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Terms and Conditions

Terms and Conditions

CONDITIONS OF MEMBERSHIP

Membership Charter

All members of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society are required to follow the Membership Charter.

THE MEMBERSHIP CHARTER

A Little Respect Between Friends

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society was started by a group of friends with a sense of adventure, mischief and fun – and we’re proud to stick to those founding principles. Our sense of friendship remains – and with that comes a spirit of respect.

We expect our members to show good manners to everyone in the Society team and to each other, at all times. If anyone’s behaviour is in any way abusive, disrespectful or aggressive we won’t hesitate to ask you to leave, exclude you from our Members’ Rooms or cancel your membership, as is made clear in our terms and conditions of membership.

Here’s a reminder of our Members’ Room policies and how we expect everyone to behave.

We ask you to play your part so we can all stay friends.

  • Respect each Members’ Room as if it were your home.
  • Our Members’ Rooms are places of both relaxation and business, so please be considerate of members indulging in either pursuit.
  • We reserve the right to refuse to serve alcoholic beverages to members and guests who appear to be intoxicated. Alcoholic beverage service and sales at the Members’ Rooms comply with local rules and regulations.
  • Smoking and vaping is only permitted in the designated smoking areas outwith the Members’ Rooms.
  • All SMWS Members’ Rooms are monitored using sound recording CCTV for the safety and security of our members and their guests and our staff team.
  • We expect our members to treat venue staff with appropriate respect and dignity. If a member or guest has an issue with any employee of the Society, the matter should be addressed directly to the General Manager or the Venue Supervisor on duty.
  • The Society does not tolerate any physical or verbal abuse, including sexual harassment against our staff, other members of the Society, or their guests. Instances of this may result in the ejection of anyone carrying out such actions, that person being banned from the venues and/or membership of the Society being revoked. An expelled member may not return to any Society Members’ Room as a guest.
  • Children under the age of 18 are not permitted access to any of our Members’ Rooms unless a private room has been reserved.
  • Members are welcome to bring up to three guests on one membership card at any one time.
  • Membership cards are non-transferable, and members are reminded to present their card on arrival at their table.
  • Bills cannot be signed to your membership account and must be settled on the day.
  • Neither SMWS nor any member of staff shall be liable to any member or guest for the loss or damage to any property belonging to members or guests caused in the Members’ Rooms.

SMWS Membership

  1. Membership of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (“SMWS” or the “Society”) is available to qualifying individuals aged 18 years and over in the UK or of legal drinking age in their country of residence.
  2. On joining, members of the Society will be allocated a membership number and issued a membership card.
  3. Membership of the Society entitles members:
  • to purchase members only products from the websites or applications operated by the Society, or at the Society’s Members’ Venues.
  • to access the Society’s Members’ Venues during their opening hours, with up to 3 guests per visit, subject to availability. Booking in advance is recommended during busy times.
  1. The membership card can only be used by the individual to whom the card has been issued.
  2. The Scotch Malt Whisky Society Ltd reserves the right to refuse membership to any applicant. Membership is revocable by The Scotch Malt Whisky Society without cause and without refund for any remaining period of the subscription.
  3. Your membership card must be shown on entering Members’ Venues.
  4. Membership is subject to any and all rules adopted by The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, including the Membership Charter, and these rules may be amended from time to time without notice.

Lost/Stolen membership Cards

Lost or stolen cards should be reported as soon as possible to the UK Sales Team. Replacement cards will be issued on request and at our discretion. Repeated requests for replacement cards will be charged for at £10 per card. Replacement cards can only be issued in the name of the original member.

Membership Fee - Renewal

Membership will either automatically renew on the anniversary of the initial membership date each year, unless you choose to cancel, or require renewal online at www.smws.com. Membership can be cancelled at any time. If you cancel within 14 days of renewal or joining, you will be refunded the full membership fee. No refund will be made if you cancel membership outside 14 days, and membership will effectively continue until the renewal date, when it shall cease. If you wish to cancel your Membership, please call us on +44 (0)131 555 2929 (Monday to Friday 9am-4.45pm) or email the team at memberservices@smws.com.

