Buyer Protection Service

Hands-On Operational Support: What We Do For You

Your Buyer Protection fee guarantees that you do not stand alone if a cross-border transaction becomes complex. Our dedicated platform team will personally step in to manage the situation. We will actively:

• Directly Mediate with the Seller: We handle all communication with the seller to address description disputes or packaging complaints.
• Liaise and Call Courier Services: If a package is stalled, delayed, or shows unusual tracking behaviour, our team will personally call and pressure the international courier services (such as DHL, FedEx, or UPS) to locate and accelerate your shipment.
• Investigate Customs Bottlenecks: If a premium spirit is held at an international border, we will contact customs agents or intermediate brokers to investigate the documentation requirements and help clear the package for local delivery.

The Secure Third-Party Escrow Lock

• Safe Holding: When you win an auction lot, your full payment is securely deposited into a dedicated, independent third-party escrow account.
• Delivery Verification: The platform will strictly hold your funds in escrow and will NOT pay out the seller until the object has successfully and safely arrived at your destination address.
• Release Mechanism: Funds are only released to the Seller 3 calendar days after tracking data confirms successful delivery, provided no formal dispute has been initiated by the buyer to hold the payout.

Independent Mediation & Resolution Support

In the unlikely event that a package arrives damaged or is officially declared lost by the carrier, our team will fully assist you in launching claims against the carrier's mandatory insurance or holding the seller accountable. If an issue cannot be resolved through regular channels, the Platform will—strictly as an administrative service and without admitting any platform liability—facilitate an appropriate financial compensation or a full refund exclusively from the held escrow funds:

• Damaged in Transit: The bottle suffers breakage or severe leakage during transport (to be recovered via the seller's mandatory transport insurance).
• Lost Packages: The shipment is officially lost or untraceable by the courier service (to be recovered via the seller's mandatory transport insurance).
• Material Misdescription: The received bottle deviates significantly from the high-resolution lot photographs or condition statements provided by the seller.

Mandatory Dispute Protocol (Within 72 Hours)

To request platform mediation and hold the escrow payout, the Buyer must strictly follow this protocol within 3 calendar days (72 hours) of the carrier's tracking delivery time stamp:

• Step 1: Leave the bottle, capsule, seal, and all original shipping packaging completely intact. Do not open, alter, or consume the liquid [1].
• Step 2: Take clear, high-resolution photographs of the outer shipping box, the carrier label, and the specific damage or description error.
• Step 3: Submit your claim and all photographic evidence immediately to our support team at: info@exclusivewhiskyauctions.com.

Claims submitted after the 3-calendar-day inspection window has expired will not be accepted for mediation, and the escrow funds will be automatically released to the seller [1].

Important Exclusions

Please note that our Buyer Protection Service does not cover:

• Microscopic cork degradation or minor natural evaporation (ullage) that naturally occurs over time with vintage or rare spirits.
• Packages that are permanently seized or destroyed by local customs authorities due to illegal alcohol import attempts or failure by the user to comply with domestic tax regulations.