5 Star Service. Normally, I definitely love a lot about Whisky Auctioneer. Unfortunately, the website underwent a unique and extensive website overhaul. I'm sure stuff is getting better now, but at th... See more
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Excellent service and smooth transaction process. My bottle sold for more than I originally paid at auction, but after buyer and seller fees the overall investment result was negative. Great platform... See more
Company replied
EU lots... But 5⭐ will be given when also UK lots without all extra taxes are available for EU and otherwise. Nothing wrong with this beautifull wish or what?
Company replied
Your shipping fees can be better. I've stopped bidding on your site because the shipping makes it cost prohibitive to get bottles from you.
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Company details
Written by the company
Whisky Auctioneer is the world leading platform for the buying and selling of whisky and spirits at auction. Our global auctions feature the most comprehensive selection of old, rare and collectible whiskies and spirits available online.
Contact info
PH1 3FN, Perth, United Kingdom
- info@whiskyauctioneer.com
- whiskyauctioneer.com
4.1
Great
305 reviews
Asks customers to review
This company invites their customers to review, whether positive or negative
Replied to 100% of negative reviews
Typically replies within 1 week
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New website is unfit for purpose
This site used to be useful. I have both sold and bought through it many times. BUT the new site is wholly unfit for purpose with bugs galore. I would caution anyone against using this company until they get them all fixed. One issue is that it is no longer clear which lots are UK and which will incur an import fee.
And everyone should beware being overcharged as delivery rates are wrongly calculated.
June 12, 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Whisky Auctioneer
Hi Braunston, thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback on the new site.
Feedback like this is especially important to us as we continue to refine and improve the platform. We’re currently reviewing all customer input received so far and using it to help prioritise ongoing improvements.
We’ve already reintroduced UK and EU icons on lots, which can now be used alongside the information on our shipping page to help determine any applicable fees or import charges. We’ve also reached out to you via Trustpilot to request some further information so that a member of our client service team can look into your specific concerns around delivery charges.
We do hope we’ll see you back again in a future auction.
Megan - Whisky Auctioneer
BEWARE!
BEWARE!
£40 bottle of whisky, £40 delivery, then out of nowhere 4 days later another £40 import/duty tax bill from the courier to import from EU to UK.
I don’t think this company does enough to highlight the potential increase to final auction price. Luckily, i did think this may have been an issue hence why I only bid £40.
Would have cried at a 200% increase on final bid of a bottle at £2k
June 9, 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Whisky Auctioneer
Hi Zack, thank you for your review. We always appreciate feedback.
We’re sorry if it felt unclear that additional import costs could apply when buying across regions. We do have this information available on our website, and we’ve recently reintroduced UK and EU icons on all lots to help indicate where bottles are located. This can be used alongside the details on our shipping and fees pages to help estimate potential final costs.
That said, we appreciate you raising this and will take your feedback into consideration as we continue reviewing how we communicate key information on the site and in our customer updates.
Megan - Whisky Auctioneer
It's impossible for a company like…
It's impossible for a company like yours to do not know how many items have your customer in storage....
Furthermore you want to charge you customer extra for longer storage but you can't really tell him where are his storage bottles located....
I am very sorry for you because you was my 1st top whisky auction but now you became one of the worst....
Do not dare to charge my extra for longer storage, because I'm trying to ship my bottles for very long time now and I can't because you send me a list that is totally wrong....
May 21, 2025
Reply from Whisky Auctioneer
Hi Georgios, thank you for your review.
We're very sorry to hear about your recent experience. We appreciate your long-standing support and are sorry that the service you received did not meet expectations on this occasion. A member of our senior management team is reviewing your case in full and will reach out to you directly to ensure this is properly resolved.
Thank you again for your feedback, and we sincerely apologise for the confusion caused.
Megan - Whisky Auctioneer
Bid system needs to change
Although a large selection of whisky, the issue is that the bidding goes on far too long, and people start bidding last minute which goes on and on, meaning you lose your bid you thought you had for the last several days. Other auction sites will literally stop bidding at 7pm, perhaps 10-20 minutes beyond that. But this site keeps bidding open way past the 7pm deadline which just seems unfair. Stop the bids at 7pm like you state in the website, and then you won't have the silly bid wars going on for hours on end.
