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While police auctions are often advertised in newspapers and on television, online police auctions are sometimes more difficult to locate. One place to locate police auctions online is through the website http://www.policeauctions.com. This site runs thousands of auctions every week, many starting at only $1. The Police Auctions site is part of the Government Auctions family of sites, and includes items ranging from jewelry and collectibles, to cars and property. Another place to look for police auctions online is http://www.propertyroom.com. The Property Room site works with several police forces across the country to list the top merchandise available. Billed as “the official auction site of the United States of America,” http://www.deaauctions.com is another source of police auctions online. The site offers thousands of items, and is the only website that combines government auctions with police auctions.
Products Sold
The products sold in online police auctions are traditionally offered by one particular police force, or an individual who purchased the items from the police. In some cases, several police departments will sell their items on the same website. Users will be unable to tell where the items come from, except that they are from a police force. The DEA also has their own website with thousands of items seized by their agents, or police officers working in conjunction with the agency. Many of the police auctions online are run by individuals who purchase items at a low cost from several police departments across the country. They can then market the items as police auction, or as an auction with police seized goods, though the auctions no longer have any connection with law enforcement.
Products Offered
Online police auctions work in much the same way as traditional auctions. The merchandise offered typically ranges in price from a few dollars, to more than a million dollars. Some websites focus on offering police seized merchandise of the smaller variety. There are police auctions online that sell larger items, while others focus on combining the two types of products. In general, the larger items sold at police auctions online will include property, houses, boats, and vehicles. The smaller items sold at these auctions may include collectibles, books, movies, and jewelry. Those who shop at online police auctions are typically looking to find a good bargain, and something they can later sell at a profit.
Auction Money
The money made from these online police auctions typically goes back into the police force using the auction. There are different types of police auctions though. One online police auction is run by an individual without any connection to law enforcement. They purchase a large number of items from the police or government, and then market those items as a “police auction.” In cases such as these, the money goes directly into the pocket of the seller. The other type of online police auctions are those sanctioned by the police force. Certain police forces such as the San Diego Police Force (http://www.sandiego.gov/police/auctions.shtml) have their own auction websites. Other departments use a main server to upload their auctions, and users can find a variety of police departments using one main auction site. The money made from those auctions will go back into the police force after auction fees and other miscellaneous fees have been paid.
Original Owners
The items sold at police auctions online typically come from several sources. The largest number of items come from police raids and seizures. When the police raid a home or business, the items there may become their property. This is often the case in situations that involve drugs or murder. Items may also become police property if they were seized as part of an investigation. Individuals are given a set amount of time to claim their property, and if the claim is not made within that time period, it becomes the property of the police department. After this time, the original owner can no longer make a claim on the items. There are also police auctions online that sell surplus merchandise owned by the police department. These auctions sell furniture, file cabinets, old computers, and anything the department no longer needs.
Guarantees on Products
Items sold at police auctions online do not carry a warranty, or guarantee. The items are sold “as is,” and it is the responsibility of the shopper to determine the item’s worthiness. If the item does not work upon purchase, there are no refunds given. Online police auctions work very similar to traditional auctions in this way.
Legitimacy of the Auctions
There are a large number of online auction sites that claim to work with law enforcement agencies. The best way to determine if the auction site is legitimate, is to look for an official seal on the main page of the website. It is illegal to use the seals unless the website is sanctioned by that department. It is also helpful to look for links to the law enforcement agencies. Legitimate online police auctions will include information on where the products come from, and what happens to the money raised.
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