Delivery and Loss & Breakage cover

We know there are lots of questions you may want to ask regarding the shipment of your bottles, hopefully we can answer them all below.

Once you have paid for lots you have won please ensure you request a shipping quote if required. You can do this through your My SWA account by selecting 'My Collection' and opting for 'I'd like to have some bottles shipped to me' from the dropdown. You have the option to select bottles won, bottles you may have in long term storage or rejected items or a combination of them all.

If you have bottles 20cl or less, please do not complete checkout with shipping. Instead contact us to arrange a custom quote by using the 'Request a Quote' function on your account. Please note however, that the minimum price for shipping a single bottle is the single bottle price for each country, e.g. £10.80 for the UK’. If you purchase a single mini or 20cl bottle this will still be the same price, we may be able to offer a discount if you have more than one or in the case of a miniature 10cl or less, the bottle is in addition to other bottles being shipped and that there is enough space in the box.

We use the finest quality packing materials and have an experienced team who are dedicated to providing the best service possible. Our team are trained and accredited by our courier partners to ensure every box is compliant with the highest, most professional standard of packing. Please note bottles with paper seals may be reinforced with parafilm to protect their integrity in transit, please ensure to remove with care.

We aim to deliver your bottles as quickly as possible, please be aware that it may take up to 14 working days from receiving your payment before your bottles are dispatched. We thank you for your patience.

If you would like to collect your bottles from the office in person, please note that we cannot allow any collections before 10am. This is due to Scottish Licensing Laws.

Our couriers are not liable for shipments of glass and alcohol as they are deemed prohibited goods. It is of the utmost importance that customers pay attention to the Loss and Breakage cover option upon checking out. More information on this can be seen below.

If you choose to ship without this cover and your bottles are lost or broken, you will not be eligible for any compensation. The courier or Scotch Whisky Auctions will not be able to refund you. You ship entirely at your own risk if you choose to opt out of Loss and breakage cover. You can read more about this and what is and is not protected at the bottom of this page and in our Customer Service Policy.

Please note that 3rd party bottles, rejected items and bottles that did not sell with us are excluded from Loss and Breakage cover. To add this (sealed bottles only), you must contact us with a declared value. Orders that ship combined with any of these types of bottle will also have no cover unless specifically requested and values are provided.

We are unable to send shipments part-covered. If Loss and Breakage cover is purchased it must be taken for all bottles in the same shipment.

DELIVERY

Shipping quotes are only valid for 7 days. If you do not pay for your quote within this timescale it will be cancelled and storage charges will be applied to your account.

I live in the UK – what are my shipping charges?

Please note that these charges apply for standard size bottles. Larger bottles and items may attract additional shipping fees. If you're purchasing mini bottles, you are advised to get in touch with us regarding the shipping costs. We ship with UPS as standard however if you would prefer to use an alternative courier please contact us to request a custom quote.

We also offer for selected UK postcodes priority dispatch within one working day for an additional £10 + VAT per shipment. If this option is available to your delivery postcode this will be offered at checkout.

All UK costs incur VAT at 20%. This is included in the prices below.

Please note all prices estimates are for standard size bottles only, larger bottles, unusually shaped bottles or bottles with large presentation boxes will incur a higher shipping price.

Remote Area Charge

Where couriers charge a ‘remote area’ surcharge within the UK this will be incorporated into your shipping quote. Postcodes starting AB, CA, HS, IM, IV, KA, KW, LA, PA, PH, TR and ZE may incur the remote area charge and auto-checkout will no longer be available for some postcodes within these areas. If you live in an affected postcode a custom quote will be created for you manually and we strongly encourage shipments of 5 bottles or more for more economical shipping.

I live in the EU – what are my shipping charges?

Zone Specific Shipping Charges

All price estimates are for standard size bottles only, larger bottles, unusually shaped bottles or bottles with large presentation boxes will incur a higher shipping price.

Please note once the 6 bottle limit has been reached in Zones 1,2, 3, 4 and 5 any further bottles added will constitute a new shipment. Similarly, once the 3 bottle limit has been reached in Zone 8 any further bottles added will constitute a new shipment.

