anyone get someone with decision making power on the phone that quickly- it often takes weeks to get a response!

I hope that's a nice boat, as it looks like they might be living on it!

Edited October 30, 2014 by Shibori

[raiderred1]

 

 

The biggest problem I had was Marcus lying to the vendor by telling the daughter to lie to them.

"All we have is 35."   - (35,000$)

While I understand the concept of "negotiating" a lower price, the fact of the matter is they OWE the total amount and should PAY that amount.  Especially since they know they have it!  (It makes me think there was a "backroom" deal between Marcus (or the production team) and the vendor given that its name was mentioned as well.)  If I was the vendor I would have told them I wouldn't do any further business with them unless the total was paid off.  (Perhaps "negotiate" an additional surcharge on each subsequent order until the total was paid.)  To me this is no better than the owner getting more money than he should have from the insurance companies.

I'm 1000% with you on this!  We own a family business that my dad started back in the early 80's and we have built it to triple in size so when they try that crap with the vendor it made me see red.  The cost of doing business is high to begin with, we don't need drug-addict shitheads like this involved.  I wonder if dude's dad is still alive and if so, how proud must he be of both the son and his business?  

 

Totally off the topic but what was going on with that guy's hair?  Was it a poorly colored toupee?  WTF???

 

I'd like to know who their insurance company is, I'd have a policy with them tomorrow, because I just got my fireplace ready for the winter!

Quotes like this are my reason for life. Thanks so much for the laugh. 

[Amarsir]

This was a ride. We could all see the shadiness early on, but then it looked like they'd pull it together for a little while.  Until the inevitable happened.  (I saw the handicapped space too, Shibori.  And the camera was definitely angled right to catch that, proving the crew knows their stuff.)

 

I'm starting to wonder if Marcus Lemonis actually is the hot shot entrepreneurial financing wizard he's supposed to be. This show isn't doing his reputation any favors.  He's making it seem as if he has no concept of due diligence at all. 

I think there's a forgivable bit of TV license going on.  To me, "write a check for the building" means "close the deal and have my attorney start the due diligence".  The lawyer does a routine title search, then calls Marcus to tell him.  Then Marcus goes to City Hall for the cameras.  Because even if the search wasn't routine, his time's too valuable to be doing public records searches himself.  That's what "having people" is for.

 

We could ask why it takes 5 weeks, but if he's making reasonable good faith assumptions it's understandable that they're acting in the meantime.  

[Amarsir]

I'm 1000% with you on this!  We own a family business that my dad started back in the early 80's and we have built it to triple in size so when they try that crap with the vendor it made me see red.  

Next week The Profit features a fishing business that's losing money because of vendors not making good on payments.

 

In fairness, Marcus has been on both sides of it.  I'd bet you that when collecting overdue payments, as with Stein Meats, he's taken partial payment plenty of times.  Heck, even in this ep he took $10k on a $15k debt + obligation without blinking. So to impose that on someone else is a bit shady but not hypocritical.  I do dislike the literal "all I can afford" statement and try to avoid it in negotiating.  But I also don't take the wording too literally in that kind of process.

[Puddy]

The conspicuous consumption was evident all through this family.  Mom's BMW, dad's boat and yes, even the daughter's Vuitton bag.  If you are in deep financial shit, you liquidate.  That purse should have been sold on Ebay or at the very least, kept out of sight ~~ no matter how she came to possess it.

 

People watch this show and the bad taste that was displayed will prevent these viewers from becoming future customers.  I cannot imagine the supplier that was willing to settle the account would have been happy knowing about the boat and the car, etc.  I would have told the daughter a flat out no to her offer of a check.  I would tell her I wanted the BMW instead, just to be an asshat.

 

And ~~ Who the hell do they have for an insurance company?  A bunch of check writing idiots?

Edited October 30, 2014 by Puddy

[Lola16]

 

It sounds like they tried to claim that bill we saw the daughter negotiate was for the mortgage (you know, the mortgage they didn't have). By the time a building is in foreclosure, a decent amount of what's due is escalating interest and fees, so you could get a bank to settle for a lower amount, because they're still likely recovering the principal. That said, I've been a real estate attorney and agent for years, and I've never seen anyone get someone with decision making power on the phone that quickly- it often takes weeks to get a response!

