Frequently Asked Questions
At this time, we don't have a customer service phone number. Please contact us through our "contact us" forum.
Responses on our social media may be delayed. Please message us through our contact forum on our website or email us at customerservice@topshelfwineandspirits.com to recieve responses about your order, we'd love to help you!
Yes, it is! At Top Shelf, we have all the licensing to keep things legal. We've been serving alcohol to our customers for years, so you can keep your worries behind. ✌ We also have licensed contracts with established distributors, which means all of our products are 100% guaranteed authentic. Happy shopping!
If your state is not listed here, we are able to ship there.👏
We ship all over the United States except the following states/locations:
- (AK) Alaska
- (MA) Massachusetts
- (TN) Tennessee
- (UT) Utah
- (WV) West Virginia
- We do not ship to PO boxes or APO/FPO addresses
- We do not ship outside of the contiguous United States (this includes Puerto Rico, US British Virgin Islands, Guam). However, we do ship to Hawaii.
- We currently do not ship to any other countries
Regular Shipping Times (February - November):
Shipping dates do not include processing time and are based on business days, so please exclude weekends for the estimate. Please reference your confirmation email of which shipping option you chose when checking out.
- All orders are processed within 1 to 5 business days (excludes weekends & holidays). This does not include shipping time.
- In the event of out-of-stock, the item(s) will be refunded on the 5th business day (only applies to UPS Ground orders).
- Expedited orders are processed within 2 business days (excludes weekends). This does not include shipping time, and no delivery dates are guaranteed.
- Delivery estimate is how long UPS will take to deliver your package once it is picked up from our warehouse.
- Ground Shipping is not expedited. You may expect up to 3 weeks in delivery times. If you need your order by a certain date, please purchase 3, 2, or Next Day Air delivery. (Expedited options must be placed before 2:30pm PT Monday-Friday to be shipped within 2 business days).
- Delivery dates are not guaranteed. Please account for any potential courier delays.
*We do not ship out orders on federal holidays.
*Please note that for cork bottled items or delicate liquids (such as wine), we recommend expedited shipping as it sits longer in summer heat, damage may occur to the cork or integrity of the liquid.
Holiday Shipping Times (December - January):
Shipping dates do not include processing time and are based on business days, so please exclude weekends for the estimate. Please reference your confirmation email of which shipping option you chose when checking out.
Holidays exempt from normal shipping dates:
- Orders placed in December through January require 1-9 business days to process the order.
- Express orders (UPS 3 Day Select, UPS 2nd Day Air, UPS Next Day Air) will be processed within 1-5 business days of purchase.
- Our warehouse is closed December 24th, 25th, 31st & January 1st. Please exclude these dates and weekends for the estimated processing time.
Reccomended purchase dates for delivery before Christmas Day, 2022:
UPS GROUND: December 13
UPS 3 Day Select: December 15
UPS 2nd Day Air: December 16
UPS Next Day Air: December 19
Shipping costs are determined by UPS, not Top Shelf Wine & Spirits.
Rates vary depending on distance, weight, shipping option, and handling.
No, we do not price match to other stores. However, we update our pricing periodically to ensure that our pricing is competitive (and will often offer sales). 😉
Please purchase "Gift Message" with your order to remove the receipt from the package. Otherwise our packing team won't know your order is a gift, and will include the receipt in the delivery.
How to add Gift Message to your order:
Go to the product page of what you want to purchase. On the bottom, you'll see a small white box next to "Add Gift Message". You can add a personalized message there! Don't forget to click the black button that says "Add to cart" when you're done. Continue to check out, and that's it. 😆
where to find the gift message option, circled in yellow
We will NEVER make transactions made by you on our behalf! All purchases and payments must be submitted by YOU through our checkout process.
Please check if the payment is pending, or if it went through. If the payment is pending, you should be getting your money back within a few business days as long as you did not place an order with us. If it did go through and you did not purchase from us, please contact your bank and dispute the charges.
