Reimbursement Guidelines for Wrong Wine or Vintage Received

At Vivino, we aim to resolve order issues quickly and fairly, while keeping things simple for both customers and merchants. Below is an overview of how we handle cases where a customer receives a different wine or vintage than expected, and when a reimbursement or return may apply.

Situations Covered

We consider a case “Wrong Wine Received” when:

• A different wine or vintage than what was ordered is delivered.
  
  

• The customer did not approve any change or substitution.
  
  

• A packaging or SKU matching error results in the wrong product being sent.
  
  

Vivino’s Resolution Thresholds

To keep solutions fair and scalable, Vivino uses thresholds to determine when to offer partial refunds, request returns, or escalate internally. These thresholds vary depending on the value of the wine received:

If the wrong wine received is cheaper than the original, we take the actions below when trying to solve the customer's issue:

• Under €100: Refund the price difference + 30% (if it's the wrong vintage) or +50% (if it's the wrong wine), if the customer agrees to keep it.
  
  

• €100–150: Offer a 15% refund + the price difference, if the customer agrees to keep the wine.
  
  

• Above €150: Organize a return. The wine must be sent back before any refund is processed.
  
  

If the wrong wine received is more expensive than what the customer ordered:

• Always organize a return and reship the correct wine or issue a full refund.
  
  

• The customer is not allowed to keep the more expensive wine at the lower price unless explicitly approved.
  
  

Shipping Cost Considerations

If the wine the customer received is worth less than or equal to two times the standard shipping cost (e.g., 24€ in France or 120 DKK in Denmark), Vivino may allow the customer to keep the wine without returning it. In such cases:

• Vivino refunds the customer.
  
  

• The merchant is not reimbursed, unless Vivino caused the error.
  
  

When Vivino Covers Reimbursement

Vivino will cover the cost of refunds or returns only if the issue was caused by:

• A confirmed SKU or data error on Vivino’s side (as validated by the SODA team).
  
  

• A customer mistake or change of mind (in select markets).
  
  

If the issue originated from the merchant (e.g., human error, incorrect shipping), the merchant is responsible for the cost, and no reimbursement will be issued.

Supporting Documentation

If you believe a higher return or reshipment cost applies, please include:

• A copy of the invoice from your carrier.
  
  

• A short explanation of why the cost should be covered under Vivino’s policy.
  
  

Reminder on Case Escalations

For any “Wrong Wine” case where:

• The compensation exceeds €150: Vivino will request the return of the wine before proceeding.
  
  

• The compensation exceeds €400 or if the merchant is unresponsive, cases will be escalated to our senior support teams.
  
  

If you have questions about a specific case or need help interpreting these guidelines, please reach out to your Merchant Coordinator or contact our support team.