Significant Accounting Policies

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2018

Note 2 - Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and pursuant to the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 8 of Regulation S-X of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Certain information or footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP have been condensed or omitted, pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC for interim financial reporting. Accordingly, they do not include all the information and footnotes necessary for a comprehensive presentation of financial position, results of operations, or cash flows. It is management’s opinion, however, that the accompanying unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements include all adjustments, consisting of a normal recurring nature, which are necessary for a fair presentation of the financial position, operating results and cash flows for the periods presented.

The accompanying unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017 as filed with the SEC (the “2017 10-K”), which contains the audited financial statements and notes thereto, together with Management’s Discussion and Analysis, for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016. The financial information as of December 31, 2017 is derived from the audited financial statements presented in the 2017 10-K. The interim results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the year ending December 31, 2018 or for any future interim periods.

Principles of Consolidation

The accompanying unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of uSell and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

Segment Information

Operating segments are identified as components of an enterprise about which separate discrete financial information is available for evaluation by the chief operating decision maker, or decision-making group, in making decisions on how to allocate resources and assess performance. The Company’s chief operating decision maker is its Chief Executive Officer. The Company and its Chief Executive Officer view the Company’s operations and manage its business as one operating segment.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period.

Making estimates requires management to exercise significant judgment. It is at least reasonably possible that the estimate of the effect of a condition, situation or set of circumstances that existed at the date of the unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements, which management considered in formulating its estimate, could change in the near term due to one or more future confirming events. Accordingly, the actual results could differ significantly from our estimates.

Restricted Cash

The Company maintains a dedicated bank account with a third party custodian pursuant to which all accounts receivable and Collateral proceeds (as defined in the NPA) are deposited to this account. The Company can only access funds in this account in accordance with the terms of the NPA. This account is controlled by the Lender and is presented as restricted cash in the accompanying consolidated balance sheet.

Accounts Receivable

Accounts receivable represent obligations from the Company’s customers and are recorded net of allowances for cash discounts, doubtful accounts, and sales returns. The Company’s policy is to reserve for uncollectible accounts based on its best estimate of the amount of probable credit losses in its existing accounts receivable. The Company periodically reviews its accounts receivable to determine whether an allowance for doubtful accounts is necessary based on an analysis of past due accounts and other factors that may indicate that the realization of an account may be in doubt. Account balances deemed to be uncollectible are charged to the allowance after all means of collection have been exhausted and the potential for recovery is considered remote. The allowance for doubtful accounts was $1,317 at September 30, 2018 and $0 at December 31, 2017.

Inventory, net

Inventory, comprised of all finished goods, is stated at the lower of cost (average cost method) or net realizable value. Inventory is recorded net of allowances.

Allowances for slow-moving or obsolete inventory are provided based on historical experience of a variety of factors, including sales volume, product life and levels of inventory at the end of the period. The inventory reserve was $106,000 and $285,000 as of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively.

Substantially all of the Company’s inventory purchases are paid for before inventory is received in the Company’s warehouse. Prepaid inventory amounted to approximately $212,000 and $474,000 at September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively, and is included in inventory, net in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets.

Revenue Recognition

The Company adopted Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 606 – Revenue from Contracts with Customers” (“ASC 606”) as of January 1, 2018 using the modified retrospective method. This method allows the Company to apply ASC 606 to new contracts entered into after January 1, 2018, and to its existing contracts for which revenue earned through December 31, 2017 has been recognized under the guidance in effect prior to the effective date of ASC 606. The revenue recognition processes the Company applied prior to adoption of ASC 606 align with the recognition and measurement guidance of the new standard, therefore adoption of ASC 606 did not require a cumulative adjustment to opening equity.

Under ASC 606, a performance obligation is a promise within a contract to transfer a distinct good or service, or a series of distinct goods and services, to a customer. Revenue is recognized when performance obligations are satisfied and the customer obtains control of promised goods or services. The amount of revenue recognized reflects the consideration to which the Company expects to be entitled to receive in exchange for goods or services. Under the standard, a contract’s transaction price is allocated to each distinct performance obligation. To determine revenue recognition for arrangements that the Company determines are within the scope of ASC 606, the Company performs the following five steps: (i) identifies the contracts with a customer; (ii) identifies the performance obligations within the contract, including whether they are distinct and capable of being distinct in the context of the contract; (iii) determines the transaction price; (iv) allocates the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract; and (v) recognizes revenue when, or as, the Company satisfies each performance obligation.

Principal Device Revenue

The Company, through We Sell Cellular, generates revenue from the sales of its cellular telephones and related equipment. The Company recognizes revenue “FOB shipping point” on such sales. Delivery to the customer is deemed to have occurred when the customer takes title to the product. Generally, title passes to the customer when the products leave the Company’s warehouse. Payment terms generally require payment once an order is placed. The Company allows customers to return product within 30 days of shipment if the product is defective. Allowances for product returns are recorded as a reduction of sales at the time revenue is recognized based on historical data. The estimate of the allowance for product returns amounted to approximately $358,000 and $267,000 at September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively, and is recorded in accrued expenses in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets.

