Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Jul. 31, 2018

Consolidation, Subsidiaries or Other Investments, Consolidated Entities, Policy [Policy Text Block]

The consolidated financial statements of the Company include the accounts of the parent company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, including its foreign wholly-owned subsidiaries. The Company also had a 59.5% voting interest in a company, which was acquired as part of the Cycle Express, LLC acquisition (“majority-owned subsidiary”), which provided various repossession services for the powersports auction industry. Noncontrolling interest consisted of a 40.5% outside voting interest in the majority-owned subsidiary. Net income or loss of the majority-owned subsidiary was allocated to the members’ interests in accordance with the operating agreement. During the year ended July 31, 2018, the Company sold the majority-owned subsidiary and disposed of its related goodwill. The proceeds from the sale of the majority-owned subsidiary were $1.8 million resulting in a realized gain of $0.9 million recorded in other income. Significant intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Estimates include but are not limited to, vehicle pooling costs; self-insured reserves; allowance for doubtful accounts; income taxes; revenue recognition; stock-based payment compensation; purchase price allocations; long-lived asset and goodwill impairment calculations; and contingencies. Actual results could differ from these estimates.

Revenue Recognition

The Company provides a portfolio of services to its sellers and buyers that facilitate the sale and delivery of a vehicle from seller to buyer. These services include the ability to use the Company’s internet sales technology and vehicle delivery, loading, title processing, preparation and storage. The Company evaluates multiple-element arrangements relative to its member and seller agreements.

The services provided to the seller of a vehicle involve disposing of a vehicle on the seller’s behalf and, under most of the Company’s current contracts, collecting the proceeds from the member. The Company applies Accounting Standard Update 2009-13, Revenue Recognition (Topic 605): Multiple-Deliverable Revenue Arrangements (ASU 2009-13) for revenue recognition. Pre-sale services, including towing, title processing, preparation and storage, as well as sale fees and other enhancement services meet the criteria for separate units of accounting. Revenue associated with each service is recognized upon completion of the respective service, net of applicable rebates or allowances. For certain sellers who are charged a proportionate fee based on the high bid of the vehicle, the revenue associated with the pre-sale services is recognized upon completion of the sale when the total arrangement is fixed and determinable. The estimated selling price of each service is determined based on management’s best estimate and allotted based on the relative selling price method.

Vehicle sales, where vehicles are purchased and remarketed on the Company’s own behalf, are recognized on the sale date, which is typically the point of high bid acceptance. Upon high bid acceptance, a legally binding contract is formed with the member, and the gross sales price is recorded as revenue.

The Company also provides a number of services to the buyer of the vehicle, charging a separate fee for each service. Each of these services has been assessed to determine whether the requirements have been met to separate them into units of accounting within a multiple-element arrangement. The Company has concluded that the sale and the post-sale services are separate units of accounting. The fees for sale services are recognized upon completion of the sale, and the fees for the post-sale services are recognized upon successful completion of those services using the relative selling price method. The Company reports sales taxes on relevant transactions on a net basis in the Company’s consolidated results of operations, and therefore does not include sales taxes in revenues or costs.

The Company also charges members an annual registration fee for the right to participate in its vehicle sales program, which is recognized ratably over the term of the arrangement, and relist and late-payment fees, which are recognized upon receipt of payment by the member. No provision for returns has been established, as all sales are final with no right of return, although the Company provides for bad debt expense in the case of non-performance by its members or sellers.

The Company allocates arrangement consideration based upon management’s best estimate of the selling price of the separate units of accounting contained within arrangements including multiple deliverables. Significant inputs in the Company’s estimates of the selling price of separate units of accounting include market and pricing trends, pricing customization and practices, and profit objectives for the services.

Vehicle Pooling Costs

The Company defers in vehicle pooling costs certain yard operation expenses associated with vehicles consigned to and received by the Company, but not sold as of the end of the period. The Company quantifies the deferred costs using a calculation that includes the number of vehicles at its facilities at the beginning and end of the period, the number of vehicles sold during the period and an allocation of certain yard operation costs of the period. The primary expenses allocated and deferred are certain facility costs, labor, transportation, and vehicle processing. If the allocation factors change, then yard operation expenses could increase or decrease correspondingly in the future. These costs are expensed as vehicles are sold in subsequent periods on an average cost basis. Given the fixed cost nature of the Company’s business, there are no direct correlations for increases in expenses or units processed on vehicle pooling costs.

