# Buy government surplus at auction

For fleet buyers, resellers and anyone who evaluates surplus lots: how government surplus is sold, what as-is and where-is mean, how to pay and collect on time, and how to check that a program is real.

- Level: Specialist
- Length: 70 minutes
- Exam questions: 10, pass mark 80%, up to 3 attempts
- Certificate: valid for 12 months

## What you will learn

- Tell federal, state and marketplace surplus sales apart, and know which programs are not open to the public.
- Explain what as-is and where-is mean for your risk, and plan an inspection.
- Plan payment and collection inside the deadlines of a sale.
- Check that a surplus program and its payment instructions are real before you pay.

## Lessons

1. [How government surplus is sold](https://auctionfinder.fyi/academy/buying-government-surplus-at-auction/how-government-surplus-is-sold.md) (18 minutes)
2. [As-is, where-is and inspection](https://auctionfinder.fyi/academy/buying-government-surplus-at-auction/as-is-where-is-and-inspection.md) (16 minutes)
3. [Pay and collect on time](https://auctionfinder.fyi/academy/buying-government-surplus-at-auction/pay-and-collect-on-time.md) (16 minutes)
4. [Check the program and the payment](https://auctionfinder.fyi/academy/buying-government-surplus-at-auction/check-the-program-and-the-payment.md) (16 minutes)

## Questions

### Can anyone buy at a government surplus auction?

Usually, yes. Public sales are open to anyone who registers on the marketplace or portal that the program names. Some federal donation programs are only for government bodies and eligible nonprofits.

### Does the course cover countries outside the US?

Most examples are US federal and state programs. The course also names GCSurplus in Canada and VEBEG in Germany. Each program has its own rules, so read them before you bid.

### Is this course legal or tax advice?

No. The course explains published program rules as they were on a named check date. The certificate of completion records that you passed this site's exam. It is not a licence or a professional qualification.

Also on the [web page](https://auctionfinder.fyi/academy/buying-government-surplus-at-auction).

> Beware of auction fraud and shill bidding: never wire money or pay by gift card to a seller you cannot verify, and walk away when a price is run up by a bidder who never buys.