American Hartford Gold Review
There are many ways to invest in precious metals for the future. One of the most reliable methods is to purchase bullion, since this is less subject to speculative pricing. But are you making an investment for your personal portfolio, or are you investing in a retirement account?
If you want to hold precious metals in an IRA, you have to comply with a lot of regulations. All of the red tape and paperwork can be overwhelming. So companies like American Hartford Gold have streamlined the process, connecting you with an account custodian and with precious metals alike.
American Hartford Gold is just one of dozens of precious metals IRA companies. But it's also one of the most popular. If you've heard of this gold dealer before, what should you know? Is it worth giving them a call? Are their services legitimate?
About American Hartford Gold
American Hartford Gold operates out of California and is owned by a family. Instead of being a basic dealer of precious metals, the company helps people with major investments. They want their customers to connect with the precious metals pieces that are right for them.
This company has a wide range of products available. Unlike competitors that only sell gold and silver, American Hartford Gold has platinum coins and bars. There's also the option to invest with a cash purchase rather than with an IRA. In this case, you can have your items shipped to your house rather than to a depository.
The company prides itself on offering the most valuable and popular coins at a reasonable price. They even have a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Judging by the online reviews, they do seem to hit that target mark. There are hundreds of happy reviews from past customers, and in the rare event of a complaint, the issue is generally related to a misunderstanding.
Part of the company's appeal is the level of expertise with the employees. They have been working in the precious metals industry for years, sometimes decades. They know everything there is to know about how global economic forces affect the value of different metals. When they speak to customers, they are able to back up all of their information with reports and historical data.
There is a strong focus on client education as well. They aren't trying to convince you to buy precious metals just to turn a profit. They're trying to help clients understand how precious metals are a necessity in today's turbulent economic climate. Even if the clients don't use American Hartford Gold as their dealership, the company wants them to be empowered to make ideal choices.
American Hartford Gold also places strong emphasis on honesty and integrity. They aim to give clients all of the relevant information, even when that information might cost them a sale. Past clients have said that they feel totally safe and comfortable with the guidance they've been given.
Buyback Program
Another selling point of the company is that they have a buyback program. If you're ready to liquidate your holdings, you can contact them to find out a buyback price. They aren't legally able to promise that they'll repurchase the metals, but they haven't turned down a sale yet. In addition, there aren't extra liquidation costs, and the selling process is super easy.
Liquidation is one of the most difficult parts of a precious metals investment. Oftentimes, if you need to liquidate your holdings quickly, then you have to settle for a buyer who won't pay full price. That's why buyback commitments are so important when you're determining which gold dealer will work with you in the future.
There are just three steps to the liquidation process. You'll call and tell the company what you want to sell. Then you'll be given a price quote based around the current spot price of the items. The items will be transported to the company. Once they arrive and are processed, you'll be paid.
You can ask your account representative exactly how the buyback program works. They may be able to give you more information about how payments are processed and how long it takes on average.
Fees and Costs
You can expect to find some costs with any precious metals IRA dealer. But American Hartford Gold has fewer costs than many of the competitors.
For example, you don't have to pay any setup fees to create your gold IRA or roll over your funds. The company will help you with all of the paperwork and communication completely for free, provided you make a purchase from them.
It's also always free to have your metals shipped to your depository of choice. Each discreet package is given a tracking number, so you can see exactly when it arrives at the facility. It is also fully insured the entire time it's in transit, so you can have the value recouped if it gets lost or stolen.
Another important note is that American Hartford Gold does not seem to have any minimum investment threshold to open an IRA. Most other companies require you to invest a few thousand dollars at least. They tend to range from $5,000 to $100,000. So if you're someone who doesn't have a huge amount of extra retirement savings to roll over, American Hartford Gold might be perfect for you!
When you invest in any precious metals IRA, you will need to pay for maintenance and storage. These charges aren't determined by your gold dealer, though. They are determined by your custodian and depository. The custodian is the institution that manages your account, while the depository is the secure facility where the precious metals are held.
