Frequently Asked Questions - Auctions

If you can't find what you're looking for, please email us at info@mwwines.com.au or call us direct on 03 9419 6990

Office hours are weekdays AEST 8:30am to 5.30pm

We would love to hear from you.

Getting Started


Getting Started

About MW wines pty ltd

MW wines is Australia's Premier Rare and Fine Wine Company. Our mission is to be the clear market leader in wine auctions, wine trading, investment and storage of super premium wines with a back vintage focus.

The MW WINE CENTRE offers buyers of rare and fine wines the finest cellar in the country of back vintage super premium Australian Wines and some of the greatest wines of France. Additionally, MW offers the market a complete solution to buying, selling and storing wines be it through the Museum Wine Shop, MW Wine Auctions or MW Wine Storage.

MW Wine Auctions bring the widest possible range of wines for the enjoyment and pleasure of as many people as possible.

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Where is MW located?

MW wines pty ltd
1 Marine Parade
Abbotsford Vic 3067
Australia

Telephone number 03 9419 6990
Fax number 03 9419 6970
Email inquires should be sent to info@mwwines.com.au

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Do I have to be registered to browse and see what is available at the MW wine auctions website?

NO. You may select an auction, browse all available lots, and search for specific wineries, wines, varieties, vintage or price. You may even look at our historical auction results without being asked to provide any personal information. However, if you wish to place bids, you need to be a Member. Click here to subscribe.

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Is there any cost associated with subscribing as a bidder?

YES. You must be a Member of MW to place a bid. Click here to subscribe.

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How do I subscribe to the auction catalogue service and how much does it cost?

You can call MW wines on 03 9419 6990 and subscribe by telephone or, register online Click here to subscribe.

Subscription costs are $27.50 for an annual subscription to our e-mail database or $88 for an annual subscription to our hardcopy database for catalogues delivered to your door via Post.

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How often does MW conduct its auctions?

MW currently alternates between live onsite auctions and Internet Online Auctions every month except January click here for Calendar.

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What premium does MW charge for me to buy or sell wine through MW Auctions?

MW's current buyers commissions are 13.5% inclusive of GST. Vendor rates are as follows:

Vendor Premiums will be based on the total estimated value of consignments with a Minimum Lot Fee of $2.75 per lot (inclusive of GST). Wherever possible, MW wines will create mixed lots for lots with a lower overall value than $20.

CONSIGNMENT PREMIUM
$0 to $4,999 13.5% inclusive
$5,000 to $9,999 11% inclusive
$10,000 to $19,999 8.8% inclusive
$20,000 to $49,999 7.7% inclusive
$50,000 plus 5.5% inclusive

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Can I pay by credit card or cheque?

YES - MW wines pty ltd will accept Visa, Bankcard and MasterCard and will accept cheques from registered customers. Personal identification may be requested such as photo id on your drivers license, passport or similar.

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Can I search for a specific wine?

YES. You can search for a specific winery, such as "Penfolds," or a particular wine, such as "Grange," or favourite vintage such as 1966, or by Variety such as Shiraz, and/or many other options.

Click here to conduct a search on our LIVE Auction
Click here to conduct a search on our Progressive ONLINE Auction

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Can I print a copy of the auction catalogue?.

YES. Just Click here to select catalogue.

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How do I provide feedback to MW and suggest improvements?

Please send an email to mw@mwwines.com.au this will go straight to the Directors (Joseph Miceli and Robert Worthington), they are always interested in customer feedback and almost always personally respond.

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How do I review the results of past auctions?

Click here to conduct a search on our LIVE Auction
Click here to conduct a search on our Progressive ONLINE Auction

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How do I get answers to questions?

General customer service questions regarding registering, placing bids, payment of successful purchases you've made or shipment status should be emailed to admin@mwwines.com.au You are also always welcome to phone 03 9419 6990 or fax us direct on 03 9419 6970.

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How do I know that the wine is in good condition?

MW wines is in possession of ALL wines to be sold. MW personnel inspect EVERY bottle of wine and catalogue the condition of every bottle (attributes) prior to auction. No wine is listed for auction until it has been inspected by one of our Wine Consultants. Click here for attributes table. Vendors are questioned regarding the provenance of their wine and such prevenance is noted in our catalogues where applicable.

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How does MW set the estimated range?

MW has been involved in the wine auction business since 1998 and maintains an extensive and up-to-date database of wine prices. We compile the results of our past wine auctions and keep tabs on our competitor's realised prices. We carefully monitor the aftermarket, current vintage retail prices, awards won, etc and gather all other market data possible. This enables our software to factor all relevant issues and our predictive software is a highly sophisticated resource to establish the value of most wines.

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What is the reserve price?

The reserve is the Vendor minimum price below which the wine will not be sold. Any reserve price established is by mutual consent.

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I noticed two different lots of the same wine with different estimates. Why?

