Frequently Asked Questions

Customers across the world can choose to sell their rum with Whisky Auctioneer. Our Client Service team will support sellers by providing valuations for their bottles and advice on the best way to get their whisky to us for sale into our auctions.

The bottles will be checked-in, authenticated, photographed, and then listed into the next available auction, or an auction of your choice, by our expert team. Whisky Auctioneer hosts monthly auctions, where registered users from across the globe can bid on bottles via our website.  

After the auction closing date, the highest bidder will be notified by email. Payment is required within 72hrs. The buyer can then choose to ship, store, or collect the bottle(s). Buyer fees are applied during the online checkout process.  

The seller will receive payment within 21 working days of the end of the auction, directly to their chosen bank account. Seller fees will be applied to the seller’s invoice after the auction. 

Our monthly auctions feature the most comprehensive selection of old, rare and collectable whisky online. Whisky Auctioneer is the best choice to buy or sell whisky online at auction.

UK Head Office Opening Times: Mon-Sat 10am-5pm

Book Appointment for UK Head Office

Please note, items can only be collected after 10.00am due to licensing laws and our offices can only be accessed if you have booked an appointment in advance.

London Office Opening Times: Mon-Fri 10am-5pm

Complete our Seller Form and Request to Book a London Drop-Off Appointment (Bottle drop-offs only)

Netherlands Office Opening Times: Mon-Fri 10am-5pm

Book Appointment for Netherlands Office

Germany Office Opening Times: Mon-Sat 10am-5pm

Complete our Seller Form and Request to Book a Germany Drop-Off Appointment (Bottle drop-offs for sellers based in Germany only)

The value of a bottle of whisky is constantly fluctuating according to supply and demand. Whisky Auctioneer can provide a valuation according to the latest market trends. If you would like a free, no-obligation valuation, please complete our quick and easy Seller Form.

All the information you need to sell your whisky can be found in our Step-by-Step Guide to Selling Whisky at Auction which has been designed to guide newcomers through our easy and hassle-free service to get started selling whisky online.

You can submit as many bottles as you like! 

Whisky Auctioneer can offer sellers a full range of services when it comes to larger private collections. We work hand in hand with private collectors to make the process of using our services as seamless and straightforward as possible.

To find out how we can help sell your collection, please complete our Seller Form and one of our experts will be in touch.

Whisky Auctioneer reserves the right to accept or reject any bottles/items at our own discretion. We do not accept the following items for auction: 

• Any Bell’s, Pointers, Gold Star or Luxury Spirit decanters.
• Non-whisky liqueurs, Amaro, Moutai or Vermouth. 
• Items that have exceeded “Use by” or ”Best before” dates. 
• Merchandise or non-whisky memorabilia, with the exception of original artworks, books or items of historical significance. 
• Cask Ends. 
• Glassware or ceramics that are not packaged as part of an original gift set.
• Unofficial re-bottlings of existing products. 
• Unofficial samples or miniature re-bottlings of existing products. 
• Unsealed bottles originally sold with a sealed closure. 
• Bottles or items that do not meet our Counterfeit Policy.

For Wine or Rum, please visit our sister sites Wine Auctioneer and Rum Auctioneer!

Yes. Whisky Auctioneer can offer sellers a full range of services when it comes to larger private collections. The time and effort required to build such a collection shows commitment, care and enthusiasm and as whisky enthusiasts ourselves, we understand this and use our extensive experience in order to treat collectors prized possessions with the respect, esteem and attention they deserve. We work hand in hand with private collectors to make the process of using our services as seamless and straightforward as possible.

To find out how we can help sell your large collection, please complete our Seller Form and one of our experts will be in touch.

Sellers are paid within 21 business days from the end of an auction, however, payment is only completed if the buyer has paid us.

Payment is made by direct bank transfer and can take a few days to show in your account. 

Any banking charges or exchange rates are paid for by the seller.