It was their fish supply vendor that they owed 53K to and they offered 35K.  Not a good way to remain in good standing with your vendors.  If I were that vendor, all future orders would be COD.

[Amarsir]

It was their fish supply vendor that they owed 53K to and they offered 35K.  Not a good way to remain in good standing with your vendors.  If I were that vendor, all future orders would be COD.

He's a fish vendor.  There's a good chance a lot of their orders are cod.

 

(It's a fish pun!)

[Ketzel]

It was their fish supply vendor that they owed 53K to and they offered 35K.  Not a good way to remain in good standing with your vendors.  If I were that vendor, all future orders would be COD.

From what the employees were saying about basically taking up a collection to pay for the fish orders, I'm guessing the vendors were already on a COD basis with the Swanson account.

[Chinchilla magic]

I get that this is entertainment and doesn't reflect how Lemonis or anyone else conducts business, and I'm okay with that. I'm sure the producers knew they were dealing with lowlife scammers 24 hours into their introduction to the charming Swanson family, but they needed to fill an hour. Hence all the dumb conversations about the BMW, as if a leased 3 series was meaningful in light of everything else that was going on. What I don't get is why the family chose to participate in the show. Surely they knew their business couldn't withstand the most cursory review, and no investment was ever going to happen. And now their entire community knows they are guilty of insurance fraud and deceptive business practices. Who would even trust their labeling of fish at this point? Fairfield is a small town. There's not a resident who hadn't seen or heard about the Swansons true nature by this morning. I certainly wouldn't do business with a bunch of thieves, and I doubt many others will either, so what was the point if the whole exercise? It's a shame--I remember when the store was a reliable place to get good fish and good service. The founder must be rolling in his grave.

[Amarsir]

What I don't get is why the family chose to participate in the show. Surely they knew their business couldn't withstand the most cursory review, and no investment was ever going to happen. And now their entire community knows they are guilty of insurance fraud and deceptive business practices. 

I thought it was telling that the daughter was the one who applied to the show, having recently had the mess handed to her.  That makes me think maybe she didn't know what her parents had been doing.  And then at that point, what can they say? "No we don't want our failing business to get investment, guidance and advertising, and we can't tell you why."

[rehoboth]

I think this entire episode was constructed solely to make up a TV show.  I think the due diligence concerning the Swanson's finances was done by Marcus' staff early on and they knew within days of coming in of the lien on the building.  I thought that Marcus ran to the Records Department to check on the Swanson's personal assets.  Why would Sue spilling the beans about painters and contractors at their home make Marcus jump up and do research on the business building?  They knew from the get go that Poppa Swanson was a liar and that was going to be their (dramatic) out in the end. 

 

Also why didn't Marcus make his usual offer of buying into the business?  It didn't make sense to me that he would offer to buy the building and then announce to the staff that he (Marcus) was now "100% in charge."  Did he not buy into the business because he knew that, no matter how well-run, that business would never show a profit due to Swanson-style accounting?  It certainly seems like Marcus went against the rules that he lays out every show that he is not giving out charity and will only be involved with a business that he can make money off of.

[Buck Henry]

I wouldn't be surprised if after this being shown on the air the insurance company decides to dig a little further.  Even the producers and Lamonis must have thought the same thing.  That they where into insurance fraud.  

 

[attica]

Since they aired the fish vendor's side of the conversation, which they would not be able to do without permission, I'm hoping the vendor charged the balance of the account as fee for granting said permission. Because being shown on tv that you'll take such a haircut won't do them any good next time somebody owes.

 

I'm curious as to how the show managed to get Sue and Gary to have their argument about the boat while mic'd up. They're totally shady enough to know how to avoid incriminating conversations, right?

 

I'm with Sarah. Larissa's ill-fitting blouse was so very sad. :)

 

Fun episode; trainwrecks are always fascinating.

