The Reseller Index
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PropertyRoom fees: buyer's premium, delivery, pickup and sales tax

Most items on PropertyRoom carry no buyer's premium: PropertyRoom says it typically uses one only on capital assets such as cars, boats, planes and heavy machinery and on items sold in place, at 10%, 12% or 15%. What nearly every win does add is the listing's flat delivery fee, sales tax on orders shipped to 45 states and DC, and a payment processing fee where it applies, all charged automatically to your card or PayPal.

Tax is generally figured on each item's selling price including its shipping and handling, unless you're approved for the Reseller Program with a resale certificate. Pickup items carry their own per-auction handling fee and must be collected within 5 business days, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays; orders of $5,000 or more are wire only, within 72 hours.

Rates verified on

PropertyRoom at a glance

Buyer's premium
None on most items; 10%, 12% or 15% on capital assets and in-place items
Payment
Card or PayPal charged automatically; $5,000 or more by wire within 72 hours
Pickup or removal
Within 5 business days of the close, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays
Sales tax
Collected on orders shipped to 45 states and DC; Reseller Program with a resale certificate
If you don't pay or pick up
Missed pickup: possible forfeiture of the item and fees
What it sells
Property from law enforcement, other government agencies and merchant sellers

PropertyRoom: what a $50, $200 and $1,000 win costs

Worked from the published rates linked in each row. Sales tax uses a 6% example rate (Kentucky's statewide rate, which has no local add-ons) on the bid and premium; with an accepted resale certificate it is zero, and some states also tax the fees and shipping.

The flat delivery fee on each listing isn't shown here; PropertyRoom generally taxes it with the item. Sales tax applies in the listed states unless you're in the Reseller Program. Sources are linked in each row label and listed at the end of the page. Shipping, freight or your trip to collect it is not included.
What you pay $50 win$200 win$1,000 win
Winning bid $50.00$200.00$1,000.00
Buyer's premium (none on most items) $0.00$0.00$0.00
Sales tax at the 6% example rate, on bid + premium $3.00$12.00$60.00
Total before shipping or pickup, taxed $53.00$212.00$1,060.00
Taxed total on a listing with a 15% premium (capital assets) $60.95$243.80$1,219.00
15% restocking fee if you cancel after winning Worked on the winning bid. $7.50$30.00$150.00
Alaska or Hawaii surcharge, package of 10 lb or more $50.00$50.00$50.00
Palletizing fee for freight pickup (may be mandatory) $50.00$50.00$50.00
Paid how Card or PayPal, automaticCard or PayPal, automaticCard or PayPal, automatic
Jewelry, watches or coins: expedited shipping required NoNoYes

What you pay on top of the bid

  • Most items carry no buyer's premium. PropertyRoom says it typically uses one only on capital assets such as cars, boats, planes and heavy machinery, and on items sold in place at the selling agency. (PropertyRoom: Buyer's Premium) “The Buyer's Premium is not a charge that is on most items sold on PropertyRoom.com.”
  • Where there is one it is 10%, 12% or 15%, shown in the auction table and on the Bid Review page, and it isn't refunded. PropertyRoom's own example: an $800 bid with a 15% premium adds $120, for $920. (PropertyRoom: Buyer's Premium)
  • At the close your card or PayPal is charged for the bid, the delivery fee, sales tax and, if it applies, a payment processing fee. (PropertyRoom: I Won) “the winning bid amount, delivery fee, sales tax, and a payment processing fee if applicable”
  • Delivery fees are flat, per item, based on size and weight, and include handling. You see them on the listing's Delivery Options tab and the Bid Review page before your bid is final. (How Much Does Shipping Cost?)
  • Jewelry, watches and coins or currency with a winning bid of $500.00 or more must ship expedited, at a higher charge. (Shipping Guidelines, 7)
  • Alaska and Hawaii: packages of 10 pounds or more add a $50.00 surcharge. The same guidelines also say PropertyRoom won't ship to Puerto Rico or outside the continental US, so ask before bidding from either state. (Shipping Guidelines, 14 and 1)
  • Shipping fees aren't negotiable and you can't use your own carrier account. (Shipping Guidelines, 10 and 11)
  • Combining orders is a courtesy: only goods sold for law enforcement or public agencies, closing the same day from the same warehouse, and only if it lowers the charge. The total shipping is then divided by the number of orders. (Combined Shipping, 2 and 4)
  • The amount that shows when you add a card is an authorization, not a charge, and clears in 2-3 business days. (Payment Authorization Fee)

