Is it safe to post gold in Ireland?

Why the cover has to come from the buyer

An Post does not insure jewellery or precious metals. A gold chain posted on your own account is tracked, but the gold in it is not covered, whichever service you pay for. So the question to ask any postal gold buyer is not “is it tracked?” but “who pays if it is lost?”. Our answer is in clause 6 of the Postal Selling Terms: if you post with the label we provide, keep your proof of postage, and tracking shows the parcel was accepted but it never reaches us, we pay you the value you declared on your request form, up to 2,000 euro, once we are reasonably satisfied it was lost. Once it is delivered to us it is our responsibility until we pay you or return it.

The limits, and what to do above them

The free pack is for gold worth roughly 300 to 2,000 euro, which covers most jewellery boxes. 2,000 euro is also the most our cover goes to in one parcel, so the part of a parcel above it would travel at your risk; do not post it. Lots worth more than 1,000 euro can come to Dublin in person by appointment and be tested while you watch, and large lots can be split across parcels or collected by arrangement. Silver, platinum, mixed lots and bullion coins start with a WhatsApp chat so the right packaging and arrangement go out; message us with the weight and we agree it before anything is posted.

How a safe postal sale runs

1. Request a free pack or label. Fill in the request form at https://liffeymetals.com/sell/post and verify your email. Gold worth roughly 300 to 2,000 euro goes straight through; silver, platinum and mixed lots start with a short WhatsApp chat so the right packaging goes out.
2. Pack and post. Wrap the items, seal the security bag, drop it at any post office and keep the proof of postage. Once tracking shows it accepted with our prepaid label it travels at our risk up to 2,000 euro per parcel.
3. Weighed and tested on camera. Every piece is weighed on a calibrated scale and tested on an XRF analyser, which reads the metal's composition without damaging it. Stones are weighed out where practical.
4. Itemised offer at the published rate. You receive an offer listing every piece, its weight, its grade and the published price per gram applied. It stays open for 48 hours.
5. Paid by bank transfer, or returned free. Accept and we pay by bank transfer the same day, less 12 euro return postage at cost, waived when the parcel's melt value is over 500 euro. Decline and everything comes back to you free by tracked post. One valid photo ID is checked before any payment.

What to check before you post to anyone

• The price per gram for your carat is published before you post, and it is the figure paid, not a headline before fees.
• The label is prepaid and tracked, and the buyer says in writing that the parcel is their risk once it is scanned.
• The parcel is opened on camera and you can see the video. Ours are on The Opening.
• Declining is free. Our offer stays open 48 hours; decline and everything is returned free by tracked post. If you do sell, the only deduction is 12 euro return postage at cost, waived when the parcel's melt value is over 500 euro.
• You keep the post office receipt until you have been paid or your items are back. If we hear nothing on an offer for 30 days and cannot reach you, the items are returned to the address on your request.
• Your ID is never in the parcel. One photo ID is checked separately before any payment.

Packing so nothing is lost on the way

Put chains in a small sealed bag so they do not tangle or snag, wrap rings and small pieces in tissue, and seal everything inside the security bag from the pack. Photograph the items and the sealed bag before you hand it over; the request form already has your description, and the photo is your record of what went in. Hand the parcel over the counter at any post office rather than using a post box, so it is scanned and you get the receipt. From that scan, it is our risk.