[Lola16]

I think Larissa wears tight clothes to show off and with the mic pac on, it created that pulling.

I didn't get a chance to swing by yesterday. Will do it next time I'm in Fairfield. There's a chili place in their strip that looks delish!

Check out the comments midway down in this blog

http://tvruckus.com/2014/10/28/the-profit-swansons-fish-market-gets-marcus-lemonis-treatment-video/

[attica]

The local cable news outfit covered the show two days ago, and got this from Gary:

Store owner Gary Swanson says Lemonis is as blunt and shrewd as he appears on the show. He says things got contentious and heated at times, but some things were exaggerated for dramatic purposes.

Swanson says the TV production and cameras were overwhelming, but says he would do it over again if he had to.

 

The comments to that piece echo what's here: everybody thinks something's amiss. I wonder about the self-delusion of people like Gary and Sue.  Without an outright accusation, the implication of the episode is that they're crooked. How do you go about business in town after this?

[Rustytwo]

First I wondered why Marcus diid not go to the court house find out whats what.   These two are fraudester, two buildings burned down made a nice profit then his boat with insurance.  I feel for the daughter leaving her job.  Her parents need a revisit from the insurance  coompany and I think  investgate this "fires" again.   I smell a rat the mother and father who own whats left of a business. liars theifs and out right fraud.

[msudie]

A few things...

 

I'm a Fairfield resident and I know that I'm not alone when i say that I'll never step foot in that business.  The insurance issues alone should be re-examined.

 

I felt that Marcus talked too much about the BMW.  A 3 Series in Fairfield is almost the equivalent of a Civic in other towns.  If it were a 7 or even a 5 series, maybe he would have a point.  

[camom]

I'd love to know the cause of the fires.  The whole thing sounds "fishy."  I don't know if the money is going to drugs, gambling, or whatever, but the owners are throwing it away someplace.

 

Why would they have contractors and painters at a home that is in foreclosure?  If I recall, they were several months overdue on their home mortgage, as well as being behind, as it turned out, on the business mortgage.  And since the insurance company paid them more than it cost to rebuild, why did they even have a mortgage?

[dialyn]

A few things...

 

I'm a Fairfield resident and I know that I'm not alone when i say that I'll never step foot in that business.  The insurance issues alone should be re-examined.

 

I felt that Marcus talked too much about the BMW.  A 3 Series in Fairfield is almost the equivalent of a Civic in other towns.  If it were a 7 or even a 5 series, maybe he would have a point.  

The daughter was not driving a BMW.  I'd be willing to bet none of the employees drove a BMW.  To many people, BMWs are indulgent wants, not absolute needs. What Marcus was trying to get at with the boat and the BMW and the house redecorating is that the parents were apparently willing to give up nothing for their business (in fact they were sucking it dry) and it looked terrible that they continued to be self-indulgent when others were making sacrifices (and you can argue about why the employees were doing that and if they were part of the scam, but that's not what I'm referencing here).  What I don't understand is why it took more than a minute for someone as shrewd as Marcus seems to be to catch on to the parents scheming.  Personally I think he was more interested in salvaging something for the daughter (tight clothes or not, she was the only sympathetic member of the family we saw and she was the one who called him in), and maybe that sympathy blinded him, at first, to the shenanigans the parents were pulling.  Of course we are seeing a heavily edit bit of much larger conversations so it could have actually gone much differently in real life than it did on the show.

[rehoboth]

I can only hope that law enforcement officials take note of this episode. When Judge Judy has someone on who alludes to shady behavior, she tells them straight out that the IRS has people who spend part of their day watching her show and then go after those (dumb) people. It's easier than finding the crooks yourself.

If there is any justice in the world, the IRS, state Attorney General and their insurance companies will be on this. To heck with To Catch a Predator, we've got someone volunteering for legal scrutiny on The Profit.

[Lola16]

The fire was in 2009.  The market re-opened in 2010.  Larissa was working at the market then.  She's working there now.  Who knows when she left and for how long.  It's a family business.  Just because she's attractive, I'm not going to be blind to what she might have known.  She admitted on air that she had received the market foreclosure paperwork a month prior but she didn't tell Marcus either.

