Shipping
Whisky Auctioneer serves whisky lovers across the globe. To do this, we’ve built strong relationships with shipping and delivery partners to ship to as many places as possible around the world.
We stay up to date with international regulations and customs procedures to make the experience for our customers simple and straightforward.
Shipping fees
In advance of bidding, it is important to please review our Shipping Fees and Information to confirm if our shipping service for UK and EU Lots is currently available to you. If you're country is not listed, please contact our Client Service team to discuss this further.
Please note: In compliance with EU Directive 2020/262, an excise charge will be applied to all EU Lots (per bottle) for clients based within the EU. This charge reflects the costs managed on your behalf by Whisky Auctioneer for moving excise duty products within the EU for sale on our platform.
Shipping multiple UK and EU Lots
If you have won lots from multiple locations (e.g., UK Lots sold from our UK office as well as EU Lots sold from our Netherlands office), they will be charged individually for shipping. They will also be shipped separately so may not arrive at the same time.
U.S. shipping
Shipments to the US will be dispatched within 10 days following payment and you will receive an email once this has been completed. Shipments may take up to 5 weeks to arrive following payment. At your request, we are able to provide tracking information and this will be sent to you within 5 days following a dispatch confirmation email.
To comply with regulations, all bottles shipped to the U.S. will have a removable government health warning sticker applied.
Loss and breakage assurance
When shipping orders, our expert team take extreme care and effort to package and dispatch orders carefully and securely. Although rare, accidents can happen during shipping, and courier companies are not liable for any items lost or broken in transit. To protect our customers, Whisky Auctioneer offers Loss and Breakage Assurance (LBA), to cover items lost or broken in transit.
This protection will provide cover for any breakage or loss during transit and is charged at 3% of the total of the hammer price and buying commission.
Please note, any loss arising from an item’s condition is not covered, such as seal failures or cosmetic damage.
LBA is added automatically at checkout for your convenience, however it is optional and can be removed.
Important information related to shipping
All quoted prices are for bottle sizes up to 1L. Prices for larger bottles or those accompanied by display cases, transport boxes, or additional items may vary. VAT is included where applicable.
All deliveries must be signed for upon arrival by persons over the legal drinking age in the destination country - proof of age may be required.
Delivery is available between Monday and Friday only.
Delivery companies may require contact details for the recipient. Please include a phone number or email with the recipient address when placing an order.
All orders being shipped outwith the UK or NL may be eligible for local taxation and duties upon arrival in the destination country, which are payable by the customer.
We are unable to provide refunds on purchases which have been destroyed, delayed or returned to us due to customs, administrative issues and/or unpaid fees/taxes.
FAQs
Can I protect my bottles?
Most courier companies fail to cover alcohol or glass on their insurance policies. We can offer Loss & Breakage Assurance for your items at a cost of 3% of the total hammer price and commission. By purchasing ‘Loss & Breakage Assurance’ when checking out, your lots will be protected against loss or breakage in transit. Please note that Loss & Breakage Assurance provides cover for breakage and loss during transit only – Loss & Breakage Assurance does not cover any loss arising from an item’s condition. Therefore, it will not protect against seal failures or cosmetic damage to lots. It also does not protect against leakage.
Loss & Breakage Assurance is automatically added to your order at the checkout stage, however, this can be removed.
We have many years experience in shipping whisky globally and work hard to reduce any risk of damage to items bought in our auctions.
Can I store items to save on shipping costs at a later date?
Items can be stored with us for combining multiple orders and dispatching at a later date. Please visit our Storage Services page for more information.
How long does it take to receive my winning lot(s)?
If you are successful at auction, once payment is received by Whisky Auctioneer then your whisky will be dispatched within 10 working days.
If after 10 days you still haven't received shipping/tracking details for all your orders to be shipped, please contact our Client Services Team who will be happy to help.
Please note: If you have won lots based in both the UK and EU, then these will be shipped separately. Please visit our shipping page for more information.
What are your Christmas 2024 deadlines and dates?
Wednesday 18th December is the last day we can ship to most clients with the expectation that your bottle(s) will arrive by Christmas. This applies to both our UK and EU offices. However, this is dependent on the prompt payment of any local charges or customs payments. For the U.S., our last shipping date is 28th November.
Our London office will be closed from Thursday 19th December until Friday 3rd January.