If you meet certain qualifications with your first purchase, you might be eligible for some promotions. The promotions often change, so you should double-check whether they're active when you make the purchase. But some customers have had their maintenance and storage fees covered for a maximum of three years. You might also qualify for up to $1,500 in free bonus silver if you meet certain qualifications.
Is American Hartford Gold a Scam?
American Hartford Gold is not a scam. Not only are they one of the largest gold dealerships in the US, they also have one of the best reputations. There are thousands of positive online reviews from past customers. The Better Business Bureau has accredited them and given them an A+ rating, indicating that they work to resolve any issues that come up with customers.
The BBB website shows an average of 4.93 out of 5 stars based on 241 reviews from past customers, indicating almost universal praise. The vast majority of customers have been satisfied. As with any company of this size, there have been a few complaints, but American Hartford Gold has responded to all of them.
Let's take a look at some of the positive feedback, along with how the company handled the negative feedback.
Customer Reviews
Obviously it's not possible to look at hundreds of reviews. But we can break down the specifics in some of the most recent ones. What does American Hartford Gold consistently excel at? What have they done to ensure the satisfaction of their customers?
One review from July of 2022 was from a customer who said that American Hartford Gold greatly benefited his retirement plan. He'd spent a year trying to find out how to integrate gold and silver into his accounts. When he got in contact with the company, they answered every question he had. He said that he was extremely happy with the amount of information he was given, and that the company made the signup process very easy.
Another reviewer named their company representative, Joseph Coles, by name. He said that Joseph had given such excellent service that he deserved more than five stars. During the process, Joseph explained everything about historical data, market trends, and the available products. When the customer raised concerns, Joseph showed him articles and studies to further explain his point. It was easy to transfer the customer's IRAs, and he finished the review by saying that he was excited to work with the company in the future.
Yet another reviewer named Chris James as her company representative. She said that Chris was incredible at explaining everything, handling the transfer process, and answering questions. Furthermore, she said that she looked forward to continuing to work with the team for years down the road.
There was a reviewer who named Nate as her representative. She said that Nate was very informative and was patient as he answered all of her questions. He also explained everything about the buying process. The customer concluded that she felt that the company really cared about her best interests, and it was extremely easy to transition her accounts over.
Finally, there was a reviewer who named Steven as her representative. She said that Steven made the process very simple and explained differences between products that she'd had no idea about. Furthermore, she said that she was no longer worried about her retirement account, since it was not stuck with the whims of the stock market anymore.
All of these reviews are similar. They praise the knowledgeability, patience, and helpfulness of the staff. But it's interesting that so many of them name different staff members. It seems like American Hartford Gold really does have an all star team of representatives working to give customers the most ideal experience possible.
Now let's take a look at a few of the complaints to see how they were resolved.
Resolved Complaints
Even the best companies will sometimes contend with negative feedback online, especially if they're as big as American Hartford Gold. What matters is how they respond to it. It's important for a company to be polite, thorough, and working in the customer's best interest.
There have been 24 complaints filed with the BBB in the past three years, which is a pale fraction compared to the hundreds of positive reviews. Thirteen of the complaints were filed in the previous twelve months. While we can't look at every single complaint, we can examine a few recent ones.
No Price Match
One complaint was filed in May of 2022 regarding the company's price match guarantee. The customer said that the website said that American Hartford Gold would match another company's lower price. That day, the customer had seen another company selling the same product for less. But American Hartford Gold had free shipping available.
When the customer called to ask about the price match policy, they were told that they needed an offer with their name that displayed the price. So the customer went to the other company and got an invoice. After forwarding the invoice, they waited, but there was no reply. Then they called the company back, and the representative on the phone said that the offer wasn't valid for coins.
