CORAL GABLES,
Fla., September 3, 2008 – While communities across the nation depend
on law enforcement officials to protect and serve, law enforcement
professionals rely on their own means for safety – their equipment. In
an effort to lessen the costly financial burden for law enforcement
officials required to purchase their own equipment,
www.CopBids.com, the only auction Web site dedicated specifically to
the law enforcement community, was developed and launches today,
providing an outlet for police officers, corrections officers, sheriffs
and other law enforcement personnel to buy, sell and trade law
enforcement equipment.
In fact, with more
than 800,000 full-time sworn law enforcement officers in the United
States in 2004, according to the U.S. Department of Justice, hundreds of
thousands of pieces of equipment are replaced or upgraded every day.
With that, CopBids.com understood the magnitude of how helpful an
auction Web site dedicated solely to the law enforcement community could
be. CopBids.com was developed as a way to help law enforcement
personnel recoup a portion of the money originally spent on equipment by
selling it to other law enforcement officers at a reduced rate, in turn
also helping the buyer.
The CopBids.com
auction Web site was designed for law enforcement professionals,
agencies and suppliers, offering an easy-to-use service for bidding on
and listing items for auction. Categories for products auctioned on
CopBids.com range from vehicle equipment and apparel to holsters and
handcuffs, among others.
Customized
specifically for law enforcement, CopBids.com also offers a unique
service which keeps track of users’ bidding and tracking activities. As
part of the service, users can view information on bids placed, items
sold and items bought. In addition, the registration process is
designed to discourage non-law enforcement personnel from utilizing the
Web site, as users are required to provide proof of their law
enforcement status.
“Geographical
boundaries are no longer a limitation for agencies and merchants wanting
to auction off their surplus of equipment, or for cops wanting to sell
or trade what they no longer use,” said Fleres. “CopBids.com enables
law enforcement around the world to auction their equipment through the
most targeted online channel available.”
To assist
agencies, suppliers and individuals with placing products up for
auction, CopBids.com, unlike other auction sites, will not be charging
an insertion fee for listing auctions. Individuals will be able to place
a product up for auction and display a photo of the item at no charge,
but may choose to add additional photos and other upgrades to their
listings for nominal fees paid securely through PayPal. The seller pays
a Final Value Fee through PayPal if the product is sold, and the buyer
pays all shipping costs.
About CopBids.com
Founded in 2007 by
Coral Gables, Fla. police officer, Joe Fleres, CopBids.com, Inc. is a
privately held company that began with the vision of providing a viable
Web site that enables individuals and merchants around the world to buy,
sell and trade law enforcement equipment through the most targeted
online channel available to law enforcement. Today, it is the only
auction Web site dedicated specifically to the law enforcement
community. For more information, please visit
www.copbids.com.
