SD Bullion is an online retailer of gold, silver, and platinum products. However, they are no ordinary bullion dealers.
What seems like a simple gold and silver trading firm is actually among the most notorious establishments in the industry. Hundreds of consumers have complained about their unethical business practices, terrible customer support, and lack of any care for their interests.
Some of those consumers have also complained that this dealer overcharges and delivers fake products.
Before you consider buying from or selling to them, it would be best to read what their customers say:
What is SD Bullion?
SD Bullion is a precious metals dealer operating since 2012. They claim to be among the best bullion dealers while offering the lowest prices even though their customers disagree with this notion.
The CEO of SD Bullion is Tyler Wall.
Their contact number is 800-294-8732 and their office opens from 8 AM to 6 PM on all business days except Fridays. On Fridays, their office opens only until 5 PM.
They deal in various gold and silver products including bars and coins. Also, they buy and sell platinum coins and bars as well.
Some of the products present on their site include US Gold Eagles, Australian Gold Coins, British Gold Coins, Gold Maple Leafs, US Silver Eagles, 90% Junk Silver, 1 oz Silver Rounds, and many more. Along with these offerings, their website, sdbullion.com offers information resources on gold and silver.
While they claim to have executed more than $1 Billion in sales, the various SD Bullion reviews tell a whole different story. For starters, consumers complain about receiving fake products from this dealer. There are complaints about harassment and greedy practices against this firm.
But before I share the numerous SD Bullion complaints people have shared online, let’s discuss a lawsuit filed against this firm quite recently:
SD Bullion Lawsuit: Sanchez vs. SD Bullion, Inc
In March 2021, Christian Sanchez filed a complaint in New York Federal court against SD Bullion Inc for their site not being accessible per the WCAG 2.0, and WCAG 2.1 accessibility standards.
Christinan has highlighted many issues in his complaint such as the lack of alternative text (alt-text) on websites. Web accessibility requires every picture to have alt-text so screen-reading software can speak the alt-text for readers with disabilities.
Alt-text is also required for captcha prompts. It doesn’t change the visuals of any image but adds a text box when you hover your cursor over the picture. Lacking alt-text prevents screen readers from describing the visuals present on the bullion dealer’s website.
Another accessibility issue highlighted in this SD Bullion lawsuit is empty links without any text. Such links hide the purpose of the link from the user making it difficult for screen-reader users to navigate on the website.
Their website had redundant links placed adjacent which go to the same URL address. This adds to the navigation gripes of the users. Similarly, the bullion dealer’s website has linked images that don’t have alt-text.
In these cases, a screen reader can’t present any content to the user about the function of the link.
To normal people, these issues might seem pretty meager. But accessibility is a huge issue. Considering that almost 7.5 million Americans rely on screen readers to fully access the web, lacking basic accessibility features is a form of discrimination.
Keep in mind that SD Bullion has been operating since 2012. They have had nearly a decade to make their site accessible to everyone. It doesn’t take a lot of effort to make your website screen reader friendly but it seems Tyler Wall couldn’t care less.
What Customers Say About SD Bullion: Fake Silver!
Reddit is a popular social media platform where people ask questions in different communities. A common search query among those interested in this online bullion dealer is “Is SD Bullion legit Reddit”.
So, I thought there must be some discussions taking place there.
What I found was shocking, to say the least. Turns out, SD Bullion sends out fake silver to its clients.
A Reddit user had posted a question about this bullion dealer titled “Fake silver from SD Bullion?”. In his post, the user posted 4 images of the silver coin he received from this dealer.
You could see in the images that a magnet was sticking to the coin.
Note that silver is not a magnetic metal so a magnet shouldn’t stick to a silver coin at all.
This meant SD Bullion had sent a fake coin to the user. What’s worse is that when the customer complained about the coin being fake, they offered him a 10% off coupon on his next purchase. That’s it.
