VINS Auctions — Terms & Conditions

Version 2026-10-13 · Effective 2026-10-13

VINS Auctions are online sales by VINS Wine. The wine is ours, the terms are short, and we do not hide the mechanics. Read this before you bid. Placing a bid means you accept the version of these Terms shown at the time of the bid; we record which version you accepted.

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1. Who is selling

Item	Value
Seller of record	Sold by VINS Wine, California ABC Type 85 licensee (License No. 669943)
Program name	VINS Auctions, sold by VINS Wine. VINS sells its own wine through this program and nothing else.
Legal entity	VINS WINE LLC, 447 Sutter St Ste 405, San Francisco, CA 94108 · hello@vinswine.co
What we sell	Wine that VINS owns and holds before it is listed. Every lot is VINS inventory. No lot is offered for anyone else.
Bond and disclosure	VINS Auctions, sold by VINS Wine (VINS WINE LLC) · Bond No. 89051868 (California Civil Code section 1812.600 bond)

Some lots were purchased outright by VINS from private collections under California Business and Professions Code section 23104.6. Those bottles carry a permanently affixed label reading "Acquired from a private collection." VINS purchased those bottles outright before listing; VINS is the sole seller.

2. Who may bid

You may register and bid only if all of the following are true at the time of every bid. We check these on our servers before a bid is accepted, not only at registration.

Requirement	Detail
Age	You are 21 or older. You must be 21 or older to register, bid, or receive delivery. We record your date of birth and the time of your attestation. The site-wide 21+ confirmation stays in place before any lot is shown.
Age and identity verification	No bidder is passed without an age-verification procedure. The baseline for every account is your date-of-birth attestation, a payment card that passed verification, and the adult (21+) signature at delivery. We may require government ID verification of any account, at registration or later, and we always require it when the details on file do not match. When we ask, you must complete identity verification before you can bid, through a verification provider we designate or through VINS staff review of your government ID, as we direct at the time. A check that fails, expires, or cannot be completed is never treated as passed. Verification data is handled as described in section 11: we keep the result of the check, the type of document, and the last four digits of the document number for 4 years, and any image of your document is deleted within 30 days.
Delivery state	Your default shipping address on your VINS account is in one of: California and Oregon. If your delivery state is not on this list you will see "Bidding is not available for your delivery state" and cannot bid. VINS ships to Oregon under its Oregon OLCC direct-shipper permit (OLCC permit No. LQ-DS-23761).
No forwarding services	Your delivery address must be where you live or work. Freight forwarders, package-receiving services, reshippers, and transport agents are not eligible delivery addresses. A bid tied to such an address is refused; an order shipped to such an address is held for review and cancelled and refunded unless a residential or business address in California and Oregon is confirmed within 7 days of our email about the hold.
Oregon monthly limit	Oregon law limits what any one Oregon resident may receive by direct shipment to 5 cases (60 bottles of 750 ml, or the equivalent volume) per month, counted by the month in which the wine is shipped. We apply that limit twice. When you bid, we count every auction lot you have won together with every open lot on which you hold the leading bid, by the calendar month in which the lot closes, and we decline a bid that would take that total over the limit; the same check runs again when the lot closes. Before an Oregon order ships, we count the wine shipped or scheduled to ship to you in the month of shipment, and an order that would take that month over the limit is held and shipped in the next month in which it fits; we tell you the new ship date. Wine you buy from the VINS regular store for delivery in Oregon counts toward the same legal limit; VINS staff review those orders before an auction lot ships.
Account	You are signed in to your VINS customer account. Guest bidding is not offered.
Verified card	You have a payment card on file that passed a $0 verification. Nothing is charged at verification. The verified card is never charged automatically; it confirms you are a real, reachable buyer.
Terms	You have accepted the current version of these Terms. If the Terms change, bidding pauses on affected lots until you accept the new version. We record your 21+ attestation and the version of these Terms you accepted before you bid and write both to your order; your invoice and the order confirmation page restate the requirements you accepted.
Personal use, attested per lot	Every bid you place includes your attestation, for that lot, that you are buying the wine for your personal use and not for resale. A lot is a single sale; no lot exceeds the volume a Type 85 licensee may sell in one sale.
Not suspended	Your account is not suspended for non-payment or a prior breach of these Terms (section 6).
Not VINS staff	VINS owners, staff, and contractors do not bid. VINS never bids on its own lots.

