Frequently Asked Questions

Rum Auctioneer makes it easy for rum enthusiasts and collectors worldwide to buy and sell rum through our monthly online auctions.

For Sellers:

• Our expert Client Service team provides free valuations and support on safely getting your bottles to our offices in Perth, Utrecht or London.
• Once received, your bottles are authenticated, professionally photographed, and listed in the next available auction (or an auction of your choice).
• After the auction closes, you’ll receive payment within 21 working days, with seller fees deducted from the final amount.

For Buyers:

• Browse and bid on an exceptional selection of rum from around the world.
• If you win, you’ll be notified by email and have 72 hours to complete payment.
• Choose to have your bottles shipped, stored, or collected. Buyer fees are applied at checkout.

Whether you’re selling rare vintages or looking for your next great bottle, our online auctions provide an effortless, trusted, and exciting way to buy and sell collectible rum online.

At Rum Auctioneer, we accept consignments from both private collectors and trade sellers. Whether you have a single bottle of something special or need to clear out older stock, we're here to help you find the right buyers.

We offer free, no-obligation valuations and support you with getting your bottles to us, including free bottle collection within the UK and EU (subject to value and volume).

Once your rum arrives at our warehouse, we handle everything – from creating professional listings and taking photos to promoting your bottles to a global audience. With a user-friendly website, low buyer commissions, and worldwide shipping options, our auctions attract a wide range of buyers from all over the world, increasing the chances of a great sale.

If you’re ready to sell, visit our Seller’s Guide to get started.

The value of a bottle can change based on supply and demand, so it’s important to get an up-to-date valuation. At Rum Auctioneer, we provide accurate valuations based on the latest market trends.

For a free, no-obligation valuation, simply complete our quick and easy Seller Form, and we'll get back to you with an estimate.

All the information you need to sell your rum can be found in our step-by-step Seller’s Guide. This guide is designed to walk you through our easy, hassle-free process and help you get started with selling your rum at auction online.

You can find all the details about the fees involved in selling rum at auction on our Seller Fees and Payment Terms page.

You can submit as many bottles as you like!

For larger private collections, Rum Auctioneer offers a full range of services to make the process as seamless and straightforward as possible. We work closely with collectors to ensure everything runs smoothly.

To find out how we can help with selling your collection, simply complete our Seller Form and one of our experts will be in touch.

Rum Auctioneer reserves the right to accept or reject any bottles/items at our own discretion. We do not accept the following items for auction: 

• Cream liqueurs.
• Khukri rum. 
• Home-made merchandise.
• Items which could contain risk to our customers, for example liqueur chocolates.
• All unofficial miniature re-bottlings, with the exception of Perfect Measure and Drinks by the Dram.
• Items that have exceeded “Use by” or ”Best before” dates.
• Merchandise or non-rum ephemera, with the exception of original artworks, books or items of historical significance.
• Cask Ends.
• Glassware or ceramics that are not packaged as part of an original gift set (glasses, jugs, empty decanters, etc).
• Unsealed bottles originally sold with a sealed closure.
• Bottles that we believe to be counterfeit, or where we have reasonable doubts regarding their authenticity.

For Whisky or Rum, please visit our sister sites Whisky Auctioneer and Rum Auctioneer!

Yes. Rum Auctioneer can offer sellers a full range of services when it comes to larger private collections. The time and effort required to build such a collection shows commitment, care and enthusiasm and as rum enthusiasts ourselves, we understand this and use our extensive experience in order to treat collectors prized possessions with the respect, esteem and attention they deserve. We work hand in hand with private collectors to make the process of using our services as seamless and straightforward as possible.

To find out how we can help sell your large collection, please complete our Seller Form and one of our experts will be in touch.

Sellers are paid within 21 business days after the auction closes, but payment is only processed once the buyer has completed their payment.

Payments are made via direct bank transfer and may take a few days to appear in your account. Please note that any banking fees or exchange rates are paid for by the seller.

To ensure a smooth payment process, please make sure your Seller Payment Details are updated in your Personal Profile.

If your item does not meet the reserve price, the listing fee and reserve fee will still apply.

You can choose to re-list the item (subject to fees) or discuss having the bottle returned to you (subject to delivery charges).

As an online business, Rum Auctioneer is required by law to collect and report taxpayer information for sellers who earn certain income on our platform, in compliance with the DAC7 Directive (EU Council Directive 2021/514) and the Platform Operators (Due Diligence and Reporting Requirement) Regulations 2023.

Please note: This requirement does not create new tax obligations or change your existing ones. For more information, please refer to our Tax Reporting Obligations for Sellers.

In order to bid above £2,000 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. Please note, for an approval to take place, we also require verification of your contact number. In order for us to do this, we will give you a call when reviewing your application to ensure the number is correct and valid.

Once approved, you will be able to bid over £2,000 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, provide approval following further review should an individual not be approved.

To upload your identity documents and verify your account to place bids over £2,000 you can do so here.

You can find all the details about the fees involved in buying wine at auction on our Buyer Fees and Payment Terms page.

We take your privacy seriously - user information and identity are never revealed during the bidding process. For more details, please see our Privacy Policy.

When browsing the bidding history for a specific lot, you will see that all bids are anonymised and only display a date and time stamp.

Due to the governing laws for licensing in Scotland, there is a minimum price for alcohol units. As a result we have introduced a minimum bid price for each item, £20 will be the starting bid for most bottles of rum, but this will be calculated on a lot-by-lot basis (for example, multiple bottle lots will have a higher starting bid).   

Our monthly auctions end from 7:00 PM (UK local time) on the closing date. If a bid is placed after 7:00 PM on any lot, the entire auction will be extended by an additional two minutes. 

The auction will end once all bidding has ceased for two minutes. Based on previous auction activity, the auction will continue for several hours and is most likely to finish between 9pm - 11pm (UK local time).  

Rum Auctioneer's payment window for buyers is three days (72 hours) from close of auction. If payment for an order is not received within this 3-day window, a late payment charge of 3% of the total balance outstanding will be added to that order.

Yes, you can collect your bottles in person. Please be sure to book an appointment in advance, our booking calendars can be found on our Contact Us page.

Please note:

• UK lots can only be collected from our Perth Office.
• EU lots are available for collection from our Utrecht Office.
• Our London Office is open for drop-offs only. Collections aren’t available from this location.

Yes, Rum Auctioneer offers secure storage services. For more information and details on applicable charges, please visit our Storage page.

You can store your bottles with Rum Auctioneer for as long as you like! Storage is charged at 3% (ex. VAT) of the bottle's hammer price for the first 90 days. After this, storage is charged at 1% (ex. VAT) for every 30 days your bottles are in storage with us.

Please note: there is a minimum storage fee of £5 per bottle (per 30 day period).

For full details, please visit our Storage page.

Yes! If you selected "Store" during checkout, your order will automatically be added to your Collection in your Personal Profile under "Stored." From there, you can select individual bottles and use the "Manage" three-dot icon to choose "Ship."

You'll then receive a shipping calculation for those bottles and have the option to proceed to checkout for payment.

Our initial storage term lasts for 90 days. After that, your storage will automatically extend on a monthly basis, charged at 1% for every 30-day period, as agreed during checkout. Extensions will renew on the 15th of each month.

To avoid automatic renewal, simply select "Ship" for your stored orders (this can be managed through your Collection on our website) or book an appointment to collect your bottles. Please contact our Client Service team for assistance.