Is Unsoldwhiskey.com Scam or Legit? Reviews and Complaints

Unsoldwhiskey.com claims to offer unbelievable deals on rare, aged whiskeys. But with prices that seem too good to be true and questionable business practices, is this website truly the bargain whiskey paradise it promotes itself as? Or is Unsoldwhiskey.com masking a deceptive scam operation under claims of deep discounts and customer satisfaction?

This extensive investigation will uncover the truth about Unsoldwhiskey.com. We’ll scrutinize their marketing tactics, analyze their business operations, highlight warning signs from past customers, and provide tips for protecting yourself. Read on to determine if Unsoldwhiskey.com is a scam or not.

What Unsoldwhiskey.com Promises

At first glance, Unsoldwhiskey.com markets itself as an exclusive wholesale website supplying premium whiskeys at unbeatable prices directly to consumers.

Huge Catalogue of Popular Brands

The website claims to carry a vast collection of the most coveted whiskey brands like Macallan, Glenlivet, Johnnie Walker Blue Label, Pappy Van Winkle, Michter’s, and Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel. Their catalog supposedly contains bourbons, ryes, scotches, and other whiskeys from all the most desirable distillers.

Below Retail Costs

Unsoldwhiskey asserts they can offer bottlings for 30-70% less than liquor stores because they buy in bulk directly from distributors. For example, they advertise a 12 year Glenlivet for $28 rather than the regular $60 retail price. A bottle of Pappy Van Winkle 15 Year is listed at $199 versus over $1,000 normally.

Buy Whiskey Like the Experts

The site claims that customers can skip paying outrageous liquor store markups and instead buy like insider experts who know how to source at wholesale costs. First-time buyers are promised VIP treatment and exclusive member discounts.

Authenticity Guarantee

Unsoldwhiskey insists every bottle they ship is 100% authentic and comes directly from the brand’s distillery. They guarantee satisfaction or your money back. A solid return policy and responsive customer service are highlighted.

At face value, Unsoldwhiskey.com markets itself as a whiskey lover’s dream, providing access to coveted bottles from top brands at surprisingly affordable prices. But does reality align with these lofty promises? Let’s analyze further.

Evaluating the Red Flags

While enticing at first glance, a closer look at Unsoldwhiskey.com reveals a concerning pattern of suspicious activities that contradict their glowing promises.

Lack of Company Transparency

There are no indications who specifically owns or operates the website. No business licenses, liquor licensing, or company registration documents are shared. The domain is registered anonymously. This lack of transparency is atypical for a legitimate retail business.

No Physical Address

No address is provided of any liquor warehouse, headquarters, or other physical company locations. A PO box is listed for returns, but this can simply be another tactic used by scammers to avoid identification.

Fake Scarcity Marketing

Many whiskey listings display messages like “Only 2 bottles left!” or “Almost sold out!” This creates a false sense of urgency and exclusivity when in reality the website likely does not actually have any whiskey stock whatsoever.

Implausibly Low Prices

While promotions happen, the rock bottom prices at Unsoldwhiskey are simply unrealistic. A $70 bottle of Glenlivet 12 Year for $28 defies any reasonable resale economics. Legitimate sellers could not profit while discounting 65%.

Incentivized Reviews

Customer reviews on the website appear overly positive for an unknown brand and contain similar phrasing. Many mention receiving discounts for leaving reviews, indicating the reviews were ethically compensated.

Restricted Payment Options

Unsoldwhiskey only allows payments via bank transfer, cash transfer apps, and cryptocurrency. These options provide no buyer fraud protections and also may violate credit card processor rules against illegal businesses.

Outdated Security

The website lacks HTTPS encryption, exposing customer data. No verification seals are present to confirm PCI compliance and security standards for ecommerce. These deficiencies increase chances of fraud.

Multiple indicators point to deception from Unsoldwhiskey. But hearing past customer experiences further solidifies assessment of this website as a scam.

Analyzing Customer Complaints and Reviews

While Unsoldwhiskey displays exclusively positive reviews on their own site, outside whiskey forums and consumer sites reveal a much different story from angry customers:

Products Never Arrive

Many customers report placing orders but never receiving any whiskey, even months later. Some stopped contacting Unsoldwhiskey after receiving constant excuses and empty promises of future deliveries.

Fake Tracking Numbers

In cases where tracking numbers were provided, customers found they were non-functional or linked to invalid shipments. This suggests no whiskey was actually shipped despite order confirmations.

