APMEX Review: My Honest Take After $50K+ in Orders
Hey there, my fellow precious metals enthusiasts! Janelle here. If you‘re thinking about investing in gold and silver, you‘ve probably heard of APMEX. They‘re one of the biggest online bullion dealers out there. But is APMEX actually legit? How do their prices and service stack up?
I‘ve personally spent over $50,000 with APMEX over the years. I‘m a bit of a gold bug and I love collecting silver coins too. So I wanted to share my honest, hands-on APMEX review with you! We‘ll dive into everything you need to know, from the company‘s reputation to the pros and cons I‘ve experienced. By the end, you‘ll have a clear idea if APMEX is the right place to snag your shiny!
What is APMEX?
First, a quick primer if you‘re new to the game. APMEX stands for American Precious Metals Exchange. They‘re a leading online retailer of gold, silver, platinum, and palladium bullion and collectibles. You can think of them as kind of like the Amazon of precious metals!
The company has been around since 2000 and is based out of Oklahoma City. Over the last two decades, APMEX has grown into a precious metals powerhouse. Check out these stats:
- 20,000+ unique products in stock
- Over 1 million customers served in 60+ countries
- $11 billion+ in lifetime sales
- 200+ employees
- BBB accredited with an A+ rating
So yeah, APMEX is definitely one of the big boys in the industry! They‘ve built a solid reputation and have some serious sales volume.
Is APMEX legit? What real customers are saying
Okay, so APMEX talks a big game. But what do actual customers think? I scoured the web for real reviews to see if APMEX lives up to the hype. Here‘s what I found:
Better Business Bureau (BBB)
On the BBB website, APMEX has a stellar 4.85/5 average rating from 550+ customer reviews. They‘re also accredited with an A+ rating, the highest score possible. The company has been BBB accredited since 2004.
I dug through the reviews and over 90% were positive, with customers praising APMEX‘s great selection, competitive prices, and top-notch service. Only a small handful of complaints, mostly related to shipping delays or condition issues on collectible coins.
TrustPilot
APMEX also gets great feedback on TrustPilot, with a 4.2/5 TrustScore based on 500+ reviews. 79% of customers rated their experience as "Excellent", with another 11% giving a "Great" score.
Google & Facebook
Noticing a pattern yet? APMEX has a 4.4/5 star rating on their Google business page and 4.5/5 rating on Facebook.
My take: APMEX is legit!
Based on all my research and my own experiences, I can confidently say that YES, APMEX is a legit company. They have overwhelmingly positive reviews across multiple trusted platforms going back 20 years. That‘s no small feat!
Of course, no business is perfect. Even the best companies will have the occasional hiccup or customer complaint. But APMEX seems to do a great job of responding professionally and resolving issues quickly when they come up.
As a regular customer for nearly a decade, I‘ve always found APMEX reliable and easy to deal with. I‘ve never had a problem getting my orders quickly and in good condition. So I personally give APMEX two thumbs up for legitimacy!
APMEX products & pricing
Alright, now that we‘ve established APMEX isn‘t some shady fly-by-night operation, let‘s take a closer look at what they actually sell and how their prices compare.
One of the biggest selling points for APMEX is the sheer variety of precious metals products they offer. You can find pretty much anything your gold and silver-loving heart desires:
- Gold coins and bars from mints around the world
- Silver coins, bars, and even old US 90% "junk silver" bags
- Platinum and palladium coins and bars
- Rare numismatic coins and certified graded pieces
- Collector sets and limited mintage items
- Precious metals IRAs
No matter if you‘re a hardcore stacker, a numismatic nerd, or a total precious metals newbie, APMEX has you covered. I love that I can always find new and intriguing pieces to add to my collection.
How do APMEX‘s prices compare?
Of course, selection is only half the battle – how do APMEX‘s prices stack up to other online dealers? To find out, I compared the cost of some of the most popular gold and silver products.
Here‘s how 1 oz Gold American Eagles looked at a few top dealers:
| Dealer | Price |
|---|---|
| APMEX | $1,936 |
| JM Bullion | $1,926 |
| SD Bullion | $1,939 |
| Money Metals | $1,950 |
And here are the prices for a 1 oz Silver American Eagle:
| Dealer | Price |
|---|---|
| APMEX | $38.32 |
| JM Bullion | $37.72 |
| SD Bullion | $37.99 |
| Money Metals | $38.88 |
As you can see, APMEX‘s prices are right in line with their major competitors, usually within 1-2%. Sometimes they‘re a hair more expensive, other times they beat out the competition.
I‘ve found this holds true across the board after years of comparing. Premiums over the spot price are almost always in the same ballpark between the big online dealers.
The only time I tend to notice higher premiums on APMEX is for numismatic and graded coins. But that‘s the tradeoff for having such an extensive selection of collectible pieces you can‘t find elsewhere.
The bottom line? APMEX‘s prices are very competitive, especially for the most popular sovereign bullion coins that make up the bulk of most investors‘ portfolios. You can almost always find any given product cheaper at APMEX than your local coin shop or a pawn store.
Ordering from APMEX
Wanna know my favorite thing about buying from APMEX? How ridiculously easy the whole process is!
The APMEX.com website is a breeze to navigate, even if you‘re not super tech-savvy. Everything is organized neatly by metal type, mint, and product line. You can sort by details like price, quantity, and purity. There‘s also a handy "Deals" page with all the current sales and specials.
Individual product pages have detailed descriptions, photos, and even educational content to help you understand what you‘re buying. APMEX is fantastic about transparency and making sure you know exactly what to expect with your order.
