Purchasing Used Equipment

Purchasing Used Equipment

When purchasing used, refurbished, or demonstration model equipment there are considerations in addition to the cost of the equipment such as the condition of the equipment, the ease or difficulty of getting parts, repairs and maintenance, for example.

EIO encourages prospective buyers to visit Procurement Services’ ‘Purchasing Used Equipment’ page. It provides thorough guidelines and best practices for used equipment purchases, including the process for purchasing via auction.

Surplus Property Purchases

Definition

One alternative to purchasing used/refurbished equipment from a third-party vendor is to purchase it from the UW Surplus Property stores. To do so ensures the best use of University equipment. departments are given the opportunity to purchase usable excess items from the University’s Surplus Property Office. Departments needing specific items should contact the Surplus Office to see if the desired equipment is available.

If the equipment has a useful life expectancy of more than one year, and a current market value of $5,000 or more, it should be entered into OASIS within 3-7 days after receipt (unless prior arrangements are made with EIO).  The department tags the equipment and enters it into OASIS as a "T" status asset and an acquisition method of “PO” following the same process as used for new equipment acquisitions (see this page for details on the tagging process).  The Surplus Property Office will internally charge the department’s budget for the purchase.

^{Last updated 02 October 2023}