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Complaint Details
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Initial Complaint
11/15/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Product Issues
- Status:
- Answered
I ordered 2 of one-once gold bar from SD bullion and I received the items yesterday on 11/13/2024. The gold bars have black dots on them and one of the bars has a big black line on the back. I emailed SD bullion same day to ask for a replacement but they refuse saying that the gold is sold being in circulated condition, which means they can show signs of wear or tear. I didn’t see anywhere in the website saying that I’m buying used gold. They want me to return it but they will charge me market loss and 5%. This is not my fault, I just want a non defective item.Business response
11/15/2024
Hello ********
We hope you are doing well.
We sincerely regret the inconvenience with your order.
Upon reviewing the details, I can confirm that the item you selected is listed as a circulated bar . The product description on the same page provides specific information about its condition.
As a reference, I am attaching the link so you can review the information. *************************************************************.
These bars are advertised as being in circulated condition, which means they can show signs of wear or tear. But we guarantee that they are 99.99% gold content.
Best,
SD Bullion Customer ServiceInitial Complaint
10/23/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Service or Repair Issues
- Status:
- Answered
I attempted to place an order with SD Bullion on October 8th. Because of a software issue on THEIR PART (Plaid), I was unable to complete the transaction. Now I have been stuck with a cancellation fee of $100 when they provided no service at all.Business response
10/30/2024
Hello Matthew ,
The system enables us to utilize e-checks without our servers storing your bank account information. Instead, the information is encrypted and tokenized. It is much more secure than a customer typing their bank information into a website.As of 08/25/22 ********** accounts are no longer eligible for Plaid e-check payments due to changes made by ***********
Best,
While using Plaid on the website, you may have trouble finding your bank if it's not supported by Plaid. If so, you can select one of the other payment methods available to you. We offer a variety of other options that still qualify for the cash discount, including: bank wires, personal checks, cashier's checks, and money orders.
SD Bullion Customer ServiceInitial Complaint
10/22/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Service or Repair Issues
- Status:
- Answered
attempted to sell 83 one ounce silver coins on there site. contact point ***** one friday 18th october 2024 contact sd bullion about selling a total of 83 one ounce coins. fifty two of these were graded slabbed coins in grade 69 or 70. at least one of each date 86 to 21. rest ************* in original *** packaging, canadian, austrian, or british. all in uncirculated or better grade. original offer $5138.50 or ***** a piece. as silver went up over 3 dollars and ounce friday through monday asked for a price update before agreeing to the sale on monday 21 october. when **** called back was told they had made a mistake and doubled the number of each coin and the bid? so now after price of silver had actually gone up the new offer was ******* or ***** a coin. that is actually below the present price of silver in a glob, raw silver. they sell no silver coin of any type for less than ***** a coin. and many of slabbed eagles sell for triple that. i think they should include in their listing a sell price so people can see what these coins are actually worth. there whole argument is these coins are an excellent store of resources and a great investment. it is clear from their offer price that is not the case even to them. the firm is advertising false valve for their silver forms of investment. apparently this is not a business but is a false promise shell game. i feel having them post next to the sell price for this so called investment the buy price the true truth about this would be clear to fleeced individuals thinking about buying from them. coins are not new cars, they are sold as a store of wealth and not a new car that uses alot of value as in roles out the door. another s**** the customer game.Business response
10/30/2024
Hello *******,
We hope this message finds you well.
We apologize that your experience with us did not meet expectations, as customer satisfaction is always our top priority. I reviewed your case thoroughly and it appears that our representative identified and promptly corrected the pricing error while providing you with the information.
Best,
SD Bullion Customer Service!