Once you‘re ready to buy, APMEX offers every payment method imaginable:
- Credit and debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, AMEX, Discover)
- PayPal
- Apple Pay
- Bank wires
- Cryptocurrency
- Paper checks
- Money orders
Checking out is a simple, secure process. In all my years of buying from APMEX, I‘ve never had an issue with payments or sketchy charges.
Shipping & insurance
Another huge perk of APMEX is how quick they process and ship orders. Most in-stock items ship out within 1 business day of your payment clearing. Unless you place your order late in the day, there‘s a good chance it will go out same-day!
Over 60% of APMEX‘s customers are located outside their home state of Oklahoma. So they‘ve got shipping down to a science. All packages are sent with major carriers like UPS and FedEx, with tracking numbers uploaded to your account immediately. I‘m always impressed with how fast my orders arrive!
It‘s also worth noting that all shipments from APMEX are insured for their full value. They take on that liability during transit, so you‘re covered if the worst should happen. That‘s great peace of mind when you‘re buying high-value precious metals.
The only drawback? Unlike some competitors, APMEX doesn‘t offer free shipping on all orders. You‘ll need to spend at least $199 to get complimentary upgraded shipping. For smaller orders, expect to pay a flat $9.95 shipping fee.
But personally, I usually buy enough to qualify for free shipping anyway. And in my experience, APMEX‘s free upgraded option is still faster than what you‘ll get standard from most dealers. So it sort of evens out.
APMEX customer support
I can‘t write an APMEX review without mentioning their customer service. It‘s top-notch!
The APMEX support team is easy to reach by phone, email, or live chat. They‘re available 7 days a week, which is nearly unheard of in this industry.
Every time I‘ve reached out, I‘ve gotten a quick, friendly, and professional response. It‘s clear the reps are knowledgeable and well-trained. I‘ve never felt like I was getting the runaround or robotic cut-and-paste answers.
Even more impressive? APMEX responds to every single customer complaint and review, even on 3rd party sites. Look at their BBB page and you‘ll see detailed responses on everything. To me, that shows APMEX truly cares about making things right and values their reputation.
Other things to know about APMEX
A few other interesting tidbits about APMEX:
Free online resources
APMEX goes above and beyond to educate customers about the world of precious metals investing. Their website is packed with tons of useful tools and resources, like:
- Live spot price charts
- Bullion and numismatic coin encyclopedia
- Precious metals buying guides
- Regular market analysis blog
- News and articles
Having all that knowledge at your fingertips is an awesome perk!
APMEX club
If you‘re planning to buy precious metals regularly, as I do, you‘ll want to join the APMEX Club. It‘s completely free – all you have to do is create an account on their site.
Club members get benefits like:
- Exclusive access to special sales events
- Unique club-only products
- Customized recommendations based on your interests
- Early access to new releases and promotions
It‘s a pretty sweet deal, especially since it costs nothing to participate. If you want first dibs on special deals and rare items, I highly recommend signing up.
Citadel program
Got a big stash that you want stored extra securely? Check out APMEX‘s Citadel program. It‘s kind of like a precious metals concierge service.
Citadel lets you buy and store gold and silver in APMEX‘s network of top-tier third party vaults. The metals are fully allocated to you and are never co-mingled with other investors‘ holdings. You can buy and sell 24/7 and get free, easy delivery whenever you want.
It‘s a cool service for anyone storing substantial wealth in physical bullion. I haven‘t used it personally, but I know people who swear by it.
Who should buy from APMEX?
We‘ve covered a ton of info in this APMEX review. Let‘s recap who I think is the best fit for buying here:
Brand new precious metals investors
If you‘re just getting started buying gold and silver, APMEX is a great first stop. They have all the most popular products at competitive prices. The site makes it easy to learn the basics, compare options, and place your order with confidence.
Casual collectors looking for variety
Do you like exploring new designs and mints? APMEX‘s selection is a numismatist‘s dream! You can easily spend hours going down the rabbit hole of different series and eras from around the world. APMEX has many hard-to-find pieces that are a blast to collect.
Large-scale investors who value security and service
If you‘re investing major bucks into precious metals, APMEX is a smart play. You‘ll appreciate their top-tier service, transparent policies, and high-security storage options. It‘s worth paying a small premium for the peace of mind.
On the flip side, I probably wouldn‘t recommend APMEX if:
- You just want the absolute rock bottom cheapest price. You may occasionally save a percent or two buying from a less established dealer or hunting eBay. But the savings usually aren‘t worth the risks and hassle.
- You‘re a hardcore collector who only buys the most exclusive pieces. APMEX does carry some true rarities, but you‘ll likely need to work with specialty coin shops and auction houses for the 0.1% most sought-after items.
Final thoughts & tips
Phew, you still with me? Let‘s bring it home!
After over $50K spent with APMEX, here‘s my honest take: they‘re the real deal. Huge selection, fair prices, fast shipping, and responsive service. You can feel confident trusting this industry giant with your precious metals investing needs.
To wrap up, a few tips to make the most of your APMEX experience:
- Create an account for access to the best deals and member exclusives
- Check the "Specials" page regularly for limited-time offers
- Opt for bank wires on large orders for the lowest prices & fees
- Hit the $199 free shipping threshold if you can – it‘s worth it!
- Don‘t be afraid to reach out to the helpful customer support team
And that‘s it! I hope you found this APMEX review useful in your own precious metals journey. I truly believe they‘re one of the best places to start (and stick with) as you grow your portfolio. Happy stacking!