3. How bidding works

Rule	Detail
Format	Timed, ascending-price sale. Each lot has its own start and end time shown on the lot page (Pacific time).
Starting bid	The lowest amount the first bid may be. The starting bid is not a bid and does not create a sale.
Whole dollars	All bids are in whole US dollars.
Minimum next bid	Current high bid plus the increment for that price band (table below), or the starting bid if there are no bids yet.
Proxy (maximum) bidding	You enter the most you are willing to pay. Our system bids for you only as much as needed to keep you in the lead, up to your maximum, in increments from the table. Your maximum is never shown to other bidders or to VINS staff while the lot is open.
Raising your own maximum	If you are already the high bidder you may raise your maximum; your visible bid does not change until someone else bids.
Ties	If two maximums are equal, the earlier bid (by our server clock) wins.
Soft close	A bid placed in the final 2 minutes of a lot extends that lot's end time to 2 minutes after the bid. A lot may be extended at most 20 times. The lot page shows the current end time. This is how every VINS lot closes; there is no other closing signal.
With or without reserve	Each lot page states either With reserve or Without reserve before you bid. A lot without reserve sells to the highest maximum at the close, whatever the amount, once the starting bid is met.
Reserve, stated plainly	The reserve is a minimum sale threshold, not an automatic final sale price. The hammer price is determined by the disclosed proxy-bidding and increment rules, subject to the reserve and the winning bidder maximum authorized bid. The reserve amount is confidential. We compare it with your maximum bid, not with the visible bid. If you hold the highest maximum when the lot ends and that maximum meets the reserve, you win the lot at the hammer price computed under this section; when the bidding would otherwise have stopped below the reserve, your price is the reserve, never more than your maximum. If the current bid is below the reserve and your maximum bid is at or above the reserve, the bid is raised to the reserve amount (lift-to-reserve). That lift is applied at the close, when the hammer price is computed under this section, and never takes the price above your maximum. If no bidder's maximum meets the reserve when the lot ends, there is no sale.
VINS never bids	VINS places no bids, house bids, or automatic bids on any lot, and does not place bids to reach a reserve. The reserve is applied at the close as described above and by no other means.
Retracting a bid	Bids are binding. See "Retraction and cancellation of bids" at the end of this section.
Early close	VINS may end a lot before its posted end time only for a stated reason that is recorded (for example, the bottle is found damaged); when it does, the leading bid at that moment wins, subject to the reserve, and bidders are told by email.
Bid history	Shown as anonymized bidder numbers (for example "Bidder 7"), amounts, and times. Names are never shown.
Hammer price	When the lot ends, the winner pays the lower of their maximum and one increment above the second-highest counting maximum, and never less than the starting bid. Only counting bids set the price. A bid VINS cancels under "Retraction and cancellation of bids" and a bid whose bidder is found ineligible when the lot closes are treated the same way: the bid cannot win, it is removed from the price computation, and it counts for nothing; the second-highest maximum is taken from the bids that remain. On a lot with reserve the hammer price is never below the reserve: if that computed price is under the reserve and your maximum is not, you pay the reserve.
Prices shown while bidding	Every price we display while a lot is open includes the 15% buyer premium. The lot page shows the current bid including the premium as its main figure, with the hammer price and the premium broken out beside it; the auction index shows the same all-in figure. The maximum you enter is a hammer amount: the form shows the amount including the premium next to it as you type, and your bid confirmation shows both figures. Sales tax, shipping, and California Redemption Value where applicable are added on the invoice (section 4): shipping is a flat $20 per lot, and CRV is a fixed amount per container that the lot page prints next to the price for California delivery.
Errors	If a technical fault prevents bids from being recorded, VINS may extend, pause, or cancel a lot and will say so on the lot page.