Agent Commission Revenue

Sellers on the Company’s uSell.com website are shown a list of offers from third party buyers interested in purchasing their devices. If a seller chooses one of these offers, the seller will ship their device directly to the buyer. The buyer is then responsible for testing the device, servicing the customer, and ultimately paying the seller for the device or returning it. The Company charges a commission to the buyers only when the seller sends in a device and is successfully paid for it. As such, the Company recognizes Agent Commission Revenue upon payment to the seller.

Fulfillment Revenue

The Company offers fulfillment services on behalf of its buyers for the items sold using the Agent Commission Revenue approach outlined above. The Company acts as the agent in these fulfillment services transactions, passing orders booked by its buyers to its third party fulfillment vendor, who then assembles the kits and mails them directly to the sellers. The Company earns a standard fee from its buyers and recognizes revenue upon shipment of the kits to the sellers. The Company evaluated the presentation of revenue on a gross versus net basis and determined that since the Company performs as an agent without assuming the risks and rewards of ownership of the goods, revenue should be reported on a net basis.

Advertising Revenue

Advertising revenues primarily come from payments for text-based sponsored links and display advertisements. Generally, the Company’s advertisers pay the Company on a cost per click, or CPC basis, which means advertisers pay only when someone clicks on one of their advertisements, or on a cost per thousand impression basis, or CPM. Paying on a CPM basis means that advertisers pay the Company based on the number of times their advertisements appear on the Company’s websites or mobile applications. Advertising revenue is recognized as income when the advertising services are rendered.

Deferred revenue represents amounts billed to customers or payments received from customers prior to providing services and for which the related revenue recognition criteria have not been met.

Shipping and Handling Costs

Shipping and handling costs included in cost of revenue were approximately $49,000 and $146,000 for the three months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively, and approximately $173,000 and $468,000 for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

Advertising

Advertising costs are expensed as they are incurred and are included in sales and marketing expenses. Advertising expense amounted to approximately $5,000 and $7,000 for the three months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively, and approximately $20,000 and $31,000 for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

Concentration of Credit Risk

Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash and accounts receivable.

The Company minimizes credit risk associated with cash by periodically evaluating the credit quality of its primary financial institutions. At times, the Company’s cash may be uninsured or in deposit accounts that exceed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) insurance limit. At September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, the Company had not experienced losses on these accounts and management believes the Company is not exposed to significant risks on such accounts.

Concentrations of credit risk with respect to accounts receivables is minimal due to the large number of customers comprising the Company’s customer base and generally short payment terms.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

Financial instruments, including cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable and accounts payable are carried at cost, which management believes approximates fair value due to the short-term nature of these instruments. The fair value of debt approximates its carrying amounts as a market rate of interest is attached to the repayment.

Net Loss per Share

Basic loss per share (“EPS”) is computed by dividing net loss available to common stockholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period, excluding the effects of any potentially dilutive securities. Diluted EPS gives effect to all dilutive potential of shares of common stock outstanding during the period, including stock options and warrants, using the treasury stock method, and convertible debt or convertible preferred stock, using the if-converted method. Diluted EPS excludes all dilutive potential of shares of common stock if their effect is anti-dilutive.

The computation of diluted EPS excludes the common stock equivalents of the following potentially dilutive securities because their inclusion would be anti-dilutive:

	Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2018		2017
Unvested Restricted Stock		65,834		141,666
Vested and Unvested Restricted Stock Units		476,353		743,020
Stock Options		427,333		503,667
Stock Warrants		797,083		797,083
		1,766,603		2,185,436

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standard Board (the “FASB”) issued ASU No. 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers” (“ASU 2014-09”). ASU 2014-09 provides guidance for revenue recognition and affects any entity that either enters into contracts with customers to transfer goods or services or enters into contracts for the transfer of nonfinancial assets and supersedes the revenue recognition requirements in Topic 605, “Revenue Recognition,” and most industry-specific guidance. The core principle of ASU 2014-09 is the recognition of revenue when a company transfers promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the company expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services. ASU 2014-09 defines a five-step process to achieve this core principle and, in doing so, companies will need to use more judgment and make more estimates than under the current guidance. These may include identifying performance obligations in the contract, estimating the amount of variable consideration to include in the transaction price and allocating the transaction price to each separate performance obligation. ASU 2014-09 was initially effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016 and interim periods therein, using either of the following transition methods: (i) a full retrospective approach reflecting the application of the standard in each prior reporting period with the option to elect certain practical expedients, or (ii) a retrospective approach with the cumulative effect of initially adopting ASU 2014-09 recognized at the date of adoption (which includes additional footnote disclosures). Early adoption is not permitted. The Company adopted the standard on January 1, 2018 using the modified retrospective transition method. The adoption of this standard did not have a material effect on the Company’s financial position or results of operations.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, “Leases” (“ASU 2016-02”). In September 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-13, “Revenue Recognition (Topic 605), Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), Leases (Topic 840), and Leases (Topic 842)”, which provides additional implementation guidance on the previously issued ASU 2016-02. ASU 2016-02 increases transparency and comparability among organizations by reporting lease assets and lease liabilities, both finance (capital) and operating leases, on the balance sheet and disclosing key information about leasing arrangements. Public business entities should apply the amendments in ASU 2016-02 for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Early application is permitted upon issuance. Lessees (for capital and operating leases) and lessors (for sales-type, direct financing, and operating leases) must apply a modified retrospective transition approach for leases existing at, or entered into after, the beginning of the earliest comparative period presented in the financial statements. The modified retrospective approach would not require any transition accounting for leases that expired before the earliest comparative period presented. Lessees and lessors may not apply a full retrospective transition approach. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the new guidance on its condensed consolidated financial statements.

