More Apple pwnage

[Tingkai]

Originally posted by Lorizael
I think the idea is that it would help the stock, not the sales.

Companies do not release information in midquarter just to manipulate stock prices.

Instead, information is released on a regular basis, and there are many reasons why ad hoc reports are not done, like the cost of preparing reports, setting precedents and stock exchange regulations.

The exception to the rule are milestone numbers, like breaking one million sales.

[Asher]

Then you better tell Apple, Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo, Nokia, Samsung, etcetc.

They all report "sold to retail" as sold. After all, as far as the company is concerned, they did sell them. They no longer have the product, and they received money in return.

Nice quote though. Shame it's not relevant.

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by Asher
Then you better tell Apple, Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo, Nokia, Samsung, etcetc.

They all report "sold to retail" as sold. After all, as far as the company is concerned, they did sell them. They no longer have the product, and they received money in return.

Nice quote though. Shame it's not relevant.

There's no problem reporting "sold to retail" so long as the retailer can not return the inventory, and the wholesaler does not know that the retailer is stockpiling inventory that would be considered a material amt. If it's a normal amt of inventory it's ok.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Tingkai
The exception to the rule are milestone numbers, like breaking one million sales.

There is no rule, companies can release figures any time they want. Apple released theirs to improve their sagging share price. AT&T should have released their activation numbers to renew investor confidence if they were good numbers.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Kidicious
There's no problem reporting "sold to retail" so long as the retailer can not return the inventory

Duh. Is it normal that you are able to return unsold inventory to the manufacturer? No..it's not.

You are, again, missing the simplest of simple points. The point is Apple's "sold" numbers don't mean 1 million people are using iPhones. We don't know how many are in consumer's hands, until AT&T releases activation numbers.

[Tingkai]

Asher is right in saying that shipping and sold mean the same thing in Apple financial releases (just read some of them), but if he is claiming that AT&T is stockpiling iPhones just to inflate the sales numbers, he's way offside.

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by Asher

Duh. Is it normal that you are able to return unsold inventory to the manufacturer? No..it's not.

You are, again, missing the simplest of simple points. The point is Apple's "sold" numbers don't mean 1 million people are using iPhones. We don't know how many are in consumer's hands, until AT&T releases activation numbers.

You don't have a source on that though do you?

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by Asher
You are, again, missing the simplest of simple points. The point is Apple's "sold" numbers don't mean 1 million people are using iPhones. We don't know how many are in consumer's hands, until AT&T releases activation numbers.

We know that 1 million is fairly accurate. Only an idiot would still claim that it's not, sorry.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Tingkai
Asher is right in saying that shipping and sold mean the same thing in Apple financial releases, but if he is claiming that AT&T is stockpiling iPhones just to inflate the sales numbers, he's way offside.

I claimed no such thing. They're not stockpiling to inflate, it's just that they can't sell them worth a damn.

From what I hear, AT&T stores are awful and their sales clerks are douches. Further, the vast majority of people buying iPhones this early are likely Apple fans anyway. The vast majority of people are buying these phones from a small number of Apple stores, not AT&T stores.

It is very likely AT&T was very overconfident in how many units they could sell on their own, and they would be stuck with the inventory. This is in no way saying AT&T is intentionally hoarding iPhones to build pyramids (Agathon's theory) or to intentionally inflate sales (your accusation). Just that they're inept.

And, coming from the company who sent iPhone users 200-page novella bills with no useful information, is that really outrageous?

[Asher]

Originally posted by Kidicious
We know that 1 million is fairly accurate. Only an idiot would still claim that it's not, sorry.

Why is it fairly accurate? Every Apple Store listed on their site says they have iPhones in stock. AT&T stores all have ample stock as well.

We have NO IDEA how many phones are actually being used until activation numbers get released. Only an idiot would claim that we know how many people are using iPhones without them, sorry.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Kidicious
You don't have a source on that though do you?

You are seriously asking for a source on the policy of returning unsold merchandise to the manufacturers? What the hell?

Once a retailer buys the merchandise from the manufacturer, it's theirs. If you have evidence of some exception in Apple's case, which I VERY much doubt, then feel free to share it. Otherwise, it follows the rules of every other retail company,.

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by Asher

You are seriously asking for a source on the policy of returning unsold merchandise to the manufacturers? What the hell?

Once a retailer buys the merchandise from the manufacturer, it's theirs. If you have evidence of some exception in Apple's case, which I VERY much doubt, then feel free to share it. Otherwise, it follows the rules of every other retail company,.

There's no rule. The product is sometimes returnable and it is sometimes not.

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by Asher

Why is it fairly accurate? Every Apple Store listed on their site says they have iPhones in stock. AT&T stores all have ample stock as well.

I've already explained that to you over and over again. Accountants can not report misleading sales figures to the public.

[Tingkai]

Originally posted by Asher
It is very likely AT&T was very overconfident in how many units they could sell on their own, and they would be stuck with the inventory.

Why is it very likely?

Isn't it more plausible that a big corporation would make a conservative estimate on how many products to order. Afterall, if they order too many, they're stuck with the inventory. If they run out of supplies on item like iPhones, then being sold out creates an image of popularity.

And even if there is an initial oversupply, they would simply stop buying from Apple and run down their inventories. If people were buying from Apple much more than from AT&T stores, then AT&T would have seen that within the first week and it would have slashed its resupply orders.

So the Apple sales/shipping numbers at the end of two months would reflect standard inventories.

[Tingkai]

Originally posted by Kidicious


There's no rule. The product is sometimes returnable and it is sometimes not.

Typically it is not.

Think about it.

If you are a manufacturer, would you agree to take back unsold items? Would you be willing to take the financial hit because the retailer screwed up and ordered too much?