 

Membership is for a 12-month period based on the month of initial enrolment. The Membership renewal fee may be paid online at www.smws.com or for autorenewals will be collected through your saved payment method.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SUPPLY AND WEBSITE AND APPLICATION TERMS OF USE

This page (together with the documents referred to on it) details the terms and conditions on which we supply any of the products (“Products”) listed on our website www.smws.com, www.smws.eu and its microsites, or through our applications (“our site” or “the site”) to you, and the terms of use of the website and its microsites or our applications. Please read these terms and conditions carefully before ordering any Products from our site or using the site or any of our applications. You should understand that by ordering any of our Products, you agree to be bound by these terms and conditions.

You should print a copy of these terms and conditions for future reference.

Please understand that if you refuse to accept these terms and conditions, you will not be able to order any Products from our site.

  1. Information About Us

www.smws.com is a site operated The Scotch Malt Whisky Society Ltd. (“SMWS”, “we” or “us”). We are registered in Scotland under company number SC83022 and with our registered office at 87 Giles Street Edinburgh EH6 6BZ. Our principal place of business is 6th Floor, 10 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 2PF

SMWS is a wholly owned subsidiaries of The Artisanal Spirits Company plc, a company registered in Scotland company number SC490305 and having its registered office at 87 Giles Street, Edinburgh EH6 6BZ and having its principal place of business 6th Floor, 10 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 2PF.

  1. Age Restriction

You must be at least 18 years of age (or the legal drinking age in your country of residence) to access or use the SMWS website and mobile application. By using the platform, you warrant that you meet this age requirement. We use age-verification mechanisms and reserve the right to deny access or terminate accounts of anyone suspected of being underage. You are strictly prohibited from sharing your account or login credentials with anyone under the age of 18. No goods are offered for sale at this Site to any person who is below legal drinking age in the country in which he or she is resident or any person resident in a country where such sale would be contrary to local law. By placing an order through our site, you warrant that you are of a lawful age. For this reason, we may refuse an order at our discretion and orders may not be transferred from the customer to any other person. If you are buying Products as a gift, the recipient must also be of a lawful age. This is the responsibility of the purchaser. If our couriers are in any doubt about the age of the recipient on delivery, they may request some form of ID.

  1. How the contract is formed between us and you

After you place an order, we shall advise you as soon as possible if we cannot fulfil it for any reason such as unavailability of stock, as you will appreciate that our stocks of product are by their nature limited. In such circumstances, we will refund your payment card the full amount paid and may suggest an alternative item to you for purchase, which may be at a different price.. The contract between us (the “Contract”) will only be formed when we dispatch your order. The Contract will relate only to those Products which we dispatch. We will not be obliged to supply any other Products which may have been part of your order.

Personal use
By accepting these terms and conditions you agree that the products you purchase via the site are exclusively for your personal use or a gift to someone and are not for resale (unless otherwise authorised by us in writing).

We reserve the right to refuse to fulfil any orders or terminate any Contract without liability to the Buyer, where we know or have reason to believe that the Buyer has sold (or intends to sell) the Goods directly or indirectly to any third party. No resale or third-party selling is permitted.

Use of the site

We provide the website and app on an "as is" and "as available" basis. While we strive for 100% uptime, we are not liable if technical glitches or outages temporarily prevent you from accessing the app or website.

We grant you a limited, non-transferable, revocable license to download and use the app on your personal mobile devices strictly in accordance with these terms. We may automatically update the app to improve performance, enhance functionality, or address security vulnerabilities. Failure to install updates may limit your access to app features. Your use of the app is also governed by the usage rules set forth by the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, depending on your device.

You are strictly prohibited from using automated bots, scrapers, or spiders to harvest event data, pricing, user reviews, or whisky descriptions from our platforms. You must not attempt to gain unauthorised access to our servers, introduce malware, or launch Denial of Service (DoS) attacks against the website or app.

