Rank 6 of 9 · evidence gathered 2026-07-10
The Alloy Market review
The Alloy Market scores 56/100 (C-) on the Gold Buyer Score. The SEO leader with genuinely strong proof (XRF + recorded unboxing) and same-day payment.
Does not publish what it pays. "Best Price Guaranteed" means matching competitors up to 95% of melt — a ceiling, not a rate. $25k insurance applies only after you text them photos first.
Category scores
Payout
15
Proof & Transparency
60
Tracking & Process
80
Client Services
90
Technology
90
Reputation
65
The evidence, line by line
Payout · 30% of total
| Advertised payout rate | 10/50 | No rate published; price-match capped at 95% of melt earns partial credit only. |
| Rate disclosure | 5/25 | The 95% match ceiling is disclosed in the FAQ, not a payout rate. |
| Price protection | 0/25 | No price lock. |
Proof & Transparency · 25% of total
| Assay method disclosed | 25/25 | XRF plus acid/electronic testing, licensed scales — named and specific. |
| Assay on video | 25/35 | Video-recorded unboxing; appraisal recording available on request — strong, but opt-in rather than the pricing basis. |
| Itemized offers | 10/20 | Advisor communicates offer detail; standard unclear. |
| Published pricing methodology | 0/20 | No published pricing methodology. |
Tracking & Process · 15% of total
| Shipping insurance | 35/40 | $25k via Lloyd's — conditional on texting/emailing item photos beforehand. |
| Status tracking | 15/30 | FedEx tracking + human advisor; no status portal. |
| Payment speed | 30/30 | Same-day payment before 5pm ET; PayPal instant. |
Client Services · 10% of total
| Reachable by phone | 35/40 | (888) 672-1471 call/text; no published hours. |
| Free insured returns | 35/40 | Free insured FedEx Express return. |
| Support channels | 20/20 | Chat widget, email, dedicated advisor per order. |
Technology · 10% of total
| Live-price calculators | 50/50 | The industry's calculator moat: live scrap/karat calculators. |
| Pre-ship estimate | 30/30 | Instant upfront estimate tool. |
| Digital offer flow | 10/20 | Offer via advisor, not a self-serve flow. |
Reputation · 10% of total
| Independent reviews | 35/50 | Trustpilot 5-star band but only ~532 reviews; BBB A+ accredited 2023. |
| Operating history | 10/30 | Business started 2022. |
| Clean record | 20/20 | Clean record. |
Worth knowing
- Alloy Double Pay: a second payment if your item resells on their marketplace.
- Spends ~$66k/month on search ads for value-question keywords (SpyFu, June 2026).
goldbuyer.io is operated by the team behind Offramp, one of the buyers scored on this site. Every buyer, including Offramp, is scored against the same public methodology with cited evidence, and Offramp's weaknesses are shown like everyone else's.