# Public Surplus Buyers App

> Mobile platform for bidding on public agency auctions. (iPhone/iPad app by Webcat LLC.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/public-surplus-buyers-app/id1414560881 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Webcat LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1414560640)
- Category: Shopping
- Price: Free
- Rating: 2.20/5 from 221 App Store ratings · 91 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 16.0 · 73 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2018-08-05
- Data updated: 2026-08-29
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/public-surplus-buyers-app/id1414560881/reviews.md

## What is Public Surplus Buyers App?

Bid on auctions from public agencies directly from your mobile device, track your bids and manage your notifications in real time.
The app also makes it easy bid on auctions from anywhere, allowing you to search our extensive set of auctions and complete the process easily from your device.

## Key features

- Bid on public auctions
- Real-time bid tracking
- Manage notifications
- Search extensive auctions
- Bid from anywhere

## What do users think of Public Surplus Buyers App?

Overall sentiment: negative

**Pros**

- ✅ Basic auction browsing functionality works
- 👍 Easy bidding process when app functions
- 🔍 Advanced search capabilities available
- 📱 Mobile convenience for checking auctions
- ⭐ Occasional good deals found on platform

**Cons**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and errors
- 🐛 'Expired Token' and authentication errors persist
- 🐛 App freezes and locks up regularly
- ⚠️ Inconsistent information between app and website
- ❌ Missing core features compared to website
- 🔧 Poor app stability and reliability
- 📸 Images fail to load consistently
- ⏱️ Slow performance and laggy scrolling
- 🚫 Cannot zoom on photos
- 🚫 Cannot select or copy text from descriptions
- 🚫 No watchlist persistence across devices
- 🚫 Cannot filter by won auctions
- 🚫 Location settings not saved between sessions
- 🚫 No share/send functionality
- 🚫 No Q&A section visible in app
- 💰 High buyer fees without proportional app quality
- 😠 Poor customer support and unresponsive to issues
- 🔐 Account deletion requests ignored
- 🌍 Cannot search by single state or radius
- 🎯 Confusing category naming ('motor pool')
- 📲 Forced updates break functionality
- 🔔 Notifications are buggy and unclearable
- ⚡ App requires constant reinstallation to fix errors

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Login errors and authentication failures
- Expired Token error messages
- App crashes on startup or during use
- Black screen on app launch
- Wheel of death/infinite loading
- Images not loading or displaying
- Description scrolling disabled
- Bidding functionality broken
- App logs out unexpectedly
- Notifications stuck/unclearable
- Inconsistent auction information vs website
- Search results incomplete or not loading fully
- Scroll-to-refresh glitch hiding auctions
- App freezes during critical bidding moments
- Force close errors
- Server errors and downtime during peak times
- Location services not working properly
- Photo pan/zoom not functioning correctly
- Notifications not triggering for ending auctions
- Search button off-screen or unresponsive

**Most requested features**

- Photo zoom functionality (pinch-to-zoom)
- Save default location/state preference
- Share/send auction listings via email or text
- Ability to filter by won auctions
- Search by radius from zip code
- Single state search option
- Watchlist that syncs across devices
- Q&A section visible in app
- Copy/select text from descriptions
- Landscape mode support for photos
- Dutch auction bid support
- Thumbnail view for listings
- Better notification system
- Account deletion option
- Save search filters and alerts
- Faster app performance
- Smoother scrolling experience

## Recent user reviews (10 of 91)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/public-surplus-buyers-app/id1414560881/reviews.md

### 3/5 — Good functionality. Subpar design.

*2026-05-05*

This application works fairly well and it does what it’s supposed to do. The problem is that it’s not very pleasant to use due to the poor design execution. Large areas of wasted screen space, unbalanced text and image sizes, flat color scheme, image zoom seems to have a logic of its own.

### 3/5 — It’s about as good as the website

*2026-04-29*

I’m glad there is a mobile app, but they’re really lacking a lot of functionality to make this useful. For example, you can’t filter by auctions you’ve won. Just by auctions you’ve bid on and then you have to scroll through to find any you’ve won. You can’t search by radius, only by state. You also can’t only search by one state at a time, not multiple states. Vehicles are under a category called “motor pool,” which is confusing when you’re shopping for something with an engine. 

It’s not a bad service, but their website and app leave a lot to be desired, especially for such a high buyer’s fee.

### 5/5 — Update

*2026-04-29*

The little bug was fixed and everything is working as it should

**Developer response:** Thanks for your feedback! We’ve released an update that should fix this issue. Please update to the latest version and let us know if it works for you. If you still need help, reach out at buyersupport@publicsurplus.com. Thanks for sticking with us!