If you post reviews, tasting notes, comments, or photos to the site, you grant us a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to display this content across our platforms. You agree not to post any material that encourages excessive, irresponsible, or underage drinking. We reserve the right to monitor, moderate, or permanently delete user content that is offensive, unlawful, or constitutes spam, and we may suspend offending accounts immediately.

We may suspend or cancel your membership (if applicable) and/or your right to access and use the site immediately and without notice at any time if we believe you have breached the Terms of Use.

The suspension or cancellation of your membership (if applicable) and/or your right to use the site shall not affect either party’s statutory rights or liabilities.

  1. Consumer Rights

If you are contracting as a consumer, you may cancel a Contract at any time within fourteen days, beginning on the day after you received the Products. In this case, you will receive a full refund of the price paid for the Products in accordance with our refunds policy (set out in clause 7 below).

To cancel a Contract, you must inform us in writing and a form of cancellation notice is set out at the end of these terms and conditions. You must also return the Product(s) to us immediately, in the same condition and packaging in which you received them, and at your own cost and risk. You have a legal obligation to take reasonable care of the Products while they are in your possession. If you fail to comply with this obligation, we may have a right of action against you for compensation.

  1. Payment and Order Process

By placing an order, you represent that you authorise us to act on your behalf to engage a common carrier to deliver your order to the destination indicated by you. We make no representation as to the right of any person to import any product in to any country or state. Local taxes and excise duties that might apply are your responsibility.

The products are sold under the condition that they will at no point become the subject of duty or tax evasion. If we are sending products to an address within the European Union (EU), prices are subject to applicable Value Added Tax (VAT) and alcohol duties. This applies to all countries that make up the EU except for Sweden where UK alcohol tax and VAT will be exchanged for local alcohol taxes and VAT or other sales tax following the sale.

Any additional charges for customs clearance must be borne by recipient; we have no control over these charges and cannot predict what they may be. Customs policies vary widely from country to country, so you will need to contact the recipient's local customs office for further information.

Refusal to pay the local import duties and taxes will result in the goods either being: destroyed by customs; or returned to sender at the cost of the consignee (costs will be deducted from any refund owed).

Ensuring that any relevant duties or local taxes have been paid remains the sole responsibility of the customer and we will not be liable for any actions undertaken without the appropriate duties having been paid subsequent to sale.

We cannot be held responsible for any orders that are seized, impounded or have additional duty charged on them by Customs.

You can pay for Products purchased from the site by using any of the following cards: Visa Credit Card, Mastercard, Visa Debit and Delta. We also accept payment by PayPal. Regrettably, we do not accept Visa Electron and Diners cards. You must give us authority for payment at the time of order.

Your credit/debit card details will be encrypted to minimise the possibility of unauthorised access or disclosure. Authority for payment must be given at the time of order and you will be automatically charged for your order once payment has been completed.

Our liability to you in connection with any order will not exceed the total price charged for the relevant items.

Although we have taken reasonable precautions to ensure our site is secure, and we believe it is secure, we do not provide any undertaking nor do we accept any liability should there be a breach or failure of security.

We do not accept payment by cheque.

All Gift Vouchers have specific terms and conditions, shown below.

There are several mandatory fields which you must complete to enable us to process your order and allow us to contact you should we need to discuss your order. Please complete all fields carefully and accurately.

All card holders are subject to validation checks and authorisation by the card issuer. We will not deliver any Products prior to these checks and authorisations being completed. If your card issuer refuses to authorise payment to us, we cannot accept your order, and will not be liable for any delay or non-delivery.

The main characteristics of the goods sold through this site are set out on the pages picturing them. Every effort has been made to display the colours of the goods as accurately as possible. However, because the colour you see will depend on your monitor, we cannot guarantee that the colours of the goods purchased by you will be the same as the colours shown on your monitor.

Acceptance

As all products and services are subject to availability, there will be no contract of any kind between you and us unless and until we actually process and dispatch the goods to you. Your order is an offer to buy from us. This means that nothing that we do or say amounts to any acceptance of that offer until we actually process and dispatch the goods to you. At any point up until then, we may decline to supply the goods to you without giving any reason. At the moment that the goods are processed and dispatched, and not before, a contract will be made between you and us and you will be charged for the goods. If your order is dispatched in more than one delivery, our acceptance of each part of the order takes place on dispatch of the product.

