Terms and Conditions

These Terms and Conditions govern the use of our website ("the Site"). Please read them carefully as they affect your rights and liabilities under the law. If you do not agree with these Terms and Conditions, please refrain from registering or using the Site. For any queries regarding these terms, feel free to contact us.

Supplementary Regulations

Sales

All sales are subject to our final confirmation. Once an invoice is issued, the sale is considered final and no cancellations will be accepted. We reserve the right to impose a 10% restocking fee on the value of cancelled items. Prices are subject to change without prior notice. All wines are offered subject to remaining unsold. Unless stated otherwise, all wines are offered lying in Hong Kong. As per Hong Kong law, intoxicating liquor must not be sold or supplied to a minor in the course of business. By proceeding with this order, you affirm you are at least 18 years old, in compliance with our terms of service.

In certain situations, we may issue a proforma invoice instead of an official invoice. It is important to note that with a proforma invoice, we do not reserve the stock for you. The stock will remain visible and available for purchase by other customers. The sale is only confirmed upon receipt of your payment, at which point the proforma invoice will be converted to an official invoice.

Availability

Our website reflects real-time stock levels to provide you with the most current availability of our wines. Most of our wines are stored in Hong Kong, unless specified otherwise. All wines are offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

While we strive to ensure that the listings on our website are accurate and up-to-date, we cannot guarantee complete accuracy at all times. Some products may be listed as "pre-arrival"; please note that the arrival dates for these wines are estimated and subject to potential delays. Additionally, certain items may be available for "pre-ordering". In such cases, these items will be dispatched to you a specified number of weeks after payment, as communicated by our team.

We reserve the right to change prices without prior notice. In the event you make a payment for a wine that ultimately becomes unavailable, you have the option to either retain the payment as a credit for future purchases or receive a full refund.

Pricing

Pricing fluctuations are a common occurrence in the fine wine and whisky market, reflecting their nature as investment items. Please be aware that prices may vary over time due to market dynamics. In the event that an item's price is reduced or included in a promotion after a purchase has been made at full price, we regret that we cannot offer refunds to cover this price difference. Customers are advised to consider this aspect of pricing variability when making their purchase decisions.

Our general lists display the standard bottle price. While we make every effort to ensure the availability of wines offered at the correct pricing, mistakes can occur. If a product is accidentally listed at an incorrect price, we reserve the right to refuse to supply it at that price and will contact you to determine if you wish to proceed with the purchase at the correct price. In the case of time-limited offers, any dates provided are only guidelines, and we are not obligated to fulfill orders up to that date. We reserve the right to change prices or offers at any time without prior notice.

Payment

Payment is due upon receipt of the invoice. We reserve the right to cancel the invoice if full payment, including any bank charges, is not received by the invoice due date.

Payment can be made by bank transfer, FPS, credit card (please refer to the Credit Card section below), WeChat/Alipay/Union Pay, as indicated during the checkout process. A 3% surcharge applies to Visa, Mastercard and Amex, and a 1% surcharge applies to WeChat, Alipay and Union Pay payments.

Should you experience difficulty in settling the full payment by the invoice due date, please contact the sales team in advance. We may, on a case-by-case basis, accept a 50% deposit by the invoice due date, with the remaining 50% balance payable within 2 weeks from the invoice due date. Please note that if you fail to pay the remaining balance within this period, the paid deposit will be forfeited. The deposit is non-refundable and non-transferable, and any late payment will incur a 3% interest charge.

For payments made via cheque, wire transfer, or interbank transfer, please allow additional workdays for us to receive the funds. Delivery will be arranged only after full payment is confirmed in our account. We are unable to dispatch items based solely on a wiring slip; the funds must actually arrive in our account before dispatch can occur.

Occasionally, we may reject a card at our discretion after reviewing associated fraud risk factors and transaction history. In such cases, an order paid with such a card may be cancelled and refunded, minus any credit card charges. Please be aware that these credit card charges are non-refundable, and therefore the refunded amount will be less the credit card charges incurred.

