According to Governmentauctionsusa.com Fake Goods No Longer To Be Sold At Surplus Auctions.
State officials have halted a policy of selling counterfeit goods at surplus property auctions after federal customs agents said the practice was illegal.
Governmentauctionsusa.com " said the state routinely auctions off items seized by law enforcement agents as part of criminal investigations and by Department of Revenue officials to pay off back taxes. The auctions generated $23 million for the state in the fiscal year ended June 30."
But those auctions have sometimes included goods like fake Rolex watches or designer handbags, which were advertised as imitation.
Questions about the practice by NBC-17 prompted U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement agents to call the practice of knowingly selling counterfeit goods illegal because the state never obtained permission from Rolex or other trademark holders.
The questions also led to a new policy by the state banning the sale of counterfeit goods.
"I put it out to my employees verbally (Tuesday) and in writing (Wednesday) morning that we would no longer be bidding counterfeit or imitation items, that we know," surplus property officer Randy Lee said.
Officials pulled several counterfeit items off the surplus auction Web site on Wednesday.
State Department of Revenue officials declined to talk with NBC-17 about the imitation goods and whether the state had broken any laws or had sought trademark permission to sell them.
Department spokeswoman Kim Brooks released a statement, saying only that officials requested the auctions stop including counterfeit items immediately.
"The department has always been forthright in its dealings with taxpayers who purchase items through these sales and notifies bidders of the item's condition, including any damage," the statement said. "The department has requested that the state surplus immediately cease selling jewelry seized by the department that has been determined to be counterfeit."
For more Information go to http://www.http://www.usa-government-auctions.com.
Governmentauctionsusa.com " said the state routinely auctions off items seized by law enforcement agents as part of criminal investigations and by Department of Revenue officials to pay off back taxes. The auctions generated $23 million for the state in the fiscal year ended June 30."
But those auctions have sometimes included goods like fake Rolex watches or designer handbags, which were advertised as imitation.
Questions about the practice by NBC-17 prompted U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement agents to call the practice of knowingly selling counterfeit goods illegal because the state never obtained permission from Rolex or other trademark holders.
The questions also led to a new policy by the state banning the sale of counterfeit goods.
"I put it out to my employees verbally (Tuesday) and in writing (Wednesday) morning that we would no longer be bidding counterfeit or imitation items, that we know," surplus property officer Randy Lee said.
Officials pulled several counterfeit items off the surplus auction Web site on Wednesday.
State Department of Revenue officials declined to talk with NBC-17 about the imitation goods and whether the state had broken any laws or had sought trademark permission to sell them.
Department spokeswoman Kim Brooks released a statement, saying only that officials requested the auctions stop including counterfeit items immediately.
"The department has always been forthright in its dealings with taxpayers who purchase items through these sales and notifies bidders of the item's condition, including any damage," the statement said. "The department has requested that the state surplus immediately cease selling jewelry seized by the department that has been determined to be counterfeit."
For more Information go to http://www.http://www.usa-government-auctions.com.
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