Should we accept your order, the price applicable to goods ordered by you shall be that shown on the site at the point at which your order is placed. The period for which this price is valid is limited and we can only guarantee this price to you for orders placed that day (unless a longer period is stated specifically in the description given). We reserve the right to correct any pricing errors or misprints which we later discover. We will notify you of any such error to discuss the correct price and seek agreement to proceed with the sale at the correct price or to refund the incorrect price without receiving the goods. The sales tax applicable to your order will depend on a number of factors which we will establish at the point of placing your order, including the type of goods ordered.

The contract for our sale and your purchase of the goods shall be made at the time of dispatch. Prior to such time there is no legal agreement in place.

The goods purchased by you will be dispatched to you by the method of delivery indicated within 14 days of the date of your order.

We will inform you of the non-availability of any goods ordered by you within 7 days of the date of your order and will refund your payment card the full amount paid in respect of such goods.

  1. Delivery

Delivery to mainland UK and Northern Ireland is FREE* for members under our Free Standard Delivery Offer.

Due to differing rules imposed by couriers, legislative and aviation bodies regarding the national and international shipments of alcohol, please be aware that it is not possible to send orders to Channel Islands, or orders over 10 litres to the Highlands & Islands of Scotland, Isle of Man, Isle of Scilly and Northern Ireland.

Our delivery partners are DPD and DHL. Our deliveries are made during normal business hours, Monday to Friday, and to ensure prompt delivery, our courier will require that the parcels are signed for.

All your tracking details can be followed up with your courier - you will receive shipping information directly from the courier upon collection from our warehouse. At this point you will have all the details required to manage and maintain your delivery process. If you enter a mobile number during the checkout process, you'll be able to receive text alerts for your delivery and communicate directly with our courier to re-organise the specifics of your delivery.

As our delivery partners are currently unable to delivery to PO Boxes, please ensure you enter a full valid address. Orders without a full postal address will be held until a full address is provided.

It is the customer's responsibility to provide full address details to the courier if an item is to be left in a designated safe place. Neither we nor our carrier will be liable for non-receipt of the goods. We will deliver to the address as you have entered it on the order. We cannot accept any liability for late or failed delivery if the quoted address is incorrect or incomplete. Please check the delivery address if you are uncertain. If you request a delivery to a business, we shall consider the delivery to be successful, if it is delivered to a reception area and signed for by a representative at that address.

Delivery fees are as stated on the website at the point of sale.

  1. Returns, Refunds & Replacements

We hope you will be happy with your purchase. However, should you feel it necessary to return an item, we aim to make the returns process as simple as possible. To arrange this, please contact us on 0131 555 2929 (Mon-Fri 9am-13:30pm UK) or by e-mail on dram-cierge@smws.com. Please note the Society cannot replace any whisky bottles that have been opened. All returns should be made within 14-days of receiving your order.

Any returned products must be returned to us in good condition, with all packaging intact. All refunds and reimbursements will be arranged within 30 days of our acceptance after the safe receipt of the returned goods. Any product returned must be within its original packaging, contain the relevant paperwork and be adequately packed to avoid any possible damage. The cost and risk of returning the product is the responsibility of the customer and a proof of delivery service must be used. You should confirm to us on 0131 555 2929 (Mon-Fri 9am-13:30pm UK) or by e-mail to dram-cierge@smws.com that the return is being made prior to sending it to:

The Artisanal Spirits Company plc Masterton Bond, 1 Masterton Way, Uddingston, G71 5PT

The courier must be informed of breakages or shortages at the time of delivery. We may not (at our sole discretion) accept any claims for breakages or shortages unless they are stated on the couriers’ documentation. We must have confirmation of these breakages or shortages within 2 working days of delivery. Photographic evidence is required by our carrier company if an item has been damaged during transit.

