GovPlanet Europe

GovPlanet Europe is the European storefront of GovPlanet, the government and military surplus marketplace run by IronPlanet Ltd, a Ritchie Bros. company incorporated in Ireland with its European office in Dublin. Lots come from US Department of Defense disposition services, other agencies and their contractors, plus commercial consignors on the IronPlanet network. The .eu domain is a regional interface, six languages with euro conversions beside dollar bids, not a separate European stockpile: when checked, the Government Surplus section held 6,489 lots, of which 6,486 sat in the United States.

What you can buy

• Ex-military vehicles: AM General HMMWVs (M1097R1, M1123, ambulance variants), Oshkosh trucks and military trailers.
• Trucks and trailers: truck tractors, tippers, flatbeds, tanker and van trailers from Freightliner, Mack, Peterbilt and Kenworth.
• Lifting equipment: Hyster, Toyota, JCB and Jungheinrich forklifts, telehandlers, container handlers and cranes.
• Base and depot hardware: generator sets, shipping containers, portable structures, heating and cooling units.
• Field and consumable stock: field gear, clothing, medical supplies, tools and spare parts, the biggest line by lot count.
• Light vehicles: pickups, SUVs, vans, buses, motorcycles and drones.

How the bidding works

Accounts are free and open to businesses and private buyers; bidding privileges are approved separately, on the basis of a valid credit card in your name and an assigned bidding limit. Most stock sells in timed online auctions with proxy bidding (PriorityBid), grouped into weekly Government Surplus and Equipment & Truck events. Buy Now and Make Offer listings run alongside on Marketplace-E, plus occasional LiveStream on-site sales. Buyers based outside Europe must lodge a €2,000 deposit to obtain bidding privileges, and the clock is short: three business days to pay, eight to remove the item before storage charges accrue, abandonment after 60 days. Cards are accepted only up to 10,000 in the listing currency and add a 2.95% fee, so wire transfer is standard.

What to check before you bid

Read the location facet first: a cheap Humvee in Georgia or Nevada still needs ocean freight, customs clearance and duty before it reaches your yard. Sales are as-is, where-is on EXW terms, and the seller need not load your container or dismantle anything. Viewing in person is described as usually difficult to arrange, so you bid on an IronClad Assurance inspection report; disputes carry a 750 deductible, must be filed within 11 business days, and lapse once the item is exported. Beyond the hammer price sits a per-item transaction fee quoted on each listing, a $125 document fee on titled US items, and €115 for an SF97 certificate of release. VAT zero-rating needs a VIES-valid number and export paperwork; first purchases are usually charged VAT and refunded later. Lots coded F or Q for demilitarisation require an End-Use Certificate and are restricted to US citizens with a US-based account; every buyer separately warrants they are not a denied party or resident of a US-embargoed country. For DLA stock on European bases, budget for a stamped 0215 customs form, a T1 transit document, duty and VAT at home, sometimes a BAFA check. US military vehicles rarely carry CE marking, and road registration is your problem.