Printable View
Has anyone had any experience buying from GovLiquidation and having a freight carrier pick it up for you? I do not have the logistics or know-how to grab pallets. Does any freighter pick up pallets at bases for you? If this is possible, then buying out of state auctions would be an option as well.
I do, let me tell you something right now, INSURANCE. The facility in Florida I purchased the lot from looked like they had shrink wrapped everything properly...when the load showed up, it has shifted and left a mess of broken parts and damaged computers all over the inside of the trailer. It took six hours just to repalletize it, and more time to inventory the damage. I used the carrier the site recommended. R&L carriers is one of the companies I use regularly. U Ship is good too, but you need to be clear about your needs. Let them know the REAL value of the load, how you want the load reinforced and so on. U Ship has carriers that carry load insurance AND the stuff to properly strap and lock down your load to prevent shifting, real true blue pros...ALSO, we've got our very own carrier on the forum. I intend to use his services next time. ((look him up...))
http://www.scrapmetalforum.com/scrap...-services.html
It's ongoing, but GovLiquidation didn't own it at all...they said, too bad, should have checked the load prior to shipping. I agree with that EXCEPT they palletized and wrapped the load. If I do anything that big again I will hire a private company local to me that I can ride along and bring my strapping and wrap with, or a company that I know will check the load and make sure I get it in one piece and not look at it as just tonnage.
If it's an LTL, gaylord sized or just a few boxes, don't worry about it, hire the company they reccomend, insure it, drive on.
Thank you! I've been wondering about these. I've stayed away from these auctions for the simple fact that I'd have trouble hauling them.
Do not get involved in government liquidation at all if you are not prepared to lose the entire value of a lot. Now that I spent some time actually putting power to some of the unharmed machines on the pallets that were undisturbed...I must have tried thirty machines before I found one that had memory in it (they had a manifest down to the serial number, showing things like model, processor, memory amount, POST test). All day I worked today. I must of found ten machines on an entire pallet (at least 45 machines) with memory of any kind in them. Some did not even have a processor and the heatsink left loose had done damage to the board. I stopped, after I took about 200 pictures and emailed them all off in groups (ten for each pallet) of the problems and missing parts. Unacceptable, it never used to be like this, years ago most anything you got from GL was GREAT, exactly as advertised. Now I am finding stock photos, commentary to explain the lot as "may not be as pictured" and then it does not specifiy a date or time or even a contact for viewing the lot. Couple years ago I could get a worker to facetime with me to show me the lot, or skype...
This is the second time I've had problems with GL in the last couple months. I am wondering if this is just me or if anyone else is having issues with this kind of thing.
Ya I was burned by gl once and now if I cant go inspect myself I dont bid. Its terrible...I had the same issue only 20% of the shipment was as advertised and good luck trying to get it fixed i didnt. With gl I load and ship myself and try and steer clear of whole pcs unless I can inspect before bidding. Sorry you got burned Army its always a tough pill to swallow. Hopefully you will atleast break even and chalk it up to lesson learned about how gl operates now.
Thanks to the internet, Gold fever is now an epidemic.
Yep, well...tomorrow will be interesting. I've been buying from GL for YEARS, since I found out where our equipment goes to die while I was serving. I've bought winches, tires, air compressors, impressive tool kits, welders, test sets... my solder station is from GL.
Anyways, I always plan to be forced to swallow the pill but still hope for the best. There were quad cores in this lot...want to guess which procs are missing? i3 and i5 in the lot too but those have not been opened up yet. I'm tempted if this isn't resolved with GL to contact authorities in Florida, or the installation provost marshal and report fraud. I already notified the shipping company about the shipment they've been forthcoming and will own any damage based on lot value. I insured the lot at 25,000, I've lost quite a few to external damage.
When I get a resolution, I'll post up the pictures of how NOT to do things... I do hope this post helps the rest of you.
Very good to know. I'm not too afraid of missing parts in the computers (people don't really bid on surplus here in Hawaii) so I could probably sneak a pallet of computers or laptops at the minimum $25. Or even the metal ammo boxes or aluminum shelving they sell here every so often I could get for less than $50. But I always see computer and laptop lots in Florida. I've always thought if only I could get a pallet of those...
Could it be that they are trying to protect data in the computers? It could be DoD policy to remove some components of the computers for security purposes?
No, the hard drive is already gone, the lot is "tested" to POST which means it has to have a working cpu and memory stick installed. Frankly I stopped messing with these machines because I now believe this is a case of fraud or employee theft.
GL replied with what amounts to a too bad so sad series of emails right up until I said I would be contacting my local sheriff's department and reporting fraud. I then quoted WI law on the subject, produced my invoice, the terms of the sale and pretty much said my lot is not even close to what I paid for. Suddenly I get a phone call from some claim department I never hard of saying they want to know what parts of my lot were damaged in shipment and what is missing...
Whats funny about this to me is that I was completely ignored until I threatened the law on them. Suddenly I'm important and the situation will be handled? Terrible company, they started out great but got fat and lazy from a regular and easy source of revenue. These people made claims that the shipper may have removed the lot...they even started to say I did it until I explained I would "get the sheriff involved" and pretty much leave the rest of this stuff to evidence.
I think companies tend to forget that if they ever get involved in fraud it snow balls. I can pretty well bet what is going on. GL makes a ton of money but like Walmart they pay employees next to minimum wage to do the job. Employee has no motivations to do right by the company they work for, does minimum research to find out whats so valuable about these dang computers...knows he/she can't take the computer itself but whats wrong with snagging parts. Yea, makes sense to me.
So I probably won't hear back from GL for quite some time...
Army,
You are a man on the ball. Good for you!! Some of your knowledge of shipping must have been learned the hard way but it sure sounds like you have your ducks in a row now. Photographs and notes go a long way in front of judges and lawyers...
You'll go a long way with your businesslike, no nonsense approach...to this issue and other things, like your discussion about Microsoft and how to deal with licensing Windows on rebuilt computers. Nothing like cutting to the chase by getting the facts.
Please keep us posted. Your experiences will surely help others who are trying to do the same thing.
GL p*ssed in their own cornflakes when they represented the lot in writing as all passing POST. If they aren't brain dead, you will probably see further computer stuff sold without ANY representation as to what is in a given lot. However, that pretty well guarantees the prices will be lower.
Jon.