Where these phones and tablets come from
Lots come mainly from three sources. German customs (Zoll-Auktion) sells off its refurbished IT equipment: replaced laptops, tablets and work phones, often in lots of several devices. Judicial sales (Justiz-Auktion) offer seized devices, including many smartphones and tablets. Add to that insolvency and liquidation stock, sold in whole lots. These sales are scattered and little known outside Germany, which is why many lots end without a single bid. Bidorado's The Radar brings them together and translates them, so you can bid on the seller's official site.
Checkpoints before bidding
Read the German description line by line. "Ohne Festplatte" means the hard drive has been removed to protect data: plan to replace it. "BIOS-Passwort" indicates a locked laptop, often unusable without intervention. On smartphones and tablets, look for "Aktivierungssperre" or "iCloud-Sperre": a device still linked to the previous owner's Apple account is unusable, the number one trap in seized lots. Also check "MDM" or "Geräteverwaltung" (device enrolled in a company fleet), "SIM-Lock", "ohne Netzteil" or "ohne Ladekabel", "Akku defekt", "ungeprüft" and "defekt". Note that keyboards are German QWERTZ layout.
Collection, delivery and batteries
Many lots are for collection on site, marked "nur Abholung". Lithium batteries restrict shipping with many carriers, which pushes sellers to require collection, especially for bulky lots. Some sellers ship within Germany or the EU: ask for confirmation before bidding. Between Germany and another EU country, no customs duty applies. Only delivery outside the EU (Switzerland, UK, Norway) incurs import duties and VAT. An EU business with a valid VAT number can often buy without German VAT by providing proof of transport, depending on the seller.