 

  1. Prices, Availability and Promotions

Please note we have endeavoured to ensure the accuracy of all information on our site. The prices payable for the Products that you order are clearly set out on our site. All prices are quoted inclusive of any VAT payable unless otherwise stated. If we are sending products to an address within the European Union (EU), prices are subject to applicable Value Added Tax (VAT) and alcohol duties. This applies to all countries that make up the EU except for Germany and Sweden where UK alcohol tax and VAT will be exchanged for local alcohol taxes and VAT or other sales tax following the sale. The price of the Products does not include the delivery charge which will be charged at the rates applicable at the date you place your order.

Prices, promotions and specifications can change without notice and Products are subject to availability. We reserve the right to correct any pricing errors or misprints which we later discover. We will notify you of any such error to discuss the correct price and seek agreement to proceed with the sale at the correct price or to refund the incorrect price without receiving the goods.

If for any reason beyond our control we are unable to supply a particular Product we will notify you as soon as possible.

  1. Products

Please note that all our whiskies are sold in 70cl (700ml) bottles unless otherwise specified.

  1. Our Liability

We warrant to you that any Product purchased from us through our site is of satisfactory quality and reasonably fit for all the purposes for which products of the kind are commonly supplied.

Our liability for losses you suffer as a result of us breaking this agreement is strictly limited to the purchase price of the Product you purchased.

This does not include or limit in any way our liability (i) for death or personal injury caused by our negligence; (ii) under section 2(3) of the Consumer Protection Act 1987; (iii) for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation; or (iv) for any matter for which it would be illegal for us to exclude, or attempt to exclude, our liability.

We are not responsible for indirect losses which happen as a side effect of the main loss or damage (including, but not limited to, loss of income or revenue, loss of business, loss of profits or contracts, loss of anticipated savings and/or loss of data).

  1. Privacy and Cookies

We have a separate privacy policy (“Privacy Policy”) which relates to our use of your personal information. We would encourage you to read our Privacy Policy. Our Privacy Policy is available on our site.

We use a technology called "cookies" as part of our normal business procedure to track patterns of behaviour of visitors to the Website. A cookie is an element of data that the Website sends to your browser that is then stored on your system. You can set your browser to prevent this happening. Any information collected in this way can be used to identify you unless you change your browser settings.

  1. Contact Us

If you have an order query, please e-mail us at memberservices@smws.com or call 0044 131 555 2929 (Mon-Fri 9am-4.45pm). The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, 6th Floor, 10 George Street, Edinburgh, EH2 2PF. Registered in Scotland under company number SC83022 and with our registered office at 87 Giles Street, Edinburgh EH6 6BZ.

VAT No. GB 202 99 33 15
Unless explicitly stated otherwise, all rights including those in copyright in the content of this website are owned by or controlled by The Scotch Malt Whisky Society Ltd.

  1. Waiver

If we fail, at any time during the term of a Contract, to insist upon strict performance of any of your obligations under the Contract or any of these terms and conditions, or if we fail to exercise any of the rights or remedies to which we are entitled under the Contract or any of these terms and conditions, this shall not constitute a waiver of such rights or remedies and shall not relieve you from compliance with such obligations.

A waiver by us of any default shall not constitute a waiver of any subsequent default. No waiver by us of any of these terms and conditions shall be effective unless it is expressly stated to be a waiver and is communicated to you in writing.

  1. Severability

If any of these terms and Conditions or any provisions of a Contract are determined by any competent authority to be invalid, unlawful or unenforceable to any extent, such term, condition or provision will to that extent be severed from the remaining terms, conditions and provisions which will continue to be valid to the fullest extent permitted by law.

  1. Entire Agreement

These terms and conditions and any document expressly referred to in them constitute the entire agreement between us relating to the subject matter of any Contract and supersede any previous arrangement, understanding or agreement between us, relating to the subject matter of any Contract.

We each acknowledge that, in entering into a Contract, (and the documents referred to in it), neither of us relies on any statement, representation, assurance or warranty (“Representation”) of any person (whether a party to that Contract or not) other than as expressly set out in these terms and conditions.