Import VAT/fees may be charged on the goods by local customs within the destination country at the corresponding rate. You will be contacted by the courier or your local customs to pay the VAT/fees applied on your goods prior to receiving your shipment. Please check your local applicable VAT rate/fees prior to placing bids.Please check out our terms and conditions fully prior to participating in our auctions. We cannot accept liability for bottles returned to us or destroyed by customs in the event local VAT/Fees are not paid. We cannot refund orders that are returned to us as a result of customs fees/VAT not being paid and where costs are incurred for refused deliveries this will be invoiced to your account. Please note that in response to increasing fuel costs couriers may charge additional fees for European shipments, where this is this case this will be advised on you custom quote for your shipment.

Customers in France will be subject to a brokerage fee from UPS of €115 Euros per shipment regardless of the value of the shipment. This is on top of the other customs duties and taxes as decided by French customs. Please contact your local customs office if you wish to know more details of the customs charges.

Important information

Many countries customs regulations require you to supply a TAX ID for clearing your shipments. Some countries call this an EORI Personal number or TAX ID (Personal). This is equivalent of a National Insurance Number in the UK. If you wish to supply this TAX ID in your quote request notes we can include the details in the Commercial Invoice to help speed up the clearance process. Alternatively the courier or custom may contact you for this information prior to clearance of your shipment. If this is not provided to the courier/customs then it could result in your shipment being delayed, returned to SWA or even destroyed by customs and you will be liable for all return shipping costs if this occurs. We encourage you to also please check any updates on importing with your local customs office to ensure you follow the rules and supply all required information.

Zone Specific Restrictions

Due to import regulations we cannot currently ship to Bulgaria, Sweden, Italy, Poland, Croatia, Latvia, Spain, Slovakia, Lithuania, Hungary and Estonia and there continues to be potential difficulties shipping to a handful of countries within Europe. Please check your local customs regulations and rules on alcohol imports prior to bidding. If you have an outstanding order here with us please contact us to discuss your options. 

Please note that if you are delivering to a bonded warehouse/storage facility we require contact details for the recipient and the full address as most deliveries need to be booked in with them by you first. SWA are unable to book your deliveries in with the Bonded Warehouse/storage facility. You should arrange this yourself, and give us 72 hours notice of the delivery date requested. We are not responsible for refusal to take delivery and you may be charged for re-delivery costs.

I live in the US - what are my shipping charges?

To date, SWA are able to regularly ship to the following US States:

• Alaska (Zip codes 99501 or 99502 only)
• California
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Washington District of Columbia
• Florida
• Georgia
• Idaho
• Illinois
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Nebraska
• New Jersey
• New Mexico
• New York
• North Carolina
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• Texas
• Vermont
• Virginia
• Washington State
• Wyoming

The courier or carrier and delivery time will vary depending on which State we are shipping to.

Alternatively, you can place your bottles in our long-term storage by requesting a storage quote or ship to an alternative address in a State we can ship to.

The delivery address must have someone over 21 years of age to sign for the shipment, so we cannot use PO boxes. We also cannot send to schools or universities. Couriers occasionally experience difficulty with military bases; it is possible but please contact us before bidding.  It is important that you double check the recipient name and delivery address before your order ships as we are limited to what can be done after this point. Please note that if you do request an amendment to the address when it is in transit or if you miss your delivery and it is returned to our US Handlers thus requiring redelivery, that there are additional fees charged by the US couriers which will be invoiced to you.

Each single shipment is deemed to be 1 box and cannot exceed 6 bottles per package, after the bottle limit of 6 has been reached additional bottles will be in a separate shipment. Please note that multi box shipments can be dispatched but may have to be within a few days of each other.

Your shipping fees include all US taxes and FDA fees where applicable but exclude any additional local customs fees or state taxes that may be applied locally. Additional restrictions may apply to US shipping, where this is the case you will be advised in advance on your custom quote.

Please note there may also be variations to service and charges due to COVID-19. Please check here for the latest update.

Delivery to the US is based on volumetric weight, this means that your delivery charges are calculated according to the box size as well as actual weight.

Please get in touch for a customised quote.

Examples of shipping standard size 70cl bottles with no excess packaging:

These quoted rates do not include Loss and Breakage cover.

Looking for tracking information? We advise getting in touch with the logistics team (logistics@scotchwhiskyauctions.com) to ask for an update approximately 3 days after you receive your dispatched email from us. Unfortunately, we cannot provide a tracking number unless requested and this may not be available for every State.

I live in a country which is not listed above, can you ship to me?

We can ship to most countries in the world but if you cannot see your country below, please let us know where you are and we will see what we can do.

