FAQs - COVID19 and Chards

What’s the fastest way of contacting Chards? 

The easiest and quickest way to place orders is via our website. We are receiving up to 300 telephone calls per hour, unfortionatly meaning that you may be in for a wait if you give us a call. However, the best way to contact us with an queries is to email [email protected]. We have staff responding to emails until midnight each day to ensure a prompt answer to your question. 

Is Chards still open? 

Yes. We are still open online for bullion, coins, and scrap gold, which can be bought from us and sold to us through our fantastic website. 

Our showroom is open on an appointment-style basis. Please click here for more infromation.

When can I expect my bullion to be delivered? 

We are unable to quote delivery dates for our most popular bullion products. 

We are still despatching orders domestically in the United Kingdom, but not internationally. International orders will automatically be placed into into free storage in our secure vaults until the situation around international mail becomes more certain.

Our latest supply updates can be found here.

How can I be assured I will receive my order? 

We have been in this business for over 55 years, and ensuring customers receive their orders is a large part of the reason we are still here. 

For customers who have placed orders for items which are currently not in stock we want to re-assure you your order is safe with us and we have any risks covered. In terms of financial risk, all outstanding orders are offset against our current stocks, so your money is safe in this regard. In terms of a risk to specific products bought, we like to inform customers that we have delivered on every single order ever placed with us spanning 56 years of bullion trading. 

What gold and silver bullion products do you have in stock? 

Like most bullion dealers in Britain, we have sold out of the most current popular bullion stock items. 

We do have limited stock of some bullion items. For example, we have dated coins available for despatch, such as Sovereigns, Pandas, Double Eagles, Krugerrands and more. You can browse through our stocklists by using the filters to separate out items that are in stock, orderable and out of stock.

Our website only lists a fraction of our stock we have on site – we have over 20,000 products available for sale! Our staff are currently working around the clock to add more products onto our easily-accessible website. 

Is Chards still accepting orders? 

Yes. We can sell you some popular bullion items for delivery where available. Our best value bullion sovereigns and Britannias are available to order, as are gold and silver bars from Metalor. 

Do you still buy bullion? 

Yes. We are active buyers of all secondary market gold, silver, or platinum bullion items. Payments of up to £500,000 will be made (set up) same day. Please see our dedicated Selling to Chards page for more details, with more on our distance buy-in service and Royal Mail delivery options.

Can I collect from the showroom? 

No. Our showroom is closed to the public due to government advice regarding the coronavirus pandemic.

Can I sell in the showroom? How do I sell to you if I cannot visit? 

Our showroom is currently closed to the public in accoradance with government guidelines. We are still accepting post and running our distance buy-in service. 

How come it states that it is in stock but I have not yet received my order? 

Our staff are human, putting in superhuman efforts, and we are trying to cope with many times our normal levels of business and enquiries. Most other businesses are also affected. Royal Mail, for example, are no longer guaranteeing their normal delivery times. 

When will I get confirmation that my items are in storage? 

As soon as we have finished picking, checking them, and double checking for security, then logging them into our system. We will then contact you by e-mail or telephone to let you know.

When will you have secondary market silver to sell? 

As the name suggests we are able to stock secondary market silver once someone sells their silver to us and there fore we are unable to provide an exact time or date. However, we recomend simply checking our website regularly as silver is currently seeing high demand.

Why are your premiums so high when you say you have low premiums?

Our premiums are not high. We have increased buy and sell prices for most bullion items recently, because our business modal is based on trying to balance supply and demand, both of which affect prices (and therefore premiums). They are very low compared with the rip-off prices some people were charging and paying during the 2008/9 Global Financial Crisis. 

What will happen when you can no longer deliver? 

If we are unable to ship goods, then we will put them into our ultra-safe storage, fully insured, free of charge, until we can resume. Alternatively, you may be able to collect them, subject to ID and government regulations. 

When will my items arrive? 

As soon as we can get them to you. In normal times, we try to give an estimated delivery time, but in ‘crisis’ conditions, this gets almost impossible to predict. 

What's the difference between pre-order and orderable?  

Pre-order is for new (or new to us) products, usually when we are awaiting production, release, and inward shipping. 

‘Orderable’ is for goods where we do not necessarily have stock, or enough stock, but where we are confident that we can and will be able to source them. Supply times can be highly variable. 

Am I / Are Chards at risk if gold or silver prices double or triple? 

No, because we still hold much more stock value than we owe, and will continue to do so. We also hedge most of our exposure to precious metal price fluctuations. We have been through similar before, in 2008/9, and we fulfilled every single deal, although it did take time. Last time, our physical hedge included 66 x one kilo gold coins, and 3.2 tonnes of Australian silver coins, mainly one kilo ones. 

Please see our COVID-19 Update Page for more information.