Where end-of-line stock comes from
End-of-line stock sold at auction in Germany comes from store clearance stocks, discontinued lines, customer return pallets and mixed business lots. These are known as Restposten or Sonderposten, Retourenware or Retourenpalette, B-Ware, Mischpalette, Konkursware or Lagerauflösung. Such goods are often sold as a single lot, sometimes restricted to trade buyers. Liquidation and insolvency platforms, Zoll-Auktion, Justiz-Auktion, VEBEG and many private auction houses offer these types of lots. The condition is often described as unsortiert or ungeprüfte Retouren, meaning the contents are neither sorted nor tested.
Checks before you bid
Before bidding, read the lot description and the seller's terms. Check whether the goods are sold as seen, without warranty or right of withdrawal. Look for the mention B-Ware, unsortiert or ungeprüfte Retouren: it indicates untested contents. Calculate the price per genuinely resellable unit, including buyer's premium and transport. For private sellers, buyer's premiums are generally 15 to 20% for liquidators and industrial platforms, often 25 to 33% for art auction houses. German VAT at 19% is added depending on the applicable scheme. An EU business with a valid VAT number can often buy without German VAT by providing proof of transport, subject to the seller.
Collection or delivery
Many lots are to be collected on site, marked nur Abholung. Arrange a loading dock or forklift to load pallets. Some sellers ship within Germany or the EU, often on pallets, to be arranged. For delivery outside the EU, duties and import VAT apply. Between Germany and another EU country, there are no customs duties. Check the VAT scheme stated on each lot, especially with VEBEG. An auction generally offers neither warranty nor right of withdrawal like a standard online purchase. Read each seller's terms.