When and how you pay

  • There is no checkout: payment is usually collected within 24 business hours of the close. (PropertyRoom: I Won)
  • The User Agreement's version: the bid plus all additional charges (tax, handling, shipping, a buyer's premium where it applies) is processed automatically when the total is $4,999.99 or less. (User Agreement: Bidding And Buying) “tax, handling, shipping, buyer's premium where applicable, etc.”
  • Accepted: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, debit cards with the Visa or MasterCard logo, and PayPal. (Credit card or PayPal to bid)
  • Not accepted: checks, money orders, cash or cashier's checks. (Accepted payment methods) “At this time we do not accept checks, money orders, cash, or cashier's checks.”
  • Also refused: prepaid cards, international credit cards and non-U.S. PayPal, and the payment method should be in your name. (Registering Payment Information)
  • No split payments or layaway: payment is due at the close on the method you chose with your first bid. (Split payment or layaway)
  • If the charge declines you have 3 calendar days to fix it, or the order is cancelled. (PropertyRoom: I Won)
  • Orders of $5,000.00 or more are wire transfer only, within 72 hours of the close. (PropertyRoom: I Won) “Orders totaling $5000.00 or more must be paid by wire transfer only within 72 hours after the close of auction.”
  • Some auctions need a bid deposit, by wire only and with your Bidder ID on the wire; the winner's deposit goes toward the purchase, and other bidders are mailed a refund check within 1-3 business days. (Bid Deposits)

Customer pickup and freight

  • Pickup items carry a Customer Pick-up S&H fee shown on the listing. PropertyRoom says it is a handling fee, not shipping, and it is charged on every auction even if you collect several at once. (Customer Pick-Up Policy (Shipping), 4 and 10) “This fee does not reflect any shipping costs”
  • Pickup is offered on police items except jewelry, watches and currency or coins. Choose it on the Bid Review page; the fee shows once you select it. (How Do I Select Pick Up?)
  • Pick the delivery option before your first bid: once a bid is placed, changes to it aren't recorded. (Shipping selected in error) “Once a bid is placed, any changes you make to the delivery option will not be recorded.”
  • Hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. local time, Monday to Friday, except six listed holidays, unless the auction says appointment only. Bring government-issued photo ID; anyone else needs to be added as an authorized pickup person. (Customer Pick-Up Policy (Shipping), 6 and 7)
  • Deadline: 5 business days after the close, unless the auction sets its own. Miss 2 p.m. local time on the 5th business day and PropertyRoom can either ship it to you and charge your card or take title to it. (Customer Pick-Up Policy (Shipping), 9)
  • The copy of the same policy in the Buying section, updated Oct 21, 2026, now also says 5 business days (it said 7 when we checked on Oct 19). The two copies still differ on when items are ready: from the first business day after payment is verified in one, the second in the other. (Customer Pick-Up Policy (Buying, Oct 21, 2026), 5 and 9)
  • Miss it and you agree to possible forfeiture of the item and what you paid for it. (Customer Pick-Up Policy (Shipping), 9) “YOU ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE TO POSSIBLE FORFEITURE OF BOTH FEES AND GOODS”
  • PropertyRoom doesn't refund forfeited pickup orders, and recommends collecting as soon as the order is available. (What if I don't pick up?) “PropertyRoom.com does not issue refunds on forfeited items.”
  • Freight: you hire and pay the carrier directly. Large items are shrink-wrapped to a 48x40 pallet with no crating, a $50.00 palletizing fee may be mandatory, and quotes should assume about 250 lb unless the listing says otherwise. Email 48 hours ahead; without a completed, prepaid bill of lading naming you as shipper, nothing is released. (Customer Pick-Up Policy (Buying, Oct 21, 2026), 8) “Items will NOT be released under ANY Circumstances if the customer has not provided the completed BOL.”

Sales tax and the Reseller Program

  • Items PropertyRoom sells for its clients are taxed when shipped to the states on its list: 45 states and DC on Oct 23, 2026 (unchanged since Oct 19). Merchant sellers' items are taxed by the merchant's own states. (Do I Have To Pay Sales Tax?)
  • Tax is generally on each item's total selling price, including that item's shipping and handling. (Do I Have To Pay Sales Tax?) “the total selling price of an item will generally include item-level shipping and handling charges”
  • For third-party sales PropertyRoom acts as the marketplace facilitator in states with those laws, and lists each state's effective date; some local taxes fall outside those laws. (Marketplace Tax Collection)
  • If you resell and have a valid resale certificate, purchases can be exempt from sales or use tax once PropertyRoom has your documentation. (Reseller Program)
  • Reseller Program: email a PDF of your current, signed and dated resale certificate. PropertyRoom approves or denies it by email within 3 business days, and rejects certificates that leave out the "LLC" or "Inc." in the seller names. (How do I enroll?) “Failure to include the appropriate "LLC" or "Inc." distinction in the seller names result in rejection of your certificate(s).”
  • Exemption starts when you're enrolled, so enroll before you win. (What if I have a Resale Certificate?) “Once you are enrolled, purchases you make from that day forward are not charged sales tax.”
  • Keeping the certificate current is on you, including any taxes or penalties if it lapses. (How do I Stay Qualified?)
  • Sales tax holidays: PropertyRoom charges tax as normal and points you to your state revenue department for any refund. (Sales Tax Holidays)