### 1/5 — Customer support

*2026-04-17, version 1.8.2*

Customer support is BS , biggest scam ever . Contact through email only. I created an account by out of curiosity didn’t like it, tried to delete my account, but option is not available. Sent request several times in 45 days yet no action.

### 1/5 — Can’t log in

*2026-04-05, version 1.8.2*

I can login just fine on the browser, but the app just keeps telling me there’s an error with login to try again later. Lost several bids because of this.

### 2/5 — Loss of scroll for Description in 1.8.0

*2026-03-16, version 1.8.0*

Newest version 1.8.0 does not allow the user to scroll in the description, it can be expanded but not scrolled through.

### 3/5 — Bilig

*2026-03-13, version 1.8.0*

On iPhone on the description the scroll bar has disappeared so I can’t see all the descriptions

### 1/5 — We are going backwards

*2026-03-08, version 1.8.0*

Photo zoom is terrible. I zoom but then can’t pan across the image? It just goes to the next one. 

Latest update killed being able to see the description. I literally have to copy the url and view the listing on the web browser to see. Totally defeats the purpose. 

Also, notifications are dead now too.

### 1/5 — Doesn’t work

*2026-02-10, version 1.7.2*

Made me upgrade and now doesn’t work at all. Says there is no coverage in my area. Which is not true.

### 5/5 — Perfect

*2026-01-18, version 1.7.2*

This Is Where I Met My Wife

## Frequently asked questions about Public Surplus Buyers App

### What can I do with the Public Surplus Buyers App?

The app allows you to bid on auctions from public agencies directly from your mobile device. You can search through an extensive set of auctions, place bids, and track your bidding activity in real-time. It also provides real-time notifications to keep you updated on your bids.

### How do I search for auctions?

The app provides an easy way to search its extensive set of auctions directly from your device. You can browse through available auctions and find items that match your interests or needs.

### Is there a cost to use this app?

Based on the provided information, the app is free to use. There are no mentions of subscription fees, in-app purchases, or advertisements within the application.

### Can I bid on auctions from anywhere?

Yes, the app is designed to make it easy to bid on auctions from anywhere. You can complete the bidding process conveniently from your mobile device, regardless of your location.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.10.0 — 2026-08-28

You can now download documents attached to auctions.
Improved performance and stability.
Minor bug fixes and improvements.

### 1.9.3 — 2026-06-25

Fix minor bugs.

### 1.9.2 — 2026-06-17

Fix minor bugs.

### 1.9.1 — 2026-05-23

In this update, we’ve adapted the app to make it more comfortable to use in low-light environments, or simply to give it a sleeker look.
What’s New:
Dark Mode: Activate it through your device settings.
Account Management: We’ve improved the profile menu so you can manage your access data faster and more securely.
General Optimizations: Fixed minor bugs and boosted performance for a smoother overall experience.

### 1.9.0 — 2026-05-22

In this update, we’ve adapted the app to make it more comfortable to use in low-light environments, or simply to give it a sleeker look.
What’s New:
Dark Mode: Activate it through your device settings.
Account Management: We’ve improved the profile menu so you can manage your access data faster and more securely.
General Optimizations: Fixed minor bugs and boosted performance for a smoother overall experience.

## Apps similar to Public Surplus Buyers App

| App | Rating | Price | Category |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Bring a Trailer Auctions](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bring-a-trailer-auctions/id6447379882) | 4.8 (6,713) | Free | Shopping |
| [Police Auctions](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/police-auctions/id1436071596) | 2.8 (294) | Free | Shopping |
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| [GovAuctions.com - Shop Surplus](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/govauctionscom-shop-surplus/id6752552771) | 4.8 (14,062) | Free | Shopping |

## More apps by Webcat LLC

- [EDUAC](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/eduac/id1458029831)

All apps by Webcat LLC: https://appshunter.io/developer/1414560640

## Related topics

[public surplus](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/public-surplus) · [public surplus buyers app](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/public-surplus-buyers-app) · [surplus](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/surplus) · [buyers app](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/buyers-app) · [government auction](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/government-auction) · [apps for bidding on government auctions](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/apps-for-bidding-on-government-auctions) · [government surplus](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/government-surplus) · [all surplus](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/all-surplus) · [government deals](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/government-deals) · [gov surplus](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/gov-surplus) · [2merkato tenders](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/2merkato-tenders) · [public car auction](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/public-car-auction) · [surplus funds list](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/surplus-funds-list) · [bidspirit](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/bidspirit) · [gov auctions](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/gov-auctions) · [government auction database](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/government-auction-database) · [military surplus](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/military-surplus) · [liquid bidding](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/liquid-bidding) · [richie brothers](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/richie-brothers) · [public brokerage](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/public-brokerage)

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-29.*