Maintenance
Part of Bullion dealer and marketplace due-diligence guide
Bullion payment, shipping, and receipt checklist
Bullion order checklist for payment verification, price locks, insured shipping, signature controls, carrier evidence, package opening, inspection, and claims.
What to take away
- Confirm the contract and payment recipient before sending funds.
- State shipment value, service, signature, and claim ownership in writing.
- Treat tracking, signature, and insurance as different controls.
- Record package condition before opening.
- Calendar seller, carrier, marketplace, and payment deadlines at purchase.
Use this checklist for shipped bullion. Adapt it to the seller, carrier, value, and destination. Checking a box records a fact; it does not transfer responsibility.
Before payment
- Legal seller name matches the invoice.
- Product, quantity, fine content, year policy, package, and condition are stated.
- Total includes payment fee, tax, shipping, insurance, and handling.
- Price-lock trigger and payment deadline are clear.
- Cancellation and market-loss rules are saved.
- Return, substitution, and damaged-delivery terms are saved.
- Payment destination was verified independently.
If paying by credit card, record the statement date as well as the order date. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's credit-card billing dispute procedure says a written billing-error notice generally must reach the card company within 60 calendar days after the charge appeared on the statement to preserve specified rights. A seller conversation should not consume that window.
Pre-Payment Verification Steps
- Legal seller name matches invoice
- Product, quantity, fine content stated
- Total includes all fees and tax
- Price-lock trigger and deadline clear
- Cancellation and market-loss rules saved
- Payment destination verified independently
Before shipment
Pre-Shipment Confirmation Checklist
- Item allocated with ship-by date
- Carrier and service named
- Declared value and insurance basis stated
- Signature type and eligible signer stated
- Package does not advertise contents
- Claim filer and refund sequence written
- Seller confirms the item is allocated and gives a ship-by date.
- Carrier and service are named.
- Declared value and insurance basis are stated.
- Exclusions for coins, bullion, or precious metals were checked.
- Signature type and eligible signer are stated.
- Package will not advertise high-value contents.
- Seller states who files a loss or damage claim.
- Replacement or refund sequence is written.
During transit
- Carrier acceptance scan appears.
- Tracking number matches the seller's notice.
- Exceptions and address changes are captured.
- Delivery instructions do not waive a required signature.
- A secure recipient will be present.
Postal Inspection Service guidance on mail and package theft advises requesting Signature Confirmation for important mail. It recommends Hold for Pickup so the recipient collects it at a Post Office, picking mail up promptly rather than leaving it at a door, and not risking cash in the mail.
Signature evidence does not itself state package contents, and tracking does not itself provide insurance. Record the precise combination bought for the shipment.
At delivery
- Recipient name and delivery time are recorded.
- Every side of the unopened package is photographed.
- Label, seams, tape, seals, cuts, holes, dents, and moisture are visible.
- Package weight is recorded before opening.
- Any serious damage is reported before discarding materials.
While opening
- One continuous video captures sealed package, label, opening, and contents.
- Packaging layers remain visible.
- Quantity is counted on camera.
- Product, package, serial, and certification numbers are recorded.
- No destructive test is performed before the remedy terms are reviewed.
After inspection
- Product matches invoice and listing.
- Weight, dimensions, appearance, and package agree with published specifications.
- Suspected variance is described precisely.
- Seller receives written notice with requested remedy.
- Original files are preserved with metadata.
- Claim and dispute deadlines are in the calendar.
Exception log
| Event | Promised | Observed | Evidence | Next deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carrier acceptance | ||||
| Delivery | ||||
| Package condition | ||||
| Product match | ||||
| Seller response |
Common questions
Does a delivery signature prove the correct bullion arrived?
No. It supports delivery to a signer, not the identity or quantity of the contents.
Should packaging be discarded after a successful test?
Keep it until return, authenticity, carrier, and payment dispute periods have safely passed.
Is declared value the same as insurance coverage?
Not necessarily. Read the carrier's contract, eligible contents, valuation basis, limits, and documentation rules.
Who should file a carrier claim?
The carrier agreement and seller terms control. Confirm the responsible party before shipment.