The Company applies the provisions of accounting guidance for subsequent measurement of inventory to its vehicle pooling costs. The provision requires that items such as idle facility expenses, double freight and rehandling costs be recognized as current period charges regardless of whether they meet the criteria of “abnormal” as provided in the guidance. In addition, the guidance requires that the allocation of fixed production overhead to the costs of conversion be based on the normal capacity of production facilities.

Foreign Currency Translation

The Company records foreign currency translation adjustments from the process of translating the functional currency of the financial statements of its foreign subsidiaries into the U.S. dollar reporting currency. The Canadian dollar, British pound, Brazilian real, European Union euro, U.A.E. dirham, Omani rial, Bahraini dinar, and Indian rupee are the functional currencies of the Company’s foreign subsidiaries as they are the primary currencies within the economic environment in which each subsidiary operates. The original equity investment in the respective subsidiaries is translated at historical rates. Assets and liabilities of the respective subsidiary’s operations are translated into U.S. dollars at period-end exchange rates, and revenues and expenses are translated into U.S. dollars at average exchange rates in effect during each reporting period. Adjustments resulting from the translation of each subsidiary’s financial statements are reported in other comprehensive income.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

The Company records its financial assets and liabilities at fair value in accordance with the framework for measuring fair value in U.S. GAAP. In accordance with ASC 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures, as amended by Accounting Standards Update 2011-04, the Company considers fair value as an exit price, representing the amount that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants under current market conditions. This framework establishes a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs used to measure fair value:


Level I	Observable inputs that reflect unadjusted quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities traded in active markets.


Level II	Inputs other than quoted prices included within Level I that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly.


Level III	Inputs that are generally unobservable. These inputs may be used with internally developed methodologies that result in management’s best estimate.

The amounts recorded for financial instruments in the Company’s consolidated financial statements, which included cash, accounts receivable, accounts payable, accrued liabilities and Revolving Loan Facility approximated their fair values as of July 31, 2018 and 2017, due to the short-term nature of those instruments, and are classified within Level II of the fair value hierarchy. Cash equivalents are classified within Level II of the fair value hierarchy because they are valued using quoted market prices of the underlying investments. See Note 8 — Long-Term Debt, Note 10 – Fair Value Measures, and Note 10 – Fair Value Measures.

Cost of Vehicle Sales

Cost of vehicle sales includes the purchase price of vehicles sold for the Company’s own account.

Yard Operations

Yard operations consists primarily of operating personnel (which includes yard management, clerical and yard employees), rent, contract vehicle towing, insurance, fuel and equipment maintenance and repair. The Company recognizes the costs of pre-sale services, including towing, title processing, and preparation and storage within yard operation expenses at the time the related services are provided.

General and Administrative Expenses

General and administrative expenses consist primarily of executive, accounting and data processing, sales personnel, professional services, system maintenance and enhancements and marketing expenses.

Advertising

All advertising costs are expensed as incurred and are included in general and administrative expenses on the consolidated statements of income.

Other (Expense) Income

Other (expense) income consists primarily of interest expense, interest income, gains and losses from the disposal of fixed assets, rental income, earnings from unconsolidated affiliates, and currency related gains and losses.

Income Tax, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Income Taxes and Deferred Tax Assets

Income taxes are accounted for under the asset and liability method. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the estimated future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities, their respective tax basis, and operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date. Excess tax benefits and deficiencies related to exercises of stock options are recognized as expense or benefit in the income statement as discrete items in the reporting period in which they occur.

Net Income Per Share

Basic net income per share amounts were computed by dividing consolidated net income by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted net income per share amounts were computed by dividing consolidated net income by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding plus dilutive potential common shares calculated for stock options outstanding during the period using the treasury stock method.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

The Company considers all highly liquid investments purchased with original maturities of three months or less at the time of purchase to be cash equivalents. Cash and cash equivalents include cash held in checking, domestic certificates of deposit, and money market accounts. The Company periodically invests its excess cash in money market funds and U.S. Treasury Bills. The Company’s cash and cash equivalents are placed with high credit quality financial institutions.

