Buying from auction sites

[Snowdrop]

There has been loads of discussions about mtp and is it legal etc, and whilst this story doesn't relate to mtp, it is worth bearing in mind:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...sold-eBay.html

[windywindmill]

Re: Buying from auction sites

It's one thing selling your surplus kit if youve served time but stealing stuff from the services that protect our lives and country is just plain wrong.

[loki7491]

Re: Buying from auction sites

What a prat...... honestly, getting caught?!

Seriously though, you have got to be a prize bellend to steal C.A.Ts

"here love, lets sell over 300 of these military issue items on ebay, nobody will ask where they all come from and nobody from S.I.B will pay attention"


We ordered 70+ sets of steel toed workshop safety boots for the lads ad they never turned up. When we starting questions it turns out they all arrived and in much the same way as this, the storeman was punting them on, also on ebay. Suffice to say his services were no longer required and he possibly blows rich perverts for bingo cash nowadays!

[bigshep]

Re: Buying from auction sites

Makes you think where all that gear that was bought to get the loadout just right came from doesn't it?

[loki7491]

Re: Buying from auction sites

The vast majority of the stuff on ebay is legit.

When you leave the services you take all of your military kit to the stores to hand it all in, as it still belongs the MoD. The storeman takes what he wants and writes off the rest (usually for health and hygiene reasons) such as stuff that regularly came into skin contact, boots, the knife, fork and spoon you were issued many years previous.

Once written off, this goes into the bin to be destroyed or find itself in an army surplus store. Many guys leaving choose to keep alot of their stuff instead of seeing go into the bin - some for the memories, some because the don't want to buy new clothes for the building site / landscape gardening job they have landed and others because they know civvies will pay for it!

There are military auctions (closed bid auctions, not like ebay) where they sell off surplus stock - some brand new in packet , others full of holes. Everything from trousers to tanks. Many moons ago a family brought and old Bedford MJ 4x4 from auction and when he looked in the back it had two Harley motorbikes and a load of other surplus crap - bonus!

[angry pirate]

Re: Buying from auction sites

Many moons ago a family brought and old Bedford MJ 4x4 from auction and when he looked in the back it had two Harley motorbikes and a load of other surplus crap - bonus!

Result!

I often wonder when I buy from the bay how legit it is.
For what it's worth, I only buy kit that is available in surplus stores so I can be more confident that it's proper surplus rather than buckshee.