Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, our whisky specialists Wayne & Harrison carefully check and authenticate every single bottle consigned to our auction. Between them, they have handled tens of thousands of bottles over the years and this experience is crucial in spotting any issues.

We also keep a detailed reference database which has been collated over many years. If there is any doubt over a particular bottle’s authenticity we won’t list it, simple as that.

Anyone over the legal drinking age in their country can register on our whisky auction website for free. If you wish to bid, there’s a one-off (lifetime) registration fee of £3. This is processed as part of our due diligence to ensure legitimacy of bidders.

We have also introduced a verification process that all prospective bidders must complete in order to bid in our live whisky auction. You can register an account here or learn more about how our auction works here.

Auctioneer’s commission - 15% of final hammer price.

Buyers do not have to pay VAT on the hammer price of their items. VAT is payable by the buyer only on services provided by the auctioneer such as delivery charges, insurance and commission.

International bank transfer charges may apply for non-UK customers.

If your items are being shipped outside the UK, you will not have to pay any UK VAT whatsoever but goods may be subject to VAT and possibly customs import duties on arrival at the destination country. For full details on international shipping, please check our Delivery page.

In a change from our previous system, no Lots can be paid for until the auction is completely finished. After the final Lot has sold, all successful bidders will receive an email with confirmation of their winning Lots and details on how to pay.

Payment for winning bids is due immediately after the end of the auction, although we do allow up to three days for you to choose your preferred method. Faster payment means you are more likely to receive your goods sooner.  If payment has not been made within three days, a late payment surcharge fee will be applied.

We can accommodate several different payment methods. For full details please check our How To Buy page. Paying by BACS (Bank Transfer) is free within the UK. Please check with your bank before making bank transfers from outside the UK, as you may need to pay extra fees. 

Yes, as of 2022, we have introduced a long term Secure Storage facility to accommodate anyone wanting to store their bottles with us. We can facilitate your storage requirements whether you have bought your bottles from us or not. For full details please visit our Delivery & Storage page.

Whisky-Online’s shipping service is conducted in-house by our expert delivery team. With over 20 years of experience wrapping and packing old & rare whiskies, we have sourced high-grade and bespoke packing materials to ensure our customers' goods are received in the condition they left us. This service does come at a premium but we spare no expense to ensure the safety of your precious items.

For full details on all your shipping options including using your own courier, please consult our Delivery page.

Yes, we highly recommend personal collection, but please contact us by email or telephone before travelling so that we can have your items ready for collection.

Free Parking is available during normal working hours Monday - Friday.

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Insurance is optional and can be selected at the checkout if required. All parcels are prepared with the same special care and attention regardless of whether insurance has been taken or not. If LBA is not taken all subsequent liability for any loss or breakage rests with you.

Please note that due to the various ages and conditions of bottles, leakage in transit is not covered by LBA and we cannot accept returns in these circumstances. We highly recommend collecting items in person from our head office.

We make great efforts to ensure that your order reaches you in great condition. All our parcels are packed with the utmost care but very occasionally items are damaged in transit. Please inspect your order promptly upon receipt and contact us immediately if there are any damages.


Please be aware that because of the varying ages and conditions of pre-owned items there is a risk of seal failure during transit and that we cannot accept responsibility for any bottle leakage that occurs in this way.

Full details on our damages policy are available on our Delivery page.

There are various ways to contact us about a free valuation. Simply fill out our online valuation form, or if you prefer you can contact us directly by phone or email to speak to our whisky specialists Wayne or Harrison.

Generally, yes. A bottle’s condition and filling level are very important factors when making a valuation, and images also help us to identify the era and particular specifications of your items.

Sending images with your initial enquiry will enable us to give you a swift, accurate valuation.

No, we auction all types of fine drinks including:

• Whisky
• Whisky miniatures
• Cognac, Armagnac & Rum
• Vodka, Gin & Liqueurs
• Port, Champagne & Fine Wine
• Official memorabilia

All Lots are checked by our whisky specialists Wayne & Harrison Ormerod prior to any auction. We do not auction opened bottles, so before sending in any items please make sure you have checked they are unopened and sealed and they do not include the following:

• Opened bottles or bottles without seals.
• Empty or low-filled decanters
• Non single malt whisky miniatures
• Unofficial memorabilia
• Cream liqueurs
• Beers
• Damaged boxes (these will be discarded at our sole discretion without notifying you unless we have received prior notice in advance.

