Government Surplus Sales

Be leery of enticing classified newspaper and television advertisements offering government vehicles, land or homes for rock-bottom prices. The ads claim that surplus government vehicles, seized sports cars, or yachts, can be purchased for $100 or less and that land can be purchased for just a dollar an acre.

But the companies running these ads are merely selling information on government surplus sales that consumers may obtain for free. Companies may claim to have secret information about low-priced items; however, after buying the information, many consumers discover the bargains are misleading or non-existent. For example, although a buyer may find an army jeep for less than$50, all they may take home is a flattened mass of steel only good for scrap.

The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) has published a free guide that provides a wide range of federal sales programs, including sales held by the Departments of Agriculture, Defense and Justice, the U.S. Customs Service, and the Bureau of Land Management.

For more information visit their website: www.pueblo.gsa.gov

This report is general in nature and not intended as a reliability report on any company, service or product.