If you cancel an unsettled order, we retain the right to disregard your future orders or to issue only a Proforma invoice. We reserve the right to impose a 10% restocking fee on the value of cancelled items.

Credit Card

Customers may settle their payments by credit card, subject to a 3% surcharge for Visa/Mastercard/Amex, and a 1% surcharge for UnionPay. The credit card limit is HK$50,000 per calendar month and within any rolling 30-day period. This limit applies to the cumulative total of all purchases made by a single customer. For example, if a purchase of HK$50,000 is made on a credit card on October 25th, another credit card purchase cannot be made until November 24th, fulfilling both the monthly and 30-day criteria.

We reserve the right to reject credit card payments at our sole discretion, regardless of the transaction amount. We also reserve the right to decline transactions where the identities of the invoice, the credit card holder, and the goods recipient are not the same. This policy is in place to mitigate fraud risks and protect our business interests.

To further ensure transaction security, we may request a photograph of the front of the credit card (with only the last four digits and cardholder's name visible) and a valid photo ID of the cardholder. This requirement is particularly applicable for high-value transactions or where a heightened risk of fraud is perceived.

All personal information provided for verification purposes will be handled in strict accordance with our Privacy Policy. This ensures the security and confidentiality of your data.

Attempts to bypass the credit card limit through payments made by related or associated individuals (such as family, friends, or business associates) are strictly prohibited. We reserve the right to refuse transactions believed to be made to evade our credit card policy.

Contract

When an invoice is issued, a legally binding contract is established between you and the Company. However, we reserve the right to refuse or amend any order up to the point of dispatch, particularly for wine deliveries. Should we need to amend your order, we will contact you directly. By registering on the site or placing any order for alcohol, you affirm that you are over 18 years of age. No contract will be formed between us and any individual under 18 who attempts to order or receive alcohol. Our drivers are instructed to verify age and, in cases of doubt, are advised not to deliver the goods, resulting in the cancellation of the sale.

Warranty and Nature of wines/whiskies

Our commitment to quality and customer satisfaction is paramount, yet we acknowledge the inherent risks in the world of fine wines and whiskies. While we do not guarantee the taste or drinkability of the products purchased, as these are inherently subjective, we strive to provide accurate descriptions of the conditions of back vintage items. However, these descriptions are intended for reference only and do not account for possible changes in condition while in our cellar. Variations due to the wine's or whisky's age, such as ullages, conditions of cases, labels, and corks, are natural and should be anticipated by the buyer.

We wish to highlight specific considerations for wines susceptible to cork taint and premature oxidation (premox), especially relevant for white wines. While we exercise utmost diligence in storage and handling, we cannot be held liable for issues like cork taint or premox that are not detectable through visual inspection. For bottles older than 15 years, there is an increased likelihood of cork deterioration, which can affect the bottle's condition. We advise buyers to make allowances for such potential issues inherent to the aging process of wines and whiskies.

The condition remarks provided are based on our professional opinion and should not be solely relied upon. Furthermore, label images on our website or promotional materials are for illustrative purposes and may not fully disclose imperfections. We encourage prospective buyers to request detailed product photos to make informed decisions. In case of disputes, Vintage Grand Cru reserves the right to make the final decision.

By purchasing from us, you acknowledge and accept the possibility of defects, imperfections, shortages, damage, and normal wear and tear consistent with the wine's or whisky's age, provenance, and nature. We endeavor to notify you of any known conditions or defects. However, we do not accept liability for minor or inconsequential defects or imperfections.

Please note that due to the unique and sensitive nature of vintage bottles, all sales are considered final. We cannot offer refunds or exchanges for items that are corked, oxidized, heat-damaged, or prematurely oxidized. Each bottle is sold as-is and while we strive to procure our bottles from reputable sources, we cannot guarantee the conditions under which they were stored prior to acquisition.

Quality Charter

At Vintage Grand Cru, we are committed to ensuring that our products are delivered to you in the best possible condition. We rigorously undertake the proper safekeeping and storage of wines and whiskies in our possession. Our team acts in good faith throughout the processes of purchasing and transporting our inventory. However, it's important to note that we cannot be held responsible for the final state and condition of the wines/whiskies, or for any discrepancies between the product's actual condition and what might be expected based on its description.