The customer had spent thousands of dollars on their website and they didn’t care enough to provide him with at least a partial refund. Or, they could’ve exchanged the coin, considering it was their fault that they sold a fake coin.
Many people highlighted their concerns about such a negligent blunder.
Many users pointed out that they don’t trust SD Bullion. They suggested going to a local bullion dealer or US Gold Bureau.
So, if you’re wondering, “Is SD Bullion legit on Reddit?” The answer is a big NO.
Apart from precious metal dealing communities, the clients of this dealer are also frustrated with its service. I’m sharing some of the various SD Bullion reviews I found on the web to help you get an idea of what it’s like to trade with them.
The client Didn’t Receive any Package, SD Bullion Says It’s Been Delivered
The reviewer posted this complaint on 22 February 2021. They complain that they didn’t receive any package but the website says it’s been delivered to an individual.
The reviewer had ordered their package from SD Bullion on 1 February 2021 and it should have reached them by 21 February 2021. On 20 Feb 2021, the reviewer received a notification from SDB that they had delivered the product at 4:19.
The reviewer has the Ringer app and it confirmed that no one left a package at their door. They talked with the mail woman and she said she didn’t place the package at their home nor did she give it to someone.
The reviewer had ordered a 2.5g pamp suisse lady fortuna gold bar and a 5g gold bar.
They requested a full refund, replacement, or store credit. However, they added that they would prefer replacement because they had purchased the products for investment purposes.
As you’ll read more SD Bullion reviews BBB and Google-based, you’ll realize that they tend to deliver fake products or both the delivery completely.
Overcharged the Customer, Didn’t Do Anything to Resolve the Issue
In many SD Bullion complaints, you’ll find consumers complaining about overcharges. This is one of them.
According to the reviewer, SDB is involved in unethical business practices. They charged the reviewer $40.00 extra. When the reviewer tried to buy a $950 piece of gold bullion, the dealer charged their card $990.
Furthermore, when the reviewer asked them to adjust this total, they refused. The customer representative simply said, “Tough luck, there’s nothing we can do.” Moreover, the rep refused to let them talk to any supervisor.
They don’t suggest working with this dealer.
Sent Less Product Than What Was Ordered, Refused to Accept Their Fault
The client points out that they had purchased gold, silver, and platinum from this firm. But the delivered package was short of 4g platinum.
They contacted the customer service of SD Bullion who told the reviewer that they need to prove what they didn’t receive while they pull their video. The reviewer says that they are afraid they lost their money to SDB.
Failed to Charge the Customer, Started Calling them a Fraudster
The reviewer had purchased $1,965 worth of gold and tried to pay through wire transfer. 2 weeks later, they received a call saying they never got the payment and that if they wanted to cancel the order, they would have to pay a fee.
They tried to pay SDB through a check by giving them their account and routing number. But the payment was unsuccessful.
Even though it wasn’t the fault of the reviewer that their payment got canceled, SDB sent them a notice saying they tried to fraud them with an invoice for a cancellation fee of $162.70.
The bullion dealer is threatening them that they will send the matter to cancellations. According to the reviewer, it wasn’t their fault that the transaction failed and it’s terrible how the company is handling this matter.
They requested the firm to remove the $162.70 cancellation fee. You’ll find similar issues in many SD Bullion reviews BBB-based.
SD Bullion Can’t Communicate, Didn’t Ship the Product
The order was Canceled but SDB Never Issued a Refund
They Threaten You if You Cancel a Wrong Order
The company sent an Invoice for an Order that was Already Cancelled
The reviewer placed an order and the bullion dealer asked them for more info. They happily complied.
5 days passed but the reviewer didn’t receive any confirmation or cancellation email about their order. However, they got a refund so they thought the order was canceled.
The reviewer placed another order and found that SD Bullion hadn’t processed their initial order for a week. Now, the company wanted to charge them for both orders even though they failed to communicate to the customer that the order was confirmed.