We currently ship regularly to:

• Australia
• Dubai
• Hong Kong
• Israel
• Japan
• Malaysia
• New Zealand
• Singapore
• South Africa
• Switzerland
• Taiwan

Delivery to these countries is based on a volumetric cost. This means that your delivery charges are calculated according to the box size as well as weight. We will invoice you separately for these. Please get in touch for a quote.

We use DHL for these countries and it is therefore important that you send us your address in the correct format and include a local contact number. Please ensure your post code matches the city and you include the region/State/suburb where applicable. It will delay shipment if we cannot match your address to DHL's system.

Scotch Whisky Auctions are not liable for any customs fees which may be incurred in the destination country. You are liable for these and will be responsible for making sure they are paid correctly.

We have been asked by some buyers to falsify the values of the bottles on invoices to effect lower taxes and duties. We will absolutely not do this under any circumstance. The possible repercussions for you and us are not worth it!

Customers living in Macao and Hong Kong, please note that whisky / alcohol 60% ABV and above cannot be shipped to these countries due to customs regulations in these destination countries.

I live in Canada or China, can you ship to me?

There remain some difficulties in getting whisky into China and Canada, please contact us for the latest advice prior to bidding.

I live in India, can you ship to me?

Unfortunately we are unable to ship directly to India due to the very strict licensing laws. Please get in touch and we will help where we can.

I live in Russia / Ukraine, can you ship to me?

At the moment we are unable to offer delivery to either of these countries due to restrictions in place by our couriers and the local laws. Please get in touch and we can discuss alternative options where applicable.

I live in the Falkland Islands, can you shop to me?

Unfortunately we are unable to offer shipping to the Falkland Islands at the current time.

In all cases shipping quotes are only valid for 7 days. If you do not pay for your quote within this timescale it will be cancelled and storage charges will be applied to your account.

Do I need to ship my bottles straight away?

You can store your bottles here in our dedicated climate and light controlled storage facility. There is no charge for storage but Loss and Breakage cover fees of 3% of the hammer price + VAT with a minimum charge of £5.00 + VAT per bottle are a compulsory condition of admission. This must be paid for each 12 months in storage. The fee is not pro-rated and each charge covers you for up to 12 months. Should you choose to ship your bottles within the 12 month period you will continue to avail of Loss and Breakage cover as per our customer service policy and terms and conditions.

You can decide to enter your bottles back into auction at any time while storing them here subject to our usual auction submission deadlines.

Please note that payment for bottles - regardless of whether you are shipping them or storing them for delivery later - must be made within 7 days of the auction closing.

Does someone need to sign for my delivery?

Yes, all our packages require a signature by someone over 18 years old (for the UK) or over 21 years old (for the US).

What happens if I'm out and UPS attempt to deliver? (For UK and EU customers)

When your order is dispatched from SWA we send you a notification to let you know and you will also receive an email from UPS at the end of the day. We ask all our customers to follow the tracking information in this email. 90% of our deliveries in the UK are next day so you won't be waiting long!

UPS will make one attempt and should then either take your box(es) to a local Access Point or, they will make a second attempt if your Access Point does not accept 3rd Party Alcohol deliveries. You will be able to follow this via the customer panel that UPS email to you with your tracking number. Please note that they do not leave a card in most cases so you must follow delivery online.

We accept no liability for shipments which are returned to us. We reserve the right to charge for re-delivery on any shipment that is returned for non collection or incorrect shipping information.

If you are a US customer and your order is returned due to non-delivery and/or non-collection there will be a reshipping charge payable. This will be at the same delivery rate as we quote above.  It is important that you double check the recipient name and delivery address before your order ships as we are limited to what can be done after this point. If any amendments for the delivery address once the shipment is in transit are required you will be charged an additional fee for this as determined by the US courier.

UPS My Choice/DHL Express - for UK and EU customers

If your order is delivered via UPS, please be aware that you have the option to use UPS My Choice. However, this will override our delivery instructions and thus, should something happen to your order, you are not covered by Loss and Breakage cover. SWA are unable to compensate for any lost, stolen or damaged orders where My Choice has been used to circumvent the delivery standards. This also applies to amendment made by you to your shipment with DHL Express.

If you need to make a change to your delivery, please use your tracking email from UPS but note that you are not able to change the recipient name and address. It is therefore important that you double check the recipient name and delivery address before your order ships as we are limited to what can be done after this point.

