Don Landis said:The other day I was reviewing their financials, thinking it may be time to buy in again. The company has been losing money every qtr for a long time and has got to restructure its rates or go under. They're not as bad as TIVO or Blockbuster of course, but they are certainly the worst run telco cell company in the world, at least that I have looked at which are many. I'm just talking about their P/L statements. It's why I said the other day they are ripe for acquisition. They have valuable assets, just can't turn those assets into profits.
Another example- around here if you walk into a Verizon store, you have to take a number and sit and wait like a doctor's office to get waited on. The stores are always packed, almost as bad as the Apple store. Go into any AT&T store and it is almost as bad but the wait is a bit shorter. Go into a Sprint store and you'll find several Sprint clerks sitting staring out the window day dreaming. You will be the only customer walking into the store, maybe all day! Its very sad but that is how it is. They do lots of TV ads, so why do they have no business? Can't be cheap rates? Most Sprint customers I know including this forum are generally pleased with the service. I don't know but there is something wrong here.
I wonder if Sprint lists their customers as an asset? For most companies, their customer base is an asset- but maybe not for Sprint. Seems they have too many problems.
I started banging on Sprint's door yesterday. This is a material change in our contracts and I am demanding to be let out. Online chat didn't do anything ( not that I expected it to), I am supposed to get a callback today. Stay tuned. I gave Sprint a shot, three strikes and they are OUT.
I did the same thing when they took away the corporate discount on lines 3 thru 5. The wife was very happy as it allowed her to get rid of her Android phone and back to the one she liked most. At that time, I was only with Sprint for 7 months.
I don't think that is how business accounting works. The subscriptions would be considered "sales" and represent the cash flow end of the balance sheet. As asset would be something the company owned or had rights to like a frequency spectrum license or the equipment. Leased equipment owned by the company, like DishNetwork's DVR's would also be an asset with the lease payments being cash flow.
When a company values itself for sale it includes the big three- debt ( liabilities ), assets ( equipment and real property), and sales.
On second thought, maybe the sales in a company that has a contract with the subscriber could be considered an asset, i.e. the contract is worth value as an asset. I don't know this. Maybe a CPA could clarify.
Sadly, they can put a black mark in your credit record. You can challenge that, but it would be better if it weren't there, cutting your credit score.good luck keith. i cancelled my contract earlier in the month because i qualified for and received a free government issue cell phone. isn't anything pretty but it comes with 250 free minutes each month. long conversation with sprint who wouldn't waive my etf unless i went with their program. i argued i was happy with my program and what the heck difference did it make. only when i threatened not too pay, did he cut the etf in half. i suppose its better than nothing at all. but i still can't pay....so he says they'll set up payment plans.
perhaps, i'm wanting too much but as it stands now, they still aren't going to get a penny.
Navy- Thanks, I kind of thought so. Business has great freedom to do creative accounting. Would Sprint's 8K or 10Q be of interest to you? I can get it as I have easy access to all SEC filings for public companies. .