In the wine industry, it is estimated that between 3 and 7 percent of all wines sealed with natural corks may be affected by cork taint. This issue arises from a natural fungus in corkwood that produces trichloroanisole (TCA), a compound with a distinctive odor akin to moldy newspaper or a damp basement. Cork taint significantly diminishes the aroma of the wine, and in severe cases, can render it undrinkable. Consequently, we do not accept returns or provide refunds for corked, oxidized, or prematurely oxidized wines.

Purchasing older fine wines/whiskies carries inherent risks due to the potential variability in their condition over time. We encourage you to carefully inspect the condition photos available on our website or provided by our team before making a purchase. By proceeding with your purchase, you acknowledge and accept the risks associated with acquiring aged wines/whiskies. Please consider these factors thoroughly when making your selection.

Vintage Grand Cru reserves the right to make the final decision in case of disputes. Our policies reflect a balance between our commitment to quality and the acknowledgment of the complexities inherent in the world of fine wines and whiskies.

Wines stored post-purchase

Vintage Grand Cru does not offer a dedicated wine storage service. However, we understand that circumstances may arise where clients are unable to immediately pick up or receive delivery of the purchased wines. In such instances, as a courtesy to our valued customers, we can offer temporary storage of your wines for up to 8 weeks at no additional charge. This service is offered on a space-available basis in our cellar at the time of your purchase. We encourage our customers to arrange for timely pick-up or delivery to ensure the best care and condition of their wines.

We kindly request clients to arrange for the pick-up or delivery of your wines within this 8-week period. If your wines remain with us beyond 8 weeks, please be advised that we may need to apply a storage fee to cover additional handling and space utilization before we can release the goods to you. It is important for clients to understand that during the time wines are stored with us, the condition of the bottles might change. This can include a decrease in the wine level, changes in the condition of the cork (such as becoming depressed or dropping), or damage to the label. Vintage Grand Cru will not be responsible for any such changes that occur during storage and will only provide the remaining contents of the bottle as is.

Prohibitation in exchange of wines stored: Once a wine is sold and subsequently stored, it is removed from our active inventory and dedicated to the purchaser. This removal represents a final sale, as the wine is no longer available for purchase by other clients.

Given this commitment to allocate and store specific wines for individual customers, we are unable to offer exchanges for wines that have been stored post-purchase. This policy is in place to ensure fairness and maintain the integrity of our inventory management. The process of storing a purchased wine involves resource allocation and administrative handling, which makes post-purchase exchanges logistically challenging and unfair to our operations.

By completing your purchase and opting for storage with Vintage Grand Cru, you acknowledge and accept that the wine is considered as sold to you, removed from our available inventory, and thus not eligible for exchange. We appreciate your understanding and encourage careful consideration before finalizing your purchases.

Local Delivery

All orders placed and fully paid before 3pm on weekdays can be delivered the next working day (Monday to Friday). We do not deliver on weekends or public holidays. Please note that for Hong Kong local delivery, we cannot guarantee specific delivery time slots. Your order will be delivered during normal business hours. While we will try to accommodate any requested time slots, we cannot be held responsible for failing to deliver within these times. We do not deliver to outlying islands in Hong Kong, except for Tung Chung. For Discovery Bay deliveries, an additional surcharge of HKD350 applies. Additional charges are also applicable for long-distance carrying or if stairs are involved. Deliveries to forwarder or other destinations requiring an entrance or gate fee will have this fee borne by the customer. Re-delivery will be charged if there is no one to receive and sign for the goods at the scheduled delivery date.

Under normal circumstances, parcels are delivered to your door and signed for by a recipient. Upon the client's request, our driver can leave the parcels with a concierge or lobby management, but we will not be responsible for the safety of the goods in such cases.

Our packaging is designed to ensure safe local delivery. If you require extra protection for air travel, please inform the sales team during checkout. We cannot be held liable for any damage that occurs to the items during your subsequent journey after local delivery.

