Frequently Asked Questions

How do I become a member of MALTDAQ?

MALTDAQ is an online platform which brings together whisky enthusiasts keen to legally buy and sell whisky from each other in a safe and trusted marketplace.

To become a member able to buy  (through placing Bids or using the Buy Now option) you must be 18 or over and register with your email, address details and payment card details. These are required to ensure you have the funds instantly available to fulfil a purchase and the details are held securely by Stripe, our third party payment provider.

To become a member who is able to sell (through placing Asks or using the Sell Now option) we ask that you complete a a 5-step registration to confirm:

• • your identity
  • your age (you must be 18 or over)
  • your billing and shipping address
  • your bank details, which will be held securely by a 3^rd party provider

This takes approximately 5 minutes and you will need to have to hand:

• • your driver’s licence (recommended), passport or a recent utility bill (e.g. council tax bill)
  • your bank details for payments and payouts

Members are only required to register once, whether they want to Buy (or place Bids) or Sell (place an Ask), and all MALTDAQ members remain anonymous from each other, always.

To join MALTDAQ  simply follow the registration steps when using Buy Now / Enter Bid or Sell Now / Enter Ask or click here               

How much does it cost to be a member of MALTDAQ?

Membership is completely free. Only members are able to sell or buy and you must be over the legal drinking age (18 in the UK).  We do ask that you complete the registration process to vet and verify your identity and ensure you have the funds instantly available to fulfil a purchase.

I live outside the UK can I be a member of MALTDAQ?

Currently, to become a member you must be a UK resident. We are only able to collect and deliver to an address within the UK. Please get in touch at support@maltdaq.com if you are from outside the UK.

Can businesses become a member of MALTDAQ?

At the moment, businesses cannot become members of MALTDAQ, only individuals buying and selling in a personal capacity.

MALTDAQ facilitates sales between individual members by allowing sellers to specify how much they want to sell their bottle of whisky for by placing an Ask.

Buyer members indicate how much they are willing to pay for a whisky by placing a Bid.

MALTDAQ displays the Bids and Asks for each whisky in a transparent way – sellers can see the highest price buyers will pay and buyers can see the minimum price sellers would sell for.

When a price is agreed the sales process automatically starts. Unlike an auction a sale takes place as soon as a price is agreed; only then is the bottle collected from the seller.

For more on how to place a Bid see the Buying guide

For more on how to place an Ask see the Selling guide

I’ve sold a bottle: What happens now?

The sales (transaction) process automatically starts and MALTDAQ will organize for your bottle to be collected (at no cost to you). You will receive an email confirming the sale and will need to get your bottle ready for collection following our Packaging Guidelines and using the shipping label we email to you. For a full explanation of what happens see our Selling Guide.

I’ve sold a bottle: How long until it’s collected?

MALTDAQ will organize collection within 2 working days of the transaction. You will receive an email with the collection date / time and a link to the shipping label to be attached to the bottle.  

I’ve sold a bottle: How do I prepare my bottle for collection?

Please refer to our Packaging Guidelines when preparing your bottle for collection and make sure your bottle is packaged securely to prevent damage during transit.

I’ve sold a bottle: Can I organize for my bottle to be sent to MALTDAQ?

We highly recommend that you use MALTDAQ’s free bottle collection service. If you would prefer to organize your own bottle collection you will do so at your own cost. This must be done within 2 working days of the transaction and MALTDAQ must be informed immediately following the transaction by emailing support@maltdaq.com. You will then need to provide MALTDAQ with the tracking number details.

I’ve sold a bottle: Courier has not collected my bottle at the time specified

We provide you with a date / time for collection and a tracking number so that you can see any changes or delays to collection. However, if the bottle has not been collected at expected time please email MALTDAQ at support@maltdaq.com quoting the Transaction Reference and putting ‘My bottle hasn’t been collected’ in the subject line.

Which courier do you use for collection?

We use UPS and we are an approved customer for shipping alcohol with UPS.

Why do you collect the bottle from the seller member?

We offer a free bottle collection service with UPS. This so that we can track the collection, fulfil our aim of receiving the bottle withing 2 working days for verification and to provide assurance that the bottle is being handled by a recognized courier, experienced in handling the delivery of fragile items.

How does MALTDAQ differ from an Auction?

Officially the MALTDAQ model is known as a ‘continuous double auction’ and it shares some characteristics of auctions but not all. An auction usually has single bottle lot and invites buyers to outbid each other until the pre-defined time when the auction ends. At this point the highest bidder wins, or if the reserve price (which is unknown to the bidders) is not met a sale will not go ahead. The seller would then need to submit the whisky to auction again, and the process would start over.  If that same whisky that the buyer is seeking is also being auctioned in a different lot, the buyer would need to bid in that auction too.

MALTDAQ in contrast, brings all ‘lots’ of the same whisky together in one place and invites buyers and sellers of that whisky to name the price at which they would be prepared to buy or sell by placing a Bid (to buy), or an Ask (to sell).

Both buyers and sellers can the adjust their prices (their Bids and Asks) at the same time – this is the ‘double’ element of the auction. MALTDAQ members, whether buying or selling can clearly see all Asks (sale price) and all Bids (purchase price) so can make an informed decision about when to buy or sell. There is no predefined end time- the sale process immediately starts when a Bid and an Ask match.

Only Members of MALTDAQ can place Bids and Asks – find out how to join for free here