GSA Auctions. Complete Guide 2022

When the government no longer needs some equipment, vehicles or other goods anymore, it sells such items. And so GSA Auctions is exactly the way you can purchase such vehicles at a surprisingly affordable price. Well, as long as you know how to do this. In this guide we explain how to benefit from auctions on GSA and get what you need cheaper.

What is GSA Auctions

Each year, the government auctions off a range of vehicles, equipment and parts through auctions. Both companies and individuals can purchase such items put on sale by the GSA. The platform to do this is GSA Auctions governed by the United States General Services Administration.

In other words, GSA Auctions is an online store where the government sells items that it previously purchased but no longer needs.

What is sold on GSA Auctions

The U.S. government is one of the largest purchasers in the world. It buys literally everything. And when it does not need it anymore, the government sells it, so you can find on GSA Auctions goods from almost every imaginable product category.

Here are some examples:

• Industrial equipment
• Construction tools and equipment
• Aircrafts and components
• Boats
• Cars, vehicles, trucks and vans
• Electrical parts and components
• Furniture
• Computers and computer devices
• Medical equipment
• Real estate

All of these are used, and sometimes used extensively. However, the price is appropriate and is way lower than you would expect otherwise. But! This is a GSA auction, which means the starting price is not the price you would buy the item at, eventually. You will compete with other bidders, and can only acquire the item by winning the auction.  That’s how things work.

GSA Auctions vehicles available are:

• Cars
• Trucks
• Vans and minivans
• Tractors
• SUVs
• Buses

Also, many vehicles are available in salvage or scrap condition.

What’s the catch?

If you are looking for GSA auction vehicles, and do find some good ones, you may ask yourself: what’s the catch? There’s no catch, actually. The GSA sells its property because it does not need it anymore. That’s it. 

GSA Auctions pointers. Here is what to look at:

Ok, if you decided to give a try to the GSA vehicles auction, here is what you should pay attention to.  

1. Vehicles and cars sold via GSA Auctions sat unused for some time (may be very long time, actually), and were lacking service. 
2. No technical inspection or maintenance has been performed for vehicles being sold.
3. You can end up with certain parts of the vehicle needing to be replaced. Flat battery is typical, but there could be more serious issues.
4. Make sure to bring a technician to the auction to assure the vehicle is worth purchasing.
5. Remember: as soon as the auction ends and the winner is declared, the decision cannot be canceled anymore. So make sure you know exactly what you purchase and in what technical condition.

Important things to know about GSA Auctions

Here are some more GSA Auction “must-knows”:

You can register as an individual or as a company

There are no restrictions to individuals willing to purchase some government equipment that is sold out through GSA Auctions. However, please note that individuals can only register one account per their Social Security Number. With a business account you can establish multiple users that can access the auction. Note that every registered account is verified both manually and using the Experian service.

Feds cannot bid

Federal employees, their relatives, kids or otherwise affiliated persons cannot bid to items on GSA Auctions. This is prohibited.

International residents are allowed

If you are a resident of another country, you still can buy at GSA Auctions. The GSA offers auctioneering services worldwide. 

You need to provide a CC number

Your GSA Auctions account will be verified by the Experian service for security reasons, so you need to provide a non-expired credit card number. This is normal. No funds will be charged in the process.

There could be a minimum price

Often, there is a reserve price for the item – the lowest price the GSA is willing to sell the item for. This means that even if your bid wins, the GSA may refuse to sell at the bid price if it’s lower than the reserve price.

If you win, you get an email notification

Therefore, it is extremely important to provide a working email address that you check often. Otherwise, you may miss the end of the auction, and hence miss the entire opportunity.

All messages come from a *@gsa.gov address

Every email you receive from GSA Auctions will come from an address in the gsa.gov domain. If you see an email from another sender, it is a fraud. Ignore it.

Conclusion

GSA Auctions is a way to make some good deals as long as you are prepared to conduct an inspection of the item with your own strengths or by hiring a professional. The service provides various equipment and GSA auction vehicles which can be a profitable purchase.

Need help?

Of course, there are many non-obvious details you might easily miss if you don’t know specifics of GSA Auctions and a government service as a whole. Asking a GSA consultant for help is a viable option then. Price Reporter offers help to businesses for more than a decade already. In 2022 as always we are helping companies to get GSA Schedule contracts, to settle legal issues, and to purchase items from the government via GSA Auctions. Please don’t hesitate to contact us, we will be glad to lend a hand.