[time-nuts] Government Liquidation

Tue Mar 20 09:02:16 UTC 2007

Hi,
Just for any UK lurkers, GL also sell in the UK and I've bought from them. There are a few issues,
1 Very poor descriptions a photo of a cardboard box doesn't tell yell you much!
2 Tender only, not an auction, so you really need to know how much you want to pay. There is no way of knowing what the lot finally sold for unless you win it. They do have minimums, sometimes listed, sometimes your bid is just rejected.
3 Viewing is a pain
4 payment and collection deadlines are a pain, all biased to their convenience.
5 Items "disappear" from lots, if you argue they sometimes reappear, sometimes not. If you use a collection agent it's a lucky dip.
6 Items get pulled after you spent time and money viewing them.
7 Lot sizes vary from one worthless metal bracket with a £50 minimum to 10 tons of scrap metal with a couple of nice bits of T&M thrown in. Lot descriptions on size and weight can be inaccurate.

Generally it's hardly worth the bother, I think a few dealers, scrap merchants and people with time on their hands who are local to the Sale site do OK but otherwise I think they need to improve the service.

Robert.  

-----Original Message-----
From: time-nuts-bounces at febo.com [mailto:time-nuts-bounces at febo.com] On Behalf Of Brooke Clarke
Sent: 19 March 2007 17:57
To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement
Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Government Liquidation

Hi Jason:

I don't recommend GL as a source unless:
1) you understand the exact meaning of the Condition Codes, and
2) you physically go to the location and preview the lot, and
3) you know the product you are looking at, and
4) you have the self control to not get into a bidding war (no sniping, 
they just extend the closing time), and
5) you personally pick up the items, and
6) you're willing to gamble that you won't have to return any or all of 
what you purchased.

If you fail at any step then there's a chance you'll end up with junk, 
something else or nothing.  Maybe they get some of this stuff from a 
dumpster.

With diligence it's possible to overcome the first 5 provisos, but the 
last one can be a problem.  On more than one occasion GL has mistakenly 
sold an item that was not supposed to be sold.  In that case the 
government (not GL) comes and get the items.  If they required an End 
User Certificate then you are on the hook to account for all items 
including the contact information of any buyers.  If  you sold an item 
your buyer will expect a refund from you.  You may expect a refund from 
GL, but how long you wait for it is not specified.

The same problem exists with eBay.  In my case after purchasing and 
receiving a GPS receiver I was contacted by the DOD and they sent a 
couple of people to my house to collect the GPS receiver and gave me a 
receipt.  I got to sign a chain of evidence form to be used at the trial 
of the eBay seller on his way to jail.  I'm out what I paid.  After the 
trial I'm free to sue the seller.

Although I'm signed up and have the EUC, I no longer even look at the 
auctions with the intent of buying anything.  I do use GL to see what's 
being sold.

Have Fun,

Brooke Clarke

w/Java http://www.PRC68.com
w/o Java http://www.pacificsites.com/~brooke/PRC68COM.shtml
http://www.precisionclock.com

Jason Rabel wrote:

>This is kind of on the same topic as the government surplus chit-chat...
>
>Just curious but has anyone bought stuff from the website:
>
>www.govliquidation.com
>
>????
>
>I just started looking at it last night, they have a ton of stuff and right
>now everything has zero bids. I don't know if people all snipe at the last
>second or what.
>
>Thoughts / Opinions?
>
>
>Jason
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>time-nuts mailing list
>time-nuts at febo.com
>https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts
>
>  
>

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