In the event of a Typhoon Signal No. 8 or a black rainstorm warning issued by the Hong Kong Observatory, scheduled deliveries will be postponed to the next available working day.

Pick Up

For wine pick-up appointments at our office, we may request a portion of the recipient's HK identity card (or other identification document for foreign visitors) beforehand for identity verification during the appointment. We also reserve the right to ask you to present the credit card used for the transaction. This is to ensure that goods are released only to the correct party and to mitigate fraud risk. Vintage Grand Cru retains the discretion to decide whether to release the goods to the person arriving for pick-up.

International Delivery

For overseas delivery, it is important to consult your local authority regarding import regulations and tax rates. The amount paid to us includes only the value of the bottle and the delivery cost, excluding insurance. The customer is responsible for any taxes, duties, and transportation risks. Should there be a failure to pay the taxes or provide the necessary documents before the clearance deadline, we cannot be held responsible, and the wines will be destroyed by destination customs. No refunds or exchanges will be provided in such situations.

Please be aware that when shipping to international or multiple destinations, there are inherent risks associated with the condition of wine and whisky corks due to various factors. Over time, corks may lose their elasticity, which can lead to them becoming depressed, protruding, or in some cases, dropping entirely. Additionally, changes in temperature or atmospheric pressure during transit can further impact the integrity of the cork, potentially leading to wine or whisky leakage. These conditions are common and are a natural consequence of the aging process and the stresses of shipping. As such, Vintage Grand Cru Limited will not be liable for any claims or seek compensation related to the condition of the cork or leakage of the bottle contents. We assure our customers that every effort is made to transport our products under the best conditions, but such factors are beyond our control once the product has been dispatched for delivery.

When preparing for international shipments, we ensure that items are securely packed in styrofoam boxes or with other protective materials suitable for air travel. In cases where damage occurs during transit by DHL or other delivery partners, the presence of insurance on the parcel is the first aspect assessed. Without insurance, any compensation for damage is subject to the delivery partner's internal policies, which often provide only minimal compensation. Vintage Grand Cru is not liable for compensating such damages.

Acceptance

It is the responsibility of the receiver to inspect the condition of all received goods, including glassware and accessories, at the time of delivery. Any claims for short delivery, breakage, or any other defects or deficiencies must be immediately reported to us or the third-party courier. Upon delivery, you will be deemed to have accepted the goods as satisfying and fulfilling your order. Consequently, you will not be entitled to reject them for any reason, and we reserve the right to refuse any claims made thereafter.

Ratings Information

Wine and whisky ratings listed on our website serve solely as references. We will not be liable for any direct or indirect damages related to the accuracy of these ratings. We do not guarantee that the ratings are current or up to date.

Scope of Services

As a specialized wine merchant, our primary role is to provide high-quality wines and related services. We are not a forwarding service, nor do we engage in activities outside the scope of our core business. We reserve the right to decline any requests from clients that are unreasonable or fall beyond the nature of our business as a wine merchant. This includes, but is not limited to, requests such as applying import labels on behalf of clients or providing commissions for client referrals. Our commitment is to maintain a focused and professional approach to wine sales and related services, ensuring the highest standards for our clients.

Engraved Products

While we are not a professional laser cutting company, we possess suitable tools to achieve quality engraving effects, primarily on wooden cases. The final result of the engraving may be influenced by factors such as the quality of the wood, the complexity of the design, and the quality of the digital artwork. We strive for accuracy in our work, but please note that dimensions and measurements shown in our reference photos might differ slightly from the machine's specifications. As such, we cannot guarantee the exact outcome and will not be responsible for any variations. In cases where the final result does not meet expectations, we are unable to offer a refund or exchange for the engraved items.

Returns

All sales are final. Products sold are not eligible for return or exchange.

Force Majeure

We shall not be held liable for any failure to meet our obligations due to circumstances beyond our reasonable control. We reserve the right to revise these terms and conditions at any time without prior notice. In the event of disputes, the decision of Vintage Grand Cru shall be final and binding.