Initial Complaint
09/04/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Customer Service Issues
- Status:
- Answered
Dear Sir/ Madam, I placed an order on SDBullion.com on Friday 8/30/2024. On Saturday afternoon, I tried to reach SD Bullion to change my original order but no one at SD Bullion was available to take calls or online chat, so I placed a second order to replace my first order. Today, 9/3/2024, the Tuesday after Labor Day, I'd like to make a change to the items ordered. Since it was before 8am the day right after the Labor Day long weekend, I assumed SD Bullion was not open, and so I placed a new order to replace the order placed on Labor Day. I then called SD mid morning to tell them about replacing the 2 previous orders. I was shocked when '********' at SD Bullion said I owed them a cancellation fee of $4000+ for the 2 cancelled orders! She then referred to the fine prints in SD's Term of Use regarding cancellation fees, which I did not read before placing the order. I told '********' I did not intend to cancel my original order but to change the order. She said I should have called SD Bullion to change an existing order over the phone instead of placing a new order! Yet I am new to SD, and I wish SD had someone to answer the phone or online chat over the Labor Day long weekend!!! .... In the end, ******** announced she'd drop the cancellation fees from $4000+ to $600 for the 2 orders to be cancelled, and I had until 4pm today to pay the fees to avoid being sent to collection! .... I had only wanted to change my order and not to cancel it! Yes I should have avoided placing an order around the Labor Day long weekend altogether, but I do not deserve such a hefty penalty for doing so!Business response
09/10/2024
Hello *******,
Thank you for reaching out to us.
We sorry to hear about the difficulties you encountered. We reviewed your request but when an order is placed with SD Bullion, it becomes a binding agreement with locked-in prices, and trades cannot be modified once confirmed.
Our cancellation policy, which is agreed to at the time of the order, includes fees to cover operational and market loss costs.
Cancellation requests must be made via telephone during normal business hours. Please note that SD Bullion was open on Labor Day and our team was available to assist with any order changes or cancellations.
Your orders were canceled per your request, but we have noted that you have expressed unwillingness to cover the payment for these orders. As such, the applicable cancellation fees are in line with our standard policy to address the operational and market impacts of the cancellations.
We appreciate your understanding and hope this clarifies the situation.
Best,
SD Bullion Customer Service
Customer response
09/15/2024
Complaint: ********
I am rejecting this response because:(1) I have never requested to cancel or close Order #********. This is the order I replaced the previous order with over the Labor Day weekend. In exchange to keep this order open and to avoid cancellation fees, on 9/5/2024, SD Bullion forced me to open a new order (Order #********) and in effect doubled the size of Order #********. According to '*****' and '****' at SD who called me on 9/5/2024, if I did not place the new order(Order #********) , they'd cancel Order #******** and impose cancellation fees. On 9/6/2024 I called SD to close Order #********, the order I was pressured into opening by SD the day before, but not Order #********, which I had tried so hard to keep open!
(2) I requested to cancel Order #******** without the cancellation fee because it was an order SD forced me to open to keep Order #******** alive and to avoid cancellation fees. Given what happened over the Labor Day weekend, I do not deserve to pay any cancellation fees at all, regardless if I place an additional order with SD or not. SD should not have conditioned their waiving of the cancellation fees of an existing order upon if additional orders were placed with them.
(3) According to SD's staff ('********'), orders can be modified over the phone. To people new to SD, and to those who did not read the fine prints in SD's Terms of Use before placing an order, SD's website did not give clear instructions as to if/ how an order can be modified.
(4) SD Bullion was closed on Labor Day weekend, and I was unable to reach anyone at SD by phone or online chat on Saturday or Sunday before the Labor Day. I found this out only by trying to reach SD, as there was no indications on SD's website if it was open or not.
Given the above, I respectfully request that SD allow me to keep Order #******** open, and waive the cancellation fee on Order #********.
Sincerely,
******* **Business response
09/17/2024
Hello *******,
We hope you are doing well.
Here’s our position:
During a recorded conversation with Aaron, you agreed to our Terms of Use, including cancellation fees. As stated in these terms, cancellation fees apply, including 5% of the order total or $35, whichever is higher, plus any market loss.
These terms were clearly communicated at the time of your order. Our office was open on Labor Day and we strive to maintain clear communication about our operating hours.
Due to the terms and conditions you agreed upon placing the orders we have to stick to our company policy.
Best,
SD Bullion Customer Service
Customer response
09/17/2024
Complaint: ********
I am rejecting this response because:(1) What you did not record was how ***** and Aaron ('****') called me multiple times on 9/5/2024 and pressured me into placing a new order (Order #********) in exchange to keep Order #******** from being cancelled, and to avoid cancellation fees.
(2) On 9/5/2024, Aaron ('****') did not give me ANY time to think before placing the new order, even though I ASKED him for time to think before responding to his request that I place an additional order in exchange to keep my standing order (Order #********) from being cancelled. Aaron ('****') also told me to say yes to the terms he read out over the phone as a formality in order to place the new order, and so I did!
