Government And Police Auctions

Where To Find GSA Auctions

In 1947, Former President Herbert Hoover was asked by President Harry Truman to head up a group to make suggestions to the President and Congress on how to improve the administrative activities of the federal government. The result was the recommendation by the commission to establish an "Office of the General Services." The role of this office would be to combine the job of a number of federal agencies. The General Services Administration (GSA) was founded July 1st, 1949. It is an organization independent of the United States government; when it was started, the role of the GSA was to help manage and support the basic functioning of federal agencies. The GSA currently employs approximately 13,000 people. The GSA "helps federal agencies better serve the public by offering, at best value, superior workplaces, expert solutions, acquisition services and management policies."

In the acquisition services department, the GSA offers online auctions that are open to the public. All items auctioned by the GSA are either seized or forfeited property, meaning they have either been repossessed because the owner didn't pay or were taken as evidence during an investigation by the proper authorities.

The GSA auction site is like Ebay. Items range from agricultural equipment right through to vehicles. Users must be registered and there is a specific time frame for bidding to occur. For example, there is a red 1997 Chevrolet Corvette Sport Coupe, for which the auction begins on the 30th of July, 2007 and ends on the 14th of August, 2007.

There is one notable difference between GSA Auctions and Ebay. This difference is that GSA requires a deposit on some auctions. The deposits vary and can be found in the details of the auction under "Item Description." These deposits must be in the form of a Cashier's Check or Money Order. They must be mailed and received by a certain date for the bidder to be able to bid on the item. In the event that a bidder does not win the item, his or her deposit will be returned via mail.

Sometimes, items (such as the Chevrolet Coupe mentioned earlier) have what is called "Special Inspection Instructions." Every auction lot clearly states that the winning bidder is responsible for loading and removing their item from the location stated in the details. The winner is also given a deadline to pick their item(s) up. As well, the condition an item is in is not guaranteed. They are sold "As Is" with no warranties. Most items do require some repair. As with any auction, there is the possibility of a good find or two. All it takes is a little time and patience.