Is selling gold by mail safe?

Quick answerIt can be. The safe version is a buyer that gives you a written offer before paying, insures the package for its full value both ways, gives you a reasonable deadline to decline, and returns your items free if you say no. The risky version auto-accepts when you miss a deadline, caps insurance well below your gold's value, or charges you to get your items back.

Why people worry

In 2010 testimony, the FTC described complaints about mail-in gold buyers: offers far below value, and items melted before sellers could reject the offer¹. The industry has improved, but those risks haven't disappeared. Michigan's Attorney General advises sellers to know what their items are worth, compare buyers, and get offers in writing².

1. Insurance limits

Published coverage varies by more than 20 times:

• MailGoldOnline: $1,000 per shipment by default; call ahead to raise it³.
• GoldFellow: up to $2,500 per shipment⁴.
• The Alloy Market: $25,000 once you send photos, with up to $100,000 available⁵.
• Offramp: up to $25,000⁶.

Run your items through the calculator. If the total is more than the buyer's limit, ask to raise it or split the shipment.

2. Decline deadlines and auto-accept

• Express Gold Cash: you must decline within 72 hours of the offer⁷.
• MailGoldOnline: 48 hours, after which the offer is treated as approved⁸.
• Cash for Gold USA: if you don't respond before the holding period ends, the offer is treated as accepted⁹.

Before you ship, know exactly how long you'll have and how the offer will reach you, by email, text or phone.

3. What happens if you say no

Look for free, insured return shipping. Cash for Gold USA's terms cap return-shipment insurance at $1,500, or $5,000 in some cases, even though it advertises much higher coverage on the way in⁹. See every buyer's return terms on our comparison.

Safe-shipping checklist

1. Photograph every item next to a ruler, and weigh each one.
2. Write down each item, its stamp and its weight, and keep a copy.
3. Record a video of yourself packing and sealing the box.
4. Don't write "gold" or "jewelry" anywhere on the outside of the package. DD Pawn Loans gives the same advice¹⁰.
5. Ship from a staffed counter and keep the receipt and tracking number.
6. Don't accept an offer until you've compared it with the melt value.

Red flags

• No physical address or company history
• No published insurance amount, or a limit far below your shipment's value
• Silence counts as acceptance, with a short window
• Fees to return your items
• The buyer won't show the weight and karat for each item

Common questions