American Hartford Gold is one of the largest precious metals investment companies in the United States. They operate out of Los Angeles in California and serve customers throughout the US. However, they don't ship internationally.
The company's goal is to help people secure their finances with gold and silver. But there are many companies that do the same thing. How does American Hartford Gold compare to the competition?
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IRA Services
While you can make cash purchases of precious metals, the IRA services are the company's main focus. You can roll over your retirement funds into a self-directed IRA, then use those funds to buy precious metals. This provides a necessary hedge against inflation and stock market volatility.
It can be difficult to set up an IRA because of the amount of paperwork. If you don't have a tax background, the regulations can be overwhelming. That's why there are experts at American Hartford Gold who will walk you through it.
From there, you can purchase precious metals. There is a large variety of different items available through the American Hartford Gold store. Keep in mind, though, that you'll need to call to get price quotes. The online prices don't update in real time like with some other companies.
Most of the products are gold and silver coins from official mints in countries like Austria, Canada, Australia, Switzerland, South Africa, and the US.
The fees for an account are not listed on the website. However, the company does state that the fees change depending on your precious metals holdings and the value of your account. Some people qualify for free storage. If you make a large purchase, you're more likely to have your storage costs covered. You can call the company to ask about the specifics of their storage offerings.
Is American Hartford Gold a Scam?
American Hartford Gold is not a scam. In fact, the company has excellent reviews across multiple websites. On Consumer Affairs, they have a 4.9 out of 5 star rating based on 86 reviews, indicating almost universal praise. They are accredited with the BBB and have an A+ rating. The customer average on the BBB website is also 4.9 out of 5 stars with over 170 customer reviews.
There are similarly positive ratings across platforms like Facebook and Trustpilot. Multiple third party websites have indicated that customers are mostly satisfied. There are also positive reviews from third party organizations regarding the company's policies and ethics.
Because this is one of the largest precious metals companies in the United States, there are bound to be a few complaints. On the BBB website, there have been 19 complaints filed in three years. Of those, 10 were filed in the last year. Keep in mind that this is a fraction of the number of positive reviews.
But complaints about a company can tell you a lot about them. You'll see whether there are any common problems that don't seem to be solved. In addition, you'll be able to see how the company responds to different customer feedback.
There is a note on the BBB website that customers with issues can call a company number to have their concerns addressed more quickly. This is ideal because it removes the processing time for the complaint, and it means that the company doesn't have negative feedback in public.
Customer Complaints
Before getting into the customer complaints, we should point out the positive reviews. Most customers say that they're happy to have chosen American Hartford Gold as their gold company. In addition, they say that they would recommend the company to others.
American Hartford Gold's customer service team is often praised, as are their prices and transparency. They have a good reputation in the industry. The content of complaints about them is the exception, not the norm.
We won't be able to examine every complaint that's been left on the BBB website. But we can take a look at some of the most recent ones that are displayed.
Supposedly Overvalued Coin
One complaint was filed in January of 2022 about a purchase made in late September of the previous year. The customer said that he had been quoted a certain price for one ounce of gold. However, the company said that they didn't have any single one-ounce coins left in stock. They asked the customer if he wanted to buy 1/4 ounce coins instead.
Rather than listing the price for a single coin, the company gave the customer a quote for a full tube. The customer made the purchase and then discovered that the price was significantly inflated. He had paid much more for the 1/4 ounce coins than he would if the gold was being sold for its previously-quoted per-ounce rate.
The customer said that when he called about the issue, the company representative was dismissive. He was told that the item must have been the only thing available in the inventory. But according to the representative, the customer said that he should have gotten about 4 more coins for the price he paid.
American Hartford Gold responded to say that the customer had contacted them right after making the complaint. Apparently he posted the complaint impulsively and actually was satisfied with his purchase. According to the company, the customer had said he would contact the BBB to remove the complaint.
The complaint is still listed on the BBB website. But the customer has never responded to contradict this claim. It's possible that the complaint is up in error. It is also not clear whether the customer realized his math was wrong or just changed his mind after a better conversation with a customer service representative.