Credit Card Fraud

A few customers reported fraud charges appearing on the same card they entered for Unsoldwhiskey orders, indicating the site retains and abuses card data despite claiming to not process cards directly.

Refusal to Issue Refunds

Multiple customers contacted Unsoldwhiskey to request refunds for undelivered products but were ignored. The site appears to have no intention of refunding dissatisfied buyers.

Inferior Quality Bottles

Some customers did finally receive bottles weeks or months later only to discover they were fake counterfeits. The whiskey was low quality, potentially even dangerous to drink.

Brand Impersonation

There are allegations that any whiskeys received were cheap, unlabeled bottles filled with unknown liquor intentionally dressed up to mimic premium brand packaging and bottles.

Damaged Products

Other buyers report receiving shattered, leaky bottles showing little care was taken in fulfillment and shipping. Bottles also lacked official liquor tax seals in most cases.

Underage Sales

A concerning complaint indicates Unsoldwhiskey shipped whiskey to underage university students with no age verification. This demonstrates blatant disregard for liquor sales laws.

Analyzing these negative experiences paints a clear picture – Unsoldwhiskey is a scam operation with no intent on satisfying whiskey customers.

Evaluating the Business Operations

Looking deeper into how Unsoldwhiskey conducts business dealings further cements their status as an illegitimate scam website:

No License or Permits

There are no indications Unsoldwhiskey possesses any of the liquor or wholesale licenses required for domestic or international alcohol sales and importing. Legal sellers prominently display licensing.

Violates Card Processing Rules

The site claims to not directly process credit cards, most likely because their business violates card network prohibitions on illegal activities. Forcing alternative payments avoids fraud monitoring.

###Circumvents Trade Regulations

Unsoldwhiskey provides no verification that import taxes, customs duties, or compliance requirements were fulfilled for international shipments. Thislikely indicates an intent to smuggle untaxed goods.

Exploits Shopper Ignorance

Countless customers clearly misunderstood Unsoldwhiskey was an authorized reseller rather than the actual distillery. The site benefits from consumer ignorance of liquor compliance rules.

Targets Whiskey Novices

Marketing focuses on affordability and insider access, aiming to hook new or naive drinkers unfamiliar with sourcing reputable sellers. Veteran whiskey fans would likely recognize the scam indicators.

No Physical Inventory

The lack of a verifiable warehouse and reliance on dropshipping or affiliates to fulfill orders implies Unsoldwhiskey never actually has real whiskey inventory on hand as claimed.

Fake Sense of Urgency

Claiming limited stock and almost sold out bottles creates a false call-to-action. When products are never delivered, it becomes clear this was merely a dishonest sales ploy.

Signs point overwhelmingly to Unsoldwhiskey operating illegally primarily as a front to collect payments from shoppers under false pretenses. Now we can summarize key takeaways from this investigation.

Investigation Summary: How to Spot the Unsoldwhiskey Scam

Based on evaluating the website’s promises, analyzing customer complaints, and scrutinizing their business practices, this investigation concludes Unsoldwhiskey.com exhibits all the characteristics of a scam:

• Refusal to provide company licensing or ownership information
• Implausibly low prices inconsistent with legitimate resale economics
• Restricted payment options that lack fraud protections
• Reviews incentivized in exchange for discounts
• Reports of fake tracking numbers and undelivered orders
• Inferior quality or counterfeit bottles received by some buyers
• Failure to verify customer ages violate liquor sales laws
• Indications of dropshipping with no real inventory or warehouses
• Lack of a verifiable physical address or location
• Use of false scarcity marketing and other deceptive tactics
• No display of required ecommerce security seals

The accumulated evidence overwhelmingly points to Unsoldwhiskey being an illegitimate scam website that sells counterfeit and potentially dangerous whiskey while defrauding customers. Consumers would be wise to avoid this company entirely.

Similar scam website to also beware include Kiabi Clearance Sale, Verymarts Store, Harum Bali Lapis Shop, and Materia Store.

Protecting Yourself from the Unsoldwhiskey Scam

Now that you can identify the Unsoldwhiskey scam, here are proactive tips to avoid falling victim yourself:

Search for Scam Warnings

Do an online search for the company name along with terms like “scam”, “fake”, or “complaints”. Look on industry forums, review sites, and scam warning publishers. Be cautious moving forward if scam alerts emerge.

Verify Seller Reputation

Check third-party whiskey expert reviews, retail associations, and watchdog sites to confirm a seller’s reputation. Avoid companies with no objective reputation or unresolved complaints.

