Sell Wine FAQs

If you have a question that is not displayed on this list, please contact us and we'll get back to you right away.

• I'd like to sell wine - what do I do?
  There are 3 easy steps to send your wine to Cellarit for sale:

  1. Sign up. It's free, it only takes a minute and there are no obligations
  2. Click on Catalogue My Wine to create an inventory of your collection and determine values (you can do this anytime and our software will retain all your entries as you go)
  3. Click on Transfer to Cellarit to schedule a pickup date (business days only)

  Tip: if you only have a few bottles you can save time by clicking on Send Wine to Cellarit to combine steps 2 and 3. If it's your first time selling wine with Cellarit we'll collect your entire collection from anywhere in Australia and transport it for you for just the price of the 20 dozen. Transit insurance is additional (1.25% of nominated value).

  You'll receive a notification email once your wine is receipted into your account. Then, simply click on the 'change price/quantity' icon to the left of each wine you wish to sell and nominate the selling price and quantity. There's also a handy link to the Wine Searcher web site to help you with pricing decisions! You can make changes to price or quantity anytime.

• How does the Free Wine Storage offer for new vendors work?

  You automatically qualify if you have not stored wine with Cellarit before. When your first shipment arrives, the clock starts for the free storage period and lasts for 3 months. During the 3 month free storage period, there are no storage fees for wine you add to your account. Storage insurance is not included, it's charged at $0.09 per $100 / month (only for the days that your wine is in storage).

  Here's an example:

  • Your first shipment of wine arrives at Cellarit on 15 September (either by pickup or delivery by you, a winery or retailer, etc.)
  • From 15 September to 14 December more wine arrives at Cellarit, as much as you like
  • Storage is free and then charges start accruing from 15 December (you only pay for the days from 15 December to 31 December).
  • Storage insurance is charged from 15 September onward at $0.09 per $100 / month (only for the days that your wine is in storage)

  For more information, see Wine Storage Overview What Does It Cost? Sign Upto Get Started Now* or call us on 1300 48 58 68 or Contact Us.

  *If you're already a Cellarit customer with a username and password, you can go straight to Sign in and then click on Send Wine to Cellarit to get started.

• How does the pickup process work?

  Your pickup is handled on behalf of Cellarit by DHL on business days, Monday-Friday. After the steps outlined in "I'd like to sell my wine - what do I do" above, you'll receive a phone call from DHL prior to your pickup date. The call is to confirm all of your details and finalise the pickup booking. DHL will also send you shipping labels via email. These labels print-out on ordinary paper and you tape a label on each of your boxes.

  On the day of the pickup a driver will arrive to collect you wine, usually in the afternoon. We apologise that it's not possible to request a specific pickup time from DHL. Depending on your location the driver that collects your wine may be from DHL, Star Track or Australian Air Express (AAE).

  Note: the driver does not know that your pickup is on behalf of Cellarit or that your boxes contain (expensive) wine. It's best to be discreet and not mention what's in your consignment. The drivers also don't know your consignment is fragile, and frankly, not all drivers pay attention to "fragile" stickers, so it's especially important that you pack your wine carefully to avoid breakage! See "How do I pack my wine for pickup" (below) for packaging tips.

• How do I pack my wine for pickup?

  Packing wine for safe transit isn't difficult but it's important to observe some basics - please pack your wine:

  • In heavy-duty wine boxes*,
  • with dividers between the bottles,
  • and bubble wrap or "cushioning" material, such as crumpled newspaper, all around the bottles (bottom/top/sides),
  • and finally seal each box with clear packing tape and mark each box as "Fragile: Glass" on all side

  *Wine in "original" boxes is not suitable for safe transport. Bottles can be removed and repacked (as above) or the entire original box can be packed into an additional outer carton. Cellarit boxes will fit up to 2 x original 6-packs, individually boxed magnums, etc. plus cushioning material. Cellarit can supply heavy-duty boxes/dividers for $6.00/box delivered, min. $30.00 per delivery. To arrange a box delivery, please call 1300 48 58 68 or email us.

  We apologise that wine not packed as described above may not be covered by the insurer in the event of breakage. Please note that a $500 excess applies for each claim. Transit insurance (underwritten by QBE insurance) does not cover all possible transit risks (for example, heat damage). You may wish to review the transit insurance Terms &--- Conditions for coverage and exclusions accordingly.