Bid increments (USD)

Current high bid	Increment
Under $100	$5
$100 – $499	$10
$500 – $999	$25
$1,000 – $2,499	$50
$2,500 – $4,999	$100
$5,000 and above	$250

Retraction and cancellation of bids

Rule	Detail
Bids are binding	A bid is a binding offer to buy the lot at up to your maximum under these Terms. You cannot withdraw it yourself, and a bid is never cancelled because the price moved or you changed your mind.
Written request	VINS will, only before the lot closes, cancel a bid on your written request made through the "Ask to withdraw my bid" control on the lot page or by email to hello@vinswine.co from the email address on your account, stating the lot and the reason. A request that reaches us before the lot closes is approved as a rule; a request still waiting when the lot ends is approved at the close, before the winner is determined. We refuse a request only where the bid record shows evidence of manipulation — for example, bidding and cancelling to find the reserve or another bidder's maximum, or a cancellation that would benefit another account you control — and we record the reason for a refusal; after a refusal we take no further cancellation request on that lot. We do not cancel a bid after the lot has closed.
One cancellation per lot	Each bidder may make one cancellation request per lot. An approved request cancels the bids you held on that lot when you made the request. A bid you place after the request stands: you may bid on the same lot again after a cancellation, a new bid is binding like any other, and a second cancellation request on the same lot is refused.
Cancellation by VINS	VINS may also cancel a bid that fails an eligibility check at the time of the bid or at the close, or that we reasonably believe is fraudulent.
Effect of a cancellation	A cancelled bid does not revive any earlier bid. The standing of the lot is recomputed from the bids that remain, under the rules in this section: the highest remaining maximum leads, the visible bid is recomputed from the remaining maximums, and the bidder who now leads is told by email. Because the visible bid is recomputed, the current bid shown on the lot page may go down after a cancellation; the lot page is the notice of that change. A cancelled bid counts for nothing toward the hammer price (see "Hammer price"). Every cancellation is recorded with its reason and time.

4. What the winner pays

Prices shown during bidding include the buyer premium; sales tax, shipping and California Redemption Value where applicable are added on the invoice. Shipping is a flat $20 per lot, less than the carrier charges VINS; VINS pays the difference. VINS adds no packing, handling, or other charge to shipping, and any packing or handling cost VINS bears is inside the prices shown while bidding. CRV is a fixed amount per container, printed on the lot page as "+ $0.05 CRV" or "+ $0.10 CRV (California delivery)": $0.05 for a container under 710 ml (24 fluid ounces) and $0.10 for a container of 710 ml or more; for a lot of several containers the lot page prints the total for the lot with the number of containers (for example "+ $0.60 CRV (6 containers × $0.10, California delivery)"). Your invoice is made up as follows: Hammer price + 15% buyer's premium + applicable sales tax + shipping. For delivery in California, California Redemption Value (CRV) is added per container.

Item	Detail
Buyer's premium	15% of the hammer price. It is included in every price shown while bidding, and it is broken out on the lot page, on your bid confirmation, and on your invoice.
Sales tax	Calculated at checkout on the delivery address. The buyer's premium is part of the taxable sale price and is taxed with the hammer price.
CRV (California only)	California Redemption Value applies to every wine container delivered to a California address: $0.05 per container under 24 fluid ounces and $0.10 per container of 24 fluid ounces or more. A 375 ml bottle carries $0.05; 750 ml and 1.5 L bottles carry $0.10. The amount is fixed per container and is printed on the lot page next to the price for California delivery, as the total for the lot when the lot has several containers. CRV is shown separately: it is listed on the invoice as its own line and is not part of the bid price shown while bidding. No CRV is charged on delivery to Oregon.
Shipping	A flat $20 per lot for delivery in California and Oregon, including the adult-signature service. This is less than the carrier charges VINS; VINS pays the difference. No packing, handling, or other charge is added.
No deposits or holds	We do not take deposits or place card holds before a sale.