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-15, “Statement of Cash Flows: Clarification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments” (“ASU 2016-15”), which eliminates the diversity in practice related to the classification of certain cash receipts and payments in the statement of cash flows, by adding or clarifying guidance on eight specific cash flow issues: debt prepayment or debt extinguishment costs; settlement of zero-coupon debt instruments or other debt instruments with coupon interest rates that are insignificant in relation to the effective interest rate of the borrowing; contingent consideration payments made after a business combination; proceeds from the settlement of insurance claims; proceeds from the settlement of corporate-owned life insurance policies (including bank-owned life insurance policies); distributions received from equity method investees; beneficial interests in securitization transactions; and separately identifiable cash flows and application of the predominance principle. ASU 206-15 is effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2017 and early adoption is permitted. ASU 2016-15 provides for retrospective application for all periods presented. The Company adopted the standard on January 1, 2018. The adoption of this standard did not have a material effect on the Company’s financial position or results of operations.

In October 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-16, “Income Taxes (Topic 740)” (“ASU 2016-16”), which reduces the complexity in the accounting standards by allowing the recognition of current and deferred income taxes for an intra-entity asset transfer, other than inventory, when the transfer occurs. ASU 2016-16 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods within those fiscal years, with early adoption permitted using a modified retrospective transition approach. The Company adopted the standard on January 1, 2018. The adoption of this standard did not have a material effect on the Company’s financial position or results of operations.

In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-18, “Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Restricted Cash” (“ASU 2016-18”), providing specific guidance on the cash flow classification and presentation of changes in restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents. ASU 2016-18 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017 and is to be applied retrospectively. The Company adopted the standard on January 1, 2018. Effective with the adoption of the new guidance, the Company changed the presentation of restricted cash in its consolidated statements of cash flows to conform to the new requirements.

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-01, “Business Combinations (Topic 805) Clarifying the Definition of a Business” (“ASU 2017-01”). The amendments in ASU 2017-01 clarify the definition of a business with the objective of adding guidance to assist entities with evaluating whether transactions should be accounted for as acquisitions (or disposals) of assets or businesses. The definition of a business affects many areas of accounting including acquisitions, disposals, goodwill, and consolidation. The guidance is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those periods. The Company adopted the standard on January 1, 2018. The adoption of this standard did not have an effect on the Company’s financial position or results of operations.

In May 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-09, “Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Scope of Modification Accounting “(“ASU 2017-09”). ASU 2017-09 provides clarity and reduces both (i) diversity in practice and (ii) cost and complexity when applying the guidance in Topic 718, Compensation-Stock Compensation, to a change to the terms or conditions of a share-based payment award. The amendments in ASU 2017-09 provide guidance about which changes to the terms or conditions of a share-based payment award require an entity to apply modification accounting in Topic 718. ASU 2017-09 is effective for all annual periods, and interim periods within those annual periods, beginning after December 15, 2017, with early adoption permitted. The Company adopted the standard on January 1, 2018. The adoption of this standard did not have an effect on the Company’s financial position or results of operations.

In June 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-07, “Compensation — Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Nonemployee Share-Based Payment Accounting” (“ASU 2018-07”), which expands the scope of Topic 718 to include all share-based payment transactions for acquiring goods and services from nonemployees. ASU 2018-07 specifies that Topic 718 applies to all share-based payment transactions in which the grantor acquires goods and services to be used or consumed in its own operations by issuing share-based payment awards. ASU 2018-07 also clarifies that Topic 718 does not apply to share-based payments used to effectively provide (1) financing to the issuer or (2) awards granted in conjunction with selling goods or services to customers as part of a contract accounted for under ASC 606. ASU 2018-07 is effective for annual reporting periods, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2018. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting this guidance on its condensed consolidated financial statements.

usell.com, Inc. 10-Q