Other rules that catch buyers

  • PropertyRoom says it acts only as a facilitator or agent between buyers and sellers, so knowing and following the laws on transporting, storing and owning what you buy is on you. (User Agreement: Facilitates Auctions)
  • Bids can't be cancelled; for a typing error, contact support right away. (Cancelling Bids) “Bids cannot be cancelled.”
  • Cancelling a won order (a bid error, duplicate purchase, unauthorized sale or buyer's remorse) needs written approval and is handled as a discretionary return with a 15% restocking fee; shipped orders can't be cancelled. (Order Cancellations)
  • Returns need an RGA within 10 business days of delivery, and a discretionary return goes back at your expense. If PropertyRoom denies the claim, it may send the item back to you at no extra cost or refund only the winning bid minus a 15% restocking fee. (RGA Rules, 2 and 6)
  • Picked it up yourself? Then you return it yourself: PropertyRoom won't issue a return label, arrange retrieval or pay transport for items collected at a processing center, and it accepts no partial returns of a listing. (RGA Rules, 4a and 5b)
  • No shipping to mail forwarders, storage facilities, APO/FPO addresses or hotels, and some items can't go to PO boxes. Change your address before your first bid on an item. (Shipping Guidelines, 1 and 13)
  • A package returned as undeliverable (not PropertyRoom's or the carrier's fault) can be charged reshipping fees. If those can't be collected, the order is cancelled with a 15% restocking fee and no refund of the original shipping. (Shipping Guidelines, 12) “the order(s) will be cancelled with a 15% restocking fee and no refund on original shipping”
  • Report loss or damage within 30 days of the order date; later claims can't be filed. (Loss or Damage During Shipment)
The 45 states and DC where PropertyRoom collects sales tax

Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming. Not on the list: Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon. For merchant sellers' items, the merchant's own states apply (Do I Have To Pay Sales Tax?).

What to do

  1. Open the listing's Delivery Options tab and the Bid Review page: the premium (if any) and the delivery or pickup fee are there before your bid is final.
  2. If you resell, enroll in the Reseller Program before you win: the exemption starts the day you're approved, not retroactively.
  3. Choose pickup or shipping before your first bid, check the listing's processing center (items aren't moved between centers) and plan to collect within 5 business days.
  4. Bid only what you mean: bids can't be cancelled, and cancelling a won order costs a 15% restocking fee.

Price the whole lot before you bid with the landed cost per item calculator.

Questions

Does PropertyRoom charge a buyer's premium?

Not on most items. PropertyRoom says it typically uses one only on capital assets (cars, boats, planes, heavy machinery) and items sold in place, at 10%, 12% or 15%, shown on the auction table and Bid Review page. It isn't refundable.

How do resellers buy tax-free on PropertyRoom?

Through its Reseller Program: email a PDF of a current, signed resale certificate; approval comes by email within 3 business days, and purchases for resale from then on aren't charged sales tax. Keeping the certificate current is your responsibility.

How long do I have to pick up a PropertyRoom item?

5 business days after the close unless the auction says otherwise, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. local time on weekdays; both copies of the Customer Pick-Up Policy say so since the Buying-section copy's Oct 21, 2026 update. Miss 2 p.m. on the 5th business day and PropertyRoom may ship it and charge you, or keep it, with no refund on forfeited items.

Can I combine shipping on PropertyRoom?

Only for goods sold for law enforcement or public agencies that close the same day and ship from the same warehouse, and only if it lowers the charge. Merchant sellers' items are never combined.

Can I cancel a PropertyRoom order?

Bids can't be cancelled. A won order cancelled for a bid error, duplicate purchase, unauthorized sale or buyer's remorse needs written approval and is treated as a discretionary return with a 15% restocking fee, and shipped orders can't be cancelled.

General information from each site's and agency's own published pages, checked Oct 23, 2026; not legal or tax advice. Each auction's own terms control, so read them before you bid, and check with a lawyer or tax professional where it matters.

Sources

Rates verified on from each official page below.

Free 1-page Reseller Cheat Sheet: fees on 8 platforms, Media Mail and stamp prices

What each platform takes from a $10, $25 and $50 sale, Media Mail 1-10 lb, Ground Advantage to Zones 1, 5 and 8, and the Forever stamp, on one printable page. The link appears as soon as you sign up.