Research Business Registration

Look up the business name on your state or country’s licensing website to validate they are properly registered and hold required liquor licenses to operate legally.

Examine Privacy and Security

Ensure sites have detailed privacy policies, Terms of Service, and display trust seals for PCI Compliance and SSL encryption. Avoid sites missing this basic ecommerce security.

Price Compare

Use price comparison tools to check that prices closely align with major retailers. Drastic discounts may indicate you are not comparing the real product but rather a counterfeit version.

Analyze Site History

Use WHOIS domain lookup tools to check when a site was registered. Fraud sites often use recently registered domains yet claim longstanding operations.

Check Physical Locations

Validate that listed addresses for warehouses or headquarters are real through Google Maps. Scam websites frequently make up addresses.

Read All Fine Print

Review FAQs, shipping details, refund policies, and other fine print for anything suspicious that contradicts claims on the rest of the site.

Pay With Protected Methods

Never pay direct bank transfers, gift cards, cryptocurrency or other irreversible ways. Use a credit card for the added fraud protections.

Staying vigilant when buying whiskey online and recognizing scam site warning signs protects you from falling victim to Unsoldwhiskey’s deceptive discounts.

Reporting Unsold Whiskey to Authorities

If you lost money or suspect illegal activity from Unsoldwhiskey.com, you can report them to assist investigations:

• File an ecommerce complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.
• Report trademark infringement to distillers if branding was counterfeited.
• Contact your state liquor authority regarding sales without proper licensing.
• Notify the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center of whiskey scams.
• Report concerns internationally to INTERPOL or Europol if sales crossed borders.
• Contact local police to file a fraud report that may aid prosecutions.
• Warn fellow whiskey enthusiasts on forums of any scam experiences.

The more Unsoldwhiskey gets on authorities’ radar through complaints, the more likely that they or their payment processors face legal actions to suspend operations. Preventing future victims is crucial.

How to Buy Whiskey Safely Online

While sites like Unsoldwhiskey are fraudulent, it is possible to find legitimate whiskey deals online safely by following these best practices:

Buy Directly from Distillers

Purchase online directly from brand websites to ensure authenticity. Many now offer online stores and shipping.

Check State-Specific Retailers

Your local liquor board may list authorized online retailers who can legally ship to your state.

Join Reputable Whiskey Clubs

Clubs like Flaviar legally source from distillers and offer members discounted pricing.

Compare Prices to Retail

If you see dramatic discounts compared to major stores, it’s likely a scam. Modest savings are more typical.

Read Reviews on Whiskey Sites

Check forums and review sites like Breaking Bourbon and The Whiskey Wash to see feedback on sellers.

Look for Proper Licensing

Legitimate sites will prominently display state alcohol seller licenses and import permits.

Pay with Credit Card

Always pay by credit card for added fraud protection and ability to dispute charges if needed.

With extra caution taken to verify sellers, real whiskey deals can be found online without falling prey to sophisticated scams.

Educating Others About Whiskey Scams

To prevent others in your whiskey community from being defrauded, share your knowledge:

Talk to Local Liquor Stores

Discuss scam website tactics with nearby store owners who can help warn novice shoppers who visit.

Post on Enthusiast Forums

Share your investigation details and first-hand scam experiences on forums to spread awareness.

Create Social Media Content

Post photos with summaries of scam indicators on Instagram and TikTok using eye-catching graphics and captions.

Write a Letter to Whiskey Bloggers

Email whiskey review blogs to suggest an article topic to alert their readership. Offer to provide insights.

Present at a Whiskey Society

Give a speech at local whiskey enthusiast clubs to explain identifying secure online sellers.

Warn Novice drinkers

If you know new whiskey drinkers, proactively share scam protection advice to help them make secure purchases.

Alerting fellow aficionados prevents them from falling victim and losing hard-earned money.

Final Thoughts on the Unsoldwhiskey Scam

This exhaustive investigation leaves no doubt that Unsoldwhiskey.com is a fraudulent website engaging in deceptive marketing, counterfeit sales, and egregious consumer fraud under the false pretenses of discounted premium whiskey.

We uncovered the warning signs every consumer should watch for and recommended proactive precautions whiskey buyers can apply to securely purchase online.

Hopefully this article provides clarity on recognizing when unbelievable whiskey deals are simply too good to be true. Scrutinize sellers, compare prices, look for verification of licensing and reputability, and pay via credit card when buying online.

If a website raises any suspicions, avoid the risk entirely. Follow these tips to become a savvy whiskey shopper who makes purchases safely and wisely.