By Rocco Clayfield, founder of GoldPaid (GOLDPAID LTD) · Published · updated
Pick the right Royal Mail service
For jewellery and small valuables, Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed by 1pm is the standard. It is signed-for, tracked end-to-end and time-guaranteed. Royal Mail cover may be available up to £2,500 depending on the postal method and cover level used, and you set that cover at the counter when you buy the label. It is not automatic. On a GoldPaid parcel the cover level is fixed before the label is issued, which is why requesting a prepaid label begins with what the lot is worth.
- Special Delivery Guaranteed by 1pm: the correct default for gold, silver, watches, coins.
- Signed For 1st Class: tracked to delivery but limited compensation, not suitable for anything above modest value.
- Tracked 24/48: convenient but low compensation; keep it for low-value returns.
Not sure how any of this applies to your own items? Send a photo on WhatsApp and ask, call 07944 014111 (8am to 9pm, 7 days a week), or ask for a free prepaid Royal Mail Special Delivery label. Whichever you pick: nothing is posted until you decide, your parcel is tracked and signed for, the written offer follows the XRF assay, the return is free if you decline, and we aim to pay by Faster Payments within one working hour of your acceptance.
Package it so the outside says nothing
A dispatch bag that reads "JEWELLERY" or a padded box branded with a well-known retailer is a signal to anyone in the handling chain. Use a plain jiffy bag or plain small box. No branding, no stickers, no return-address hints that give it away.
- Bag the item. Small resealable poly bag stops loose stones and clasps escaping.
- Wrap in bubble or tissue. A single wrap is enough. You are protecting against pressure, not drops.
- Card the piece. Sandwich between two pieces of stiff card if it is a chain or a flat item, stops it flexing in transit.
- Plain outer. Padded envelope or small box. Nothing on the outside except the address label and the Special Delivery sticker.
- Seal every seam. Standard parcel tape is fine; run it across every seam.
Photograph before you seal: the 5-photo recipe
A phone photograph taken 30 seconds before you seal the parcel is worth more than any policy in a dispute. Take five:
- The item on scales showing weight.
- The item next to a ruler or a coin for scale.
- Any hallmark or stamp, close-up.
- The item inside the open parcel with padding.
- The sealed parcel with the address label visible.
Save the images to a dated album or email them to yourself. They provide contemporaneous evidence if you ever need to claim.
Keep the Post Office receipt: it is your claim ticket
The paper receipt from the counter carries the tracking reference and the declared value. Without it, a claim against Royal Mail is much harder to progress. Photograph the receipt on your phone the moment you leave the counter and keep the paper in a drawer at home until the money has cleared.
Split high-value across labels
Royal Mail cover may be available up to £2,500 depending on postal method and cover level. If your parcel is worth more than that on the day, split it: two labels on two parcels, sent the same day. Both go tracked. Both go Special Delivery. Both go signed-for.
What to avoid
- No mention of contents on the outside. No "GOLD", no "JEWELLERY", no dealer logos.
- No unsolicited-envelope schemes. If a company sent you a prepaid envelope you did not request, treat it with caution, cover levels are often minimal.
- No dropping in a postbox. Special Delivery must be handed to a Post Office counter for the tracking to start correctly.
- No sending on a Saturday for Monday claim windows. Post Monday to Thursday so the whole chain runs on business days.
What happens if it is lost or delayed
Special Delivery Guaranteed by 1pm has a defined claim process, and the claim is made by the sender: Royal Mail deals with whoever posted the parcel, even when a buyer paid for the label. Under Royal Mail’s current retail terms, claims for loss must be submitted within 80 days of posting. Keep your receipt, your photographs and any correspondence in one place. For a full walk-through see what happens if Royal Mail loses your gold parcel.
The GoldPaid receiving side
Once your parcel reaches us it is signed for on arrival and opened at our Bristol office, where each item is weighed and XRF-tested. If you decline our offer, return postage is on us, free tracked return by the same Special Delivery service, no strings.
- Testing by in-house XRF. No third-party lab lag.
- An indicative figure by phone or WhatsApp on 07944 014111, 8am to 9pm, 7 days; the offer itself always comes in writing, itemised.
- Faster Payments; we aim to pay within one working hour of acceptance.
Related reading
For the full posting process see how to sell gold safely by post. For scam patterns to avoid, common gold-selling scams in the UK.