It's never a bad idea to take a closer look at a company before you start investing. For example, if you're looking to invest in precious metals, you'll want to take a closer look at the company from which you buy. If you're interested in SD Bullion, for example, you'll want to look at whether or not the company can meet your needs. Fortunately, we've researched to figure out precisely what makes this company work and not work.
IMPORTANT NOTE BEFORE STARTING:
We understand that selecting a company to invest with is a critical decision. Our team has spent thousands of hours researching and reporting on the good, bad, and ugly of thousands of gold dealers.
We take great pride in providing the most in-depth, researched, and comprehensive information as possible so you can make the best decision for yourself and/or family.
Out of the hundreds of dealers that we review, there are only 5 companies that we'd personal choose to invest with ourselves.
-----> Find out which companies made the top 5 gold companies this year
Did SD Bullion make it to the top 5? Read the above review to find out. Or continue on.
Who is SD Bullion?
In operation since 2012, SD Bullion is a well-respected international dealer of precious metals that has a customer base of over one hundred thousand customers. It has also notable done over a billion dollars in transactions over the past nine years.
The company has a largely positive reputation, with a host of five-star reviews and an A+ rating from the BBB. The company has also been featured by Inc Magazine twice as one of the fastest-growing companies in the US.
The company does more than sell precious metals, though. It also publishes many different resources about the precious metals market, focusing on analyzing global events and keeping track of how metals investments perform against more traditional types of investments.
Buying Metals
This company is a well-known dealer in precious metals. If you want to buy gold or silver, you can look at SD Bullion's website to determine what they have for sale.
What's great about working with this company is that they make buying simple. You'll take your items, put them in your online cart, and check out. From here, you'll choose your shipping speed, enter your payment information, and make your purchase just like any other online purchase.
Returns are a bit tricky, though. SD Bullion doesn't guarantee that you can return metals and they are fairly well known for not accepting them. Getting a return requires you to make your request within three business days of getting your items delivered and waiting to find out if the company will accept your request.
If your return is accepted, you'll need to ship it back in the original packaging and pay the cost of shipping. If there were any market losses between the time of payment and receipt, you'd also have to pay that back to SD Bullion.
Fees
The company has a fairly large number of payment options. If you want to use Bitcoin, for example, you can buy orders of up to a quarter of a million dollars if you submit the payment within fifteen minutes of getting a price quote. You can use a cashier's check for orders of up to twenty thousand dollars, but you'll get seven days to submit the check. Debit and credit cards and Paypal have limits of five thousand dollars, while e-checks can be used for purchases of up to twenty thousand dollars. The good news, though, is that the latter payment method gets a discount of four percent.
Speaking of discounts, personal checks get the same discount and have the same spending limits. On the other hand, money orders get the benefits of the discount but have a limit of ten thousand dollars. Wire transfers get the same kind of discount and have the twenty thousand dollar limit, but they must be sent within seventy-two hours of your purchase.
If you don't manage to make your payment during the time frame set by the company, you'll end up having to pay back any market losses that occur during that time frame. You'll also end up paying a fee of up to five percent of your total order.
Shipping
SD Bullion uses a few different companies for shipping in the US. They used not only the USPS, but also FedEX and UPS. You'll get free shipping if your order is over ninety-nine dollars and is domestic. If your order is for less, you'll pay $7.77.
International shipping varies a bit more. International shipping costs aren't calculated until checkout, so there's no flat fee on which you can depend. What you pay, then, depends on where you ship your items.
Packages are insured and require a signature by default. You can, however, waive the signature requirement, which will then get rid of your insurance. Regardless of your choice, you will get a tracking number for your item to keep track of everything while it is in transit.
Storage
SD Bullion does offer storage options for those who buy silver, gold, and platinum. If you decide to purchase with the company, you will have the option to ship your metals home or to have them shipped to the secure storage option.