Marketable Securities, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Marketable Securities

Marketable securities consist of marketable equity securities and are classified as available-for-sale and stated at fair value. The cost basis of the marketable securities is based on the specific identification method. Unrealized gains or losses relating to available-for-sale securities are recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income, net of income taxes. Reclassification adjustments out of accumulated other comprehensive income resulting from realized gains or losses from the sale of available-for-sale securities are included in other income.

Inventory

Inventories of purchased vehicles are stated at the lower of cost or estimated realizable value. Cost includes the Company’s cost of acquiring ownership of the vehicle. The cost of vehicles sold is charged to cost of vehicle sales as sold on a specific identification basis.

Accounts Receivable

Accounts receivable, which consist primarily of advance charges due from insurance companies and the gross sales price of the vehicle due from members, are recorded when billed, advanced or accrued and represent claims against third parties that will be settled in cash.

Concentration of Credit Risk

Financial instruments, which subject the Company to potential credit risk, consist of its cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments and accounts receivable. The Company adheres to its investment policy when placing investments. The investment policy has established guidelines to limit the Company’s exposure to credit risk by placing investments with high credit quality financial institutions, diversifying its investment portfolio, limiting investments in any one issuer or pooled fund and placing investments with maturities that maintain safety and liquidity. The Company places its cash and cash equivalents with high credit quality financial institutions. Deposits with these financial institutions may exceed the amount of insurance provided; however, these deposits typically are redeemable upon demand and, therefore, the Company believes that the financial risks associated with these financial instruments are minimal.

The Company generally does not require collateral on its accounts receivable. The Company estimates its allowances for doubtful accounts based on historical collection trends, the age of outstanding receivables and existing economic conditions. If events or changes in circumstances indicate that specific receivable balances may be impaired, further consideration is given to the collectability of those balances and the allowance is adjusted accordingly. Past-due account balances are written off when the Company’s internal collection efforts have been unsuccessful in collecting the amounts due. The Company does not have off-balance sheet credit exposure related to its customers and to date, the Company has not experienced significant credit-related losses.

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment is stated at cost, less accumulated depreciation and amortization. Leasehold improvements are amortized on a straight-line basis over the shorter of the lease term or the estimated useful lives of the respective improvements, which is between seven and ten years. Significant improvements which substantially extend the useful lives of assets are capitalized. Expenditures for maintenance and repairs are charged to expense as incurred. Depreciation and amortization are computed on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives: three to seven years for internally developed or purchased software; three to twenty years for transportation and other equipment; three to five years for office furniture and equipment; and 7 to 40 years or the lease term, whichever is shorter, for buildings and improvements. Amortization of equipment under capital leases is included in depreciation expense.

Goodwill

In accordance with ASC 350-30-35, Intangibles—Goodwill and Other, goodwill is not amortized but is tested for potential impairment, at a minimum on an annual basis, or when indications of potential impairment exist.

Segments and Other Geographic Reporting

The Company’s U.S. and International regions are considered two separate operating segments and are disclosed as two reportable segments. The segments represent geographic areas and reflect how the chief operating decision maker allocates resources and measures results, including total revenues, operating income and income before income taxes. The segments continue to share similar business models, services and economic characteristics.

Capitalized Software Costs

The Company capitalizes system development costs and website development costs related to the enterprise computing services during the application development stage. Costs related to preliminary project activities and post implementation activities are expensed as incurred. Internal-use software is amortized on a straight-line basis over its estimated useful life, generally three years. The Company evaluates the useful lives of these assets on an annual basis and tests for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances occur that impact the recoverability of these assets.

Stock-Based Payment Compensation

The Company accounts for stock-based awards to employees and non-employees using the fair value method as required by ASC 718, Compensation—Stock Compensation (ASC 718), which requires the measurement and recognition of compensation expense for all stock-based payment awards made to employees, consultants and directors based on estimated fair value. ASC 718 requires companies to estimate the fair value of stock-based payment awards on the measurement date using an option-pricing model. The value of the portion of the award that is ultimately expected to vest is recognized in expense over the requisite service periods. ASC 718 requires forfeitures to be estimated at the time of grant and revised, if necessary, in subsequent periods if actual forfeitures differ from those estimates.

