Welcome. Below are answers to common questions about buying at CWS's Los Angeles County estate auctions. If you have any other questions, feel free to email us at service@cwsmarketing.com or by phone at 888-343-1313.
- Can anyone attend the auction?
- When are the auctions held?
- Where are the auctions held?
- Can I inspect/preview the property?
- Is a catalog available?
- What do I need to do to register for the auction?
- What forms of payment are accepted at the auction?
- When do items purchased at the auction have to be paid for?
- When do my purchases have to be picked up?
- How do I know that these are legitimate auctions?
- What is sold?
- Can I get a good deal at these auctions?
- Is there a minimum bid?
- Can I bid on the Internet?
- Is sales tax charged to my purchases?
- Do you collect sales tax for vehicle sales?
- What fees are associated with my winning bid amount?
- Can items be shipped or delivered to me?
- Is there a particular order to the auction?
- How can I contact someone regarding the auction?
Can anyone attend the auction?
Yes! The auctions are free and open to the public.
When are the auctions held?
The LA County Estate Auction is held on the second Saturday of the month, approximately 10 times a year. The sales typically start at 9:00am and continue throughout the afternoon.
Where are the auctions held?
The auctions are conducted at the Los Angeles County Public Administrator Warehouse at 16610 Brasher Street, City of Industry, California. View directions from the surrounding southern California area.
Can I inspect/preview the property?
All items can be inspected the day of sale beginning at 7:30am and up until the time an item sells. Photos and descriptions of select items are available online approximately 10 days prior to the auction.
Is a catalog available?
Catalogs are available the day of sale or online the Wednesday prior to the auction.
What do I need to do to register for the auction?
Auction registration occurs at the auction location on the day of sale. Please bring your driver's license or other photo ID, and the completed Bidder Agreement and Terms of Sale forms to the registration windows. These forms are available at the auction or you may download them, fill them out and bring them with you on auction day. A $100 refundable, cash or credit card deposit is required to register. If no purchases are made the deposit is returned to the bidder.
What forms of payment are accepted at the auction?
Acceptable forms of payment are cash, credit cards (Visa, Master Charge, Discover, American Express), and cashier's checks made payable to CWS Marketing Group, Inc. Personal or business checks are not accepted.
When do items purchased at the auction have to be paid for?
All purchases must be paid for in full the day of the sale.
When do my purchases have to be picked up?
All purchases must be removed the day of the sale. The one exception to this is non-operational vehicles. An appointment may be made to pick up these vehicles the Monday following the auction.
How do I know that these are legitimate auctions?
The Los Angeles County Treasury and Tax Collector / Public Administrator has designated CWS Marketing Group, inc. as the prime contractor for their personal property estate auctions. All property offered for sale if done so by Los Angeles County and comes from estates the County serves as public administrator or public guardian. CWS Marketing Group conducts auctions throughout the United States representing various government agencies including The Departments of the Treasury and Homeland Security (DHS), US Customs, IRS-Criminal, US Marshals Service, and ATF.
What is sold?
Just about anything you might find in a home or office! Remember, these items all came from various estates. Items including cars, boats, antiques, collectibles, art, jewelry, coins, stamps, household furniture, appliances, electronics, computer equipment, tools, and clothing . Items may be new or used and are sold in lots ranging from single items to wholesale quantities.
Can I get a good deal at these auctions?
These auctions can produce some pretty decent bargains. Good rules to follow are preview the property prior to bidding, and set a maximum for what you are willing to pay for it.
Is there a minimum bid?
Generally, there are no set minimum bids. The seller, The LA County Public Administrator, will always have the right to accept or reject the high bid.
Can I bid on the Internet?
This is an on-site, live bid auction only. You must be present to participate in the bidding. Internet, phone, or "proxy" bidding is not available at this time.
Is sales tax charged to my purchases?
Yes, unless you present a valid resale card. The sales tax in Los Angeles is 9.75%
Do you collect sales tax for vehicle sales?
NO, you pay sales tax when you register the car.
What fees are associated with my winning bid amount?
There is a 15% Buyer's Premium charged to the total of your purchases. This fee, paid for by the buyer, goes to offset the costs of conducting the auction. Following is an example:
Bid Price $100
Buyer's Premium $15
Sales Tax (9.75%) $11.21
Total Purchase Price $126.21
Can items be shipped or delivered to me?
CWS will not ship or deliver any items. It is the sole responsibility of the buyer to remove the merchandise purchased on the day of the sale. All costs and liabilities associated with the removal are the responsibility of the buyer.
Is there a particular order to the auction?
The order of the auction is located on the inside cover of the catalog. Catalogs are available the day of sale or online the Wednesday prior to the auction.
How can I contact someone regarding the auction?
Information is available by email at service@cwsmarketing.com or by phone at 888-343-1313 x256.
