Repeat auctions: how to buy cheaper on Prozorro.Sale

Not every lot sells on the first try: sometimes nobody applies or the auction fails. Then the organizer puts the same asset up again — often with a lower starting price. For a buyer this is a chance to pay less, as long as you keep an eye on the asset.

Why lots get cheaper

The rules differ between auction types, but the logic is similar: if the asset could not be sold at the initial price, the next attempt may start lower. This is how, among others, repeat auctions for bank assets (DGF) and for bankrupt debtors’ assets work, while small privatization has dedicated formats — an auction with a reduced starting price and an auction with step-by-step price reduction. The exact terms — the size of the discount, the number of attempts — are in each lot’s announcement.

How to find discounted lots

• In the catalogue, the discount is shown on the lot card with a red badge, for example “−20 %” or “−50 %”.
• The lot page has a “Previous auctions of this asset” block with their prices and statuses. It shows how many times the asset has been offered and how much cheaper it has become.
• Through the API, the discount_percent field and the same_object_auctions list are available programmatically — handy for your own analysis.

How not to miss a price cut

A repeat auction is a new lot with a new number. So the most reliable way is to save a filter by type, region and words from the title (or the cadastral number for land). As soon as the asset is put up again, the bot will message you in Telegram. And the “Track this lot” button on a lot page notifies you about changes to the current lot: rescheduled dates, new documents, cancellation, the auction result — including when the auction fails.

Discounted lots currently accepting applications

Things to keep in mind

• A discount is not always a bargain: the asset may have gone unsold because of its condition, encumbrances or an inflated initial price. Read the lot documents.
• Terms sometimes change at repeat auctions — compare the new announcement with the previous one.
• The guarantee deposit is usually calculated from the starting price, so it is lower at a repeat auction too.

This is an overview for orientation, not legal advice. The binding terms of each auction are in its announcement and documents on prozorro.sale.