June 8, 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Whisky Auctioneer
Thank you, Michael, for your honest feedback. We appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts.
Our auctions close from 7:00 PM (UK time), but if a bid is placed after that on any lot, the entire auction is extended by two minutes. It ends once no bids are placed for two minutes – usually between 9:00 and 11:00 PM. This format ensures everyone has a fair chance to place final bids on bottles that matter to them.
Megan – Whisky Auctioneer
Great experience
May 12, 2025
Reply from Whisky Auctioneer
Thanks so much for your review! We’re delighted to hear you had a great experience.
Megan – Whisky Auctioneer
Current website not working properly on…
Current website not working properly on both Rum Auctioneer and Whisky Auctioneer. Bids are being undercut and being won by lower bids. Serious IT flaws in new system - bottles showing as UK listings are then switching to EU and back etc, disappearing from watchlists. Needs sorting as the previous website was very reliable
JDS
June 1, 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Whisky Auctioneer
Hi, thank you for your review and for sharing your feedback.
We recently launched new websites for all three of our platforms – Whisky Auctioneer, Rum Auctioneer and Wine Auctioneer – and customer feedback is really important to us as we continue to refine and improve performance. We're actively monitoring all sites, addressing bugs and rolling out updates on a regular basis. We're pleased to say improvements are being made week on week.
I’ve reached out to you via Trustpilot to request further details so that a member of our client service team can get in touch and better understand your experience.
Megan - Whisky Auctioneer
Quick checkout and excellent delivery
Quick checkout and excellent delivery, fees and charges are good value too
May 6, 2025
Reply from Whisky Auctioneer
Thank you, John! We’re glad you found the checkout and delivery process smooth – we really appreciate your kind words.
Megan – Whisky Auctioneer
What have you done to your website?
I've just tried to navigate your new auction website. What have you done? Before, it was so easy to find the whiskies I was interested in. The filters are confusing and what is that floating zero about? What happened to the dashboard? It's a shame that's gone. Now, it's not a pleasurable experience at all.
I don't think I'll be back in a hurry.
June 2, 2025
Reply from Whisky Auctioneer
Hi Joe, thank you for your feedback.
We’re sorry to hear the updated site hasn’t delivered the experience you were hoping for. We recently introduced a new design and platform for our auctions, and we know changes like this can take some getting used to. That said, customer feedback plays a key role in how we continue to develop and improve the site.
We’re actively working on enhancements based on the areas that matter most to our users, and are rolling out updates regularly to improve performance and usability. We hope you’ll see some positive changes if you choose to return in future.
Megan - Whisky Auctioneer
Reply from Whisky Auctioneer
Thanks for the great feedback! We’re thrilled to hear you found it easy to use and were happy with the bottles up for grabs and delivery speed.
Megan – Whisky Auctioneer
Outstanding service from Whisky Auctioneer
I recently purchased 3 bottles of Macallan whisky from Whisky Auctioneer.
I live outside of the UK and had never purchased from any Whisky Auction before.
The entire process from start to finish was very profesional and seemless.
After only one phone call to their head office, to ask a question, I was allocated a customer services representative, George, who guided me through the entire process from payment, arrangeding the courier, right down to every last detail.
George was fantastic to work with and I must say the entire process went really well.
Thank you very much Whisky Auctioneer
Give those guys a Bells 😃
December 13, 2024
Reply from Whisky Auctioneer
Thank you so much for your detailed and generous review, Joel. We’re delighted to hear George was able to support you so well throughout the process. Your kind words mean a lot to the whole team.
Megan – Whisky Auctioneer
Gripes…
I would prefer not to have to pay you for storage after purchase. Given the commission you charge I think delivery in mainland UK should be free.
May 7, 2025
Reply from Whisky Auctioneer
Thanks, Julian – we appreciate the positive rating and your thoughts on delivery and storage charges. Customer feedback helps us ensure we continue to provide a fair and competitive fee structure.
