Most gold buyers look similar from the outside. The differences only show up once you walk in with something to sell. This page sets out the practical things worth checking so you can compare any two offers — including ours — on a fair like-for-like basis.
A single £ figure for your gold tells you very little on its own. What you actually want to know is the per-gram rate for each carat and the weight of each item — multiply them and the total should reconcile. Any buyer happy to break the offer down item by item is being open. Any buyer who won't is worth a second thought.
UK gold should carry a hallmark but plenty of older or imported pieces don't. Common testing methods are acid (a small scratch on a touchstone), electronic conductivity testers and XRF analysers. All three work — what matters is that the test happens in front of you and the result is shown openly. If a buyer values gold without testing it, that's a red flag.
Gold should be weighed on calibrated jeweller's scales accurate to 0.01g. The scales should sit on the counter where you can see the reading and the buyer should re-zero between items. Stones and non-gold parts (clasps, watch cases) should be deducted by actual weight rather than guessed.
UK regulations require gold buyers to record valid photo ID. A passport or UK driving licence is fine. Any buyer who skips ID checks is cutting corners that could affect you later if there's ever a query about the transaction.
Most reputable local buyers offer same-day cash or a Faster Payments bank transfer that lands in minutes. Cheques and delayed transfers are unusual for everyday gold transactions — if that's all that's on offer, ask why.
If you've had a quote elsewhere, send it via WhatsApp or email with photos using the buttons below and we'll review it. Where we can fairly beat it we will, and where we can't we'll tell you straight. For full context on choosing a buyer, see our companion guide on the best place to sell gold in St Helens.
Read genuine customer reviews from our Church Street store.
View on GoogleEach buyer applies their own margin on top of the wholesale gold rate to cover refining, handling and overheads. Postal and online buyers usually carry higher costs than a local high-street counter. The carat test result and weighing method can also vary slightly between buyers.
Yes — it's the simplest way to make sure you're getting a fair figure. Bring any genuine local quote to us and we'll review it openly. There's no obligation to sell on the day.
It depends on carat, weight and the type of item — bullion sits closer to spot than mixed jewellery scrap. Rather than promising a fixed percentage, we'd rather show you the per-gram rate we're applying on the day so the maths is clear.
Send a genuine like-for-like local quote and we'll review whether we can beat it where commercially possible.
Inside Cash Generator, St Helens · WA10 1AX
Visit St Helens Gold
Inside Cash Generator St Helens
No appointment needed — just walk in any day for a free valuation and same-day payment for your gold.
Google reviews for our Church Street shop, Cash Generator St Helens — the same premises that hosts our St Helens Gold buying counter, so the reviews reflect the team and location you'll visit.
Read reviews on Google