  If you follow the guidelines above for packing your wine you can be confident your wine will arrive safely at Cellarit. However, in the rare event that there's any breakage during transit it's a good idea to have photos of your wine during the packing process to demonstrate that you used sturdy boxes, dividers, bubble wrap, etc. Also take photos after the boxes are sealed with clear packaging tape.

• How do I keep informed during the selling process?
  • You'll receive a confirmation email and reference number with your pickup details, date and wine list
  • Within a few business days after pickup you'll receive an email with a receipt confirmation and report
  • Then, you can list your bottles for sale!

  Please note: your bottles are not automatically listed for sale after receipt. To list your bottles for sale after receiving your receipt notification, click on the icon next to each wine to verify the listing price and the quantity you wish to list for sale.

  Each time somebody buys your wine you'll receive an email notification with the details. At the end of each month you'll receive a detailed account that shows what you've sold and how much money Cellarit will transfer to your bank account. Normal wine storage fees apply while your wine awaits sale: $4.25/dozen bottles per month and insurance of $0.09/$100 of value per month. No other storage fees listed apply to sold wines. You'll receive a notification email / receipt report and then your can list your wine for sale.

• Is there a buyer's commission?

  Yes. However, unlike some auctions, the 12.5% buyer's commission (min. $5.00/bttl) is included in the listed price of the wine. This is so buyers know the price they are paying.

• Is there a seller's commission?

  Yes, the seller's commission is 12.5% (min. $5.00/bttl) but you may receive a storage credit back of up to 2.5% that varies according to your tier level in the Cellarit Loyalty Program.

• How are the listed prices set?

  You set the listed price, inclusive of the buyer's commission of 12.5%. We recommend that you set a price that's competitive in the marketplace. To help you set an appropriate price, there's a simple link for each wine to the Wine Searcher web site. The results page will show you if other retailers carry your wine and the price each retailer is asking. If you set your price lower than the others, you can be sure that you've improved your chances of selling your bottle.

• Can I see an example of the commissions...and are they good value?

  Both the buyer's and seller's commissions are calculated from the listing price. If your listing price is $100, subtract the 12.5% buyer's commission and the 12.5% seller's commission to determine your proceeds. In this example, you'll receive a credit of $75 on your monthly account. Are our commissions reasonable? Here's the math: the buyer's and seller's commission combined are 25% "off the top". From that, Cellarit pays GST to the Australian Tax Office and merchant fees to the credit card companies. That's before licensing, web site development, marketing, staffing and other overhead costs. We're confident that most wine retailers, auctioneers, etc. work on higher gross margins. Our technology and efficiencies, however, mean that Cellarit can offer its customers, both buyers and sellers, a better deal.

• Are there any other fees?

  If you send in wine for sale there is no storage fee for 3 months from the day your wine arrives. After 3 months the fee is $4.25/doz per month. A minimal storage insurance fee applies from the day your wine arrives, it's calculated at $0.09/$100 of wine value per month. These fees are detailed in the What Does It Cost section of Wine Storage.

  If your wine has imperfections - such as damaged labels, etc. - a $3.50 per bottle image fee applies so that we can illustrate any issues to potential buyers. To minimise fees, if several bottles of the same wine are all in substantially similar condition, we will take one image that is representative and only charge 1 image fee accordingly.

• What about payments?

  When you sell wine, proceeds are credited to your monthly wine storage account. Cellarit will make a bank transfer of surplus funds to your nominated bank account on the 15th day of the month following the sale. Note: only net payments totaling $50 or more are transferred; lesser amounts will roll-over to the next month.

• How is GST determined and applied when I sell my wine?

  GST is somewhat complex in relation to the consignment sale of second-hand wine. Cellarit acts as an agent in the Wine Market between the buyer and vendor. Cellarit collects and pays GST on both sides of the transaction and issues email tax invoices detailing GST amounts. For private individuals, sales proceeds are paid to you without further GST implications. If you're a business, Cellarit requires a tax invoice from you inclusive of GST It is the vendor's responsibility to disclose their relevant tax status information to Cellarit and to remit GST, if applicable, to the Tax Office.