Each of us agrees that the only rights and remedies available to us arising out of or in connection with a Representation shall be for breach of contract as provided in these terms and conditions.

Nothing in this clause shall limit or exclude any liability for fraud.

  1. Our right to vary these terms and conditions

We have the right to revise and amend these terms and conditions from time to time to reflect, amongst other things, changes in market conditions affecting our business, changes in technology, changes in payment methods, changes in relevant laws and regulatory requirements and changes in our system's capabilities.

You will be subject to the policies and terms and conditions in force at the time that you order Products from us, unless any change to those policies or these terms and conditions is required to be made by law or governmental authority (in which case it will apply to orders previously placed by you), or if we notify you of the change to those policies or these terms and conditions before we send you the Despatch Confirmation (in which case we have the right to assume that you have accepted the change to the terms and conditions, unless you notify us to the contrary within seven days of receipt by you of the Products).

  1. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

Contracts for the purchase of Products through our site and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with them or their subject matter or formation (including non-contractual disputes or claims) will be governed by Scots law. Any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with such Contracts or their formation (including non-contractual disputes or claims) shall be subject to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Scotland.

  1. Privacy

For information about how we use contact details supplied to The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, please read our privacy statement.

  1. Customer Services

If you have an order query, please e-mail us at memberservices@smws.com or call 0044 131 555 2929 (Mon-Fri 9am-4.45pm). The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, 6th Floor, 10 George Street, Edinburgh, EH2 2PF.

  1. Special Offers

Referral Rewards - Referrals must use individuals shared links in order to track purchases. Any unverified transactions are at the discretion of our Membership Services Team to validate and reward. Promotional values will be stated throughout advertising and are subject to change. Validation will take up to 14 days before reward recognition. 

50th Anniversary Cask Club

Full detail of what is involved and what you will receive can be found in the 50th Cask Club Terms of Sale (PDF). Please read these before placing your order. Read more about the 50th Anniversary Cask Club.

Form of cancellation notice

To: The Scotch Malt Whisky Society Limited, 6th Floor, 10 George Street, Edinburgh, EH2 2PF.

Email: memberservices@smws.com

I/We [*] hereby give notice that I/We [*] cancel My/Our [*] contract of sale of the following goods:

Ordered on [*]/received on [*]:

Name of consumer(s):

Address of consumer(s):

Reason for cancellation:

Signature of consumer(s) (only if this form is notified on paper):

Date [*]

Delete as appropriate

Gift Vouchers Terms and Conditions

As used in this Agreement, "we" or “The Society” or “The Scotch Malt Whisky Society” means The Scotch Malt Whisky Society Ltd. and "you" means the individual or entity purchasing gift vouchers (“Gift Vouchers”) from The Scotch Malt Whisky Society. Any individual or entity that wants to use the Service must accept the terms of this Agreement without change. By accepting to our Terms and Conditions, you agree to be bound by all terms of this agreement, as well as The Scotch Malt Whisky Society Ltd.’s Terms and Conditions, Privacy Notice, Conditions of Use and www.smws.com gift voucher Terms and Conditions and all specifications and guidelines.

  1. Redemption

The Society’s Gift Vouchers (including products branded as “Gift Certificates”) may only be redeemed toward the purchase of eligible products on www.smws.com, or in any one of our member’s rooms. All usual restrictions in relation to the products which can be purchased using Gift Vouchers shall apply e.g. no one under the age of 18 will be able to use Gift Vouchers to purchase alcohol. Purchases are deducted from the redeemer's Gift Voucher balance. Any unused Gift Voucher balance will be retained. If a purchase exceeds the redeemer's Gift Voucher balance, the remaining amount must be paid with another payment method, which can include another Gift Voucher.

