Auction Rules

To bid at an auction, you must register. It’s fast, easy, free and without any obligation. By registering, you are representing that you have read and agree to all Shipping and Sales Conditions, including that you are at least 21 years of age and are registering with true and correct information.

Brentwood Auctions reserves the right to utilize reasonable means to determine that you are eligible to bid and will follow the rules of this auction. Brentwood Auctions will likewise endeavor to protect members’ privacy, and to ensure auctions are conducted in a fair, impartial manner.

A bid is considered your commitment to buy. If you win an auction, you have agreed to buy the wine and/or spirit. If you feel your bid was accepted accidentally, contact us immediately! If you submit a bid, this is considered your acceptance of all auction rules, including your understanding of the Buyer’s Premium.

A request to cancel your bid following the auction close due to lack of awareness or understanding of all auction rules may warrant the forfeiture of future bidding capabilities.

Brentwood Auctions is committed to bringing to auction fine and rare wines & spirits.  Older bottles typically have some form of conditional issue which will be stated on the lot details.  We will gladly provide photos of any bottle upon request.

Every bottle listed for sale has been visually inspected.  We do not however make any guarantee as to the drinkability of the bottles sold.

If you see “Reserve Not Met” on a Lot:

A Reserve price is a minimum price that is set on a Lot that a seller would be willing to accept from a buyer.

If you are a first-time bidder with us, please know that your registered credit card on your Brentwood Auctions account is SOLEY used for bidding purposes in our auctions.

We currently host our Weekly/ Weekend Wine auctions from our fellow sister companies; Benchmark Wine Group (located in Napa, CA), as well as our East Coast Auctions with Benchmark Wine & Spirits (located in Washington, DC).

Once you win at auction, every winning bidder will receive an email notification to your registered email address. This email includes the name of the company which will be invoicing you for your auction winnings, as well as instructions for how to provide payment.  And in a separate email, you will receive an invoice directly from them confirming your auction winnings and will provide you with your total amount due.

Please note that ALL Shipping is handled separately and directly with the company that invoices you for your auction winnings after the auction has closed. Shipping costs are NOT included in your auction purchase. See our Shipping Information page for more details and contact information.  

If you win at auction from Benchmark Wine Group (Napa, CA) –

If you are a new bidder with Benchmark Wine Group, a new customer account with them will be created for you after the auction has closed, using your registered name and email. Once your BWG account has been created, Benchmark Wine Group’s system will send you a Welcome Email to your registered bidding email address, so that you can create your password for your new account with them.

It is the new winning bidder’s responsibility to add your preferred credit card details over to your new created Benchmark Wine Group account. This step is required in order to make a payment for your auction invoice and winnings. Please be advised that we cannot transfer your credit card information that is registered on your Brentwood Auctions account, over to your Benchmark Wine Group account to process your auction invoice for payment. 

If you are a returning bidder with Benchmark Wine Group and have a default credit card set separately on your account with them, your default credit card will automatically be charged (every time) for your Benchmark Wine Group auction invoice payment.

If you do not want your default credit card to be charged for your Benchmark Wine Group auction invoice payment and have another form of payment you would like to provide, please alert us ASAP BEFORE the auction has closed, so we can prevent your default credit card from being charged.

If you have multiple cards listed on your account with Benchmark Wine Group, and no default credit card has been set, our Accounting team will reach out to you to request that you provide payment for your auction invoice.

If your credit card on your Benchmark Wine Group account declines payment for your auction invoice, our Accounting team will reach out to you to request that you provide another option for payment.

If you win at auction from Benchmark Wine & Spirits (Washington, DC) AKA “EAST COAST AUCTION” –

For all East Coast Auction invoices that are received in your email from Benchmark Wine & Spirits ([email protected]), after the auction has closed, you will be prompted on your winning invoice with a “Pay Now” link which will direct you to a new page to fill out your credit card information for payment.

Please be advised that Benchmark Wine & Spirit’s Shopify website and system does not store or save any credit cards on your account. And the only other option for payment is using the SHOP PAY app, in which you are able to store and save your credit card information separately on your account with them, which you can then use for all your DC auction and retail invoices.

Please note that we do not have any access on the back end to your SHOP PAY account, and using The SHOP PAY app is the only way online automatic payments can be processed.

All auction invoice payments are to be received within 48 hours after the auction has closed. Failure to not respond or pay your invoice within 30 days, your auction winnings and invoice may result in cancellation and potential revocation of bidding privileges.

Customers who make larger purchases on a regular basis may also opt to pay by wire transfer.

For any further assistance needed to make your auction invoice payment, please contact us at Brentwood Auctions, via email at [email protected], or by phone at 503-638-9463.

Bidding will cease on most items at the time described within the auction description.

If a lot receives a bid within the final 4 minutes it will remain open for an additional 4 minutes.

If any further bidding occurs, the extension timer will reset to 4 minutes.

If no further bidding activity occurs, the lot closes when the timer runs out.

Brentwood Auctions endeavors to accurately represent each item it offers and to deliver all such items to winning bidders. Occasionally, however, we may learn that the information we have received is inaccurate. We may therefore be forced to modify its description during an auction. In this case, we will notify the current winning bidder(s). Likewise, where we learn of this after the close of auction, we will notify winners and refund any purchase price if an item is not desired. In the rare instances where the item received by the winner has not been correctly described in some substantial way, we will work to reach a mutually satisfactory resolution or pay to have the item returned to us and refund charges.

Brentwood Auctions allows bidders to submit large lists of absentee bids.  These absentee bids are submitted to each lot requested during the final hours of each auction.

Brentwood Auctions may offer items with reserve.  The auction system will enforce reserves on the final day of each auction.

Brentwood Auctions reserves the right to modify the specifics of any auction, including end date and items offered. In some cases, we may withdraw an item before the auction closes.

Brentwood Auctions reserves the right to modify the Auction Rules at any time without notice. Such changes will be clearly posted in this section and the one listed above.

Spirits sales are transacted by Benchmark Wine & Spirits using license #ABRA-118102.  Title will pass in the District of Columbia. Arrangements can be made to store on the premises for pick up or at other DC storage locations or to act as your agent to have product shipped.