By Jon White, founder of Gold Traders.
Selling gold jewellery should be simple. A buyer weighs your gold, checks its purity and pays you a fair price for it.
The trouble is, the UK's gold buying market isn't regulated. When Wiltshire Trading Standards took the same gold to four buyers in June 2026, the first offers ranged from £1,122.57 to £1,880. The gold was worth more than £2,200.
I've run Gold Traders since 2008, and I've seen how some buyers keep their offers low. Here are 10 things they'd rather you didn't know, and how to use them to get a fair price for your jewellery.
The 10 checks at a glance
- Price comparison sites: some aren't as neutral as they look.
- "Highest paying" claims: nobody checks them, so ask for real prices.
- Price per gram: ask what you'll be paid for your carat, in writing.
- "Up to" prices: they're the most a buyer might pay, not what you'll get.
- Reviews: good service doesn't prove a good price.
- Accreditation: check for Trading Standards approval.
- Address and trading history: look the company up on Companies House.
- Payment: ask how and when you'll be paid.
- Postal terms: check what happens if you say no.
- Auction: some pieces are worth more than their gold.
1. Beware of price comparison sites
Gold price comparison sites often appear in the "sponsored" listings at the top of your search results. They look like a neutral referee, but that isn't always the case.
Back in 2013, BBC Radio 4's You and Yours programme looked into one gold comparison site. It found the top-listed buyers were all run by, or connected to, the same people. You can read our write-up of that investigation.
In 2026, a Gold Traders investigation looked at another comparison site. Every button and link on it sent visitors to the same buyer, and the site didn't say who runs it. Three well-known organisations also told us their logos had been used on it without permission. Here's the full investigation.
You'll never see Gold Traders on a gold comparison site. We don't pay for referrals, because that cost would come out of the price we pay you.
2. Beware of "highest paying" claims
Anyone can call themselves "the UK's highest paying gold buyer". Nobody checks the claim before the advert goes live.
If a company makes a claim like this but doesn't clearly show the prices it actually pays (not just the live gold price), treat it as a red flag.
In our own tests in June and August 2026, a buyer calling itself the UK's highest paying and most trusted gold buyer offered just 53.7% and 52.6% of the gold's market value. You can see how every buyer did in our gold buyer price comparison.
3. Always confirm the price per gram you're being offered
A live gold price is the market value of gold. It isn't the price you'll be paid, because every buyer has costs to cover.
Some websites only show the live gold price. Tucked away further down the page, they'll say they "pay a percentage" of it, without telling you what that percentage is.
Before you sell, ask what you'll be paid per gram for your carat. If a company can't or won't tell you the rate it actually pays into your account, treat it as a red flag.
Not sure of your carat? Check the hallmark. 375 means 9ct and 750 means 18ct, and our hallmark wizard can help with the rest.
As a guide, aim for at least 90% of the live market value. Here's how our rates compare with the live market today. We're paying 92.0% of the live price for scrap gold.
| Carat | Hallmark | Live market value per gram | We pay per gram |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9ct | 375 | £35.34 | £32.50 |
| 14ct | 585 | £55.13 | £50.71 |
| 18ct | 750 | £70.68 | £65.01 |
| 22ct | 916 | £86.33 | £79.40 |
See all our gold prices, or try our scrap gold calculator to value your own jewellery.
4. Watch out for "up to" prices
"We pay up to £X per gram" sounds great. But "up to" only tells you the most a buyer might pay, not what it will pay you.
That top rate is often for the purest gold, and most jewellery is 9ct or 18ct. With no fixed price to hold the buyer to, it's free to offer you much less.
Ask for the actual rate for your carat, in writing, before you sell or post anything. A buyer that's happy with its prices won't mind putting them on paper.
5. Read reviews carefully
A Trustpilot score of 4.8 doesn't mean a company is the UK's highest paying gold buyer. Reviews often praise friendly service and fast payment.
But if the seller was never told the weight and purity of their gold, they'd have had no way of knowing whether the price was fair. A happy review can still sit on top of a low offer.
Check the score on the review site itself, too. One of our investigations found a site showing a 4.8 Trustpilot score, while Trustpilot's own page for it had no reviews at all.
Top tip: search Google for "[company name] reviews", then tap the AI Mode tab at the top of your results. You'll get a summary of reviews from across the internet. Treat it as a starting point and read some of the reviews yourself.
6. Check they're accredited
A gold buyer doesn't need any licence or approval to trade in England and Wales. So it's worth checking whether a buyer has chosen to be vetted.
The best-known scheme is Buy With Confidence, run by council Trading Standards teams. Trading Standards checks a business before it can join, and keeps an eye on it afterwards. You can look up any member on the Buy With Confidence website.
It won't guarantee you a good price, but it does tell you someone official has checked how the business works.
Gold Traders was the first precious metals company in the UK to be approved through the scheme. We're also members of the British Numismatic Trade Association (BNTA), a trade body with its own code of conduct.
7. Check for a clear address and trading history
Some gold buyers only give a PO Box. That makes it hard to visit them, or to track them down if something goes wrong.
Look for a company name, a company number and a real address on the website. Then look the company up on Companies House. It's free and takes a minute.
Compare the date the company was set up with how long it says it's been trading. If the two don't match, ask why.
Gold Traders has been buying gold since 2008. You're welcome to visit us at our branches in Royal Wootton Bassett and Bodmin.
8. Find out how and when you'll be paid
A fair price isn't much use if you're left waiting for it. Some buyers pay several days after the sale, and some only post cheques once a week.
Before you sell, ask exactly how you'll be paid and when. If the answer is vague, think twice.
At Gold Traders, we pay you on the day we receive your gold (Monday to Friday), once you've authorised payment. Visit one of our counters and you'll be paid the same day.
9. Selling by post? Check what happens if you say no
Selling by post can be quick and easy. But read the terms before you send anything.
Some postal buyers only give you until the end of the day to accept an offer. Some can charge you to send your items back if you say no.
A few go further. If they can't reach you, they'll send a payment anyway. If you don't return it in time, your gold is treated as sold. The Office of Fair Trading investigated postal gold buyers over this kind of practice between 2009 and 2011.
At Gold Traders, our rates are online for you to check. And if you change your mind within 24 hours, we'll return your items free of charge.
10. Ask if auction would pay more
A scrap price is based on the weight and purity of the gold alone. It usually pays nothing extra for gemstones or a designer name.
Exceptional antique, signed or special gem-set pieces can sometimes be worth more at auction than their gold. A buyer that only deals in scrap won't always tell you that.
Our sister company, RWB Auctions, is on the same High Street as our Royal Wootton Bassett branch. If we think your jewellery would do better at auction, we'll tell you.
The one question that matters most
Most of these checks come down to a single question: "What will you pay me per gram for my gold?" A buyer you can trust will answer it straight away.
At Gold Traders, we publish both the live market price and the rate we pay, so you know where you stand before you visit or post anything. When you're ready, start your free valuation.