SD Bullion Extorts and Harrasses Clients
In this case, the customer had placed an order on 31st Jan 2021 but they had to re-order because they couldn’t wire transfer. They assumed that SDB would have canceled their previous order.
On that day, the reviewer made 2 more orders with credit cards to avoid the wire from their first order. Those orders cost nearly $10,000. They were completed and the products reached the reviewer properly.
But on 20 April 2021, the reviewer received a cancellation invoice. The reviewer says it looks almost like a scam and it’s the only invoice they have received from the firm.
Moreover, the invoice arrived a month and a day after the “must resolve by” date. It’s blatant extortion because the company deliberately sent such a time-sensitive notice so late. Note that the invoice wasn’t lost in the mail. This further proves that they sent it late on purpose.
The reviewer says that the company could’ve easily seen the two orders they placed immediately after their first order’s cancellation.
They Falsely Advertise Their Products and Sold a Product Different from what was Advertised
The reviewer had placed 2 orders with SDB. They point out that one of the items delivered in their first package was tampered with. The review had placed their second order before receiving the first one. It was of 2 Silver peace Dollars MS-66 and Alien Anniversary Coin.
1 of the Peace Dollars had the wrong label mark on the NGC (Numismatic Guaranty Corporation) label of the hand-plastic slabbed case.
The reviewer pointed out that they verified the advertisements of SDB to see if they were wrong.
Turns out they were showing the MS-55 Peace Dollars with the identifying label 3130765-004. But the S mintmark for San Francisco wasn’t on the 1924 Peace Dollar the reviewer received. They highlight that the difference in value between a 1924 and 1924-S coin can be in thousands.
The reviewer says that SD Bullion should stop falsely advertising their products like this.
Along with these issues, the reviewer faced several more problems. When they highlighted this problem with SD Bullion, they started asking the reviewer for a copy of their driver’s license to process their second order.
The bullion dealer was trying to bully the client as they didn’t even bother to provide the reviewer with a secure way to send the driver’s license copy.
Furthermore, SD Bullion had sold MS-66 Peace Dollars with adhesive sticks on them so you can’t match the obverse and reverse for NGC coin verification. They don’t show these stickers in their advertisements.
Client Received A Completely Different Product, SD Bullion Says “Tough Luck”
Michael had ordered 15 Chinese silver pandas and expected a full mint tray. But he received 15 separate coins. The reviewer says that they had pricing changes starting at 15 so it would’ve been logical for them to ship an entire tray.
Michael feels as if he didn’t receive the proper product and got sent the seconds. He points out that he has ordered from this dealer in the past and it was very disappointing to get such treatment.
When he complained about this issue, the customer service rep simply said they can’t do anything about it. Michael asked if they could send him an empty tray but they refused even though they had it in stock.
Failed to Complete the Order, Blamed the Client for Everything
Andrew says that you shouldn’t order your precious metals from SD Bullion. He had ordered 2 silver eggs a few months ago and they told him they can’t deliver them until a month and a half later.
Andrew waited only to meet with disappointment. The silver eagles never arrived. When he asked them about his order, they said there was nothing they can do because he had 3 days to report a lost package.
Like any normal consumer, Andrew was shocked. The company hadn’t even specified a delivery date and told him to wait for a month and a half at least. Yet, he only had 3 days to report the package lost.
He suggests avoiding SD Bullion as they will take your money and run away. Then, they will blame it on their terms and conditions.
SD Bullion Increases the Prices of Products Subtly for Credit Cards
Dane had checked out the website of this bullion dealer and it asked him how he wanted to pay. He selected “credit card” as his payment option but he didn’t notice right away that the price of everything had gone up over $400.
Dane says that the website can at least notify the customer with a pop-up that the prices have increased. After noticing this suspicious change, he called the company to cancel his order.
But now, SDB wanted to charge him a $100 cancellation fee. They hadn’t shipped or processed anything yet they demanded a hefty fee. Also, when he complained about it, the customer service rep didn’t seem to care about the issue at all.