[dialyn]

The fire was in 2009.  The market re-opened in 2010.  Larissa was working at the market then.  She's working there now.  Who knows when she left and for how long.  It's a family business.  Just because she's attractive, I'm not going to be blind to what she might have known.  She admitted on air that she had received the market foreclosure paperwork a month prior but she didn't tell Marcus either.

I don't know the family or how deeply enmeshed Larissa is with the activities of her parents.  They brought her in to do the books knowing she didn't know what she was doing, and that might have been a plus from their point of view (that was the impression I got, anyway; I apologize ahead of time if this isn't true).  I could see one scenario where she is duplicitous and sought to be on the show for promotional purposes, or to use Marcus as a beard to hide their activities and fund future extravagances.  That could be.  Another scenario might be that she didn't know the whole story but then tried, as best she could, to protect her parents as she discovered more and more, and she called in Marcus so that he could reveal the rot beneath the surface so she wouldn't have to.  Since I have the feeling the parents would do anything to escape responsibility for their actions, I could well see them sucking other people in so that the other people could act as sacrificial goats should anyone ever catch on to their schemes.  And, to a point, it certainly worked.  Haven't a clue what the real story is, but it's probably something else completely.

[Neil]

I just read the daughter's post on her Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/larissa.swanson.35/posts/10203200573150303). She raises some serious allegations against the show. I'd be interested in hearing people's thoughts on it.

[Amarsir]

I just read the daughter's post on her Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/larissa.swanson.35/posts/10203200573150303). She raises some serious allegations against the show. I'd be interested in hearing people's thoughts on it.

My first thought is that she needs to learn how paragraph breaks work.

 

I believe her on the timing. The show clearly was being fuzzy about the schedule.  What notice came about the foreclosure, when did it come, and who knew ... it will remain mysterious I suppose.  I don't understand how they could have offered to cut a check that day when the money was in escrow, so her saying it was a lie and they didn't pay sounds valid.

 

In the beginning my father screwed up his numbers reallyybad, we only got 750k for the insurance settlement money and the whole building and expenses Cost 1.2

That's a pretty big screw up.  It certainly would explain a lot.  But if you tell a potential investor on national television that you received a half-million dollars you actually didn't, then the hell you're about to receive is in large part your fault.

 

My mom never wanted to film, during the whole process throughout the summer; she had 3 deaths in her family including her father and a few of the days she showed up late was due to her crying and yes she was medicated and it was Xanax bc of all the stress she was under on top of having to take care of my brother.

I'm going to call this a toss-up.  It could all be true and yet also be excuses.

[rehoboth]

I read Larissa's post and here are my thoughts:

 

- I don't think that The Profit made Gary look bad; Gary provided it all himself.  He was asked twice on different days about the insurance payouts and gave the same info twice.

- It was pointed out repeatedly to the entire family that the numbers didn't add up.  They were asked "Where did this money go?"  and the response was <crickets>.  Larissa maintains that they weren't given the chance to answer but I think they were.

-  Amidst all the financial questions, the employees did chip in their own money to keep the business afloat so that says to me that the employees think the owners are good people.

- We were told that the money was put into an escrow account until the deal was secured so the scene with them negotiating with their vendors was puzzling.  It was as if it was inserted to show that Marcus is the consummate negotiator and it rang very false.

- The question of arson only popped into my head when Gary pointed out how unlikely it was for one business to have two fires on holidays within a couple of years.

- Marcus jumping up to go do a title search on the business building when Sue mentioned painters and contractors at her home was just makes no sense.

- Lastly, I have known a family that complained all the time about their bad luck.  But when you look closely at their actions (or lack of actions) over the years, you see that the patterns of how they contribute or are totally responsible for all these bad things that happen to them (and nobody else).  I don't believe that this remarkable pile on of bad things to the Swanson family is not related to their own actions and judgments - maybe Larissa is too close to see it.

[Lola16]

I read Larissa's post and here are my thoughts:

[...].