Megan – Whisky Auctioneer
Poor Customer Service for Faulty Goods
I bought a bottle of single malt Scotch whisky for over £180. When I opened it, the cork disintegrated and the significantly flavour was impaired. It was obvious that the whisky had been stored incorrectly and in very hot conditions. Although the box was normal, the bottle had a sticker on it showing that it had been an export to an Asian country where it had clearly not been looked after. I notified the company, who basically said, 'too bad'. A business that dos not do due diligence on the product it sells, can't be trusted and it's not good enough simply to place all the risk on the purchaser.
May 7, 2025
Reply from Whisky Auctioneer
Hi William, thank you for taking the time to leave a review and share your experience.
We're sorry to hear that the condition of the bottle you received did not meet expectations. While all bottles listed in our auctions are inspected for visible defects, we are very rarely able to determine their storage history. As an auction site, we do our best to identify and disclose any issues that can be reasonably assessed at the time of listing.
We’re also sorry that the support you received after raising this fell short of the level of service we aim to deliver. We appreciate you bringing the matter to our attention and hope that, despite this experience, you may feel confident to engage with us again in future. If there's anything further we can assist with, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Megan - Whisky Auctioneer
The auction journey was as expected- the end disappointing
The auction journey was as expected. We were successful in purchasing a bottle of whisky for a small amount more than what we budgeted for. The big surprise came with the "add-ons" which inflated the buy price by circa 35%. I would have liked to have this presented to me before the buy confirmation but I know why you may not think this is a good idea. If I had had a full perspective on the add-ons I would not have bid past the budget.
May 6, 2025
Reply from Whisky Auctioneer
Hi George, thank you for taking the time to leave a review.
We're pleased to hear the auction process itself met your expectations. In terms of fees, all bottles are marked with UK or EU icons to help indicate their location, and this can be used alongside the information available on our shipping and fees pages to give a clearer picture of any potential import costs or charges. Commission rates are also outlined up front when registering to use the site.
Clarity and transparency are absolutely central to the experience we aim to offer our clients, and we know how important it is to feel informed and confident when placing a bid. We're always reviewing and refining how we communicate key information, and we truly value feedback like yours in helping us continue to improve. If you’d like to discuss anything further, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Megan - Whisky Auctioneer
Reply from Whisky Auctioneer
Thanks so much! We're delighted you were happy with the shipping and found the bottle you were looking for.
Megan - Whisky Auctioneer
The fact that you have a European…
The fact that you have a European business where we dont have to pay all the taxes is hugely important. Any questions are always dealt with in a quick and professional way, people are friendly when I meet them in the Utrecht office and most importantly you probably have the biggest offer out there for interesting collection-able bottles.
May 1, 2025
Reply from Whisky Auctioneer
Thank you, Maarten! We’re glad our EU presence and local service made a difference for you. We really appreciate your support.
Megan - Whisky Auctioneer
Fantastic site
Fantastic site. Lots of choice in each auction for American, UK, and world whisky(e)y
April 22, 2025
Reply from Whisky Auctioneer
Thanks, Ryan! We’re so pleased to hear you’re enjoying our auctions and the global variety on offer.
Megan - Whisky Auctioneer
Fees and shipping is a little to much…
Fees and shipping is a little to much for an out of country buyer!
April 28, 2025
Reply from Whisky Auctioneer
Hi Britton, thank you for your review.
We understand that international fees and shipping costs can add up, and we’re always reviewing how we present this information to ensure clarity and transparency for our clients. All lots are marked with UK or EU icons, and full details around commissions, shipping rates and potential import costs are available on our website.
We’ve established dedicated offices in both the UK and EU to better support our global client base, allowing us to serve our customers more directly and help keep associated costs as low as possible. We really appreciate your feedback and will continue working to deliver the best possible experience.
Megan - Whisky Auctioneer
Reply from Whisky Auctioneer
Thanks so much for your kind words. We’re delighted to hear you were happy with the service and delivery.
Megan - Whisky Auctioneer
slow and expensive
one, they charge a ridiculous fee for credit card use 3.5% ...2, they ship your whisky using UPS rail in the US... slow and unreliable. over 6 days from SF to FL
May 6, 2025
Unprompted review
The service was sound
The service was sound, any question I had, or help that I needed, was dealt with in a short time span
April 12, 2025
Reply from Whisky Auctioneer
Thank you for your review. We’re really pleased to hear the team were able to help promptly.
Megan - Whisky Auctioneer
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