SDB Lies to its Clients, Delivered Damaged Products, and Avoided Responsibility
Fred had ordered 5 100-ounce RCM silver bars from SDB. One of them didn’t match the product description of “maintaining its original sheen and elegance.”
The bar had a brown tarnish on the entire backside. He complained about this issue with SD Bullion and even shared a picture. In reply to this, SDB said that tarnishing or toning is common among silver products and it doesn’t have any effect on the value.
After that, the company modified its product description and removed the words “original sheen and elegance”.
Company Sends Legal Threats Because the Customer Cancelled an Order
The reviewer highlights that SD Bullion is threatening to send him to collections even though he hasn’t received any products or services from them. SDB was threatening legal action right from the start and claim they will send the reviewer to collections for non-payment of $10,000.
This is among the various SD Bullion reviews BBB-based discussing the predatory behavior of this bullion dealer. The reviewer had money in his account when he placed his order. But due to some financial trouble, he had to withdraw the funds and informed SDB about it.
They said he would have to pay a $1000 cancellation fee. When he objected to it they said they would take $500 or he would have to pay $1500 in interest and legal fees later.
The reviewer says it took him five minutes to place an order and now that he wants to cancel it due to financial problems, they are asking for $500+ for a product he never received.
Note that the complaint was posted in 2020 August, a time when the pandemic was hurting everyone. He points out that he is a critically employed worker and SD Bullion’s demand for a $500 cancellation fee seems like extortion.
He says you should avoid dealing with such a crooked firm and find a local coin shop.
Employee Suggested Cancelling the Order, Now SD Bullion is Sending Collections Notices
This reviewer experienced terrible customer service from the bullion dealer simply because they followed the advice of one of their employees.
He highlights that he never received a product but the company is sending him collection letters and calls.
Also, he points out how SDB falsely claims to prioritize customer satisfaction as it doesn’t hesitate to harass and threaten its customers. He is receiving collection calls and letters with ridiculous amounts for products he never received.
The reviewer canceled his transaction according to the suggestions an employee gave him. That employee suggested the reviewer try again to process the transactions.
The reviewer didn’t cancel his order because he was following the advice of the employee. Now, the company is sending him collection charges of $6,272.13 and $3,754.02. He also points out that the company has never tried to keep its business. The reviewer never tried to cancel the order yet they constantly threaten and harass him.
SDB claimed he is a difficult person to work with but when the reviewer asked for an example of when he was difficult they were flustered. Furthermore, the company is saying they can charge such an exorbitant fee as a “restocking fee”.
Disappointed, the reviewer contacted the Federal Trade Commission to discuss this issue. They suggested he avoid giving any collections money to SDB.
“SD Bullion Always Has an Excuse for its Mistakes”
Paul says that SD Bullion always has an explanation for why the order is delayed. They would claim the payment hasn’t been cleared or that it hasn’t been processed. Moreover, you don’t have any leverage as they have your money already and the best you will get is the amount you paid minus the cancellation fee.
Paul also points out that the customer service of this company only behaves properly until you’ve bought something. Once they get your money, you are just another number to them.
SDB Sent Damaged Product When Ordered a Mint Condition One, Started Lying After Seeing a Complaint
Sophia complains that SD Bullion sent her worn and underweight secondary market bullion when she had ordered mint-condition bullion. The price difference between mint condition and worn bullion was about $80.
In other words, Sophia paid $80 extra for an inferior product. When she sent pictures of proof, SDB didn’t respond.
It had been a month since Sophia posted her review and the precious metals dealer hadn’t responded.
Later, she updated her review after seeing that SDB had responded to her complaint. They lied about trying to contact her as she highlighted that she had sent them a ton of pictures of the bullion she got from them.
She points out that SDB only responded to her complaint on Trustpilot because they wanted to look good. Then, she added another update as they updated their response.
The company lied about trying to contact her when they never did in any way. They respond to a lot of SD Bullion
