The current contract between DoD and GL(
http://www.secinfo.com/d11MXs.t1h4f.d.htm#1stPage ), which of course was written by DoD, addresses this specifically.
"
Certain property identified for return may have already been resold by the Contractor and no longer in the Contractor’s possession. DRMS suggests the Contractor advise resale buyers that due to national security, the Government may ask for the return of property. Contractor will be required to inform their customer of the property’s status and request that it be returned. Contractor agrees to withhold further sales participation from customers who are non-responsive or who refuse to return the property still within their possession."
The contract requires that GL send two notices, 21 days apart. AND, it
requires that GL turn over the name, address and all information of those who do not
respond to this request to the DoD. And - it requires that those who ignore these letters be banned from buying additonal surplus property. This last part sounds like a suggestion in the first few pages of the contract, but on down in it (Article 11, Section 3, paragraphs C-E). it is not a suggestion, but a requirement. Also, specifically, this person is placed on a Do Not Sell list that is prepared by DoD. GL has to check bidders against this DoD list prior to each sale - so complaining to GL or your credit card or your mother won't help - its DoD's list, not GL's.
The contract also specifically states that if the first resale buyer (you) has already resold the property, the tracking it down ends there.
Now, anybody who goes on line and says "I'm going to lie to the government and say I sold it", or "you shoud lie to the government and say you sold it", about whether or not they have sold such property is more than a few bricks short of a load.
The commercial venture contractor (GL) is required by this contract, under penalty of huge fines (50% of the acquisition cost of the item in question - in the case of a deuce, about 20 grand) to put forth a reasonable effort to retrieve this material from their customer (but not their customer's customer). And, it is apparent that GL knows how to use the internet.
Regards,
David