Frequently Asked Questions

Important Information for European Customers

We are delighted to be able to offer a delivery service to Europe. We can efficiently deliver to most countries in Europe but regrettably we can no longer to deliver to France, Italy, Sweden or Poland since the signing of the EU-UK trade and Cooperation agreement on 30th December 2020.

Vat: VAT will no longer be charged on commission and the shipping of bottles leaving the UK. However, please note that customers will be expected to pay import VAT when it arrives in their destination country. The rate of import VAT charged will be set by your local customs authority and charged at the point of entry.

Import Vat: EU customers should be prepared to be contacted by our courier company or your local customs authority for payment of import VAT once the goods have arrived in your destination country.

Important Guidance: Please talk to your local customs office prior to purchase so that they can advise you on the level of import VAT you should expect to be charged before purchasing your bottles from The Speyside Whisky Auction. We highly recommend this as we cannot provide refunds for goods which are delayed or returned because of unpaid import VAT charges.

Guidance regarding COVID 19

At Speyside Whisky Auctions we continue to monitor the ever-changing situation surrounding COVID-19 and are following guidance set by the UK and Scottish Government, as well as our own health and safety guidelines.

Our main priority is the health and safety of our staff, customers, couriers and the wider population, we are taking actions to mitigate any risks related to the spread of the virus.

Following advice by the Scottish Government, from 26th December 2020 we have suspended public access to our offices. We are offering a courier collection service for bottle drop offs (terms apply), please contact us for more information.

Getting started:

When the auction goes live you should log into your personal account. There will be a fantastic range of bottles to browse in each auction. It’s very important that you inspect each bottle and read about its condition before you make a bid, because once you place a bid you are confirming that you are satisfied with the quality of the bottle and packaging.

Placing a bid:
To place a bid, you must enter your maximum bid on the lot entry you are interested in. At this point you will receive a confirmation message. Please ensure that you input the correct bid that you wish to make, as you will be entering a legally bound contract as explained in our terms and conditions. We have a minimum bid increment for each item we list on our website. The website will tell you what the minimum bid required is next to where you place your bid. The auction software automatically bids the lowest amount for you to be the winning bidder on that auction lot.

Auction Duration:
Our live auction runs for seven days and you will only be able to view the bottles when the auction is live.

Important:
With regret we are unable be to retract any incorrect bids. Once you have placed your bid we will keep you up to date on your lot activity via email.

Purchase and Payment:
At the end of our auction, we will send you an email to confirm if your bid was successful. This email with also contain a link with our simple payment instructions so you may complete your purchase.

Selling Whisky:

Step 1

Please register with us today if you would like to sell whisky in our online auction. Registration is simple, free and should be completed in advance of submitting your bottles. You can read more about selling whisky online in our Sellers Guide.

Step 2

Choose one of the following ways to submit your bottle to The Speyside Whisky Auction.
• Collection Service
Please call us on +44 (0)1340 835445 to discuss our efficient bottle collection service. Fees may apply.
• Delivery & Drop Off Locations
Bottles can be delivered in person to our office in Aberlour or dropped off at one of our authorised locations.

Once we have received your bottles we will authenticate them and list them on our next live auction. Registered members of Speyside Whisky Auction will then be able to place bids in our live auction.

The short-term value of whisky can fluctuate like any other market commodity. The value of whisky can be influenced by current trends, desirability, and availability. However, whisky is generally a good long-term investment.

Valuation
The Speyside Whisky Auction offers a free evaluation service which will provide you with an indicative valuation of your bottle.

You can request an evaluation from us easily by emailing a description of your whisky to [email protected]

Please remember to also include photos of your bottle and declare any damage to the bottle or packaging.

We will do all we can to help you understand the value of your bottles, although our guidance will be indicative

Registering your bottles for sale in our auction is very straightforward. The first step is to register on our website and then select a membership that suits your requirements.

Membership:
We have two levels of membership which includes a free Sellers Membership only.

Alternatively, we also offer a Full Membership which allows members to buy and sell for a one-off joining fee of £6.

Selling Commission:
We are delighted to currently offer 0% commission on your bottle sales

Listing Fee:
There is a mandatory listing fee of £3+VAT per bottle, per auction. For sets multiple bottle discounts may be available.

