Frequently Asked Questions

Can I buy over the counter from you?

We no longer accept over the counter retail customers at our premises in Beckton (E6) or our Hatton Garden office (EC1N).

We have a number of associates offering our bars and coins over the counter throughout the UK so please check our website for up to date listings. In London TTT Moneycorp (Knightsbridge SW1X 9LA tel: 020 7823 7000) and City Forex (EC3V 4QT tel: 020 7621 0090) sell our bars and some coins over the counter. Call them for more information.

Can I buy in cash from you?

We discourage cash transactions and prefer payment by bank transfer or cheque.

Should I buy coins or bars?

Coins generally incur higher premiums and these premiums are often lost at the time of selling the coins back. We are able to offer our investment bars at the lowest possible premiums as we manufacture them ourselves, and therefore the bid-offer spread on bars can often be half as wide as that on coins. Additionally, our premiums reduce dramatically as the bars increase in size, therefore it can be far more cost effective to buy a single larger bar rather than several small bars. The only disadvantage to buying one of the larger bars is that the whole bar has to be sold at once. Our bars have been in production for many years and are re-sold in many countries, so there should be no problem in selling these bars on at a later date to other dealers or private investors.

Which type of coins should I buy?

It is always important to remember that bullion coins and bars are bought purely as an investment rather than for any collectable value, and therefore there is little advantage in buying certain coins over others. Some coins may be more expensive to buy (often due to scarcity) even though they contain the same amount of gold and therefore the same intrinsic value, and therefore care should be taken to ensure that the right coins are bought for the right purpose. The one ounce bullion coins are generally the largest size available, and are therefore the most cost effective and accepted method of investing in gold. We are also able to offer a wide variety of the more exotic collectable coins which carry a high premium in relation to their raw gold value, and should be bought for their numismatic properties.

Do you base your buying / selling prices on the current gold price?

Prices on the website are up to date during business hours and are updated continuously to reflect the fluctuations in the spot gold price throughout the trading day. Generally, a client wishing to carry out a transaction over the phone with one of our dealers will be given a price based upon the gold price at the time of calling, so the prices available on the phone will be the same as those on the website.

Will I get the price as quoted on the website?

Generally we provide you with a window of two working days after having placed an order, in which to get the funds to us (i.e. the funds in our account by bank transfer or the cheque in our possession) and we hold the original price agreed, whether or not the price goes up or down during this period. If you fail to pay within the allotted time we may have to re-negotiate the deal. However, you must await our email confirmation before attempting to pay for the order, and the 2 day payment window will begin from the date of receipt of this confirmation.

Do you have minimum or maximum spending limits?

We have no minimum nor maximum spending limits when purchasing small bars and coins. We are happy to sell single units of our very smallest bars, right up to several units of our largest market bars. However, we do impose a minimum initial order value of five thousand pounds for our unallocated or allocated accounts. We also ask that small orders are placed solely on our website as our dealers are usually very busy on the phones during trading hours taking account orders to be executed on the fixings.

Which methods of payment do you accept?

We currently accept sterling cheques or bank transfers only. We find that bank transfers are the most efficient and hassle free method of payment, and can most easily be transacted via internet banking. We provide our company bank account number and sort code upon placement of an order, via an email confirmation that you will receive usually within the hour.

Will you accept payment by credit or debit card?

We do not accept credit / debit cards due to their high transaction charges and to protect ourselves from fraud. We do accept credit cards for our wedding rings and some other items but never for bullion coins or bars.

Am I required to provide identification when dealing with you?

Small purchases or sales by private individuals below five thousand pounds can be executed without any identification needing to be provided, although we will ask you for a name and address for the invoice. However, if you are spending more than five thousand pounds in a single transaction or more than ten thousand pounds in the course of a year then we will be required to ask for identification. We also require identification for anyone wishing to open an unallocated or allocated account with us. This information is solely for our own use and is stored securely on our premises. It is never shared with any government department nor other third party, and would never be disclosed unless we are compelled to do so by the authorities in relation to a serious crime

What sort of identification do you require?

We require 3 articles for identification purposes, namely a form of photographic I.D (e.g a passport or a drivers licence) and two household bills to prove your address (e.g. utility bills, bank statements, credit card bills etc.). We are happy to accept the originals of the above items, which should be sent to us by registered mail, and we will return them within two working days by the same method. If you are unable to send the originals we will also accept certified photocopies of the above items. Certification is required to be completed by an authority figure (e.g. a judge, lawyer, accountant, police officer etc.) or can be completed by the post office for a small fee, and involves the certifier to sign the copied documents and state that they are a true likeness of the client.

What are your delivery methods and costs?

We deliver the majority of our items via Royal Mail next day special delivery, fully insured to your personal address, and someone will need to be at home to provide a signature. Our packages are discretely wrapped and postal charges are generally very reasonable even on the larger size bars. If the item is delivered and you are not at home, a calling card will be left and the item can subsequently be collected form your local post office or redelivered. We have additional insurance to cover any losses that might be incurred, above and beyond the standard insurance level supplied by Royal Mail, so you will not be liable for any loss. We occasionally offer delivery to banks and other institutions on one of our own secure vans at our discretion. Postage costs start from GBP7.50 and are generally no higher than GBP25.

