Customs auctions off seized items. This also includes cars. Anyone looking for a new used car should definitely take advantage of this goldmine. The best tips on how you can buy cars from customs!
What is a customs auction?
Foreclosure of real estate is no longer a secret. If you can’t pay your debts, you have to give up your home for it. Only a few consumers know that customs also conduct such auctions.
Background: Since 2009, tax offices have had to forward seized cars to customs. Since cars have a relatively high value, they are popular in foreclosure proceedings. In addition, retired government vehicles come under the hammer. The Federal Ministry of Finance in Bonn takes care of organizing the auctions.
How can I buy cars from customs?
The procedure is quick and simple:
- first you need to register on the portal.
- now you log in.
- bid on interesting vehicles.
- you have to wait for the auction to end. The auction can be cancelled at any time. When the owner pays his debts, the lien is released. This can also happen during a car auction.
- if the bid was successful, you have to pay for the car by bank transfer. In rare cases, cash payment is also possible.
- now you can pick up the car at the given address.
Usually an auction runs for 14 days. Within this period you can make a binding bid. The amount depends on the specifications of the bidder. The tax office sets an initial bid. In addition, a certain minimum bid must be reached.
Bids are made according to the following pattern:
- from 100 to $500, the bidding increments are 10 euros each
- up to $1000 you have to raise by 20 Euro
- up to $5000 the steps are 50 Euro
- above $5000 you have to add 100 Euro or more
In general, higher bids are also possible. You can increase a price of 360 euros immediately to 1,240 euros. Only the upper minimum increments have to be observed. The last bid must last five minutes. If someone outbids you one minute before the end, the auction will be extended by at least four minutes.
Legal framework
As already mentioned, an auction can be cancelled according to § 3 para. 8 of the auction conditions. Therefore you should check if you really won the customs auction of the car.
Please note: According to § 3 para. 4 of the auction conditions no revocation is possible. You must hope for a higher bid from a fellow bidder. Otherwise you are obligated to pay and pick up the vehicle. Therefore, you should carefully consider whether you really want to buy the car. We strongly advise against bidding for fun. Customs will not take a joke.
Normally you have to pick up the vehicle within 10 days. If you exceed this deadline, you will have to pay additional fees for the parking space.
According to § 4 para. 2 of the auction conditions, the warranty is excluded. No claims can be made due to a material defect. There is also no warranty.
You must read the description carefully. If you miss the point that the vehicle was not roadworthy, you are out of luck. A return is not possible at the customs auction of the car.
Customs car auction: advantages and disadvantages
Since it is a government institution, you can assume a serious processing. As a rule, the goods are described correctly and accurately. For this purpose, the vehicle is inspected by an expert and competently evaluated. An inspection of the car is possible after making an appointment. The contact details are deposited in the offer description.
Before publication, each vehicle is inspected. You can see the exact condition in the description. The report is free of charge and can be viewed without registration. After registration you will be spared from spam mails. Zoll-Auktion is a government platform and therefore does not advertise.
Tip: You don’t have to sit at the computer all the time to bid for a car from customs. For this there is the bidding agent. The function automatically bids up to a maximum bid set by you.
A small disadvantage is the limited supply. Buying a car at auction from customs is a matter of luck. Maybe just the right vehicle is there. However, you should not hope for too large a selection. Usually about 100-500 vehicles are auctioned.
The biggest minus point remains the lack of warranty.
Arguments at a glance:
- reputable contract partner
- Inspection by an expert
- Bargain possible
- no risk of fraud as with private purchases
- convenient online processing
- automatic bidding agent
- limited offer
- owner can redeem car during auction
- warranty and guarantee excluded
- no shipping of the car by forwarding agency
Is there a reasonable alternative?
Car auctions from customs only take place via customs auction. Thus, the tax offices have a central point of contact. The situation is different in the free market. There are numerous online auction portals. This is an advantage because you can choose the best provider. In addition, there is a much wider range of available vehicles.
Info: The biggest difference is the warranty. Normal online auction portals offer this service. At the Zoll Auto Auction, there is no warranty obligation in principle. If you want this protection service, you are better off with a classic online portal.
If you buy seized cars from customs, you take no risk. All offers are serious and there is no fraud. With a normal online auction house, a dubious auction can sneak in.
However, auctions remain pure luck. You have to find the right vehicle. Therefore, you should look around on all portals to find the perfect car.