No pressure to begin with
Nothing is committed at the start. WhatsApp a photo and you will get an honest read on whether testing is worth it for that item, what the cost would be, and what the report will say.
GoldPaid has no branches. The testing service is run by post, UK-wide, with a single number for calls and WhatsApp and a full evening window so you can ask outside work hours.
What this saves a probate practice
The probate pack runs at £195 fixed for up to 20 items (under £10 per item), 48 to 72 hours from receipt, and the entire process happens by post.
The report itself is more useful too: an XRF composition record on each item, individually photographed and identified, with a clear flag against any piece likely to be worth £1,500 or more and so need a separate open market value at the date of death (IHTA 1984 s.160) from a registered valuer.
How a probate pack runs for a solicitor
- You confirm the estate, executor name, estate reference, the address the report should be sent to.
- The pack is booked at £195 fixed. We confirm in writing.
- The executor or family member posts the items using the prepaid Special Delivery label. The parcel arrives directly with GoldPaid.
- Testing and report inside 48 to 72 hours, formatted for IHT400 inheritance returns.
- Report addressed to the named executor, copied to the solicitor as instructed.
- Items returned by Special Delivery the same day the report is finalised.
The probate report format
- Executor cover letter with the estate reference and testing date.
- Photo inventory with a numbered group shot and individual photos.
- Individual XRF reports, one per item, full elemental table and plain-English summary.
- Individual fine-metal content for each item.
- Total estate fine-metal content, methodology footnoted.
- Items flagged as possibly worth £1,500 or more each, with a recommendation to obtain a separate open market value at the date of death (IHTA 1984 s.160) for those items from a registered valuer, for example one found through the NAJ Institute of Registered Valuers or RICS Find a Surveyor, before the IHT400 figure is finalised.
- The not-a-hallmark disclaimer in plain English.
- A unique report number that GoldPaid will confirm to HMRC, a solicitor or a beneficiary on request.
How testing works
- Ask first. WhatsApp a photo of the item. You get a quick read on which testing pack to order and an honest answer on whether the test is worth the money for that item.
- Confirm the pack. Agree the testing tier that fits and pay by bank transfer. You get a prepaid Royal Mail Special Delivery label, tracked and signed for. No printer needed, a QR code works at the Post Office counter.
- Post when ready. Wrap the item in any padded envelope. There is no deadline. Drop it at any Post Office.
- Test and report. We weigh, photograph and XRF-scan each item across multiple points. You receive a written report inside 48 to 72 hours of receipt.
- Item returned, free. Your item is sent back the same day the report is issued, by tracked, signed-for Royal Mail Special Delivery. Return postage is included in the testing fee.
Cover and tracking
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, and if a parcel may be worth more than that we split it across more than one prepaid label at no charge, each with its own tracking number and cover.
The label is Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed by 1pm next working day, with full tracking and signature on receipt. The tracking link is emailed to you the moment the label is issued.
What you get back, and when
Your item is returned by Royal Mail Special Delivery on the same working day the report is issued. Return postage and its cover are included in the testing fee. There is no separate return charge.
If, for any reason, an item cannot be tested (badly damaged surface, non-metallic core, equipment misalignment), we tell you straight, refund the testing fee, and return the item the same day.
A test, not a sales pitch
The XRF testing service is paid-for and stands on its own. The report is what you bought. Nothing inside it is an offer, an invitation to sell, or a hidden valuation. Nobody running the test has a commission tied to whether you become a selling customer afterwards.
If you separately want a no-obligation offer for the item, you can ask. If you do not ask, nobody chases.
What this report is, and what it is not
The report identifies the elemental composition of an item to the accuracy of the analyser. The composition report does not replace a UK hallmark, an Assay Office fire assay, or an insurance reinstatement valuation. Any separately ordered replacement-value assessment is a different document: check your insurer’s valuer and report requirements before ordering. We say so in plain English on the front page of every report.
If a report leaves any doubt, we will tell you what the next step would be, typically a UK Assay Office fire assay (destructive but definitive) for high-value disputes, or a written insurance valuation from a qualified independent valuer for reinstatement cover.
Why sell by post with GoldPaid
Three differences from a counter sale. You see a measured valuation in writing, not a verbal estimate. You decide at home, with nobody waiting. And if you decline, the return is free, tracked and signed for, so obtaining the valuation costs you nothing.
Common questions
Can we have a master account for multiple estates?
Yes. Solicitor accounts can run as a master with multiple estates handled under one billing line; reports are addressed to the relevant executor for each estate.
Who handles the postage in practice?
Typically the executor or family member posts directly. We send the prepaid Royal Mail Special Delivery label to whoever the solicitor nominates. If the practice would rather receive the items first and post them on, that works too.
What if some items in the estate are stones (loose diamonds, gemstones)?
Stones go through the in-house gem service. We flag at intake which items need gem work and the price; the gem work runs alongside the XRF metal work in the same parcel.
Is there a cap on the value of items the pack covers?
The pack covers up to 20 items by count, not by value. 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, and if a parcel may be worth more than that we split it across more than one prepaid label at no charge, each with its own tracking number and cover.
Not the question you had? The full GoldPaid FAQ covers the rest, from postal cover and ID checks to what happens if you decline the offer.