When you receive goods from us by post or courier we advise that you carefully check the external packaging before you sign for it. If you notice any signs of damage or tampering, or if you are in any way unsure about the integrity of the package, you should not sign for it. Although not always the case, it is sometimes possible to feel the weight of your item(s) in the package. Package contents are carefully weighed and independently checked by several staff members before being sealed.

How long will it take to receive my order?

The majority of banks will be able to get the funds to us within 3 working days, others within twenty four hours. The latter is generally known as a CHAPS payment and usually incurs a charge. As soon as the funds are received, items can be collected from our premises or will be posted out by next day delivery. The average waiting time to receive the goods, from the time of the order being placed, is usually within 3 days if paying by CHAPS, a week if paying by BACS, and two weeks via cheque. It is company policy to wait ten working days after receipt of a cheque before sending out the goods, hence the extended wait for delivery if using this method.

Can you store my gold for me?

Yes we do offer a storage facility, and this is known as an 'allocated account' with a minimum spending limit of GBP5000 in order to qualify for this service. Allocated metal is fully covered by our insurance policy with Lloyds. There is a charge for storage and insurance on such holdings, which, with effect from 1^st July 2010, is GBP550.00 per bar p.a for 'large' gold bars (approx 12.5 kilos) and GBP60 per kilo p.a for small bars or coins in gold or palladium, payable per quarter in advance. Platinum is charged at GBP75 per kilo p.a , and for 1000oz silver bars is 0.5% of the average value of the silver stored billed quarterly in arrears on the average value of silver for the preceeding quarter. There is a minimum annual charge of GBP175 for gold, platinum and palladium. All storage and insurance charges are made for the quarter or part thereof, and are subject to VAT. If you want storage you will need to specify this in the comments field of the online order form, and we will send you out an additional application form to be filled in and sent back at your convenience.

Will you buy back my coins and bars?

We always buy coins and bars from the general public even if the items were not originally bought from us. We are happy to purchase scrap gold as well, as long as the seller is a VAT registered trader and has sufficient quantities. The easiest method is to phone or email one of our dealers and request a valuation for your items. Prices given will be based upon the spot price less a small percentage commission, or for some items a premium will be paid (over and above the value of the gold) if we have a requirement for that item.

How do I sell gold back to you?

The easiest method is to call us and fix a price with one of our dealers. Once a price is agreed, we will hold this price for 24 hours whilst we await delivery of your items and upon receipt the client will be paid immediately by bank transfer or cheque. It is generally easiest for clients to post their items in by registered mail or to bring them to us at our Beckton branch. Packages with a value of up to GBP2500 can be insured with Royal Mail at minimal cost, and larger lots should be split up into several parcels in order to ensure that they are fully covered in event of loss. If your items are in storage with us, selling back is even easier and we can usually pay you on the same day.

How do I know that my coins and bars are genuine?

We have over forty years experience in coin dealing, and inspect every coin before it is sent out to ensure that it is genuine. We also conduct regular spot checks on our manufacturing process to ensure the quality of our bars. Although we don't provide certificates of authenticity as we believe them to be of limited value, every bar is stamped with the metal quality and the weight, and gold bars of 100 grams and above are also stamped with serial numbers so that they can be easily identified. Fake items can generally be spotted by a keen eye, as the weight or dimensions of the item will be inconsistent, and there are several assay offices located in the UK where items can be taken and independently tested for purity for a minimal fee.

How do I know my items are safe when vaulted with you?

Our main premises are located on a secure industrial estate that is monitored twenty four hours a day, and our buildings are protected by a variety of security features. We have a full and comprehensive insurance policy with Lloyds of London in order to cover the gold that is held on our premises. We also store items with our bank at their own vaults. Allocated holdings are individually boxed and bar numbers can be provided for peace of mind. We are happy for clients to come and view our premises along with their allocated holdings as long as we are given 48 hours notice.

Can I buy gold through my company, as part of my pension or on behalf of my trust fund?

We are happy to deal with a wide variety of institutions and funds. We will need photo identification and two proofs of address for all of the parties involved (e.g directors of the company or trustees of the trust) and also any documents relating to the incorporation or administration of the institution (e.g the VAT certificate, the certificate of incorporation, the trust deed etc.). We have various account opening packs tailored to the requirement of the specific institution type, so please ask one of our dealers for the relevant information.

Can you give me advice about my investment strategy?

We do not provide guidance on your investment strategy, we can only tell you about the products we sell and are unable to provide a forecast regarding metal prices. However, we do provide an exclusive monthly report that gives a detailed overview of the precious metals market along with sophisticated data that would be useful to any investor. Please ask one of our dealers for information about this service.

Who owns goldline?

The goldline.co.uk domain name and website have been wholly owned and operated by Baird & Co since 1996.
goldline.co.uk has no association with any other domain name or company of a similar name.