At a glance
| What's sold | Unclaimed lost property (Fundsachen) from German towns, mainly bikes, e-bikes, phones and jewellery |
| Lots located in | Germany (100%) |
| Who can bid | Individuals aged 18 or over from 15 European countries |
| Buyer's premium | None |
| VAT on premium | None; the price you see is what you pay |
| Payment deadline | Each town sets it; the terms give no fixed number of days |
| Pickup deadline | Each town sets it, often a few fixed days, e.g. "within 2 weeks" in Wilhelmshaven |
| Verdict | Low cost and no fees, but all condition and transport risk is yours |
What's sold
Towns in Germany auction lost property that nobody claimed within the 6-month holding period. Bikes and e-bikes make up most lots, followed by watches and jewellery, electronics, e-scooters and phones. You buy from the town itself; the operator, GMS-Bentheimer Softwarehaus, only runs the platform.
Who can bid
- Private buyers: You must be 18 or over and have full legal capacity. You can sign up from DE, AT, CH, NL, BE, LU, FR, IT, ES, PL, DK, GR, RO, SK or SI. There is no ID check and no deposit when you register; the town checks your ID at collection.
- Businesses: Only individuals may bid, so traders sign up as private persons. No VAT number is requested, and it is not confirmed that you can get a VAT invoice. Ask the town if you need one.
Registration
- Go to the registration form (anmelden.php); signing up costs nothing.
- Give your name, address, country, federal state (Bundesland), date of birth, email and phone number.
- Pick a username and password and accept the terms (AGB).
- Enter the activation code sent to your email.
- During the preview, add lots to your watch list ("Artikel beobachten") until bidding opens.
Fees and real total cost
| Fee | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Buyer's premium (Aufgeld) | None | Stated on the homepage and in the terms |
| VAT | Not shown separately | No VAT invoice or margin scheme mentioned |
| Handling, loading, admin | None stated | |
| Shipping | EUR 8.60 (Hamm), EUR 7.90 (Neumarkt) | Small items, Germany only; one charge covers several items from one town up to EUR 500; you carry the transport risk |
| Payment | Usually none | SEPA transfer, cash or EC card, depending on the town |
| Storage | None stated | Miss the pickup and you may lose the item |
| Failure to pay or collect | 30% of the price | Charged as a handling fee (Bearbeitungsgebühr); you may also be banned |
Worked example, an e-bike at EUR 1,000:
- Price: EUR 1,000.00
- Buyer's premium: EUR 0.00
- VAT: EUR 0.00
- Shipping: none, as bikes are collection only
- Total paid to the town: EUR 1,000.00. This excludes your travel and any repairs; a replacement battery is often needed, and its cost is not confirmed.
How bidding works
- Auctions run as a falling-price "Count Down" (Dutch) auction. The price drops by one cent per step from the start price towards the minimum, over roughly 10 days.
- Clicking "Kaufen" (buy) wins the lot straight away at the current price.
- "Gebot abgeben" (place a bid) lets you name a price below the current one. It must beat the top bid by at least EUR 0.10. When the falling price meets the top bid, that bidder wins at their own bid. There are no proxy bids.
- There is no set closing time and no extension. Every higher bid makes the auction end sooner.
- The seller sets a minimum price, usually EUR 1; for gold it is the metal value. Lots with no bid at or above the minimum stay unsold.
- Your bid is binding and you cannot withdraw it. It only ends when someone outbids you.
- GMS may halt an auction for serious reasons. A technical fault cancels the result and the lot is not re-auctioned.
Watch out
- At least 81% of lots in the source's sample were won with "Kaufen", so a low waiting bid seldom gets a good lot.
- Everything is sold as-is: no warranty, no right of withdrawal (Widerrufsrecht), and descriptions are not binding.
- E-bikes often lack the battery or controls, and bikes mostly need repair ("meistens reparaturbedürftig").
- Collection slots are strict, e.g. Karlsruhe gives two days with no alternative, and risk is yours once you pay.
- Phone listings do not say whether iCloud or Google locks are on; ask via "Fragen an Anbieter" (questions to the seller) before bidding.
Verdict: A fee-free way to buy cheap bikes and small items if you can collect locally. Budget for repairs and press "Kaufen" at your own limit instead of waiting on a low bid.