The customer pointed out that the price match guarantee was written on the website. The representative first said that he didn't see the words, then eventually found it. He asked how much the customer intended to spend. Then he said that the customer needed to spend more to get the offer.
The customer said that they'd be happy to make a purchase meeting the minimum threshold. Then they were told that that offer would only work if the customer agreed to buy exclusively. And they'd need to meet the minimum price, and they would need to buy more than coins.
Each time the customer said that they'd meet the requirements for the price match, the representative changed the requirements instead. The customer said that they wanted the company to follow through with its price match guarantee.
The company itself did not respond to the complaint. However, the customer followed up soon after to clarify that the issue was a misunderstanding. They had since resolved the problem with the company.
Dissatisfied with Product
One customer left a complaint about a purchase he'd made of gold and silver coins. The customer had originally intended to buy one-ounce coins, and was given an appropriate price quote. But then the sales representative said that the company was actually out of one-ounce coins. Instead, the customer was sold 1/4th ounce coins.
The customer bought a tube of 20 of these coins and was quoted a price for the full purchase. Apparently the price per ounce was higher than the quote for the one-ounce coins. Though the customer could have done the math when he was given the original quote, he said that he didn't realize until he received the gold.
When the customer talked to one of the employees about it, he was told that the coins must have been the only thing available for that price at the time. Therefore, there wasn't much that could be done about the issue.
American Hartford Gold replied to let the BBB know that the customer had gotten in contact with them right after posting the complaint. The customer decided that he had acted impulsively, and he actually was fully satisfied with his purchase.
Unhappy with Chosen Items
In September of 2021, a customer left a complaint regarding an IRA transaction. He had rolled his retirement account into precious metals by purchasing through Hartford Gold Group. But once the ticket for the trade was set up, he began to become nervous.
He asked several questions throughout the trade process and expressed that he was concerned. But he was told that he should sign the ticket so that he wouldn't lose the spot prices. If he didn't lock in the price, they would need to be calculated again.
Though the customer was apprehensive, the company representative promised that if he signed, they could start over and get a ticket that the customer wanted. The current ticket didn't have all of the products that the customer wanted, and they were anxious about some of the items. The customer wanted to get as much precious metal for their dollar as possible, so they were worried about the premium products on the ticket.
At one point, the customer mentioned that the price for a 1/4th ounce coin was higher than he had anticipated. The representative told him that he'd technically already made a profit since the price of gold had gone up. However, it had really only risen by $10.
Another manager at the company assured the customer that if he wasn't happy with the ticket, it could be redone to his specifications. The customer was told to wait to receive a call. But he never did. He felt that he had been misled about his purchase.
American Hartford Gold responded to say that they'd worked in close contact with the customer. He had confirmed that he was now satisfied with the service and with the resolution that had been offered. The customer planned to continue working with American Hartford Gold in the future, and American Hartford Gold said they were happy to have him as a customer.
Pros & Cons of American Hartford Gold
PROS
CONS
Final Thoughts
American Hartford Gold is one of the most popular precious metals dealers in the US, having served thousands of customers over the years. But the most popular dealers aren't always the best ones.
Fortunately, in this case, the company actually has earned its reputation. When you look American Hartford Gold up on third party websites, you're able to access hundreds of positive reviews. Customers have talked extensively about how helpful and knowledgeable the representatives are, often calling their company reps by name.
In addition, American Hartford Gold has been highly rated by third parties. The Business Consumer Alliance gives them a high rating, and the BBB gives them an A+ and accreditation.
They really do seem to adhere to all of their policies. On the rare occasions that there are complaints, the company has done everything in its power to resolve the issues. Most of the complaints seem to be related to simple misunderstandings, and the customers have ended up satisfied in the end.
With all of this in mind, we do recommend working with American Hartford Gold. They're a solid precious metals IRA company that offers a variety of ideal products. They have good customer service and prioritize each consumer's individual needs. There aren't any major red flags that could warn you away from them.