Shipping Questions

Hi,

I am potentially thinking about unloading a small amount of certain of my wines in order to help pay for upcoming allocations. I wanted to try and sell the bottles here, at Commerce Corner, but I haven’t done so before and am concerned about shipping. How do those of you who sell wine here go about shipping your wine to another private individual if you don’t have a license with Fedex/UPS?

Thanks for your advice!

The safe answer would be to pay a storage facility who does have a license with Fedex/UPS to arrange shipping on your behalf. The less safe - but probably more commonly practiced - answer is to just do it and not say what’s in it.

Most of my experience shipping is with whiskey but I have send several $1k+ bottles through Fedex with no issues at all. It is a risk though, but I’ve just dropped off well packaged boxes and never said anything. I believe if you try to insure a package though they will ask questions.

Yeah I agree with the latter. Usually sales postings will say buyer assumes all responsibilities once it’s shipped.

I’ve heard that things tend to go quite smoothly if you create an account with UPS or Fedex so you can print the shipping label at home. Then you’re just dropping off a sealed box with a shipping label already on it. They barely look at those boxes, and they certainly don’t ask any questions about them. Of course, I would never ship wine across state lines myself. [whistle.gif]

I heard that if you open an account with Fedex and show up with printed label on your box all ready to go they tend not to ask any questions. Pack it really well. Like better than any wine retailer or winery you buy from. I know of a guy that has shipped a helluva lot of wine and beer to Berserkers over the years. Never an issue. Knock on wood.

Doug and I were basically typing the same thing at the same time.

Several times I have provided the seller with a shipping label PDF file to use. I control cost and tracking.

I normally just print a label and give it to UPS/Fedex. I have never had a problem in the past

Kind of along the same lines, what is the typical position here if the bottles break in transit? Still “Buyer’s responsiblity”?

Buyer takes all responsibility once the wine is shipped. The bottles are his/her property once shipped. If there is negligence with the packing you can make a point and bring it up with them/the board.

Thanks everyone for the help. Appreciate the assistance.

Right. Obviously they should be packed properly, either in something designed as a wine shipper or otherwise very well protected. The only times I’ve seen breakage, in years of shipping wine out for a store, was one time when I didn’t pack some 375s well enough, and a couple of other times when the boxes looked like they had been run into or run over with a forklift. UPS/Fedex employees will literally throw boxes around, and cardboard or styrofoam wine shippers handle it just fine.

Does anyone suggest yes or no to write fragile on the box?

Or tell them it’s olive oil?

So what are you mainly going to be selling?

You really don’t need to if they’re packed properly.

I have a friendly wine store ship for me.

Hate to be the bearer of bad news… FedEx seems to be cracking down, more random X-RAY of packages.

Just tried sending my brother in NJ a nice aged bottle of Tignanello. Packed perfectly with NO mention of contents. My bottle kicked around Tampa In the heat for 5 days and was then returned to me. Wasted $ on shipping plus a likely ruined bottle.

Whispered advice was next time go USPS or UPS, they check less.

USPS=Bad Idea! Probably a federal crime.

Larry, did FedEx tell you why they sent the package back?