Police seizure items are becoming a regular fixture in the auctioning world. They are now a norm in online auction listings. So this begs the question; What are they?
Here is all you need to know about auction items listed by different police forces; what they are, where they come from, where you can find them, and so on.
Table of Contents
What exactly are police seizure items?
Police seizure items are items that the police confiscate or take into its custody in the process of maintaining law and order.
Items seized by the police fall into these categories;
- The lost and the found
- Proceeds of crime
- Seized and confiscated property
- Unclaimed stolen property
These items will go to one of two places
Option #1: Back to the owners.
The police forces do their best to track down the legal owners of this property. And when they do find them, they return their items to them.
Option #2: The police sell what they cannot return.
When the police fail to track down the real owners of the items in their custody, they retain them. But they cannot do so for long because the police don’t have the necessary storage facilities to keep these items, mainly the bulky items such as cars, bikes, building equipment, yachts, and household goods. Moreover, keeping them for long periods means incurring storage charges. So they dispose of them through auctions and other arrangements. Simply put, they sell the items off.
How do the police sell these items?
To gainfully dispose of these items, the police force holds police auctions to sell them at low prices.
Some police stations have opened up seller accounts on legit online auction sites like Auctionwin and eBay, where they list their police seizure auction items and sell them off to the winning bidder.
What does the police use the money for?
The police use the proceeds from selling the police seizure auction items to supplement their departmental funding.
They also give a portion of the sales’ proceeds back to the community by funding charitable causes.
What are the examples of police seizure auction items?
There is a variety of goods to choose from in police auctions. Examples of such goods include new and used cars, motorbikes, bicycles, jewelry, household items, cameras, boats, televisions, electronics, watches, building equipment, etc.
Are police auctions legit?
Yes, police auctions are legitimate. The federal government mandates them. They are a lawful way for the police to get rid of all the items in their possession or custody.
Are police auction items worth it?
Police auctions are among the best places to find expensive items at affordable prices.
Like any other items listed on online auction sites, these police seizure auction items are affordable. You can get expensive jewelry at discounted prices on online auctions.
But you can also buy products that are in poor condition. That is why you should take reasonable care when purchasing these items. One thing to remember is that listed police seizure items have little product details. But buy items with a photo that aptly shows the current quality and condition of the item.
Where do you find police seizure auction items?
The police employ different avenues to sell their items. Of late, they are transitioning from physical to online auctions. Below are some places you can buy police seizure auction items from.
Auctionwin
Auctionwin is an online auction website that sources its listed items from reputable brands and manufacturers around the country. It also works with the police to connect them to the buyers.
Auctionwin is strict regarding maintaining its reputation for selling quality products. Auctionwin cross checks the police seizure auction items and selects only the best to maintain its quality standard. With Auctionwin, you are assured of buying quality and functional products at discount prices.
Police eBay stores
Some police forces have joined the eCommerce world; they have opened eBay seller accounts to sell unclaimed stolen goods and lost items.
The police seller accounts have no specific niche. They sell the seized items that they have at the moment. So, their product offerings or listings vary from time to time. One time it can be cars, and another time jewelry. They sell what they have at hand.
As with most eBay sales, you have to bid on these police items, but sometimes, you can buy the listed items immediately if they have the “buy it now” option.
If you want to support your local police, you can call them up and find out if they have listed any police seizure items on an auction website.
Physical auction houses.
Some police stations prefer doing things the old-fashioned way. They hire the services of auction houses.
This could be because they are the best for selling more oversized police seizure items. They allow interested buyers to view and inspect the items the day before the sale. By the time you decide to bid on the specific item, you are satisfied with its condition.
Physical auctions cut costs of shipment or storage as the buyer can take away the item on the same day.
Why are police auctions moving online?
More and more police forces are moving their auctions online. An excellent example of this is the Thunder Bay Police Service. This transition from physical to online auctions is because there are no overheads or expenses associated with online auctions.
Physical auctions need a lot of planning. They take time to set up, and you have to hire an auctioneer to sell the items. At the end of the auction, a significant amount of the money goes towards the costs.
But with online auctions, the police make more sales, as the bids are open to all buyers worldwide.
Conclusion
To get the best deals on police seizure auction items, buy items from their reliable online auction partner, Auctionwin.