Ask before you post, always
You never have to commit to anything to start. Message us on WhatsApp or call, tell us roughly what you have, and send a few clear photos for a quick indicative figure. Nothing leaves your hands until you decide it should, and there is no obligation even then.
GoldPaid is a UK-wide postal gold and silver buying service. Wherever you are, you sell gold or silver by post with a free tracked Royal Mail label. There is no shop to visit and no counter pressure.
Bournemouth in context, and how we handle what you send
Bournemouth is the largest town of the Dorset coast and sits at the centre of the BH postcode area shared with Poole and Christchurch. The town has a long Victorian resort heritage layered over a more recent professional, university and digital-services economy. Whatever an item turns out to be, the sequence is the same: ask questions first on WhatsApp, send a photo, post only when you are ready, and decide once a written offer is in front of you. Nothing is priced before it has been inspected.
Older jewellery is often unmarked or rubbed smooth, so we XRF-assay it rather than reading the stamp. Holiday-bought gold from Spain, Cyprus and Turkey carries unfamiliar hallmark formats, and the carat is settled by measurement rather than by what the stamp says.
What happens, from first message to payment
- A photo and a question. Send photos of your gold or silver on WhatsApp. We reply with a quick indicative figure and answer whatever you want to know.
- A prepaid label, on request. Ask for the label when you are ready. We send a free Royal Mail Special Delivery label, tracked and signed for, or a QR code for the Post Office counter.
- You post it. Any padded envelope is fine, posted whenever you choose.
- We assess and write it up. Calibrated weighing plus an XRF assay produce a written, itemised offer for you to read at home, usually on the working day your parcel arrives.
- Your decision. Accept for payment by Faster Payments, or decline for a free, tracked, signed-for return.
What a photo tells us, and what it cannot
Before your gold or silver is posted, a few clear pictures let us give you an honest quick indicative figure and point out anything you should know.
From a good photo we can usually read the hallmark and the mark of the assay office that tested the piece. We can spot purity stamps such as 375, 750, 916 and 925, which stand for 9ct, 18ct and 22ct gold and for sterling silver. We can judge approximate size and weight against a coin or ruler, and tell whether an item looks solid or plated. Marks like "GP", "rolled gold" or "EPNS", or base metal showing through worn edges, usually mean plating. Set stones, clasps and non-gold fittings are not precious metal, so we explain separately how they affect the value.
How we value what you send
Every offer is built from three measurable facts: confirmed purity, accurate weight, and the live precious-metal market rate on the day we assess your items. You see each figure in a written breakdown before you decide anything. See how we value gold and XRF testing explained for the full method.
A Bournemouth BH-postcode parcel from the Dorset coast
Bournemouth uses the Royal Mail BH postcode area from BH1 through BH11, covering the town centre out through Westbourne, Boscombe, Southbourne, Winton and Charminster. Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed handles any BH postcode on the standard next-working-day route into our address, shared with Poole, Christchurch and the wider conurbation.
A mixed parcel makes no difference to the assay. Antique pieces, everyday modern gold, jewellery bought abroad and broken odds and ends can all travel together, and each is treated as its own item: photographed in the layout it arrived in, separated by carat at XRF, weighed on a calibrated scale, and given its own line and figure on the written offer. Nothing is averaged across the parcel.
From a Bournemouth Post Office counter the parcel routes overnight via the regional Mail Centre to our address. The thirteen-character Royal Mail tracking reference on the counter receipt is the only document you need. A phone photograph at the counter is enough; we WhatsApp you the moment the parcel scans in our end and again when the written offer is ready.
The nearest specialist precious-metal buyers outside BH are in Southampton (about 35 miles east), Bristol (about 80 miles north) or Hatton Garden in London (about 110 miles). Each is at least half a day's round trip with valuables on you. The prepaid postal route removes the journey entirely. Your items travel on Royal Mail's most-protected, fully-tracked service instead.
Postage, tracking and cover
Your parcel travels on Royal Mail Special Delivery, and Royal Mail cover may be available up to £2,500 depending on the postal method and cover level used. Every parcel uses Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed, tracked from the counter to our door, signed for on arrival, and arranged with that compensation cover. For anything you think exceeds it, contact us first; we will arrange a suitable approach rather than leave a parcel underprotected. The detail sits on postage and cover and is it safe to post gold?.
No obligation, ever
You are free to walk away at any point before you accept. Decline the offer and everything is repacked and returned to you free of charge, fully tracked and signed for. There is no assessment fee and no sales pressure afterwards. The detail is on what happens if I decline the offer.
Getting paid
Once you accept your written offer, payment is made by bank transfer using Faster Payments within one working hour of acceptance, directly to your account. No cheques to wait on, no conditions attached.
What backs the offer up
- XRF spectrometry on every item, not a counter estimate
- A written, itemised breakdown before you decide anything
- Free tracked postage in, free tracked return out
- No countdowns, no pressure, no fabricated reviews
- An owner-run business whose founder, Rocco Clayfield, answers questions himself
Common questions
How long does a parcel from Bournemouth take to reach you?
Royal Mail Special Delivery from any BH-postcode address normally reaches our address the next working morning. We weigh and XRF-assay your items the same day, and the written offer is emailed back to you during working hours on the day it arrives.
Can I ask questions before I post anything?
Yes, and we recommend it. Message us on WhatsApp or call, ask anything about the items, the cover, the testing process, or the return route if you decline. Nothing has to be posted until you are satisfied with the answers.
How is the parcel cover arranged?
The label we send is Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed, fully tracked and signed for. Your parcel travels on Royal Mail Special Delivery, and Royal Mail cover may be available up to £2,500 depending on the postal method and cover level used. If your items may exceed that figure, send a rough total weight beforehand and we will confirm the appropriate postal option before any label is issued.
What happens if I do not accept the offer?
Your items are returned to you free of charge by tracked, signed-for Royal Mail Special Delivery. There is no fee, no pressure and no obligation to accept. You keep the XRF certificate and written offer as a record of what your gold is worth.
How should I photograph my items before posting?
Lay each item flat on a plain surface in good daylight, then take one clear overall photo and a close-up of any hallmark or carat stamp. Photographing items next to a coin or a ruler helps show their size. From those photos we can usually read hallmarks, spot carat stamps and tell whether something looks solid or plated, which is enough for a quick indicative figure on WhatsApp.
Do I need to clean or polish my gold before sending it?
No. Please send items as they are. Value comes from the weight and purity of the precious metal, not the shine, and gentle wear, tarnish or small repairs make no difference to a postal valuation. There is no need to remove stones or dismantle anything either; set stones and non-gold parts are simply accounted for separately.
Request a free prepaid Royal Mail label
Tell us where to send it. The label arrives by email, usually within about 30 minutes during working hours. Requesting one commits you to nothing: you get a written offer after the XRF assay, and if you decline, your items come back to you free.
Would you rather ask a question first, or send a photo? Message us on WhatsApp . It is the fastest way to get a sense of what something is worth before you post anything.
Related pages
- Sell gold by post UK
- Sell scrap gold
- Sell gold & silver coins
- Sell silver
- Sell platinum
- Sell bullion
- Sell diamond jewellery
- Probate & inheritance
- Gold & silver calculator
- Sell gold in Weymouth
- Sell gold in Dorchester
- Sell gold in Bridport
- Sell gold in Christchurch
- Sell gold in Swanage
- All locations
- Gold price today, UK rates
- Silver price today, UK rates
- UK gold hallmark guide
- How we value gold
- Sell antique silver smalls
- Sell Cartier jewellery, watches and lighters
- Sell Georgian gold jewellery