*All orders marked as fraudulent on our system will not get processed and the money will get refunded.
**Payments from our company will show on your statement as "TOP SHELF WINE & SPIRITS SAN MARCOS, CA". If it says a city other than San Marcos, it is a different company or site.
Currently we do not have that option on our site (but we're working on it 😉). If you live in San Diego, come on by! Our online inventory matches what we have in our store.
Although we try to keep up to date with photographs, we do not guarantee that the delivered product matches the product photograph. On the other side of the computer is a real-life human updating every photo, status, and description so although our team is awesome, we have to account for human errors as well! If you did in fact recieve a bottle completely different (i.e. the name on the bottle is different from the description or title) please submit a claims form HERE.
To get the most accurate product, please always base purchases on item title and description- not photographs.
Tip: If you received a product with a different look, double check to see on the distiller's website to see if they updated their bottle look! Distillers are always changing the look of the bottle :)
Packaging is not always included. This is due to the distributors that supply us with the product do not always provide us with the packaging. In addition, due to recent events the suppliers have had less production and shortages of supplies. (BUT, if the title of the item says "with Gift Box" or "with Wood Box" that means that the item is guaranteed to come with the delivery!).
Our bottles are packaged in unbranded bubble wrap or pulp inserts. We try our best to make sure that each bottle is protected. The box that it is shipped in does not indicate that it contains alcohol- it's just a plain, cardboard box.
In the case that you recieve an order where the bubble wrap or inserts have a carrier name (UPS, Fedex, etc.) written on it, please contact us using the "Claims Form" as this indicates tampering with the package and we can make a claim with UPS and it would help us out!
What if my order has many bottles?
Orders with multiple bottles will be shipped essentially the same as any single package, with each bottle bubble wrapped or inside a pulp insert. If your order has over 12 bottles, we typically ship your order in 2 boxes or more.
Per United States law, all shipments containing alcohol requires a signature of someone over the age of 21.
I can't be home at the time of delivery:
If you can't be home at the time of delivery, you can call UPS customer service at 800-742-5877 or click "Change My Delivery" on your package tracking link to have it held at a UPS location near you for pick-up at your convenience!
Yes! 🥂 You can sign up for our rewards program by clicking the pop-up on the bottom of the webpage. Here's what the button looks like:
Check out our cocktail recipes by clicking the link HERE.
All recipes come with items that you can purchase on our store by clicking on the ingredients. Let us know how the cocktail is by adding comments at the bottom of the recipe page. 😆
If your state is not listed here, we are able to ship there.👏
We ship all over the United States except the following states/locations:
- (AK) Alaska
- (MA) Massachusetts
- (TN) Tennessee
- (UT) Utah
- (WV) West Virginia
- We do not ship to PO boxes or APO/FPO addresses
- We do not ship outside of the contiguous United States (this includes Puerto Rico, US British Virgin Islands, Guam). However, we do ship to Hawaii.
- We currently do not ship to any other countries
We currently only ship within the United States. 🌎
Shipping costs are determined by UPS, not Top Shelf Wine & Spirits- due to age restrictions on alcohol, we are legally required to ask for an adult signature upon delivery. UPS charges extra for this action.
Rates vary depending on distance, weight, shipping option, and handling.
Regular Shipping Times (February - November):
Shipping dates do not include processing time and are based on business days, so please exclude weekends for the estimate. Please reference your confirmation email of which shipping option you chose when checking out.
- All orders are processed within 1 to 5 business days (excludes weekends & holidays). This does not include shipping time.
- In the event of out-of-stock, the item(s) will be refunded on the 5th business day (only applies to UPS Ground orders).
- Expedited orders are processed within 2 business days (excludes weekends). This does not include shipping time, and no delivery dates are guaranteed.
- Delivery estimate is how long UPS will take to deliver your package once it is picked up from our warehouse.
