Is GovAuctions Legit in Australia?

Who actually sells the lots in Australia

Australian governments sell surplus through commercial auctioneers rather than a government-run site. That count is government lots only: Grays and Pickles also sell large volumes of private and fleet-lease stock, which we leave out of it. Every lot links to the auctioneer, where you register and bid. GovAuctions is an aggregator, not the seller: we never own, hold, sell or ship a lot, and we are not a party to your purchase.

• Pickles (pickles.com.au): the largest auctioneer of ex-government vehicles, with recurring government and fleet-lease sales nationwide.
• Grays (grays.com): the largest industrial and commercial online auctioneer; we read its surplus categories, including ex-government consignments such as WA Police forfeited goods.
• Allbids (allbids.com.au): a Canberra-based auctioneer carrying Commonwealth, AFP and ACT government surplus alongside commercial consignments.

Live counts for each one are on the Australian sources page.

What we do not cover

We only list what the sellers above publish. We say plainly what that leaves out:

• Manheim, which sells a large share of state and council fleet vehicles (including Queensland's QFleet cars). We do not index it.
• State fleet and council disposals that go through any other auctioneer.
• Land and buildings. We do not list Australian property auctions.

How to verify any listing

Every listing shows which seller is running it and links to the lot on that seller's own site. Open it and check that the same lot, the same lot number and the same closing time are there. We never change prices, hide fees or add a markup.

Every source is re-read twice a day. New lots appear after the next refresh and lots that have ended drop off. The current bid on this site can lag the auctioneer's: always check the lot on the auctioneer's own page before you bid.

What you actually pay

• Browse, search, filter and save: free, no account required.
• GovAuctions Pro: optional, US$7 a month (the same US-dollar price as on the US site). It adds a recommended max bid, sold-price comps, a resale-margin estimate and Flip Score on eligible lots, an AI auction assistant and unlimited email alerts. Full refund available within 7 days of subscribing.
• The lot itself: you pay the seller directly. A buyer's premium is added to the hammer price and GST applies at 10%. The premium differs by auctioneer and sale, so read it on the lot.

How we make money

Advertising and the optional Pro subscription. Across the whole site we also earn affiliate commissions when someone uses a third-party service we link to, and sell a paid Data API to developers. We take no cut of your bid or winning price, no commission from the sellers, and no payment to rank a lot higher.

What happens to your data

Searching and browsing need no account. If you create one or sign up for alerts, we store your email address. Pro payments are processed by our payment provider, Stripe, and we do not store card details. We do not sell your personal information. The privacy policy sets out what we collect and your rights, including under UK GDPR and GDPR.

Who runs GovAuctions

GovAuctions is run by GovernmentAuctions LLC, a company registered in California, USA. We are not affiliated with any Australian government department or agency, or with Allbids, Grays or Pickles.