(3) SD was closed on the weekend before Labor Day and that was when I needed help the most! If you were unable to reach anyone during business hours over the entire weekend, you'd think SD was closed on Labor Day as well, especially before 8AM, when I placed Order #******** to replace the previous order.
In summary, I have tried very hard all this time to keep Order #******** from being cancelled, and have never ever requested to cancel it ! Nor am I liable for any cancellation fee for closing the new order (Order #********), which SD inappropriately pressured me into placing on 9/5/2024, in exchange for SD not to cancel Order #********. Hence I'd like to reiterate my request that SD allows me to keep Order #******** open, and waive the cancellation fee on Order #********.
Sincerely,
******* **Initial Complaint
08/14/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Billing Issues
- Status:
- Answered
I ordered from said company on 8/5/24. I used their pay by e check which required me to input the routing and checking number. I input the numbers and get a green check **** acknowledging that the information was correct. So I place order and wait since their policy is we dont ship till that clears. Fast forward to 8/12 get a phone call didnt know who it was send it to voicemail. I listen to it later and it says oh the routing number i provided was wrong/not working. Ok so I call back today 8/13 and was told yeah we had a problem so I asked read back to me the routing number. Was told numbers and said hey so its correct. So needless to say they are trying to resolve the issue and think its me that needs to do it. I said this checking account pays a couple of credit cards capital 1 and citi bank and even a car loan since they use Echeck also. Well the young lady didnt care and since I was looking to cancel the order since I know they wanted to have people use credit cards to get more money they told me I would need to pay a cancellation fee. No I did everything you asked me to do and no I refuse to pay to cancel the order because your bank wont accept the money. So needless to say I sent the screen shot showing how much of a clown show they are because the screen shot confirms what I said was correct. I would like to do more business with them but after this incident forget it. I would rather pay more for items and not deal with the ** of a company whos gotten too big for their britches.Business response
08/20/2024
Hello *******,
Thank you for taking the time to inform us about this matter .
Having investigated your order 21917197. It appears that the routing number used to pay the order doesn't work for E-checks. That is the information reported by the Accounting Department.
When this happens our suggestion is to take in consideration the other payment methods offered.
Unfortunately the order went canceled and your account was refunded.
Best,
SD Bullion Customer ServiceInitial Complaint
08/08/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Customer Service Issues
- Status:
- Answered
i was on SD bullion website looking at different items for sale and simply browsing like i always do. checking out differnt coins and pricing options and comparing differnt methods of (payments pricing) as you get differnt pricing depending on your form of payment if you decide to make the purchase. i decided that i did not want to purchase anything and closed my page and moved on with life. a few weeks later i received a cancelation bill. after calling and speaking with there rep ximena and trying to explain the issue she was extreamly unhelpful and rude. stating that i did make a purchase and that if i had not made one they would not have my email/billing info. there was reasoning with her and she still demanded the cancelation fee. i never made a purchase nor ever agreed to one, if i had i would have provided my credit card info. they most definitely have some type of scam going as i see that iam not the only one complaining about the same exact thing. WARNING TO ALL!! do not add anything to your cart while browsing there web site or you will be billed for it.Business response
08/13/2024
Hello *******,
Thank you for taking the time to bring this matter to our attention.
Please allow me to apologize for any inconvenience or frustration caused by your recent experience.
I understand that you were unhappy with the response provided by our customer service representative . However , I want to assure you that our representatives are trained to provide the best possible service to our customers.
Having investigated your case, I see we have 2 orders placed the same date with two different grand totals, our system locked in the trade when the customer accept the terms of use and automatically our system generates a confirmation email with the payment instructions. Your products were moved out of the inventory and held for you , we hedge our price based off the market price at the time you submit your order.
We offered you a deal to pay cancellation fees of both orders , we still have that option available . If you want more information you are welcome to give us a call at 1-800-294-8732. We are available from 8 a.m. -8 p.m. est Monday through Thursday and from 8 a.m.-6p.m.est on Friday .
Best,
SD Bullion Customer Service
Initial Complaint
07/01/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Billing Issues
- Status:
- Answered
I placed an order at SDB (>$25,000), which I canceled and immediately emailed the company about it. I then immediately placed a new order for a slightly smaller amount ($24,793). I received a bill from SDB requesting $2148 for the cancellation fee. I emailed them explaining that I placed the second order, but no one ever responded. The company sent me to collections for $3223.17 ("cancellation fee"). I emailed them explaining what had happened, but no one ever responded to my email. I am requesting that this balance be removed from collections.Business response
07/05/2024
*************************,
We appreciate your communication, we've read it and we will take a look into your case.