Option valuation models require the input of subjective assumptions including the expected stock price volatility. Because the Company’s employee stock options have characteristics significantly different from those of traded options and because changes in the input assumptions can materially affect their fair value estimate, it is the Company’s opinion that the existing models do not necessarily provide a reliable single measure of the fair value of the employee stock options.

The fair value of each option was estimated on the measurement date using the Black-Scholes Merton (BSM) option-pricing model utilizing the following assumptions:



	July 31,
	2018			2017			2016
Expected life (in years)	5.3 – 6.9			5.5 – 7.4			5.3 – 7.2
Risk-free interest rate	1.88 – 2.62			1.20 – 2.07			1.16 – 2.06
Estimated volatility	20 – 21			20 – 23			21 – 26
Expected dividends	—		%	—		%	—		%
Weighted average fair value at measurement date	$	8.88		$	7.05		$	5.04

Expected life—The Company’s expected life represents the period that the Company’s stock-based payment awards are expected to be outstanding and was determined based on historical experience of similar awards, giving consideration to the contractual terms of the stock-based payment awards, vesting schedules and expectations of future employee behavior as influenced by changes to the terms of its stock-based payment awards.

Estimated volatility—The Company uses the trading history of its common stock in determining an estimated volatility factor when using the BSM option-pricing model to determine the fair value of options granted.

Expected dividend—The Company has not declared dividends. Therefore, the Company uses a zero value for the expected dividend value factor when using the BSM option-pricing model to determine the fair value of options granted.

Risk-free interest rate—The Company bases the risk-free interest rate used in the BSM option-pricing model on the implied yield currently available on U.S. Treasury zero-coupon issues with the same or substantially equivalent expected life.

Estimated forfeitures—When estimating forfeitures, the Company considers voluntary and involuntary termination behavior as well as analysis of actual option forfeitures.

During the year ended July 31, 2016, the Company adopted ASU No. 2016-09, Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting, which impacted the accounting for share-based payments, including income tax consequences, classification of awards and the classification on the consolidated statements of cash flows.

Comprehensive Income

Comprehensive income includes all changes in stockholders’ equity during a period from non-stockholder sources. For the years ended July 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) was the effect of foreign currency translation adjustments and the effective portion of the interest rate swaps’ change in fair value. Deferred taxes are not provided on cumulative translation adjustments where the Company expects earnings of a foreign subsidiary to be indefinitely reinvested.

Acquisitions

The Company recognizes and measures identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed in acquired entities in accordance with ASC 805, Business Combinations. The allocation of the purchase consideration for acquisitions can require extensive use of accounting estimates and judgments to allocate the purchase consideration to the identifiable tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their respective fair values. The excess of the fair value of purchase consideration over the values of the identifiable assets and liabilities is recorded as goodwill. Critical estimates in valuing certain identifiable assets include but are not limited to expected long-term revenues; future expected operating expenses; cost of capital; appropriate attrition; and discount rates.

Recently Issued Accounting Standards

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

Adopted

In November 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-17, Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes, which requires companies to classify all deferred tax assets and liabilities as non-current on the balance sheet, rather than separating deferred taxes into current and non-current amounts. This ASU is effective for annual and interim periods within those annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016 and can be adopted prospectively or retrospectively; however, early adoption is permitted. The Company’s adoption of ASU 2015-17 on a prospective basis did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated results of operations and financial position.

In May 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-09, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Scope of Modification Accounting, which amends the scope of modification accounting for stock-based payment arrangements and provides guidance on the types of changes to the terms or conditions of stock-based payment awards to which an entity would be required to apply modification accounting under ASC 718. For all entities, this ASU is effective for annual reporting periods, including interim periods within those annual reporting periods, beginning after December 15, 2017. Early adoption is permitted, including adoption in any interim period. The Company’s adoption of ASU 2017-09 did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated results of operations and financial position.

