Terms & Conditions

1. Who operates this website

This website is presented by Raru®, a wine curation project based in Portugal. Raru brings together collectors, sellers and wine enthusiasts to make rare bottles discoverable and reachable. For any matter related to this website, our listings or your request, you can reach us directly at hi@raru.wine or +351 915 397 411.

These Terms, and any contract concluded through this website, are governed by Portuguese law. Where you act as a consumer resident in another EU/EEA country, this choice of law does not deprive you of the protection granted by the mandatory consumer rules of your country of residence.

2. Two kinds of listings: owned and brokered

Raru operates in two distinct capacities, and every listing states which one applies.

Owned and certified bottles: Raru has physically inspected the bottle, appraised it and holds it in custody or under a custody agreement. For these bottles Raru is the seller, stands behind the certification it issues, and answers directly for authenticity, condition and conformity.

Brokered bottles: the bottle belongs to a third-party collector, auction house or supplier. Raru acts as an intermediary, verifies the documentation supplied and passes it on to you, but the seller of record is the third party and responsibility for authenticity, condition and conformity lies with that seller. Raru will always identify the seller before you commit to a purchase and will assist you in any claim against that seller.

If a listing does not clearly state its status, ask us before you order and we will confirm it in writing. Nothing in this section limits the statutory rights described in section 8.

3. Placing a request

Adding bottles to your list and sending it is a non-binding inquiry. No payment is taken at that stage. We reply with availability, the seller of record, the final price, shipping and payment details.

A binding contract is formed only when we accept your request in writing and payment has been received. You must be at least 18 years old to place a request; we may ask for proof of age and we do not sell alcohol to minors.

4. Pricing & payment

All prices are shown in Euros (€) and include applicable Portuguese taxes unless the confirmation email states otherwise. Because these are one-of-one bottles traded on a fluctuating market, displayed prices are indicative and are confirmed for each request.

Payment is by bank transfer or credit card. We do not accept cryptocurrency. Import duties, excise duty and local taxes owed in the destination country are covered in section 5.

5. Shipping, delivery and excise duty

Shipping is insured and tracked. Shipping within Europe is complimentary on confirmed orders above 250€; other destinations are quoted before the order is confirmed. Delivery estimates are indicative and delays outside our control do not entitle you to compensation beyond your statutory rights.

Alcohol is a restricted product. Some countries and, in the case of the United States, some states prohibit or restrict the importation of wine by private individuals. Cross-border sales within the EU may trigger excise duty and registration obligations in the country of destination. Before confirming an order we verify whether we can lawfully ship to your address; if we cannot, we cancel the request and nothing is charged.

Where duties or taxes are payable in the destination country and are not stated in your confirmation email, they are your responsibility as importer. We state clearly in the confirmation email who pays what.

6. Right of withdrawal (consumers)

If you are a consumer resident in the EU, you have 14 days from the day you (or a carrier you designated) take physical possession of the goods to withdraw from the contract without giving any reason, in accordance with Decree-Law 24/2014. To exercise it, send an unequivocal statement to hi@raru.wine. Return the bottle unopened, in its original packaging and in the condition in which it was received; you bear the direct cost of return and we recommend insured transport. We refund all payments received, including standard outbound delivery, within 14 days of being informed.

Statutory exception, expressly invoked: for bottles whose price we agreed at the time of the contract and which depends on fluctuations in the collectible wine market that are beyond our control, the right of withdrawal does not apply, as provided in Article 17(1)(b) of Decree-Law 24/2014. We rely on this exception only for market-priced rare and collectible lots, we state it clearly in the confirmation email before you pay, and we do not apply it to bottles sold at a fixed catalogue price. Where the exception is not invoked, the full 14-day right applies.

This section does not affect your rights where the goods arrive damaged, are lost in transit, or do not conform to the contract.

7. Damage or loss during shipment

All shipments are insured. If a bottle is lost or damaged in transit, we replace it or refund it in full where no replacement exists. Tell us as soon as you notice the problem and keep the packaging, which insurers require.

8. Conformity, guarantees and liability

The legal guarantee of conformity applies to every sale to a consumer and cannot be waived. For second-hand goods, which most collectible bottles are, the guarantee period may be shortened by express agreement to no less than the minimum allowed by law; we will never exclude it. Nothing on this website limits liability for death, personal injury, fraud or gross negligence.

For owned and certified bottles (section 2), Raru answers for conformity as seller. For brokered bottles, the third-party seller answers for conformity and Raru's liability is limited to its role as intermediary: accurate transmission of the seller's information, identification of the seller and support in pursuing your claim. Your statutory rights against the seller of record remain intact in both cases.

We describe every bottle honestly, including fill level, label and capsule condition and storage history. Where a certificate, appraisal or auction record exists, we provide it.

9. Complaints and dispute resolution

Write to hi@raru.wine first — most issues are resolved within days. If we cannot reach an agreement, you may refer the dispute to the competent alternative dispute resolution entity: TO BE COMPLETED — competent ADR entity (see consumidor.gov.pt). A directory of Portuguese ADR entities is available at consumidor.gov.pt.

Consumers may also use the European Commission's online dispute resolution platform at https://ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr. Failing an amicable or alternative resolution, disputes are subject to the Portuguese courts.

10. Intellectual property and website content

Texts, layout and original photography on this website belong to Raru. Bottle images supplied by sellers, auction houses or producers remain the property of their respective owners and are used with permission or under the seller's warranty of rights. If you believe an image on this site infringes your rights, contact us and we will remove it while we investigate.

11. Amendments to these terms

We may amend these Terms. The version in force is the one published on this page when your request is confirmed; changes never apply retroactively to a contract already concluded.

12. Privacy & data protection

How we handle personal data, on what legal basis and for how long is set out in our Privacy Policy.