We believe our customers and partners deserve total transparency. A common question we get is: where does the inventory on GovAuctions.com actually come from?
The answer is simple. We purchase government and retail surplus in bulk. GovAuctions.com is part of a larger family of auction houses built by one of the largest and most established liquidation buyers in the United States. This history gives us the expertise and financial capacity to buy surplus inventory at scale.
Our Sourcing Model: How We Acquire Inventory
Our teams acquire surplus inventory from a wide range of sources, including:
- U.S. Government Agencies: We purchase surplus lots from federal, state, and local government programs across the country.
- Major Retailers: Thanks to our long history in the liquidation industry, we also purchase overstock items from major private retailers.
- Private Liquidation Partners: We work with other partners in the logistics and surplus industries to acquire inventory.
It is very important for us to be clear: GovAuctions.com is a private company. We are not partners with any government agency, nor are we a government entity ourselves. We are a customer of these agencies. We buy their surplus goods through legitimate, established channels, just as any other large liquidation buyer would.
From Bulk Shipments to Your Doorstep
We purchase these goods in massive bulk quantities. A great recent example is a 786 lb shipment we purchased from the Department of Defense, which contained 910 elbow pads and 478 knee pads.
An individual consumer or a small business can't buy, store, or process a shipment that large. That's where our logistics network comes in.
How We Process and Store Surplus
Once we purchase a bulk lot, it is shipped to our nationwide 3PL (third-party logistics) warehouse network, which includes major hubs in Texas and Utah.
At these facilities, our teams get to work:
- Vetting: We inspect the inventory to ensure its quality and authenticity. Our entire business is built on legitimate sourcing.
- Sorting: We sort the bulk shipments into more manageable lots.
- Listing: We break the items down into individual listings. That 786 lb shipment of pads isn't sold as one giant lot. Instead, we make those 910 elbow pads and 478 knee pads available to individuals.
Why Our Sourcing Model Benefits Everyone
This "bulk-to-individual" model is the core of our mission at GovAuctions.com.
Other legitimate sites, like GovDeals.com and GovPlanet.com, also do great work selling government surplus. However, they often focus on bulk lots that are only accessible to large corporations.
Our model creates accessibility for everyone. Those elbow pads from the DOD can go to parents outfitting their kids for sports, new homeowners working on a repair, or small construction firms needing just 60 pads to protect their crew.
This approach benefits everyone:
- Consumers & Small Businesses: You get affordable access to high-quality products.
- Governments & Taxpayers: By increasing the number of potential buyers from a few large corporations to millions of everyday people, we help maximize the liquidation value of surplus goods. This creates more funds for schools, towns, and essential public services.
Our Commitment to You
Our legitimate sourcing and transparent process are why we’ve become a beloved business known for positive reviews and phenomenal customer support. It’s also why we can confidently back every single purchase with our industry-leading guarantees.
- Free Shipping on every order.
- A 90-Day Satisfaction Guarantee (with a no-questions-asked refund on your first purchase).
- Friendly, 24/7 human support by phone, email, or chat.
We are proud of our process and are always here to answer your questions. For more details on our business, you can visit our About page or see our How GovAuctions Works guide.
If you have any questions, our support team is always available at govauctions.com/support or by phone at 888-600-2872.