Reserve Price:
Our sellers may set reserve prices on their lots for a fee of £4+VAT per lot.

Payments to seller:
Any banking charges or exchange rates applicable to your chosen payment method, locations will also be paid by the seller

Registering to buy bottles from our auction is very straightforward.

Membership:
The first step is to register on our website for a Full Membership.
Full Membership will enable you to buy and sell bottles on our auction site for the one-off joining fee of £6.

Buyers Commission:
Commission charges of 10% of the final sale price will apply.
This charge will apply to each lot that you purchase.

UK Delivery:
We are delighted to offer a UK wide delivery service. Delivery costs are applicable and
dependent on your location and the weight of the purchased item(s). We will be happy to discuss your delivery options and provide a competitive quote for delivery.
Insurance is available at an extra cost and available during the checkout process.

VAT:
20% VAT will be added to all fees on UK based purchases. This also includes any associated delivery or buyers commission fees.

Our commission is 10% of the hammer price VAT at 20% will be applied to the commission for lots remaining within the UK.

Certain lots are registered by either a VAT-registered business or non-UK sellers. In these cases, they will be classified as VAT Applicable lots, with clear markings and the corresponding payment amount displayed during bidding. 20% VAT will be added to the hammer price and commission for these lots.

Local Collection:
Collection from our Aberlour office can be arranged by prior appointment for local customers, this option is free of charge 

International Delivery:
We are efficiently able to deliver to most of Europe except France, Italy, Sweden, and Poland, since the signing of the EU-UK trade and Cooperation agreement on 30th December 2020.
Delivery costs are dependent on your European location and the weight of the purchased item(s).

VAT
VAT will no longer be charged on commission and the shipping of bottles leaving the UK. However, please note that customers will be expected to pay import VAT when it arrives in their destination country. The rate of import
VAT charged will be set by your local customs authority and charged at the point of entry.

Import Vat:
EU customers should be prepared to be contacted by our courier company or your local customs authority for payment of import VAT once the goods have arrived in your destination country.

Guidance: Please talk to your local customs office prior to purchase so that they can advise you on the level of import VAT you should expect to be charged before purchasing your bottles from The Speyside Whisky Auction. We highly recommend this as we cannot provide refunds for goods which are delayed or returned because of unpaid import VAT charges.

Delivery to The Speyside Whisky Auction:
It is the seller’s responsibility to ensure the safe delivery of their bottles to The Speyside Whisky Auction office. We cannot accept any liability for damage which may occur during transit to our office.

Secured Storage:
Once your bottle arrives at our office, we will then send you a confirmation email to confirm safe arrival.

At this point we will assume full responsibility for your item(s).

Your bottles will be stored carefully with us in our secured storage and each item will be full insured.

Delivery to the Buyer:
Once your lot is sold, we will arrange delivery to the new owner and at this point the responsibility for insurance and any other associated liabilities are passed on to the new owner

Duration:
Our auctions typically run for six days.

Timings:
We normally start our auctions on a Wednesday night and our auction typically closes on a Tuesday night from 8pm (GMT).
Our auction website has a countdown timer function which informs our customers when the auction will start and end. 

Bidding Efficiency:
We use ‘anti-sniping’ software to ensure that everyone is treated fairly.
If a bid is placed on a bottle in the last 15 minutes of the timer, the end time will be increased by 15 minutes to allow the other bidders to consider an increased bid.

Results Service:
At the end of our auction, we will publish the results on our website under the previous auctions section

We are pleased to accept all major debit and credit cards as well as BACS & Wise transfers.

International Bank Charges
International payments are welcome, but it is the seller’s responsibility to pay any international bank charges.

Worldwide Shipping Service:
We are delighted to be able to offer a reliable worldwide shipping service. The cost associated with shipping and delivery insurance is the responsibility of the buyer. But we are pleased to be able to offer competitive shipping rates.
Please refer to our Shipping & Delivery page for restrictions and costs.

European Shipping Service:
We can efficiently deliver to most European countries.
Regrettably we can no longer deliver to France, Italy, Sweden or Poland since the signing of the EU-UK trade and Cooperation agreement on the 30th December 2020.