- Ground Shipping is not expedited. You may expect up to 3 weeks in delivery times. If you need your order by a certain date, please purchase 3, 2, or Next Day Air delivery. (Expedited options must be placed before 2:30pm PT Monday-Friday to be shipped within 2 business days).
- Delivery dates are not guaranteed. Please account for any potential courier delays.
*We do not ship out orders on federal holidays.
*Please note that for cork bottled items or delicate liquids (such as wine), we recommend expedited shipping as it sits longer in summer heat, damage may occur to the cork or integrity of the liquid.
Holiday Shipping Times (December - January):
Shipping dates do not include processing time and are based on business days, so please exclude weekends for the estimate. Please reference your confirmation email of which shipping option you chose when checking out.
Holidays exempt from normal shipping dates:
- Orders placed in December through January require 1-9 business days to process the order.
- Express orders (UPS 3 Day Select, UPS 2nd Day Air, UPS Next Day Air) will be processed within 1-5 business days of purchase.
- Our warehouse is closed December 24th, 25th, 31st & January 1st. Please exclude these dates and weekends for the estimated processing time.
Recommended purchase dates for delivery before Christmas Day, 2022:
UPS GROUND: December 13
UPS 3 Day Select: December 15
UPS 2nd Day Air: December 16
UPS Next Day Air: December 19
Shipping costs are determined by UPS, not Top Shelf Wine & Spirits.
Rates vary depending on distance, weight, shipping option, and handling.
If you need the order by a certain day, please purchase expedited shipping methods. This will be Next Day Air, 2nd Day Air, or 3 Day Select. Weekends are not included in processing/transit time. Ground shipping is not expedited and may take up to two weeks for delivery. Please account for any UPS delays out of our control as no delivery dates are guaranteed.
General Timeframe:
- Ground Shipping: Processed within 1-5 business days, delivery will take 3 days - 2 weeks.
- Express Shipping (3 Day Select, 2nd Day Air, Next Day Air): Processed within 1-2 business days (excluding weekends), and shipped typically in the given timeframe (i.e. 2nd day air will arrive in 2 business days). Please account for any potential UPS delays.
- Orders placed in December & January: Add on 3 to 5 business days to the normal given timeframe above. You can view a more detailed answer under the question: "what are your shipping times?"
Need to check which shipping method you chose?
Check the bottom left of your email confirmation.
Need to check on your delivery that's already in transit?
Please call UPS customer service for any questions: (800) 742-5877.
Still confused?
Reach out to us and we'd be more than happy to assist. 😊
Don't fret! All of our packages state 3 pounds on the shipment, as reflected on the shipping label. This does not mean that your package is actually 3 pounds. 😌
We currently ship with United Parcel Service (UPS). 📦
All products are shipped directly from our store/warehouse located in San Diego, CA. (No third parties are involved in our order fulfillment!) 
Yes, we offer gift options! 🥳
Gold bow ($0.99 per bow)
If you purchased a collection item with multiple bottles and want a bow on each bottle, please update the gold bow option to the number of bottles in the collection. *Gold bow option is not available for gift sets, cans, or 50ml packs.
Gold bow options can be found on the product page
Personalized gift messages with your order ($5)
Please select "gift message" option for $5 on the product page. (Double check all spelling and grammar as we will not modify your message.) *Please double check that you were charged $5 on the order. Gift messages not paid for will not be received/included in the delivery. If you choose the gift option without any personalized message, we will provide a card that says "Cheers!" with the order. Emojis will not be printed.
Messages can be added on the product page
Shipping label (free)
Add who it's from on the shipping label by writing in the "Company Name" portion on the shipping address at checkout. You can add up to 35 characters, including any spaces. (This option will not remove the receipt from the order, though!)
Add your name here for free (up to 35 characters)
You MUST choose "premium gift message" to have the prices of your items removed, otherwise our shipping team will not know it is a gift and will pack the receipt in the box. This is a $5 charge on the order, and will show up on the confirmation email as shown on the screenshot:
Don't forget to send the recipient the tracking link so they can prepare and sign for the delivery!
