Delivering Alcohol

[sammy snake]

I have had a flyer pushed through my door today, by a company offereing to deliver fags and beer to you door from 9:00am - 4:00am. They state on their website that they are allowed to so this due to a loop hole in the law. Is this true? What's to stop anyone doing it, are there rules against this kind of thing?

[daffy654]

You need a licence to sell tobacco and alcohol and I doubt these people have one. I would take the flyer to the local police station so they can investigate the company/people who are offering this service. I have no idea whether the service is legal with a licence though.I used to work in an off licence and some of our customers would come in and purchase large amounts of wine which we would then deliver for them but that isn't quite the same as what you are describing.

[sammy snake]

Well when I say 'Company', it is two blokes and if it is the two blokes I think it is, then I seriously doubt whether they have a licence! It also states on the flyer that due to licensing conditions, they are unable to take cash and only accept cards, which sounds well dodgy to me.

[Buenchico]

You only need a license to sell alcohol on retail basis. You can sell it in wholesale quantities without a licence. So, for example, it's perfectly legal for someone to sell wine by the case at a car boot sale but it's illegal for them to sell individual bottles. If the offer you received relates to bulk quantities, they might be using this 'legal loophole'.

Also, while doorstep sales of booze might be illegal, the trader could hold a licence for sales from their depot, which you phone to place an order. That would be no different to getting booze delivered from Tesco by ordering online. (My nearest Tesco Extra hold a 24-hour licence so they could, if they chose to do so, deliver alcohol at any time of the day or night).

Chris

[Trotbot]

Almost certainly will be 'UK Duty Not Paid', and therefore illegal.

[loonytunes]

Chris,

I regret that your answer is incorrect. I know that your research on such things in normally impeccable but, when the Licensing Act 2005 became law in 2005, the right to sell alcohol in wholesale quantities went out the iwndow. You can now only sell alcohol without a licence if you are selling to another trader who, themselves, have a licence. If someone is selling alcohol to another, there must, somewhere in the chain, be a Premises Licence and a Personal Licence held by the person who authorises the sale. So, if someone sells by phone or over the internet, the place where the alcohol is selected for the individual purchaser is where the licence must apply.

The activity in the question appears to be unlawful and should be borught to the attention of the police and local council licensing section.

[Whickerman]

and that of course also leaves them open to under-age sales.

[Reverandfunk]

We have food and groceries delivered to the door so why not fags???

[Hoggie]

Hi,

I hope you can help me. How easy is it to get a alcohol license to sell alcohol at a hall. My friend think he can just apply at the local council buildings and get the license that day, Me, i think it will be much harder to get it. What you you think folks??

Ta H

[lordmav]

Quoting Loonytunes...
"Chris,

I regret that your answer is incorrect. I know that your research on such things in normally impeccable but, when the Licensing Act 2005 became law in 2005, the right to sell alcohol in wholesale quantities went out the iwndow. You can now only sell alcohol without a licence if you are selling to another trader who, themselves, have a licence. If someone is selling alcohol to another, there must, somewhere in the chain, be a Premises Licence and a Personal Licence held by the person who authorises the sale. So, if someone sells by phone or over the internet, the place where the alcohol is selected for the individual purchaser is where the licence must apply.

The activity in the question appears to be unlawful and should be borught to the attention of the police and local council licensing section."

Does this mean a third party can deliver the alcohol that has been bought at a retail premises?
i.e. they purchase through a website which is in all sense and purposes to do with the retailer, and the retailer is paid for the order which is then delivered to the customer, does this require a licence?