Betreibungsamt Zürich 5

The Betreibungsamt Zürich 5 is a Swiss debt enforcement office, and it sells seized goods two ways. The one worth knowing about is the traditional floor auction — the Gant — held at the municipal Gantlokal Hardau on Bullingerstrasse. Alongside it the office runs additional sales through the cantonal eGant platform, but the hall sales are its own.

What you can buy

• Household goods and appliances from enforcement seizures.
• Watches and jewellery.
• Consumer electronics.
• Art and decorative objects, as they arise.
• Vehicles occasionally, depending on the seizure.

How the bidding works

Each Gant is announced in advance with a date, and the office publishes photographs of the goods, the protocol and the official advert for every sale, with the notice also appearing in the Swiss commercial gazette. Viewing takes place in a short window immediately before the auction — typically half an hour — and bidding is in the room. Auction conditions and storage fees are published separately.

What to check before you bid

Enforcement sales are cash-and-carry in character: read the Steigerungsbedingungen, because payment and removal deadlines are short and storage fees start immediately. Viewing is the only inspection you get and it is measured in minutes, so arrive at the start of the window rather than the end. Goods are sold as seen with no warranty of any kind — that is the nature of a Gant, not a term to negotiate.