RALEIGH ń There will be no tricks but plenty of treats this Halloween for shoppers who enjoy bidding on surplus goods sold through the State Surplus Property Agency of the N.C. Department of Administration. The Division has instituted an online sealed bidding system to streamline the process of purchasing surplus goods by expanding opportunities to participate and is no longer accepting paper bids for most items.
“Our new online system allows potential consumers to register before bidding, which increases accuracy of bids and ensures that qualified buyers are prepared to complete their transaction and claim their goods,” said State Surplus Property Officer Randy Lee. “Our goal is to eliminate paperwork errors and help people obtain the property they want, which in turn increases the amount of revenue we return to the state.”
Revenue generated from all surplus property sales is returned to individual state programs, agencies or the General Fund. The State Surplus Property Agency reports sales of about $21 million annually.
Not all items will be sold through online bidding. Surplus will still conduct “Bid Purchase” and “Must View Item” sales (such as computers and scrap metal), public auctions and retail sales. There also is no change in the bidding process for timber, pine straw and other contractual sales.
Customers are encouraged to register for the online sealed budding system, which includes acceptance of all Terms and Conditions of Sale. Those interested in registering for this service may visit http://www.doa.state.nc.us/ssp/electronicbidding.htm.
Once registered, customers may view available property and make online bids. They also may review and update their user profile, as well as review the status of items that have been placed on bid.
The first group of items offered for online bidding were posted this week for 21 days; future online bid items will be posted for 14 days. The first online sealed bids will be awarded on Nov. 18. Bid winners will be posted online and an automated “Notice of Award” email will be sent to successful bidders. A registered bidder who cannot access the Web site or his or her account to verify bid status may call 919-854-2160.