Buying at auction in Germany: the complete guide
Registration, bidding, payment, collection: all the steps to buy a lot sold by a German public authority or licensed auctioneer.
1. Who sells at auction in Germany?
Sales are spread across several official platforms. Zoll-Auktion brings together the federal government, the Länder, municipalities and customs. Justiz-Auktion sells assets seized by the justice system. VEBEG disposes of federal government equipment. Alongside these, hundreds of licensed auctioneers (Auktionshäuser) and liquidators sell on their own websites. Bidorado brings everything together in one place.
2. Create an account with the seller
Bidding always takes place on the seller's website. You need to create an account there: usually an email address, a postal address and sometimes an ID document. EU citizens can register. Some lots are reserved for businesses ("nur für Gewerbetreibende"): Bidorado flags these.
3. Bidding
Most online sales last several days and end at a fixed time (Berlin time). Many bidders wait until the last minutes: a lot with no bid 2 hours before the end can still go up. Set yourself a maximum all-in price before you start.
4. Paying
Payment is almost always by bank transfer, within a short deadline (often 7 to 10 days). SEPA transfers from the UK are free and arrive within one working day.
5. Collection or delivery
Read the "Versand" (shipping) or "Abholung" (collection) section carefully. Many lots must be collected on site, within a fixed deadline. See our guide on on-site collection.
The Bidorado advantage
On each lot page, we calculate the all-in price and flag any pitfalls detected in the listing: "no disk", "BIOS locked", "untested", "collection only".