5. Payment

Rule	Detail
Invoice	Within minutes of a lot closing, the winner receives an invoice by email with a secure checkout link. Payment is through the VINS checkout, using any payment method offered there. The invoice shows the hammer price, the buyer's premium, sales tax, CRV where it applies, shipping, and the VINS license number, and restates the requirements you accepted before bidding: 21 or older, delivery to California and Oregon only, adult signature at delivery.
Payment window	Payment is due within 72 hours of the lot closing. The lot is held for you during that window.
No automatic charge	We never charge your verified card for a winning bid. You pay through the checkout link, and nothing is taken from any card without you completing that checkout.
Delivery address	The invoice is addressed to the default shipping address on your account at the time you bid. Delivery is available only to California and Oregon; an order with any other delivery state, or with a forwarding-service address, is held for review and may be cancelled and refunded by VINS staff if a residential or business address in California and Oregon is not confirmed within 7 days of our email about the hold (see "Review after checkout").
Review after checkout	If the delivery address you enter at checkout is outside California and Oregon or is a forwarding-service address, if the order is not placed under the account of the bidder who won the lot, if the order lines are not the invoiced lot, or if an Oregon delivery would take you over the monthly limit in section 2, the order is held for review and may be cancelled and refunded by VINS staff. We contact you by email about a held order; if what we ask you to confirm is not confirmed within 7 days of that email, the order may be cancelled and refunded.
Payment methods	Payment is through the VINS checkout, using any payment method offered there: card through Shopify Payments, and any other payment method VINS has enabled at checkout. Nothing is charged to any card, wallet, or other method until you complete that checkout.
Refunds	A refund VINS makes under these Terms is paid to the original payment method. Where VINS determines that the original method cannot receive the refund, the refund is paid to a method VINS designates, and we tell you which method before the refund is made.

6. If the winner does not pay

Consequence	Detail
Lot released	If the invoice is unpaid 72 hours after the lot closed, the sale is cancelled and the lot is released. The window is for completing checkout: a payment you completed at checkout that a payment provider has not yet confirmed when the window ends is pending, not a default, and we wait for the provider or contact you.
Account suspended	An account that does not pay for a lot it won is suspended from VINS Auctions. We tell you by email, cite this section, and say how to ask for reinstatement. A suspended account cannot bid on any lot.
No fee	No default fee is charged, and nothing is charged to your verified card.
Next steps for the lot	VINS may, at its sole choice, (a) make a new offer to the next-highest bidder at that bidder's last maximum bid (never below the reserve), as a new sale that requires a fresh eligibility check and that bidder's acceptance by payment, or (b) list the lot again. Nothing is re-awarded automatically; an underbidder's card is never charged; an offer that is not paid within its own 72-hour window lapses with nothing owed.

7. Shipping and delivery

Rule	Detail
Common carrier only	Every lot ships by common carrier from VINS's licensed premises or a licensed public warehouse in California.
Adult signature	Adult (21+) signature required at delivery. The carton is marked "CONTAINS ALCOHOL: SIGNATURE OF PERSON AGE 21 YEARS OR OLDER REQUIRED FOR DELIVERY." The carrier will not release the package to anyone who cannot show they are 21 or older.
No collection	There is no collection at any VINS location, warehouse, or event. VINS has no retail premises open to the public.
We ship only to	California and Oregon. Oregon deliveries are made under VINS's Oregon OLCC direct-shipper permit (OLCC permit No. LQ-DS-23761) and within the 5-case monthly limit in section 2.
No forwarding addresses	We do not deliver to freight forwarders, package-receiving services, reshippers, or transport agents, in any state.
Timing	Lots ship after payment clears. We hold shipment when forecast temperatures on the route would damage the wine and will tell you the new ship date. An Oregon delivery ships only in a month in which it fits within the limit in section 2, counted by the month of shipment; if it must wait for the next month, we tell you the new ship date.
Failed delivery	If the carrier cannot obtain an adult signature after its standard attempts, the wine returns to VINS. Re-shipment is at your cost: another flat $20; if re-shipment is not possible, VINS refunds the hammer price, buyer's premium, sales tax and CRV in full; only the flat $20 shipping charge is not refunded. The refund is paid by the method in section 5 "Refunds".
Risk of loss	Risk passes to you on delivery with adult signature. Report damage or breakage within 48 hours of delivery with photographs.

