Where these IT lots come from
The PCs and servers on offer come mainly from three sources. Zoll-Auktion sells decommissioned equipment from government departments, the Länder and municipalities, with no buyer's premium. Justiz-Auktion auctions devices seized by bailiffs and courts, also with no buyer's premium. Liquidation and insolvency platforms offer entire stocks from companies in difficulty, usually with a buyer's premium of 15 to 20%. VEBEG sells government and military equipment, often by sealed tender. Always check the VAT regime stated on each lot.
Checks before bidding
Read the German description carefully. A « Notebook ohne Festplatte » has had its drive removed to protect data: allow for a disk and an operating system. A « BIOS-Passwort » may lock the machine. On phones and tablets, watch out for the « Aktivierungssperre » or « iCloud-Sperre »: the device remains unusable. An « MDM » or « Geräteverwaltung » means it is enrolled in a company fleet. Also check « SIM-Lock », « ohne Netzteil », « Akku defekt », « ungeprüft » or « defekt ». Keyboards are often QWERTZ. For bundled lots, count how many devices are actually usable.
Collection or delivery of lots
Many lots are sold « nur Abholung », to be collected on site in Germany. Lithium batteries restrict shipping with many carriers, which reinforces this constraint for laptops and phones. Some sellers ship within Germany or the EU: check this before bidding. For shipments outside the EU, customs duties and import VAT apply. An EU business with a valid intra-community VAT number can often buy without German VAT by providing proof of transport, depending on the seller.