Frequently Asked Questions

Who are winebinends.com?
Who can be a member?
Why am I called a member? Is it a club?
Does it cost to be a member?
Where are the wines on the binend list being held and who owns them?
How do prices compare to buying direct from the supplier?
What is 'payment by BACS'?
Who invoices the stock?
Who delivers the stock?
How long does it take for an order to be processed and the stock to be delivered?
Can I have credit?
Can I buy less than the supplier's minimum case quantity?
Can I buy in bond?
Why can't I see the order I just submitted?
What do I do if I want to amend/cancel an order/check on progress?
What if some of the delivery is broken or missing?
What if I'm not happy with the stock?
How does winebinends.com make any money?

Who are winebinends.com? top
We are a small, dedicated team with many years experience in the wine trade. The team is led by Richard McCraith who has run a wine retail outfit for almost 20 years (including his own business in Bristol). He fully understands the needs of the independent wine retailer and recognised the power of the Internet in bringing together a highly fragmented sector of the wine trade. Our aim is to provide a service to the trade which benefits both the independent retailer and the supplier. Independent retailers need quality wines which give the customer a good deal whilst returning a good profit. Importers are left with surplus parcels when lines are discontinued, packaging and vintages change, orders are cancelled etc. It is in the interests of the supplier to move this stock through at reduced prices. winebinends.com provides the marketplace for buyers and sellers by collating binends from numerous wine merchants into one list which can be easily accessed and searched.

Who can be a member? top
Any bona fide member of the wine trade involved in selling wine on or off-trade - typically independent wine retailers, licensed grocers, restaurants. The general public do not have access to the binend list and cannot order.

Why am I called a member? Is it a club? top
We want to build up a relationship with our customers so that we can answer your requirements more effectively. We want this website to give you the information you need rather than just what we want to tell you. This is why your feedback is so valuable. There are thousands of independent wine retailers scattered across the country each battling valiantly against the might of the multiples. But added together you represent a significant force and our aim is to provide the means for you to succeed. There may be instances where several of you decide to club together to buy in larger quantities to obtain better prices. If the demand is there we may source and ship wine which would be exclusive to our members.

Does it cost to be a member? top
Membership is currently free of charge. We may introduce a small subscription at a later date but we will not introduce a membership fee/subscription without informing all members beforehand.

Where are the wines on the binend list being held? top
winebinends.com does not hold stock. The wines listed are held by third party suppliers. If a customer order includes wine from more than one supplier the stock will be despatched separately. We ask for full payment at the time of order and normally wait for cleared funds before instructing the supplier to despatch. We then send you an invoice. In the event that stock is despatched before funds have cleared, the wines remain the property of winebinends.com until paid for in full.

How do prices compare to buying direct from the supplier? top
The price we list is the duty paid delivered price for UK mainland delivery for the supplier's minimum order. The suppliers have agreed not to undercut any of our prices. You are bound to recognise some wines and who supplies them. You are free to buy direct from the supplier, the price should be the same or more than we quote here. However we would ask that you tell the supplier that you did see the wine listed on our site.

What is payment by BACS? top
The Bankers Automated Clearing Service. Over 35,000 companies use the BACS service - it is suitable for small, medium or large businesses, costs virtually nothing and is breathtakingly easy. When we confirm your order we give you our bank account details. If you have on-line banking (most banks offer this service free now) you can arrange a BACS payment on-line. Or you can telephone or go into your bank to arrange a BACS payment. It is fast and secure and reaches the account in the same day on faster payment system.

Who invoices the stock? top
winebinends.com sends the customer an invoice once the order is confirmed.

Who delivers the stock? top
The carrier(s) appointed by the third party supplier. If an order includes wine from more than one supplier there will be more than one delivery but only one invoice from winebinends.com.

How long does it take for an order to be processed and the stock to be delivered? top
If you pay by BACS the process should take less than a week. If you are paying by company cheque it will depend how quickly you send us payment and how quickly the bank clears the funds. Orders are despatched direct from suppliers and we are dependent upon their choice of carrier so length of delivery may vary.

Can I have credit? top
As trading relationships with members develop we hope to be able to offer credit as this would speed up the delivery process by several days. We may be able to set up direct debits by BACS in order to give so many days credit after invoice. However we are not in a position to do this yet. If you would like to discuss this further please do telephone us.

Can I buy less than the supplier's minimum case quantity? top
Yes. You can look at a list of wines from the same supplier and make up a mixed order to the supplier's minimum. Or if you really only want to order a few cases there will probably be a delivery surcharge. Telephone us and we will find out how much it would be.

Can I buy in bond? top
We are listing duty paid delivered prices for simplicity's sake. Most wines are probably available under bond. Please either telephone us or make a note on your order that you would like the wines in bond delivered.

Why can't I see the order I just submitted? top
Once you click on the 'submit as final order' button, your order cannot be called up again. This is to avoid late amendments and possible duplications. We automatically send you a receipt of order and suggest you print out this out as a reminder until we send you our confirmation. If you do need to change your order please telephone us as soon as possible. We are working on a development for the site which would enable you to look at your order history - we'll keep you posted.

What do I do if I want to amend/cancel an order/check on progress? top
Telephone us and we'll do our best to help.

What if some of the delivery is broken or missing? top
Please check your order carefully when it arrives. If stock is broken or missing please write the details on the carrier's delivery note and telephone us. We will take it up with the supplier. If you do not have time to check the stock write "Unexamined" on the carrier's delivery note when you sign.

What if I'm not happy with the stock? top
We hope that this will not happen but life is not perfect and there are bound to be some hiccups. Please telephone us if you are not happy. Please make sure that you do read the information on each wine before you order. We will take up any complaints you have with the supplier and work for a satisfactory conclusion. Please do be aware however that our tasting notes can only be representative of the sample sent to us for tasting and cannot be taken as a guarantee of the entirety of the stock. Bottle variation is an inevitable risk particularly with older stock. If we have not tasted wines ourselves the notes will say "Not tasted" and we will relay the information and tasting notes given to us by suppliers on whom we rely for their truthfulness!

How does winebinends.com make any money? top
We make a very small commission on sales. We could make money by letting advertisers have a free-for-all but we find all those banners both confusing and annoying, particularly when you are trying to do business and are not surfing for fun. We may have to charge a membership fee/subscription at some future date in order to help cover costs. We hope you will agree that a small fee is preferable to lots of unrelated glitzy advertising.

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