Should you wish to send bottles or collect bottles to us in person, please kindly book an appointment first via link in the relevant email.
How does an online whisky auction work?
Asia Whisky Auction is an online auction platform for the registered users of our website to sell and buy whiskies. This website acts as agents for the sellers of goods listed on our Site. When you buy item(s) on our Site you buy them from those sellers, not from us.
Sellers should fill out “Seller’s form” to register an item to be listed in our auction. Upon receipt confirmation email from us, seller can either delivery or courier their bottles to our office (please make an appointment).
We would check the item’s quality, authenticity, taking photographs, and then list the item into the next available auction. We host regular auctions, where registered users from around the world can bid on the items listed on our website.
After the auction closing date, the highest bidder will be notified by email. Payment is required within 5 days. The buyer can choose to ship, store or collect the won item(s). During the checkout process, buyer would be informed the buyer and other related costs.
Upon Receipt of Payment from Buyer and Confirmation Receipt from Buyer; or Confirmation of Storage with Buyer we will send the payment to seller (net of the relevant fees) within 21 working days of auction closing.
Please kindly refer to the Sell Whisky page for details.
What fees are involved for selling whisky?
1. HKD30 Admin fee per lot
2. HKD100 Reserve fee per lot (if you have set a reserve price)
3. 5% of the Hammer Price for the Seller’s commission
4. Pick-up fee, if any
5. Bank or PayMe service fee, if any
From time to time, we have promotions to waive certain amount of seller’s fee, please kindly refer to our homepage for details.
How many items can I submit to sell?
No limitation on the number of items that you can submit.
Are there any items you don't accept?
We do not accept Cask Ends, cream liqueurs, non-whisky liqueurs, Bell's Decanters, dimple ceramic decanters, unofficial samples/minis (this includes press packs which are unsealed), unofficial/homemade merchandise, goods (including bottles) which are unsealed or where the seal or packaging is no longer intact, goods whose contents are leaking, goods which are in a condition which is not suitable for sales, for example, which are mouldy and/ or items that contain foodstuffs other than alcohol or whose use-by date has passed for auction.
I have a large collection to sell - can Asia Whisky Auction help me?
Yes! Definitely, please kindly contact us through telephone, email or what’s app for details.
What happens if my item does not meet the reserve price I set?
At the end of the auction, if the reserve price is not reached and the lot remains unsold, we will contact the seller to choose one of the following arrangements: a) re-listing of the unsold lot at a subsequent auction held by Asia Whisky Auction, along with the right to change or remove the reserve price or b) return the lot to the seller. We reserve the right to decide relisting the unsold lot in our next auction or not.
If the Seller agrees to return their Lot to them when the Reserve Price has not been reached and the Lot has not sold, all costs associated with returning the Lot to the Seller will be paid by the Seller to Us. During the delivery of the unsold lot to the Seller, the Seller is deemed to understand that Asia Whisky Auction shall not be liable for any damage or loss of any bottle in transit. Delivery charge is HKD 50 per bottle.
All charges incurred along the whole process, including but not limited to registration fee & admin fee, will not be refunded.
When and how do I get paid for my sold lot(s)?
If your item(s) is/ are successfully sold, we will not process payment until; 1) the buyer has paid us and 2) the buyer has received the item(s) and is satisfied that our description is accurate; or 3) the buyer confirmed to store the item(s) with us.
Payments will be prepared as soon as possible, and in any event, if payment is unlikely to be received by the seller within 21 working days of the auction closing, we will inform the Seller.
Payments from Asia Whisky Auction to the Seller may be made using your choice of the payment method (Bank Transfer, FPS, PayMe or Cheque). Please note that there is a HKD200 fee for payments made through the SWIFT system and 1.2% service fee for PayMe payments. Any costs associated with receiving funds after the auction are the responsibility of the Seller.
Any banking charges or exchange rates are paid for by the Seller.
When and how does an auction end?
The ending time of each auction is shown on the top of our website front page.
At the end of each auction, any bids placed on a lot within the last 10 minutes of the auction timer will extend the current auction for that lot by an additional 10 minutes until 12am. This is to ensure that "sniper software" cannot be used in any of our auctions.
What fees are involved for buying whisky?
Buyer would need to pay us:
The final hammer price, plus all fees listed below.
Other fees:
The Buyer’s commission is 10% of the final hammer price.
Delivery charge (if applicable, Delivery service is handled by third party service provider)
Surcharge of 3.5% will be applied to payment using credit card. 1.2% if payment is made via PayMe. HKD200 Bank Charge for international bank transfer.
How can I appear as an anonymised bidder?
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.
How can I become verified to bid over HKD20,000?
In order to bid above HKD20,000 we require an identity check. This is to ensure the legitimacy of users so that bids are valid and fair. Once you submit the required documents, our Client Services Team will review the documentation and you will then be alerted whether you have been approved or not. Once approved, you will be able to bid over HKD20,000 on any lot across the auction. Please note, that should circumstances arise as per our terms and conditions, we reserve the right to revoke approval, or, alternatively, approve after further review where an individual was not initially approved.
Please click here to upload your identity documents and verify your account to place bids over HKD20,000.
What is incremental bidding?
During a live auction, on the live auction page, registered user can place a bid by clicking “View Lot” then you would be navigated to the description page for the lot. On the description page, you can enter the maximum bid into the box shown. Asia Whisky Auction will automatically bid on the item on your behalf, up to the maximum bid entered, by using the following incremental bidding rules:
Why do bids start at HKD50 and not HKD0?
HKD 50 is the minimum price that we set for the item listed in our auction.
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.
Asia Whisky Auction offering storage for Buyers to enable them to buy enough bottles to reduce the average delivery cost per bottle. We will offer free storage in Our secure unit for a period of 90 days after an auction end date, and thereafter a storage fee of HKD10 day per bottle may apply. The idea is to allow Buyer's the buying selection from subsequent auctions to then ship a larger quantity of bottles and reduce average delivery cost per bottle.
Can I insure my bottles?
To protect you against any loss from broken or lost items in transit, insurance (at standard rate of 3% of the hammer price plus commission) provided by third party insurer is automatically included in that payment process. Please untick the box if you do not need the insurance service.
Please kindly note that the insurance will only cover breakage or loss in transit. Due to the various ages of bottles and their seals, condition of liquid is at the buyer's discretion and no claim can be lodged against leakage in transit.
How long does it take to receive my winning lot(s)?
If you are successful at auction, once payment is received by Asia Whisky Auction then your whisky will be dispatched within 14 days.