  1. Limitations

Gift Vouchers, including any unused Gift Voucher balances, expire 12 months from the date of issuance. Gift Vouchers may not be redeemed for the purchase of products at www.smws.com, or any other person or entity, except as indicated by these terms and conditions. Gift Vouchers cannot be used to purchase other Gift Vouchers. Gift Vouchers cannot be reloaded, resold, transferred for value or redeemed for cash, except to the extent required by law. Where any goods purchased through Gift Vouchers are returned under our returns policy, any refund will be made by supplying a replacement Gift Voucher, and not through any other means.

  1. Risk of Loss

The risk of loss and title for Gift Vouchers pass to the purchaser upon our electronic transmission of the Gift Voucher to the purchaser or designated recipient, or our delivery to the carrier, whichever is applicable. We are not responsible if any Gift Voucher is lost, stolen, destroyed or used without your permission.

  1. Fraud

We will have the right to close customer accounts and take payment from alternative forms of payment if a fraudulently obtained Gift Voucher is redeemed and/or used to make purchases on www.smws.com.

  1. Limitation of Liability

We make no warranties, express or implied, with respect to Gift Vouchers, including without limitation, any express or implied warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. In the event a Gift Voucher is non-functional, your sole remedy, and our sole liability, will be the replacement of such Gift Voucher. If the applicable law does not allow limitations on implied warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain damages, some or all of the above disclaimers, exclusions or limitations may not apply to you.

  1. General Terms

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society’s Terms & Conditions apply. Gift Vouchers are issued by The Scotch Malt Whisky Society Ltd, based in Edinburgh, UK. When you purchase, receive or redeem a Gift Voucher, you agree that the laws of Scotland will govern these Gift Voucher terms and conditions. We reserve the right to change these terms and conditions from time to time at our discretion. All terms and conditions are applicable to the extent permitted by law.

Event Terms and Conditions

 

“Event” means an event held at a Venue.

“Venue” means the SMWS Members Room venue or other venue as stated on the Ticket. 

"Ticket" means any ticket for an Event. 

