eBay doesn't allow the sale of alcoholic beverages on its U.S. website, except for pre-approved sales of wine. You can find more information about selling wine on eBay below. We also allow the sale of some collectible containers. Members outside the U.S. aren't allowed to sell alcohol to members residing in the U.S.
Make sure your listing follows our guidelines. If it doesn't, it may be removed, and you may be subject to a range of other actions, including restrictions of your buying and selling privileges and suspension of your account.
Keep in mind that the alcohol restrictions apply only to items for sale on the US eBay website (eBay.com). Alcohol may be sold on international eBay sites as permitted by local law. Please check the rules of each eBay website to find out more.
The US Postal Service (USPS) doesn't allow the shipment of intoxicating liquors containing 0.5% or more alcohol by content. This means that collectible containers with any alcohol inside of them can't offer USPS as a shipping option.
Private carriers such as FedEx and UPS may allow these items to be shipped, but you should check their rules and regulations before offering their shipping services in your listing.
What are the guidelines?
Alcohol and alcohol kits
Allowed
Beer/wine making kits
Foods with alcoholic ingredients and flavoring (such as liquor-filled chocolates, rum cake, and other items) as long as the item complies with our food policy
Hops, seeds for hops, and other raw materials to make beer or wine
Restricted
Empty alcohol bottles and containers (images in the listing must show item is empty)
Non-alcoholic wines are permitted in the Wine category
The following disclaimer must be posted word for word in your item description. It must be in the same font size as the rest of the description. Each of the following conditions must be met in order to list alcohol-related collectibles on our website:
– The value of the item is in the collectible container, not its contents. – The container has not been opened and any incidental contents are not intended for consumption. – The item is not available at any retail outlet. – The seller will take all appropriate steps to ensure that the buyer is of lawful age in the buyer’s and seller's jurisdiction. In general, this is 21 years of age. – Both the buyers and sellers ensure that the sale complies with all applicable laws and shipping regulations
We suggest copying and pasting the above disclaimer directly into your listing.
Allowed
Alcohol-related memorabilia, including empty wine, liquor, and beer containers.
Restricted
Unopened collectible beer and liquor containers that contain alcohol may be sold, as long as:
The conditions outlined in the above alcohol disclaimer are met.
The guidelines for shipping alcohol listed above are met.
Not allowed
Collectible wine containers if they still contain any alcoholic content. To become an approved wine seller on our website, read the section below about selling wine on eBay.
Alcohol products intended for consumption.
Collectible containers that contain alcohol while the item description includes information about the container's contents or implies the alcohol is consumable.
Items that don't have the alcohol disclaimer word for word in the listing, or if the appearance of the disclaimer words are changed in any way with the intent to lessen its purpose of informing buyers.
Open containers of alcohol.
Selling wine on eBay
Wine
Generally, wine can't be sold on eBay. However, we do allow some of our members to list wine in the Wine category as long as they follow federal, state, and local laws. These members must carry the required license to sell wine, and they have completed our registration process to list wines on our website.
Approved wine sellers
Sellers must include the following information within each item description:
Link to our alcohol policy page: http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/alcohol.html
A lawful shipping policy that specifies the states to which they can ship wine (if any), and any restrictions on such shipments (for example, whether the wine can be shipped directly to consumers)
State-by-state eligibility requirements for potential buyers, indicating whether buyers in particular states would be required to receive wine at a particular location in the seller's state, instead of having it shipped directly.
Language which lets buyers know that the seller has been pre-approved by eBay prior to listing wine.
If you want to become a licensed seller of wine on eBay, please send an email to certified@ebay.com with the subject line: Wine Seller. Please include your contact information.
Wine buyers
In order to purchase wine on eBay from pre-approved wine sellers, buyers must meet the following requirements:
Be at least 21 years old
If the recipient of the wine isn’t the buyer, the buyer must make sure that the recipient is at least 21 years old
Make sure that the transaction follows all interstate commerce laws, including all laws around shipping and fulfillment
Buyers, by bidding on or purchasing these items, warrant and represent that they are aware of and are in compliance with their own state laws and regulations.
State laws
Every state in the US has different laws for the sale of wine, especially when dealing with wine sales across state borders. Members should fully research and understand federal and state laws before listing wine. If you want to sell wine, you should also take the time to review state shipping restrictions that are in the Requirements for wine-related transactions on eBay section below. The Wine Institute is a great place to find more information on the laws for selling wine.
Requirements for wine-related transactions on eBay
Be sure to meet all the following terms and conditions when buying or selling wine on eBay. These terms and conditions may change over time.
Limitation of liability: Both buyer and seller expressly acknowledge and agree that eBay shall not be liable for any special, incidental or consequential damages or lost profits (however arising, including negligence) resulting from or in connection with the sale of property on the eBay site.
Representations and warranties:
Each seller represents and warrants that:
The seller of the wine has the right, power, and authority to sell the wine.
The owner of the wine owns a liquor license.
The recipient (and buyer if different from the recipient) has proven he or she is 21 years of age or older prior to delivery.
The transaction will comply with all interstate commerce laws, including all laws around shipping and fulfillment.
Each buyer represents and warrants that:
The buyer of the wine is at least 21 years old.
The recipient of the wine is at least 21 years old.
The transaction will comply with all interstate commerce laws, including all laws around shipping and fulfillment.
Indemnification: The seller is solely responsible for compliance with all laws associated with the sale of wine. The seller indemnifies eBay of all responsibility associated with this sale. It is therefore the seller's sole discretion of the completion of the transaction based on its ability to assure that the transaction is in compliance with all laws associated with the sale of alcohol.
Shipping: Due to state and federal regulations governing the limitations of shipping alcohol, sellers can presently ship wine directly to buyers or recipients in the following states only: CA, IA, ID, IL, MN, NM, MO, ND, NE, OR, WV and WA. Due to state and federal regulations governing the limitations of shipping alcohol, some sellers may be able to ship wine to participating wholesalers and retailers in the following states: AZ, CO, CT, DC, FL, HI, IN, MA, MD, MI, MN, NC, ND, NH, NY, RI, TX, VA and WI. Since each state has its own regulations governing the shipment of wine, seller must clearly note which states it is able to ship to in the item description.
Age: Wine shipped by seller requires the recipient to be in possession of photo identification confirming he/she is 21 years of age or older. Buyer, if different from recipient, must also show proof of age.
State laws: Each state has its own regulations governing the sale and shipment of wine. Buyers must be aware of how the laws in their state affect their ability to receive wine. Buyers, by bidding, warrant and represent that they are aware of and are in compliance with their own state laws and regulations.
Why does eBay have this policy?
We want to make sure buyers and sellers understand and follow all laws and regulations on the sale of alcohol. Certain alcoholic products are prohibited by law and could harm members so those items can't be sold on eBay.
Contact Customer Support
You can contact Customer Support to report a listing you think violates this policy. Go to that listing, and then click the Report item link on the right side of the page.
We'll review your report and take appropriate action.
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Allowed
Restricted
Not allowed