Insurance:
We highly recommend that you take out insurance cover with your shipping service.

Please contact us on 01340 835445 to discuss your options

Yes, once you have made payment our team will be in contact to ask whether you would like to collect your bottles or arrange a delivery. Bottle collections are from 110B High Street, Aberlour. AB38 9NX

If you wish to collect your bottles then we can arrange a date within 7 days of the auction ending. If it is not possible to collect within 7 days, then we can arrange secure storage for you.

Our office hours are 10.00am -17.00pm Monday-Saturday. However, if you wish to collect or drop off out of hours then please contact us on 01340 835445.

It is not possible for buyers to bid on their own bottles. Our system will not allow this.

Our auctions are held monthly and run for seven days.
They typically start on a Wednesday evening and end on a Tuesday evening after 8pm (GMT).

Click here for our forthcoming auction dates.

Cut Off Times
Please note that bottles must be submitted in advance of each auction to allow us time for registration, listing and photography

All bidders are completely anonymous in our live auction.
Current highest bid amounts can be seen by other users during the auction, but no personal details are shared to other users.

We are specialists in the listing and selling of whisky bottles, casks and related whisky memorabilia. We authenticate and consider each individual item before they are listed in our live auctions. Submission into the auction will be approved at the discretion of Speyside Whisky Auctions.

Unfortunately, we do not accept the following items:

• Any bottle which is unsealed or the seal is no longer intact
• Bottles which are leaking
• Bottles which are in a condition which is not suitable for sale ie containing mould
• Miniatures that have been sealed with glue or varnish
• Cask ends
• Unofficial / home made merchandise
• Champagne, Wine or Port
• Cider
• Beer Fortified Wine Punch
• Vermouth/Sake/Bitters
• Items which contain foods eg chocolate etc. We can't be responsible for use-by dates or allergen information
• Unofficial samples / minis, this includes press packs which are unsealed

We can arrange storage easily for you at our secure premises.
The first 90 days of storage are free. Beyond 90 days there is a storage fee of £1.00 + VAT per lot day.

Storage and shipping can be arranged by logging into your account.
Sellers will be able to view the bottles that are held in storage and arrange shipping. The system will charge you for any associated fees.

Alternatively, you can call us on 01340 835445 to discuss your individual requirements.

Listing and reserve fees must still be paid even if your lot does not sell during the live auction.

Unsold items can be re-listed in our next auction or returned to the seller.

Please note that all costs associated with returns are the sole responsibility of the seller.

Licensing Laws in Scotland have a minimum unit pricing. To comply with Scottish Minimum Alcohol Pricing Law all goods sold will have the starting bid calculated by the price per unit (£0.50) x the strength of alcohol (ABV) x the volume in litres.

Speyside Whisky Auctions work hard to identify counterfeit bottles.
Every lot is subject to an intensive identification process, ensuring the authenticity of our bottles. We take every measure possible to stem the spread of counterfeit bottles and offer reassurance that our lots are inspected and validated by industry experts. Our authentication process in based on knowledge, research and comparisons.

We will send an email to you when you have won a lot.
The email will request your payment within 3 days of the auction ending.
You can then make your payment to us by using the payment link in your email or by logging in to your member account.
If after 3 days of the auction ending the payment remains outstanding, interest will be applied at 3% per day

On the rare occasion that your items arrive damaged. We advise that you take detailed photos of the box and packaging and contact us as soon as possible. To be able to proceed with an insurance claim the neck of the bottle must be returned to us with the seal/stopper/screwcap still in place.

Bottles can be insured for loss and damage, unfortunately they are not insured for leakage.

On the rare occasion that a buyer does not complete payment, the seller will have three options.

The seller can instruct us to offer the lot to the second highest bidder, re-list the items in the next auction or arrange to have the items returned.

We are currently shipping bottles to the US using a licenced broker. Regrettably, we cannot ship to every state. Please refer to our shipping page for more details.

We operate a monthly auction which runs for 7 days. Please check our online Buyers Guide (section 2) for our next auction date.

Login to your account and select notification settings. From there you can select the notifications you would like to receive.

Please do not mark the emails as Spam/Junk or your email address will be added to a suppression list and you will not receive any emails directly from our website.