You'll have to open up a depository account if you want storage. This is done by calling the company directly during regular business hours. New customers get three months of free storage, while existing customers will only pay about ten dollars monthly for their base price. This price does, however, go up depending on what you are storing. Regardless of what you store, your deposits will be insured for the total melt value of your items.
Calculating fees are a little more complicated than you might think. Everything you hold has a different rate, and your fees will be expressed as a percentage of your holdings. Gold and platinum have a fee of .29 percent of your total holdings, while silver's fee is .39 percent of your total holdings.
Customer Reviews
There is a good reason why this company has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. Customers tend to think they are quite reliable, with 216 reviews giving the company a 4.9 out of 5 rating. That's much better than even the industry average.
Trustpilot gives the company a slightly worse review, a 4.3 out of 5, but that's with over fifteen hundred reviews. Again, this shows that most consumers have a favorable view of the company.
So, what do people like about the company? For the most part, they tend to really like the fact that they are treated well by customer service. Others tend to like the online ordering system, especially if they have already tried to order metals from companies that don't have the same kind of service.
There are, however, still some complaints. Some negative reviews will tell you some of the downsides of working with this company, even if they are minor. There are definitely complaints, for example, that the company charges fees for cancellations. There are also complaints about shipping delays, which is relatively common in this industry.
Honestly, neither of these problems are real issues that speak to problems with the company itself. However, they are things you need to prepare yourself for if you choose to work with SD Bullion. If you're okay with having to pay cancellation fees and having to wait for your metals, you'll be fine.
Buyback Program
SD Bullions does have a buyback program. They'll buy back gold, silver, palladium, and platinum, but you must follow a few steps. The buyback process works as follows:
- Start by calling the company and confirming your buyback price.
- Print out the order form as soon as the company emails it to you.
- Pack up the items together with the purchase order.
- Ship out the package as soon as you can.
- Get your payment about three days after the company receives your package.
Is SD Bullion Safe?
It makes sense to wonder if any given company is safe to work with, especially considering that you're looking to invest your hard-earned money.
The great news is that SD Bullion is already a company that's got a good reputation. The company is accredited by the Better Business Bureau and has an A+ rating with them. The company is also free from complaints from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
The company does a very good job of ensuring that your metals stay safe by providing secure storage options. Metals can go directly from the company to your storage, with no chances of any issues happening between those two points.
Even if your orders aren't going to storage, your transactions will still be secure. The company uses an SSL Certificate on its site to keep your data safe and only uses encrypted payment processors for payments.
Shipping itself is also secure. There's no information about what's in your package on the outside nor where the packages are from. Packages require a signature by default and are also fully insured by the company. This means you'll get your money back if the package does get lost in transit.
Is SD Bullion a Scam?
The great news is that SD Bullion isn't a scam. The company has a fantastic reputation within the industry and with its customers. Almost everyone who matters gives this company a good rating, and they've earned it through their actions over the years.
SD Bullion is one of the rare companies that also ships outside of the US. This makes them an excellent choice for international clients. The company is also a fantastic choice for those looking to buy precious metals, as they have reasonable prices and don't charge fees.
Cons
However, all the good things about the company do not mean that there are no potential problems that might occur if you work with this company. While these issues aren't huge for every investor, they can be a big deal for some. As such, you'll want to keep in mind the following:
Cons
Final Verdict
We honestly think of SD Bullion as one of the most convenient companies with which consumers can buy precious metals. Most customers like how easy they make the buying process, and there is something to be said for just being able to make your purchases online.
The company also offers the ability to ship metals to countries other than the US, which isn't that common. If you get your items shipped in the US, you'll get free shipping for items over ninety-nine dollars. There's a reason, it seems, that so many people seem to love this company.
The only thing to remember is that this might not be the right company for those looking for an IRA. If that's your goal as an investor, you definitely want to look for a company specializing in that field.
If you're just looking to buy gold on the internet, this might be the company for you.
At the end of the day, we do think that SD Bullion is a solid company that just can't do it all. For more complex processes like IRA accounts, you'll need to look at another company for your investment needs.
-----> See a list of the top 5 companies here
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