Add who it's from on the shipping label by writing in the "Company Name" portion on the shipping address at checkout. You can add up to 35 characters, including any spaces. (This option will not remove the receipt from the order, though!)
See where it's circled in yellow below to find where you can add your name:
Add your name here for free at checkout (up to 35 characters)
We do not offer gift cards at this time.
The journey of your item:
- Your order is placed.
- We process all orders in the order of purchase.
- Once your order is processed, you will receive a tracking number in the order processed email confirmation (check your spam folder if you didn't get an email from us). This does not mean your package is already with UPS. Your order is being packaged at this time! Please allow 1-5 business days (this excludes weekends & holidays) for your item to get packaged and handed off to UPS.
- Packed item awaits UPS driver for pick-up.
- Once UPS driver picks up your item, it gets taken to the UPS warehouse and gets scanned. From here on out, you should see movement of your package on the tracking link. You will now get an estimated delivery date provided through the tracking link.
- UPS handles all deliveries. Once the package is in their hands, Top Shelf Wine & Spirits cannot edit, change, or speed up the delivery of your order.
- The package gets delivered once you or your recipient signs for the package.
- Enjoy!
If your order does not have a tracking number yet:
Go to your confirmation email or your account page, and reference the order # you'd like to edit the address of. As long as your order has not been processed yet, you may edit the address there. Here's an example of where you can edit through your confirmation email:
you can edit the address where it is circled in red
If your order has a tracking number:
Top Shelf Wine & Spirits is not able to reroute the package for you. But don't fret! You can do this on your own. If you want to reroute the package to a different address, or to a nearby UPS store for pick-up at your convenience, here's how to do so:
- Create a my UPS account (CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR AN UPS ACCOUNT)
- Go to your order tracking link (you can find this by clicking on the tracking link provided for you on your order processing email that we sent you)
- Click "Change My Delivery"
- Follow the steps from there. Please note for all reroutes, UPS may charge you an intercept fee.
- UPS will typically reattempt delivery the next day to the new address. Please plan for the package's arrival.
You can also make minor shipping changes (i.e. adding unit number or correcting spelling errors) by calling UPS at 800-742-5877.
**The customer is responsible for providing the correct shipping address upon checkout. Top Shelf Wine & Spirits is not liable for any package reroutes or stolen packages.**
UPS Ground: Please allow up to 5 business days for orders to be handed off to UPS. If it has been over a week with no movement, please reach out to us and we'll help you find out what is going on with your order.
Expedited Orders: You should see movement on the tracking within 3 business days (this excludes weekends & holidays). If no movement is shown on the tracking link, please reach out to us.
Sometimes, UPS experiences unexpected delays (weather, mechanical, train derailment, etc). If your order is in transit and it shows a delay, please reach out to UPS to see what is happening to your package. 😣 If you do not see any movement on the UPS tracking link for more than 7 days, please reach out to us and we'll claim the package as lost. Shipping insurance will cover this and a reshipment will be issued to you. 🙌
Please check your tracking number to see if UPS has attempted delivery. UPS requires someone over the age of 21 to sign for the package. (Missed your package? Click here for what to do)
Holiday Shipping (December - January): All orders are processed within 1-10 business days. This excludes weekends and holidays:
- December 24th, 25th, 31st
- January 1st, 2nd, 3rd
We do not guarantee any shipping or delivery dates.
All sales are final. If you request a cancelation, please note it is not guaranteed and the order is subject to a 10% cancelation fee.
If the refund or cancelation is approved, then it will be processed and a credit will automatically be applied to customer's credit card or original payment method shortly after (within 2-10 business days).
More often than not, we are not able to cancel an order so please double check before clicking "place order" 🤗
Top Shelf Wine & Spirits covers:
- Damaged or broken bottles
- Missing packages in transit
- Incorrect items
Insurance does not cover:
- Shipping times (i.e. delayed orders)
- Damaged or missing product packaging
- Cosmetic damages to bottle
- Incorrect shipping address provided upon checkout
- Failed delivery
- Rejected delivery
- Stolen packages
For insurance claims, please fill out 'claims submission' form located at the bottom left corner of our website. We require photographic evidence to proceed with all claims.