When wine is consigned to MW, we appraise it based on previous auction results and other market factors to determine an estimated selling range. We strongly advise Vendors to set reserves at or below the low end of the estimate since this will encourage vigorous bidding. To offer the widest selection of wines to our bidders we will occasionally accept consignments with a reserve price above the low end of our estimated range. Therefore, it sometimes occurs that we will offer lots of the same wines at different "low-end" ranges in order to accommodate Vendors. The high end of the range will always remain the same, as this does not alter depending on Vendor opinion.

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If I sell wines through MW wine auctions how and how soon do I get paid after the auction?

MW mandatorily closes an auction after 7 working days and thus guarantees payment in full to be made (mailed by cheque) to Vendors within 10 working days.

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How do I change my registration information?

Click here to change your registration information. You can also email info@mwwines.com.au and we will change it for you.

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Must I be 18 or older to bid at MW wine auctions?

YES. Please read our Terms and Conditions.

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How do I know if I have winning bids after the auction?

An invoice will be emailed or faxed (your choice) to you within 48 hours of the auction date reflecting all lots you have won. Once you have received your invoice, we will pack your order ready for collection or shipping pending payment and notification of any special delivery instructions. MW will charge for the hammer price of the wine, the buyer's premium, freight and insurance. MW wines recommends that shipments be made by next day road delivery in order to minimise your wine's exposure to temperature changes and to minimise transportation costs. As there is risk of breakage during transit all shipments will incur an insurance fee (currently 1.1%) to cover the wine in the event of loss or breakage. Spoilage during transit is not covered. You may also pick it up from us directly at no charge.

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I am thinking about selling wines through MW wine auctions, how do I find out about becoming a Vendor?

Go to the Sell Wine icon of www.mwwines.com.au and follow instructions or call us direct on 03 9419 6990. Click here to see Vendor registration information.

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How do I register as a Bidder?

Click here to subscribe to go to our secure Member application form. At MW wines we keep all registration information including names, email addresses, credit card numbers and bidding history ... strictly confidential. We undertake never to sell or hire our mailing lists to anyone for any reason. And we will not send out any advertising on behalf of any 3rd party company.

Click here to view our Privacy Policy.

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What happens to unsold wines?

MW has a very high clearance rate (average of 80%+). The only reason that a wine is not sold is if the reserve price is higher than the bidders are prepared to pay. Unsold wines can be rolled over into the next auction or returned to the Vendor. In the event that the wines are rolled over, it is our experience that if a wine is not sold at one auction - that it is very unlikely to be sold at that price in future auctions. MW recommends a lowering of the reserve price to the "current market level".

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Are my wines covered by insurance whilst they are held by MW wines?

YES. Your wines are insured for the full MW estimated value from the moment we log them as being received to the point of pick up by the Buyer or Vendor.

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Will I be notified if I am outbid?

Yes, for Online Auctions email notifications will automatically be generated and sent to you immediately you are outbid. However, actual delivery of the email may be delayed due to circumstances beyond our control, including but not limited to the performance of your Internet service provider. This is especially important to keep in mind during the final minutes of the auction. Therefore we recommend you monitor your Bid Register page. MW automatically refreshes your screen periodically however; you can set the refresh time you want.

No, at Live Auctions, our absentee bidders are notifies of success through the invoice generated and sent within 48 hours of the auction close.

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Can I retract my bids?

No, MW is unable to retract bids in order to protect the integrity of our auction processes. IF, in the opinion of MW, an out and out error of a great magnitude has been made and a price has been bid which is well above what a reasonable high hammer price for a particular wine would sell for, then and only then, would a bid be withdrawn.

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Why does the MW Online auction sometimes keep going after the posted delivery time?

MW Wine Auctions will extend bidding time on certain bids when the leading bidder has placed the bid within the last 5 minutes of the posted closing time. Each LEADING bid placed during the past 5 minutes will extend the time by an additional 5 minutes, until there are no LEADING bids placed for a full five minutes. This rule of extension allows for counter bidding, and applies to all MW Online Wine Auctions. .

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What if I will be away at the closing time of an auction?

Per our auction rules, payment must be processed within 72 hours of auction close. We suggest that you contact us before the close of the auction with your payment arrangements and billing address.

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Where Can I find Auction Terms of Business (rules)?

Terms of Business for auctions can be found by clicking on the links provided on the individual auction pages. The most important conditions are:

  1. Your bids are binding. By placing a bid, you are agreeing to purchase the lot at your bid price if you are a winning bidder at the close of the auction.
  2. You must provide payment (in the form of cash or cheque if prior agreement reached, credit card number with expiration date and billing address) within 72 hours of the auction closing.
  3. Auction lots are non-refundable unless it can be demonstrated that they were incorrectly catalogued.

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The Museum Wine Shop | Wine Auctions | Wine Storage| About MW wines | Customer Service
MW wines - 1 Marine Pde Abbotsford VIC 3067
tel 03 9419 6990 - fax 03 9419 6970
info@mwwines.com.au