Pending

In February 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-02, Income Statement-Reporting Comprehensive Income (Topic 220): Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income. The current standard, ASC Topic 740 - Income Taxes, requires deferred tax liabilities and assets to be adjusted for the effect of a change in tax laws or rates with the effect included in income from continuing operations in the reporting period that includes the enactment date. This includes the tax effects of items in accumulated other comprehensive income ("AOCI") that were originally recognized in other comprehensive income, subsequently creating stranded tax effects. ASU 2018-02 allows a reclassification from AOCI to retained earnings for stranded tax effects specifically resulting from the U.S. federal government's recently enacted tax bill, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those periods. Early adoption is permitted. The adoption of ASU 2018-02 will result in a reclassification from AOCI to retained earnings and will have no impact on the Company’s consolidated results of operations, financial position or cash flows.

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-04, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other (Topic 350). ASU 2017-04 amends the requirement that entities compare the implied fair value of goodwill with its carrying amount as part of step 2 of the goodwill impairment test. As a result, entities should perform their annual or interim goodwill impairment test by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount and recognize an impairment if the carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value. ASU 2017-04 is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2019. The Company’s adoption of ASU 2017-04 will not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated results of operations and financial position.

In October 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-16, Income Taxes (Topic 740), Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory. ASU 2016-16 requires an entity to recognize the income tax consequences of an intra-entity transfer of an asset, other than inventory, when the transfer occurs and eliminates the exception for an intra-entity transfer of an asset, other than inventory. This ASU is effective for annual and interim periods within those annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, and is required to be adopted using a modified retrospective approach; however early adoption is permitted. The Company is continuing its assessment of the impact of ASU 2016-16 may have on the Company’s consolidated results of operations and financial position.

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230), which clarifies how companies present and classify certain cash receipts and cash payments in the statement of cash flows. ASU 2016-15 is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017. The guidance is required to be applied on a retrospective basis. The Company’s adoption of ASU 2016-15 will not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated results of operations and financial position.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), that supersedes all existing guidance on accounting for leases in ASC Topic 840. ASU 2016-02 is intended to provide enhanced transparency and comparability by requiring lessees to record right-of-use assets and corresponding lease liabilities on the balance sheet. ASU 2016-02 will continue to classify leases as either finance or operating, with classification affecting the pattern of expense recognition in the statement of income. ASU 2016-02 is effective for annual and interim periods within those annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018 and adoption is to be applied with a modified retrospective approach to each prior reporting period presented with various optional practical expedients; however early adoption is permitted. Based on a preliminary assessment, the Company expects that most of its operating lease commitments will be subject to the new guidance and recognized as operating lease liabilities and right-of-use assets upon adoption, resulting in a significant increase in the assets and liabilities on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets. The Company is continuing its assessment, which may identify additional impacts ASU 2016-02 may have on the Company’s consolidated results of operations, financial position, and related disclosures.

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), which supersedes the revenue recognition requirements in ASC 605, Revenue Recognition. ASU 2014-09 is based on the principle that revenue is recognized to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. ASU 2014-09 also requires additional disclosure about the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from customer contracts, including significant judgments and changes in judgments and assets recognized from costs incurred to obtain or fulfill a contract. ASU 2014-09 is effective for annual and interim periods within those annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017 and will be effective for the Company beginning with the first quarter of fiscal year 2019. ASU 2014-09 allows adoption with either retrospective application to each period presented, or modified retrospective application, with the cumulative effect recognized as of the date of initial application. The Company will use the modified retrospective application with the cumulative effect as its transition method.

Upon adoption, service revenue (revenue from buyers and sellers) and vehicle sales revenue will generally be recognized at the date the vehicles are sold at auction. This timing of revenue recognition under ASU 2014-09 is consistent with the Company’s current policy under ASC 605 for buyer and vehicle sales revenue. However, the adoption represents a change in the timing of revenue recognition for certain seller revenues, such as inbound tow and titling fees, which are currently recognized under ASC 605 when the services are performed. Related costs to prepare the vehicles for auction, including inbound tow and titling, will be deferred and recognized at the time of revenue recognition. The Company has evaluated the impact the adoption will have on the consolidated financial statements, and is finalizing the calculation of its cumulative effect adjustment. This change will result in a decrease to beginning retained earnings as of August 1, 2018, within a range of $10.0 million to $15.0 million as a result of the initial application of the standard and will not have a material impact to earnings.