How do I know if I have shipping insurance on my order?
Shipping insurance will show on your order confirmation email along with the other items in your order. **As of September 20, 2022 shipping insurance is included in the total shipping cost.
Congrats! You're early in line to getting an item that hasn't been released yet. 🎉
Why does my item say "shipped"? The tracking shows no movement.
Sorry for the confusion! It's not shipped until the release date written on the description page of the item. Our process is the following:
- You place the order.
- We process your order, which at this time a tracking number is created and you get an email saying that your order has shipped (if you have a pre-order item, it hasn't yet).
- We hold on to your individual tracking numbers until the pre-order item comes in stock.
- Once it's in stock, we pack your order and ship it out! Typically, there's a bunch of pre-orders in which case we can't ship all the orders out in one day. Once it hits the restock date, please allow 1-5 business days for your order to be shipped out.
- The tracking will now show movement- it's heading your way!
- UPS will show a delivery time frame. Please remember to be home to sign for the package.
- Enjoy!
Can you ship out other items first, then ship out the pre-order item later?
No. We will ship out your order as one shipment. So if you have items on your purchase that we currently have in stock, please wait for the pre-order item to be in stock and we will then ship out your order in one package.
When will your item be in stock?
The stocking date will be listed on the product description page 😊
We're sorry to hear that! We always package the bottles to the best of our ability, but it's inevitable that breakages happen. Please contact us and we'd be happy to fix the issue!
You must contact us, otherwise we are not notified of the damage.
We are so sorry to hear that, it is never fun to experience something like this. Please take a photograph of the box it got delivered in (if you're missing an item) and/or the incorrect/damaged bottles that clearly show the breakage (if the bottle arrived broken). We require clear photographic evidence to proceed with claims.
Please fill out the form the claims submission form found at the bottom of our website (or click HERE for the link) so we can look into it for you!
Incorrect Bottles:
If you received an incorrect bottle, we may require you to return the bottle(s) to us using a prepaid label. In this case, the bottle(s) must be returned to us unopened prior to reshipments. In the event an opened or empty bottle is returned to us, we will send an invoice to you.
We can also offer you a 15% discount to keep the incorrect bottle. In the event that the incorrect bottle has a higher retail value than the one purchased, we will provide a $5 refund.
Damaged Bottle Packaging:
Although we try to have bottle packaging included in each shipment and delivered undamaged, we do not guarantee the inclusion nor undamaged bottle packaging. We apologize but at this time we do not offer refunds or reshipments of orders with damaged bottle packaging/cosmetic damage.
** We do not offer reshipments or refunds for orders that have been shipped past 30 days ago.
In the event that an order is returned to our warehouse due to any of the following reasons:
- order refusal
- order cancellation
- rerouting the package to shipper
- rerouting package to a different address
- no pick up from UPS location
- incorrect or incomplete address provided at checkout
- courier attempted delivery and no one or no persons above the age of 21 was home
- a chargeback was placed on an order that is in transit
- lack of accepting order in any way
The customer is liable for all shipping charges including an additional returning fee. The shipping charges in these cases are not refundable, and the customer is liable for any new shipping charges.
Please contact us with your order number. Returned packages are processed and refunded within 30 calendar days of return. For more information, please read our refund policy by clicking HERE.
*Top Shelf Wine & Spirits require someone of 21 years old or older to be at the shipping address upon delivery.
UPS will attempt delivery three times. If you can't be at home to recieve it, please click "Change My Delivery" on the UPS tracking link for your order or call UPS at their customer service line 800-742-5877 to have the package rerouted to a nearby UPS location for you to pick up (Please note that they will typically only hold it for 3-5 days). After 3 attempts, if no one was available to sign for the package, UPS will return the package to our warehouse.
