WineBid Advice?

Hi everyone. I am looking to start using WineBid and looking for some advice from the more seasoned users out there. I’ve looked around on the site, but haven’t pulled the trigger. There are some nice looking deals, so I’m tempted to start. I’d love to hear people’s general thoughts and tips on getting the most out of this service. I have a few specific questions as well:

1. How reliable do you find the bottle condition to be? The pictures only tell so much.
2. Anybody have experience with counterfeits? Would you recommend avoiding very high end bottles for this reason?
3. How is customer service?

Thanks!!!
Noah

I have been a happy customer.

I’ve found bottle conditions to be pretty accurate. Never had any issues with customer service. A+. Very responsive. Russ, the CEO, also participates here on the board. I’d buy with confidence.

Happy customer here. Every wine I’ve purchased as been in good shape.

I’ve been a very happy customer for years. I can’t think of the last time I had a bad bottle from them. To your specific questions:

1. I’ve found their condition descriptions to be very accurate. Like any other auction company, you need to learn the lingo they use to describe provenance and condition. I stay away from anything noted to be from a “passive cellar” (i.e. not temperature and humidity controlled).

2. I don’t buy anything that people would spend time counterfeiting.

3. Customer Service is top notch. Very friendly people that do what they say they will.

Happy customer. Had a bottle arrive once with signs of past seepage (only about a $30 bottle), emailed them and they told me to keep the bottle and credited me, so was perfectly happy.

Only good experiences here. Highly recommend.

Know your all in price point and don’t chase a single auction unless it is a must have bottle, there will always be another time/bottle

All great advice above. I bought several hundred bottles and the overall results were very good.

4. How is the coding?

Future victim of sniper fire coming up. The game is afoot.

Been a customer for many years, both buying and selling, always a positive experience.

Also, don’t overlook K&L auctions, they’re great too.

Or the other way around.

Been a buyer for 20+ years, also sold a significant number of bottles about ten years ago and have had excellent experiences across the board. I’ve always found descriptions of bottle conditions to be very accurate.
Recently FedEx damaged a shipment from them (not Winebid’s fault whatsoever) and Winebid went above and beyond in managing the entire thing, including a quick turnaround on re-shipping the undamaged bottles so I could still get them in the spring shipping window.

I’ve only bought a couple of cases, but bottle condition has been fine. Customer service has been good though a bit snooty. Some of my strategies:

I never bid on a bottle with a depressed/raised cork or signs of past seepage.

Bottles without bids for a couple of weeks often see a small price reduction.

I love sniping at the last minute, but I refuse to participate in overtime bidding. There will always be another bottle.

The buyer’s fee, sales tax, and shipping add quite a lot. Always include that when considering your maximum bid.

Oh, and email Winebid for a shipping estimate on large format bottles before you bid. They can get pricey.

be careful of NV Bubbles as disgorgement dates are usually not available/shown/known and you get stale/old NV Champagne.

Long term customer here and also have been incredibly happy with the wines and customer service. Make sure to educate yourself on the ‘new’ overtime bidding feature, but other than that, its a very streamlined/user-friendly platform. Highly, highly recommend.

NO ONE IS IMMUNE. It’s what brings us all together.

…and renders us apart.

I was going to say this exact same thing.

My only other comment is that it currently seems like there is less product available for bidding and the prices seem to be much higher, including some pricing that is at or very close to retail. So when you are making bidding and pricing determinations, make sure you compare it to retail, and factor in the additive costs of buyer’s premium, taxes and shipping.