We will get in contact with you soon.Regards,
Initial Complaint
06/13/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Product Issues
- Status:
- Answered
I purchased silver bars from the company and the silver bars are supposed to be .999 fine silver and they are magnetic.Business response
06/14/2024
Mr. ***********,
Our products are true to their description. Silver does have a magnetism effect- silver is 'diamagnetic' to it's most accurate term. It isn't as strong as other metals, but it does have it.
Our recommendation for testing is the Sigma metalytics scanner - and make sure it's well calibrated so that you receive the most accurate result possible.
Please refer to this video for more information: *******************************************Regards,
Initial Complaint
06/03/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Customer Service Issues
- Status:
- Answered
I will start by saying that my complaint is very similar if not identical to other complaints that have already been filed on this website. I am new to the silver buying process and wanted to see how the form of payment, taxes, insurance, shipping was all handled. I put something in my shopping cart and went to the checkout to see the procedure. After seeing the methods of payment and methods of shipping, I stopped at that point thinking that I had not entered into any agreement. I never received any confirmation emails or order details of any kind and I thought nothing more of it. About six weeks later, I receive a letter in the mail with a cancellation invoice. This notice had multiple errors. It had a wrong email, not a typo but a completely wrong email. It had an order date of May 2 which was not the date that I visited the website. It had a cancellation date the same day as the order date and the order date was about three weeks after I visited the website. This letter said that I must resolve by May 16, and I received the letter on June 1. They indicated a market loss, when there has been gains since that time. I received this letter on a Saturday and called them Monday morning and explained that I had unknowingly entered into a contract and was not made aware in any form of communication. They said that they called me, but there was no answer and they did not attempt to leave a voicemail. I checked my email and I never received any emails from them. The only evidence I have of this transaction is this cancellation invoice that I received weeks after it is intended to be resolved full of incorrect information. I explain all this over the phone and was basically told that they can’t help me but, “Is there anything else I can help you with?”After reading reviews on this website, I see that I am not the only one that has accidentally entered into a contract unknowingly without any contact from the company, other than a scammy cancellation notice.Business response
06/05/2024
Hello *****,
We hope you are doing well .
We reviewed your case in reference of order ******** placed on 4/11/2024 and got canceled by the system on 5/2/2024
Submitting an order through the website or by phone requires the customer to agree to our full terms of use, including SD Bullions order cancellation policy. Cancellation fees are an industry standard. Because we operate in a live market, once an order is submitted it becomes a locked trade. The products were moved out of our inventory and held for you and we hedge our price based off the market price at the time you submit your order. Because of this, cancellation fees are calculated as 5% of the order total or $35, whichever is greater, plus any applicable market loss.
When the system generates an order number means the customer after selecting the items, checking the grand total and verifying the billing and shipping address agree on the Terms of Use. *******************************
After an order is locked in our system generates and email confirmation with the order number and breakdown of the purchase and send it to the email the customer left registered .
According our Cancellations Department they have the records of attempting to contact you by email and phone calls on 4/26/2024 and 4/30/2024 before proceeding to cancel the order .
We sincerely appreciate your understanding
Best,
SD Bullion Customer ServiceCustomer response
06/06/2024
Complaint: ********
I am rejecting this response because:Hello fee collections team I hope you are all doing well,
I appreciate you posting your policy, however, I don’t think restating the policy is going to solve this problem. Anyone who has browsed the complaints on the BBB probably has your policy memorized word for word by now. I understand that you have a policy. The problem is that I entered into this scheme of a contract without being aware that I did. Had I known I entered this agreement, I would have resolved it a long time ago. To restate what I have already said, which has not been addressed, you have an incorrect email address. It is not a typo but a faulty address. Why would I give you my correct number and correct mailing address and a fake email. I tried emailing it and it came right back as undeliverable so you knew you didn’t contact me by email. You made two phone calls four days apart and didn’t leave a voicemail. The member of your team I spoke to a few days ago over the phone, even admitted that no attempt was made to leave a voicemail. How ridiculous is that? It is absurd to think that two phone calls with no voicemail and an undelivered email is a reasonable attempt to contact me. I feel like this could have been resolved a long time ago if you made an appropriate attempt to contact me . To help move forward, please send me an explanation of the loss that I caused you in this market that has been increasing ever since I supposedly entered into this agreement. Also, it would help to know what percentage of your companies profits are from fee collections. This information I think will help us move more quickly to a resolution. I hope your team is doing well and I sincerely appreciate your understanding.
