As explained in our General shipping advice for whisky bottles article, the seller is responsible for packing and shipping the bottle safely. If a bottle is damaged or lost during transit, the seller must file a compensation claim with the courier company. The buyer must always receive a full refund of the amount they paid.

Below is how refunds work based on the payment provider used in the order.

Refunds for orders processed by Stripe

Refunds through Stripe are simple. The full amount can be refunded in one step. No extra action is needed from the seller.

Refunds for orders processed by PayPal

PayPal works differently.
When an order is refunded, PayPal only places the payout amount on hold in the seller's PayPal balance. This payout amount is the part of the payment that reaches the seller after all fees and shipping costs have been deducted.

To issue a full refund to the buyer, the seller must add the missing amount to their PayPal balance. This ensures the buyer receives the complete amount they paid.

Once the courier approves the claim, the seller can receive the full value of the bottle plus the shipping costs from the courier company.

Example: how the numbers work:

Why this happens: the €114 payout is what remained after PayPal fees, Whiskybase fees, and shipping costs were deducted. To complete a full refund of €135, the seller must make the extra €21 available.

If the courier approves the claim, the seller can recover the entire €135.

Important to know

• The seller is responsible for checking all shipping restrictions before sending the package.
• If a courier refuses compensation because the package did not meet their rules, in good faith this should not be charged to the buyer.
• The buyer must always receive a full refund if the bottle is damaged or lost.
• Good packaging and choosing a reliable courier reduces the risk of damage.
• If you are experiencing a new error or technical issue, please contact our team.