We do not offer reshipments of failed deliveries. Please repurchase the bottles if you would like your order delivered again.
The package is already going back to the shipper:
Typically, if the package is still within the state of delivery you can reroute it to a UPS location. Please call UPS at 800-742-5877 to ask if this is a possibility.
Will I get a refund?
Yes, but it will be a partial refund. With failed deliveries we charge for shipping both ways as all shipping fees are non-refundable. Please read our refund policy for further information.
Please check your tracking link and see who signed for it -We have experienced some customers where their neighbor signed for it so we recommend checking with them 📦. Top Shelf Wine & Spirits cannot do anything on our end once the package is signed for and accepted.
Please contact UPS to inform them of the issue- we hope you find your item!
Doesn't shipping insurance cover this?
Unfortunately, shipping insurance does not cover stolen packages. Click HERE for what shipping insurance covers/doesn't cover.
Tracking number showing no movement for less than 5 days:
Please allow time for us to process your order and hand it off to UPS. All UPS Ground orders are processed within 5 business days, and Expedited orders (Next Day Air, 2nd Day Air, 3 Day Select) are processed within 2 business days. (Weekends and holidays are excluded from this time frame!)
Tracking number showing no movement for 7+ days:
This means your order has been either lost, or broken in transit. Just contact us with your order number and we will ship out a new one. 👍
In the event that UPS does find your package and you recieve two deliveries from us for the same order, please refuse delivery of the second package. If you accept it, we will send you an invoice for the second order.
Packaging is not always included. This is due to the distributors that supply us with the product do not always provide us with the packaging. In addition, due to recent events the suppliers have had less production and shortages of supplies. (BUT, if the title of the item says "with Gift Box" or "with Wood Box" that means that the item is guaranteed to come with the delivery!).
For cosmetic damages (this covers any issues with the look of the bottle: i.e. a ripped label): We unfortunately do not guarantee the bottle to arrive in pristine condition as the bottles do not always arrive in 100% condition from the distributor directly. I know, it makes us sad too. 😢
Due to the fact that our items are consumable, we do not offer returns once the order has shipped. All items are final sale.
- Once your order is successfully delivered, we do not provide refunds or reshipments.
- If a product gets damaged or was faulty upon a delivery - we offer 100% product refund. 😎 To get your refund or reshipment, please submit a claims form through our "claims submissions" page.
- Please note that customers are responsible for shipping costs of returned items in the event of a failed delivery.
- If the refund or cancellation is approved, then it will be processed and a credit will automatically be applied to customer's credit card or original payment method shortly after.
- We cannot offer refunds or cancellations for orders once the customer has made a bank claim against us.
For more details, please read our refund policy by clicking this link HERE.
In the event that an order is returned to our warehouse due to any of the following reasons:
- order refusal
- order cancellation
- rerouting the package to shipper
- rerouting package to a different address
- no pick up from UPS location
- incorrect or incomplete address provided at checkout
- courier attempted delivery and no one or no persons above the age of 21 was home
- a chargeback was placed on an order that is in transit
- lack of accepting order in any way
A partial refund will be issued to your method of payment. We do not offer reshipments of the order for any failed deliveries- if you'd still like the order, please place a new order on our website.
For more information regarding failed deliveries, please see our refund policy.
You can select your preferred payment method at checkout. We accept secure payments through Shopify Credit Card processing for the following:
- ApplePay
- American Express
- Discover Card
- Facebook Pay (Meta)
- Google Pay
- Mastercard
- PayPal
- Visa
- Top Shelf Wine and Spirits gift cards
We do not accept Venmo, Zelle, cryptocurrency, checks, or EBT.
No, we do not take payments over the phone. If you are worried about processing payments online, you can have confidence that our site is secured and all your payment information will be safe.
There can be several reasons as to why a payment by credit card is declined. Please double check:
- Typos
- Invalid card/funds
- Missing verification
- Correct billing address
If the same error continues, please try a different payment method.