Please ensure you have entered the Payment Details tab on your Profile, so that we can make the payment to you. 

If your item fails to meet a reserve price, we still require the listing fee and reserve fee be paid.  

We will then offer you a chance to re-list the item (subject to fees) or discuss returning the bottle to you (subject to delivery charge).

You will always be shown as an anonymous bidder when using Whisky Auctioneer.

When browsing the bidding history on a specific lot,  the list of recent bidders is shown as 'anonymised bidders' with the exception of any bids placed through your account - which would appear as your username.

When logged into your account your bids are shown with your username, however, other users are not able to see this and you will appear as an 'anonymised bidder'.

User information/identity will never be revealed in the bidding process. We take user data and information protection very seriously at Whisky Auctioneer.  

All of the information that you need about the fees involved for buying can be found on our dedicated Buyer Fees and Payment Terms page.

Confirmed bids cannot be cancelled.  As per our terms and conditions, all bids are legally binding and must be honoured.

We recommend that bidders satisfy themselves with the physical condition of the bottle(s) as shown in photographs, and that these match the Lot descriptions, prior to placing bids.

If a bid has been mistakenly entered at a higher-than-intended value, then we may be able to amend your max-bid as low as the existing high-bid at that time.  Please contact us directly as soon as possible if this is the case.

To place bids accumulating to a total above £2,000 (whether across multiple bids or a singular bid), we require an identity check for account verification. 

This is to ensure the legitimacy of users so that bids are valid and fair. Once you submit the required documents, our Client Service team will review the documentation and you will then be alerted whether you have been approved or not. Please note, for an approval to take place, we also require verification of your contact number. In order for us to do this, we will give you a call when reviewing your application to ensure the number is correct and valid.

Please note, that should circumstances arise as per our terms and conditions, we reserve the right to revoke approval, or, alternatively, provide approval following further review should an individual not be approved.

Upload your identity documents and verify your account to place bids accumulating over £2,000.

We have a structured bidding system in place.

Whether you choose to set a maximum bid value or to manually enter a single bid, our system will only increase the bid level based on the table below.

Due to the governing laws for licensing in Scotland, there is a minimum price for alcohol units.

As a result we have introduced a minimum bid price for each item, £20 will be the starting bid for most bottles of whisky, but this will be calculated on a lot by lot basis (for example, multiple bottle lots will have a higher starting bid).

Yes, 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.

Most courier companies fail to cover alcohol or glass on their insurance policies. We can offer Loss & Breakage Assurance (formerly Risk Free Shipping) 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. 

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 visit our shipping page for more information.

You can store your bottles with Whisky Auctioneer for as long as you wish! Storage is charged at 3% (ex. VAT) of the bottle's hammer price for an initial 90 day period. After which, storage will be charged at 1% (ex. VAT) for every 30 days your bottles are in storage with us.

Please note: there is a minimum storage fee of £5 per bottle (per 30 day period).

Please see our Storage page for details about this service.

Yes.  We can ship to many countries worldwide. For a full list of countries that we can ship to please see our Shipping page, where you can also find information on shipping costs per country and any restrictions that apply.

Yes. Should you wish to collect your bottles in person, please book an appointment first:

UK Head Office Address: Whisky Auctioneer Ltd, West Building, Ruthvenfield Grove, Inveralmond Industrial Estate, Perth, United Kingdom PH1 3FN (Get Directions)

Book Appointment for UK Head Office

Opening Times: Mon-Sat 10am-5pm

Please note: UK order collections are only available from our Head Office in Perth. Our office in London is available for dropping your bottles off for sale, but we do not offer an order collection service.

Netherlands Office: Whisky Auctioneer BV, Zonnebaan 23, 3542 EB Utrecht, Netherlands (Get Directions)

Book Appointment for Netherlands Office

Opening Times: Mon-Fri 10am-5pm

Tel: +31 (0)20 899 1167