Selling Rare Whiskeys - online - regulations?

[PrancingHorses]

Posting to help a mate out. He is looking to sell rare whiskeys online by Auction based in the UK. He will be starting with his own collection from many years worth thousands and hopes to drum up others to list in the future too.

Anyone know the rules and regulations around what is required? Licences etc needed?

[anonymous-user]

Probably need a premises licence and a personal licence

Or to put the stuff in a warehouse with such licences in place already

Plus some way to verify the buyers are 18+

[StevieBee]

He'll need a premises license registered for 'off' sales (consumption off of the premises), obtained from the Local Council.

He'll need to include age verification systems at the point of order and delivery. Some courier companies will provide the latter.

There are some weird rules surrounding returns (or at least were) that he'll need to research. It's something along the lines of if someone wishes to return an order, the seller has to refund them but the buyer is not allowed to send the product back because they are not licensed so the seller has to go and collect it themselves. This may well have changed but well worth checking out.

[pete_esp]

There are plenty of online auction houses already that specialise in whisky, just-whisky for instance ( I have used them to sell my collection but am not affiliated with them in any way). I'd suggest your friend use one of the established whisky auction houses to sell his collection rather than start his own up.

ETA - Though I wish him every success in the venture if he goes ahead with it!

Edited by pete_esp on Wednesday 2nd September 12:12

[PrancingHorses]

Thanks guys, really helpful. He just finds the idea fascinating as his collection is worth over £500k so he has a good stock to start up himself!

[808 Estate]

A friend used these people.
https://whisky.auction/
A bottle that cost £40 for his 40th birthday was valued by them at £4K-£6K

[pete_esp]

PrancingHorses said:

Thanks guys, really helpful. He just finds the idea fascinating as his collection is worth over £500k so he has a good stock to start up himself!

Hi Prancing, does he have many contacts or is he well known in the industry?