  1. All Tickets are sold subject to these terms and conditions and any other rules and regulations referred to herein or that may be applicable to the Event or Venue at any time. 
  1. Only customers holding a valid Ticket will be admitted to an Event. 
  1. Events may only be attended by individuals over the age of 18 or the legal drinking age of the country where the event is taking place. Please refer to any other the restrictions advertised at the time of booking your Ticket. It is your responsibility to check that you and your guests are permitted to attend the Event and have the appropriate Ticket(s). Upon purchase, please check Tickets carefully as mistakes cannot always be rectified after purchase. 
  1. Tickets are not issued on a sale or return basis, and refunds will not be made on returned Tickets. 
  1. Your Ticket may be invalidated if any part of it is removed, altered or defaced. The Society will not be responsible for any Ticket that is lost, stolen or destroyed. It is not always possible to issue duplicate Tickets. If duplicates are issued, a reasonable administration fee may be charged. 
  1. Ticket offers (if any) are subject to limited availability. Unless otherwise stated, only one offer per Ticket shall apply. Proof of identity and concession entitlement (for example proof of age, employment or student status), if relevant, may be requested. 
  1. If you have any specific access requirements or concerns, please discuss any such issues before purchasing the Tickets with The Society by contacting member services at memberservices@smws.com or call (0044) 131 555 2929 (Mon-Fri 9am-4.45pm). The Society will use its reasonable efforts to assist with any such special access requirements or concerns. 
  1. Tickets are sold subject to the Society’s right to alter or vary the advertised Event where reasonably necessary. Event details are subject to potential change. 
  1. Where an Event is cancelled or re-scheduled, the Society will use its reasonable endeavours to notify you using the details you provided at the time of booking. The Society does not guarantee that you will be informed of such cancellation before the date of the Event. It is your responsibility to inform the Society of any change to the contact address, telephone number or email address you provided at the time of purchase. 
  1. Refunds are only considered on major cancellation, material alteration or by special exception determined by the Society in its sole discretion. For the purposes of these terms and conditions:
    • 'major cancellation' is the cancellation of the Event in full (and not rescheduled).
    • 'material alteration' is a change (other than a rescheduling) which, in the Society’s opinion, makes the Event materially different to the Event that ticket purchasers, taken generally, could reasonably expect. In particular, please note that the following are not deemed to be 'material alterations': changes to the line-up of the Event; adverse weather conditions; curtailment of the Event where the majority of the Event is performed in full; and delays to starting an Event; and
    • 'special exception' is an exception determined by the Society in its sole discretion. Where an Event is cancelled, rescheduled and you cannot or do not wish to attend the rescheduled Event or where there is a material change to the Event, you will be entitled to claim a refund in accordance with this clause. 
  1. Liability for the cancellation, rescheduling of an Event, or for material changes to an Event, will be limited to the face value of the Ticket purchased. Personal arrangements including travel, subsistence, hospitality and accommodation relating to the Event which have been arranged by you are at your own risk and the Society shall not be liable for any loss of enjoyment or wasted expenditure beyond the Ticket face value. 
  1. In order to claim your refund for a cancelled Event, please apply in writing to the Society. enclosing your unused Tickets (a) within 3 months after the original proposed date of the Event for a cancelled or rescheduled Event, or (b) as soon as possible for prior to the Event for an Event which has been materially changed. 
  1. The Society will not make any refund if Tickets and/or the relevant notification are not received within the above timeframes. Refunds will only be made to the person who purchased the Tickets. 
  1. The Society reserves the right to refuse you entry to and/or eject you from the Event and/or Venue (and may take appropriate action to enforce this right) in reasonable circumstances including without limitation for health and safety or licensing reasons; if you behave in a manner which has or is likely to affect the enjoyment of other persons at the Event; if you use or display threatening, abusive or insulting words or mannerisms; if you are found in possession of any prohibited item or substance; if, in the Society’s reasonable opinion, you are acting under the influence of alcohol or drugs; if you fail, when required, to produce proof of identity or age; if you refuse to comply with the Society’s security searches; if you breach these terms and conditions; or if your Ticket is void. No refunds will be given to you if you are refused entry or ejected due to your own behaviour. 
  1. By attending an Event, you give your express consent to The Society taking video or still photography during the Event, includes filming through CCTV which may be carried out for the security of customers or the prevention of crime. you give your express consent to the Society using photographs and/or video recordings including images of you both internally and externally to promote the Society. These images could be used in print and digital media formats including print publications, websites, e-marketing, posters, banners, advertising, film, or social media. If you do not wish your image to be used in this way, please make that known to a member of staff at the Event.

Images on websites can be viewed throughout the world and not just in the United Kingdom and some overseas countries may not provide the same level of protection to the rights of individuals as EU/UK legislation provides.

You can ask the Society to stop using your images at any time, in which case it will not be used in future publications but may continue to appear in publications already in circulation. 

  1. The Society reserves the right to conduct security searches at the entrances to Venues, on the site and confiscate any item which in the opinion of the Society may cause danger or disruption to other persons at the Event or is one of the items not permitted in the Venue as listed in any of the Conditions. The following types of items may not be brought into any Venue: laser pens; fireworks or flame and/or smoke devices; your own food and drink (unless permitted by the Venue); bottles, cans or glass containers (unless permitted by the Venue); any item which the Society or Venue considers could be used as a weapon (including sharp or pointed objects such as knives); illegal substances and other intoxicating substances whether legal or not. Smoking is strictly prohibited except in designated smoking areas. The Society or Venue reserves the right to eject any person found smoking in prohibited areas within the Venue, without refund. 
  1. Depending on the type of Event, every effort to admit latecomers will be made at a suitable break in the Event, but admission for latecomers cannot always be guaranteed. 
  1. You must comply with any and all instructions given to you by the Society and/or all Venue staff and with all Venue regulations. The Society reserves the right to restrict access to parts of the Venue.
  1. You must not leave any bags or other items of personal property unattended in the Venue. Any personal possessions or other items (including without limitation clothing, wallets and mobile telephones), which are found in the Venue, shall only be retained by the Venue for a limited time following their discovery. Please contact the Venue as soon as possible to collect any items left at the Venue which belong to you. you may be required to show reasonable proof of identification and ownership upon collection.