- Lastly, I have known a family that complained all the time about their bad luck.  But when you look closely at their actions (or lack of actions) over the years, you see that the patterns of how they contribute or are totally responsible for all these bad things that happen to them (and nobody else).  I don't believe that this remarkable pile on of bad things to the Swanson family is not related to their own actions and judgments - maybe Larissa is too close to see it.

I am sure there was a lot of license taken with the editing of the show.  That said, I also agree that this family makes their own 'luck'.  They complain about finances yet in August, Larissa goes to Italy on vacation?  OK, maybe it was preplanned but if finances were so tight...   Gary is posting photos of him jet skiing etc all summer long.  Sue's father passed away in May, long before filming started.  According to Sue's own FB post, the family traveled in '09 after the store burned down.  So maybe that's where the money went?

 

Sue Swanson I believe this pic was taken

in" 09"

During the rebuild of the store

It was the time of my life!!!!

(Boy did we travel that Yr !!

 

 

I think this is a family that likes to do what they do and when things go bad, they blame someone else or 'bad luck'.

[attica]

There was a scene in the office when Larissa started breaking down, and Sue went to "comfort" her that felt for all the world like Sue was thinking "....and Enter Stage Left, emote, emote, emote, put back of hand to forehead, flounce off Stage Right." Whether the show staged it for the cameras, or Sue staged for herself, it felt completely un-organic.

[Lola16]

There was a scene in the office when Larissa started breaking down, and Sue went to "comfort" her that felt for all the world like Sue was thinking "....and Enter Stage Left, emote, emote, emote, put back of hand to forehead, flounce off Stage Right." Whether the show staged it for the cameras, or Sue staged for herself, it felt completely un-organic.

The whole episode when I saw Sue, I thought of Jill Zarin of the Real Housewives of NY.  And that's not flattering to Sue.

[Lola16]

When will people learn to lock down their FB pages if they are going to be on TV?

 

Gary Swanson ur an the office cheacking the money because we need a jew whos good with money.
October 8, 2009 at 3:42pm

 

 

Gary Swanson added 14 new photos to the album EL CONQUISTADOR — with Sue Swanson.
November 19, 2009 ·

 

 

Sue changes Gary's background pic to be the boat (yes, the very boat she complains about)

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=4982841847799&set=a.3687078894535.2139988.1202065377&type=1

Sue Swanson Thanks, he has no idea that I just changed it. He will find out when his phone starts beeping...
March 31, 2013 at 12:00am

 

 

Gary Swanson Joanie I'm surprised some of those vans even got there, 0% for 6 years was too good to pass up so I bought 2 new ones a few years ago
July 23, 2013 at 10:27am

 

 

Jet Skis, Snowmobiles, Vacations to Florida, Puerto Rico and who knows where else.  All since 2009.   All while employees are pooling money to pay for deliveries?  Not looking good.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=4909541455335&set=a.1420503111557.2061745.1202065377&type=1

 

 

 

 

Edited October 31, 2014 by Lola16

[rehoboth]

Thank you to everyone who has rebutted Larissa's post with the Swanson's own Facebook entries over the last four years.  What I really want to see is the house they were (are) living in.

 

Sue making the boat Gary's avatar is pure joy.

 

Poor, poor Swanson's  -  I think not.

[clod]

nice boat.

 

would have been nice to see a pic of the boat and the house during the show.

 

 

iirc,  fairly early in the episode, Marcus summed up the monthly expenses vs revenue, and it sounded positive.   it was part of the sequence where he asked the owner what the monthly expenses were, and the guy said $18k.  the guy then waffled a bit on the $18k,  I think because he realized that $18k expenses was less than the amount of revenue he had just admitted to.   in other words, he accidentally admitted that the biz was profitable.   so he would have to explain where the money was going, or admit that there were expenses (like debts) that he didn't include.

 

 

they had enough insurance money to rebuild, but now they have a mortgage they can't pay.   hmmmm.

 

there a couple of instances where the owner said that cash was taken out for living expenses.   I got the impression he was describing cash bills walking out in their pockets.

Edited November 1, 2014 by clod