We cannot accept liability for bottles returned to us or destroyed by customs in the event local VAT/Fees are not paid. We cannot refund orders that are returned to us as a result of customs fees/VAT not being paid and, where costs are incurred for refused deliveries, this will be invoiced to your account.

We accept no liability for shipments which are returned to us. We reserve the right to charge for re-delivery on any shipment that is returned for non collection or incorrect shipping information.

Can I use my own courier for delivery?

Yes you can! We just charge an administration fee for the packaging. Please get in touch to discuss your options and we will be happy to help. Unfortunately we cannot accept any liability for damage once your courier has collected the bottles from us. Please ensure you give us 48hrs notice prior to your courier pickup to ensure we have everything ready for you.

DAMAGES

I've received my order but a bottle is damaged. What happens now?

When opening your bottle, please ensure you gently deflate the airsac holding your bottle(s) before you attempt to pull the bottle out. If you fail to do so, you may cause the capsule to split and the cork to break. This type of damage is not covered under Loss and Breakage and SWA do not compensate for damage of this kind. Vintage corks are known to be more fragile and the pulling motion made when taking a bottle from an inflated airsac will increase the risk of damage.

Before you sign for a shipment, please check the condition of the boxes. If they are wet or damaged, please refuse the delivery and sign the courier's forms as necessary.

It is very important you get in touch with us as soon as possible providing photos of the damage. Please retain all original packaging.

We are unable to offer refunds for orders which sustain damage in transit that do not have Loss and Breakage cover.

Loss and Breakage cover

Shipments of glass and alcohol are not automatically insured with couriers. You are only protected against loss and breakage if you have a separate cover in place. We offer our customers Loss and Breakage cover at a cost of 3% of the hammer price excluding postage. Please note the cover premium cost attracts VAT.

Please be aware that as all products sold through Scotch Whisky Auctions are secondhand, we cannot guarantee or vouch for the way they have been previously stored. Therefore our Loss and Breakage policy does not cover cork or capsule failure. We also cannot cover any cosmetic damage to bottle cartons/tins that occurs in transit.

If you do NOT want to take out cover, and therefore you accept that you are shipping entirely at your own risk please untick the box to opt out of coverage. If you have selected Long Term Storage, cover is added automatically when you choose this on checkout, please ensure that the loss and breakage box is unticked before you proceed to ensure you are not charged twice.

Please note if you wish to take advantage of our secure long term storage solution for your bottles Loss and Breakage cover must be taken out as a condition of admission to the storage area. You can find out more about our long term storage here.

If your bottles are currently in Long Term Storage and within the 12 month period and you decide to ship, then the Loss & Breakage Cover for these bottles will transfer to your shipment. However please do ensure that the Loss and Breakage Box is ticked at the shipping quote request stage before you proceed, the system will know which bottles are in storage and will only charge you for the bottles not in storage and do not currently have Loss & Breakage Cover on them. 

Please view full terms and conditions and our Customer Service Policy

I've taken out loss and damage cover and one of my bottles is damaged/lost. What happens now?

Please retain all the original packaging that we sent your bottle(s) to you in and get in touch with us as soon as possible by email. You will need to supply us with photos of the damage and our packaging in order for us to be able to process a claim. If you fail to keep the original packaging, this may void any potential claim.

All damage complaints must be in writing, we are unable to accept these by telephone.

Please send details of any issues as well as clear photographs that show the damage or problem and of the external packaging including the packing material and shipping box. This evidence is very important for your claim so please send as many detailed photographs as you can to show us how your order arrived, how it was packed, and the damage or issues you wish to bring to our attention.

No refunds will be given if there is no evidence provided of the damage / breakage of the bottles. We are unable to accept claims where the cork on a bottle has caused the whisky to leak in transit. By bidding with us, you acknowledge that these bottles are secondhand goods and we cannot guarantee the condition of the seals or corks. We make every effort to protect the bottles for transit. Cosmetic damage is not covered under Loss and Breakage - this includes dents, tears and creases to boxes/cases/tubes or issues that do not affect the safe consumption of the product.

Customers who have not received their order must notify us within 14 days of the dispatch date. We are unable to submit a claim for lost deliveries after this time has elapsed.

How will I be refunded?

We will discuss this with you but either via the method of payment or as a credit against your account.