We can no longer accept Bell's decanters unless they form part of a larger collection. Please contact us prior to sending in.

If you send in any of the above these will not be accepted into the auction and any return costs are your responsibility.

If you intend to send in any spirits other than whisky then you must contact us and we will confirm if they can be accepted. If we have provided a valuation for these items, this does not necessarily mean we can accept them into the auction.

If you send in anything other than whisky without first confirming we can accept them into the auction, any return costs are your responsibility.

• Registration: Free
• Listing Fee: £3 per Lot (Excludes sets and miniatures)
• Reserve Fee (Optional): £5 per Lot
• Auctioneer’s Commission: 5% of final hammer price

Sellers do not have to pay VAT on the hammer price of their items. VAT is payable only on services provided by the auctioneer, such as listing fees, reserves and commission. 

This table shows the total commission you will pay including VAT at various price points.

The next step is to get your bottles to us in time for our next auction. We add Lots right up until the auction starts, but due to the high volume of bottles we receive and the care we take over our listing process, your items should be with us at least one week before the auction starts to guarantee inclusion.

We carry out all administration, listing and photography in our unique in-house style. We are very meticulous in our listings and strive for the best possible presentation of every Lot in our auctions.

All our systems have been designed to make the auction process as simple as possible for our clients. For most items we can arrange a courier collection for you. At present this service is only available to UK customers.

Depending on your location, a free personal collection from your home may be available for larger collections and high value items. Please contact us for more details.

Free Collection (UK)
As part of our service, we offer Free Collection for all consignments including single or multiple items assigned a total lower estimate value of £250 or above.

A detailed explanation of how to get your whisky to us can be found on our How To Sell page. If you’d like to discuss your options, please call our office on 01253 620376 and speak to a member of our team.

Alternatively, you are more than welcome to use your own courier or to drop off your bottles yourself at our head office.

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Yes, our whisky specialists Wayne & Harrison carefully check and authenticate every single bottle consigned to our auction. Between them, they have handled tens of thousands of bottles over the years and this experience is crucial in spotting any issues.

We also keep a detailed reference database which has been collated over many years. If there is any doubt over a particular bottle’s authenticity we won’t list it, simple as that. 

Yes, reserves can be set for an additional £5(+VAT) per Lot. Reserve prices must be arranged with us before the auction begins. Generally, we advise against the use of reserve prices - our valuations are based on years of experience and are a fair reflection of the potential value of your item.

Please bear in mind that setting a reserve may affect the final hammer price adversely or even cause your item to go unsold. We believe it is always preferable for our bidders to compete with each other, rather than trying to reach a set price.

If in doubt, please contact us for advice.

Yes, we highly recommend watching the auction! Once we receive your items, we will create an account for you on our website and send you over the details.

After the auction goes live, you’ll be able to monitor the progress of all your listed items directly from your account area. Log in at ten minutes before the end of the auction to watch the serious action!

Your lot(s) will be visible in your account area under 'Items For Sale' as soon as the auction has gone live.

They will not be visible prior to any auction start.

We sell over 98% of all Lots listed in our auctions. In the rare event that one of your Lots does not sell, we will relist it in our next auction unless you request otherwise within 3 days of the auction end.

Please note Listing fees and Reserve fees are payable whether or not the item sells. If the item is listed twice, the Listing Fee and Reserve fee is payable both times.

No item leaves our premises until full payment has been collected. On the rare occasions that the winning bidder does not pay, we will list your bottle for free in the next auction.

Please be assured that all non-payers are blacklisted and banned from using our auction in the future.

All payments are made by Bank Transfer within 14 - 21 working days of the end of the auction. We pride ourselves on being the fastest-paying auction in the UK. 

For payment dates, please visits our Auction Dates page.