8. Condition, description, and what we promise

Rule	Detail
Label facts	Producer, wine, vintage, appellation, ABV, and bottle size are taken from the bottle label. Age is stated only as the label vintage.
Condition report	Where given, fill level, label condition, and capsule condition are described as observed by VINS at listing. Descriptions are honest observations, not guarantees of how the wine will taste or how it was kept before VINS owned it.
Storage history	Storage history is described as reported to VINS by the prior owner and is not independently verified unless the lot page says otherwise.
Estimates	Any estimate is labelled "Estimate" and is VINS's opinion of a likely hammer range. It is based on recent hammer prices for the same or comparable wine and on current retail prices; we keep that basis on file for every estimate we publish. An estimate is not a promise of value, and no statement on a lot page is a representation that the wine will hold or gain value.
Wine is a natural product	Bottle variation, sediment, cork condition, and evolution in bottle are normal for older wine and are not defects.
Images	Photographs are of the actual bottle(s) in the lot unless the lot page says "representative image."

9. Returns and refunds

Rule	Detail
Misdescription	If a lot is materially misdescribed, VINS will refund the purchase. Tell us within 14 days of delivery; keep the bottle unopened and in the condition received. VINS arranges return shipping.
Not covered	Change of mind, taste preferences, bottle variation, or market price changes.
Damage in transit	Covered under section 7.
Refund method	Every refund under this section is paid as described in section 5, "Refunds".
All sales final	Except as stated in this section, all sales are final.

10. Your account and conduct

Rule	Detail
One account	One bidding account per person.
Accuracy	You must keep your date of birth, shipping address, and card details accurate. A bid placed with stale details may be cancelled.
Fraud	Bidding to inflate prices, bidding for a suspended or blocked person, or attempting to interfere with the platform ends your access and may be reported.
Cancellation of bids	See section 3, "Retraction and cancellation of bids".

11. Privacy and records

Rule	Detail
Records	VINS keeps a tamper-evident record of every bid, cancellation, close, and eligibility check, including your account id, bid amounts, timestamps, IP address, and browser identifier, together with invoices, delivery records, and proof of delivery.
Retention	Records are kept for 4 years from the end of the sale, and longer where the law requires.
Regulators	VINS will produce records to the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, the Oregon OLCC, or other authorities when required.
Card verification	Card verification is performed by Stripe; VINS stores a card fingerprint only, never the full card number.
Identity verification	When government ID verification is required, the check is run by a verification provider we designate or by VINS staff. VINS stores the result, the date, and a reference number, not the document image. We also record the type of document and the last four digits of the document number, and nothing else from the document; those records are kept for 4 years under "Retention" above. Any image of your document — whether shown to VINS staff or held by a verification provider we designate — is deleted within 30 days of the check.
Email and SMS	We email you about lots you bid on or watch. We send SMS only if you separately opt in. Every message carries a 21+ line and an unsubscribe link.
Privacy Policy	VINS's Privacy Policy at vinswine.co applies. Your bidder alias is anonymized on all public pages.

12. Changes to these Terms

Changes are announced on the auction index page before bidding resumes and carry a new version date. Your bids are governed by the version you accepted when you placed them.

13. Governing law and disputes

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of California without regard to conflict-of-law rules. Venue for any dispute is San Francisco County, California. If any clause is found unenforceable, the rest of the Terms remain in effect.

14. Contact

hello@vinswine.co · VINS WINE LLC, 447 Sutter St Ste 405, San Francisco, CA 94108.