Shipping

Shipping Policies

Shipping fine and rare wine requires special care. Extreme weather and restrictive shipping laws in certain states are some of the challenges. But at WineBid.com we are committed to getting your wines to you as safely and efficiently as possible. Here’s how we do it:

• Once your wine is consolidated (based on the consolidation schedule you choose) your wine generally is shipped within 3 weeks [more info]
• To protect your wine, we will not ship if the weather is too hot or too cold at our warehouse or your shipping destination, unless you specifically contact us to request otherwise [more info]
• Standard shipping is 2nd Day Air, but other options are available, including including Overnight, Ground, or Pickup at one of our warehouses. You can choose whatever method you prefer when you register and you can change it at any time by updating your registration [more info]
• An adult 21 years of age or older must be physically present to sign for the wine when it is delivered [more info]
• We do not ship to post office boxes [more info]
• Due to certain legal restrictions, we cannot ship to the following states: Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont and West Virginia [more info]
• We can ship to a professional wine storage facility if you live in a state where it is illegal to receive direct shipments of wine [more info]
• International shipping is available, subject to the laws and taxes of the destination country [more info]
• Original wooden cases can be shipped if we are notified of that request within 3 days of auction close [more info]
• We provide free wine storage during periods of extreme weather in one of our state-of-the art, temperature-controlled warehouse facilities [more info]
• For estimated rate information, see our shipping rates page

Packing And Shipping Times

We pack your wines based on your consolidation preference. We can pack your wines once a week, every two weeks, or once a month. To change your consolidation preference, update your registration and scroll to the bottom of the page for consolidation options. Assuming the weather is safe for shipping, [please see below] your wines will be shipped within 2 weeks of being packed.

Unfavorable Weather Conditions

Shipping during periods of extreme heat or cold can damage fine wine. We will not ship your wine if the temperature is above 80 degrees or below 10 degrees Fahrenheit at our warehouse location or your shipping address. Instead, your wine will be held in one of our temperature-controlled warehouses at no additional charge until the weather is suitable for shipping. This means that during the summer or winter months, shipment of your wine may be delayed for several weeks or longer.

If you want us to ship your wine regardless of the weather, please contact us to authorize shipment. If you choose to ship during extreme weather conditions, you assume all responsibility for possible weather-related damage.

If wine freezes, the cork protrudes from the bottle. If the cork is protruding WineBid.com will accept the return of the wine.

Picking Up Your Wine

As an alternative to having your wine shipped, you can arrange to pick up auction winnings at our Napa, California, or Elmhurst, Illinois, warehouses. If you have notified us that you want to pick up your wine, auction winnings will be available as follows:

• Napa – 5 business days after the auction close
• Elmhurst – 7 business days after the auction close

Please give us at least 24 hours notice before picking up your wines to ensure that we have your order ready. Applicable sales tax will be charged on all orders picked up at our warehouses.

Receiving Your Wine

Due to federal and state regulations, all wine shipments must be received by an adult 21 years of age or older. Therefore, we recommend that you ship to a business address. Federal regulations also make it illegal to ship wine to post office boxes. If you enter a post office box as your shipping address, the wine will be returned to us and you will be charged for the original shipment, the return shipment and the subsequent shipment to a valid street address. We cannot schedule shipments for a specific time during the day.

Shipping Within the U.S.

Due to certain legal restrictions, we cannot ship to the following states: Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont and West Virginia. If you live in a state where the direct shipment of wine violates the law, we suggest these alternatives:

1. Provide an address in a state where it is legal to receive direct shipments of wine. For more information on state laws regulating interstate wine shipment, visit http://www.wineinstitute.org/shipwine/index.htm
2. Have your wine shipped to a professional wine storage facility in a state to which we can legally send wine. For a list of such facilities, please see below.

Professional Wine Storage Facilities

If you live in a state to which we cannot ship wine, another alternative is to have your wine shipped to a professional wine storage facility in a direct-shipping friendly state. We have compiled a list of such facilities, though buyers should be aware that these facilities are not affiliated with WineBid.com. We recommend that you contact the facility directly to determine if their costs and services meet your needs.

• 55 Degrees - St Helena CA. 707-963-5513
• San Francisco Wine Center - San Francisco, CA 415-655-7303
• Grand Cru, L.L.C. - Sacramento, CA 916-483-8738
• LA Fine Arts & Fine Storage - Los Angeles, CA 310-447-7700
• Manhattan Wine Company - Orange, NJ 973-243-8700
• Napa Valley Wine Storage - Napa, CA 707-265-9990
• Terminal 55 - Van Nuys, CA 818-782-7042
• Wine Box - West Hills, CA 818-703-0090
• Wine Cellar - Los Angeles, CA 310-477-9463
• Wine Grotto at StorBox - Pasadena, CA 626-793-9888
• Wine Hotel - Los Angeles, CA 323-937-9463
• Wine Locker - Van Nuys, CA 818-781-1600

International Shipping

All shipments to addresses outside the US will be made from Napa, and are subject to the laws of the country to which shipment is made. All international orders are shipped via DHL, FedEx or third party shippers and will take approximately 3-6 weeks to reach you. For estimated international shipping costs and other information, please contact us and provide your city, postal code and country.

Please note that all international sales are final. Because of customs regulations, we cannot accept returns.

Original Wooden Cases

Original wooden cases can be shipped if we are notified of that request within 3 days of the end of the auction. Shipping costs vary according to shipping method, weight, and destination. To request original wooden cases, please contact us.

Wine Storage at WineBid.com

If the weather at our warehouses or your shipping address is too hot or too cold to safely ship wines, it is our policy to store your wines in our temperature-controlled warehouses at no charge until the weather moderates.

However, if you want us to hold your wine during times when temperate weather allows us to ship, you will be charged a storage fee of $10 per case or partial case per month. Storage fees will be applied on the first day of each month that we store your wine. Storage charges must be paid in full prior to release of the wine for shipping or pick up.

Please note that buyers who prefer to pick up their wines at our warehouses or who designate third party shippers to pick up their wines also will be charged storage fees of $10 per case or partial case per month if their wines are not picked up during the month when the wines are packed and ready for pick up. Customers who pick up their wines will be notified on the first day of each month when they have wines to pick up. If those wines are not picked up by the first day of the following month, storage fees will be charged to the credit card on file.