Best,
***** ********Business response
06/10/2024
Hello *****,
We hope you are doing well .
After an order is locked in our system generates an email confirmation which is send to the customers information , in this case to the email customer left registered . Right now we completely understand is not the correct email because you are telling us now , but we just followed what the system shows as information left by the customer.
Cancellation fees are an industry standard. Because we operate in a live market, once an order is submitted it becomes a locked trade. Your products are moved out of our inventory and held for you, and we hedge our price based off the market price at the time you submit your order. Because of this, cancellation fees are calculated as 5% of the order total or $35, whichever is greater, plus any applicable market loss.
Best,
SD Bullion Customer ServiceCustomer response
06/12/2024
Complaint: ********
I am rejecting this response because:
Hello fee collections team,I hope you are all doing well.
I know that there are several of you answering complaints, but I don’t feel like anyone is following the entire conversation. You are all getting paid to resolve this conflict. My time is simply being wasted with having to repeat myself. Restating your policy over and over when there is no conflict with your policy will not lead to a resolution. Let me restate again the problem that I have. I unknowingly entered into a contract online. I understand your policy and why you have it please do not repeat it again. My concern is that almost no attempt was made to contact me. I know this is hard for you to understand so I will explain it as simply as I possibly can. You say that an email was generated and sent based on the information that I provided. The email that you have is not a typo but a completely erroneuos e-Mail. Why would I give you my correct name my correct phone number and my correct home address and then make up an email? That doesn’t make sense. Furthermore, I’m not the only one to have this problem with your business as evidence by previous complaints on this website. This sounds a little scammy to me. Possibly it was an innocent error, but it was an error on your part. Just like the other errors on the cancellation invoice. A wrong order date, misspelled words, and as far as I know a fabricated market loss fee as you won’t provide any proof. Please do not accuse me of providing you with an incorrect email. When you sent that email, it would have bounced right back as undeliverable. When I called your team I was told that you called me two times but both both times no attempt was made to leave a voicemail. Calling and not leaving a voicemail is pretty much the same thing as making no attempt. Sending an email that bounces right back and knowing it’s not delivered is pretty much the same thing as making no attempt. So in my mind you made almost no attempt to contact me regarding the payment you were expecting. My problem is that I entered into a contract without knowing. I can take some credit for that however, I’m not the only one to have done this so you can understand how it seems kind of like a trap or a scam. Almost no attempt was made to contact me until I received a phony looking letter in the mail. I requested an explanation of the fee you are trying to collect. A market loss during that time is laughable. You surely saw gains during that time. Please respond with an explanation to these things and please do not restate your policy. I have read it over and over and over and over and over again, simply stating the same thing does not lead to a resolution of this conflict.
Best,
***** ********Initial Complaint
05/21/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Billing Issues
- Status:
- Answered
Went to SB Bullion to check out the prices and filled out some information to see what they charge for their fees (shipping, over spot, ect. ) I didnt finalized any payment and simply left. They called me 3 days later and want to extort over $3800 apparently for cancellation fee. I told them there must be a mistake and asked to speak to management. They havent called me back. I spent 15 minute on BBB going though complaints and noticed there are similar complaints to mine. Might me a good class action lawsuit. This is unacceptable stay away from SB BullionBusiness response
05/22/2024
Mr. *******
We did have on file an order to your name (find attached), and this order has been canceled as you confirmed you did not want it, not provide payment for it. We see that this complaint was posted before the last conversation you had with our **************** team.
An order that is placed with SD Bullion is a locked-in trade, and whether you had the intention or not, the order was placed when you clicked 'Place Order'. Please be advised, per our Terms of Use, cancellation fees are due at the time of cancellation of an order. These are calculated as 5% of the order total or $35, whichever is greater, plus any applicable market loss.
Let us know if you have additional questions.
Regards,
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Customer Complaints Summary
125 total complaints in the last 3 years.
31 complaints closed in the last 12 months.