Birch Gold Group Reviews – Resolved BBB Complaints (Updated 3/30/2023)
You’re in the right place if you’re looking for all the latest on Birch Gold Group reviews that are continuously updated, complaints, and ratings, or are just here to see if anyone has reported a Birch Gold Group scam or lawsuit claim.
We’ll answer all of that below and save you time by not having to visit all the rating agency websites, as we’ve compiled all the pertinent reviews here in one place.
Is Birch Gold Group Legit
First off, when it comes to the top precious metals dealers in the U.S.A., Birch Gold Group has consistently ranked in our Top 3 for over five years now. One main thing to keep in mind is that they are Precious Metals IRA specialists, that is their main focus and is what they’re best at.
Yes, they’re one of the most legitimate precious metals dealers in the business. Birch Gold Group is most definitely legit, in fact, there are no known pending lawsuits currently. There may be a handful of complaints filed on rating agency sites, but this is normal with any company, especially considering the large number of clients they have and that the positive customer reviews far outweigh the complaints.
For example, on the Better Business Bureau website, they have had only 8 complaints in the last 3 years, all of which have been addressed by the company and closed out. This also suggests the high value they place on customers by taking the time to try and fix any problems.
Going into the year 2021, they’ll have been in business for 18 years, making them one of the oldest and most experienced in the industry. They’re well-known for their world-class customer onboarding, education, and transparency. This means you’ll know what all the fees are before moving forward. They really are one of the most trustworthy out there.
IMPORTANT: If you’re new to precious metals investing and are interested in purchasing for retirement (especially a gold IRA rollover), then please start with this must-read post: Best Gold IRA Company
Birch Gold Ben Shapiro
Watch this recently released video of Ben Shapiro and Birch Gold’s Phillip Patrick discussing their concerns over inflation, the current currency devaluation, and the consequences for markets and retirement savers.
They have interviewed the top industry thought leaders including Steve Forbes, Jim Rogers, and Peter Schiff.
Account Types That Are Eligible For Gold IRA Rollover
Their product offerings consist of both direct cash purchases (with physical delivery) and the ability to roll over eligible tax-deferred retirement savings plans to a Precious Metals IRA, including the following:
- Employer-sponsored 401(k) and 403(b)
- Traditional, SEP, Roth, and Simple IRAs
Both avenues offer the ability to invest in gold, silver, palladium, and platinum (available in the form of bullion coins, rounds, bars) and are eligible to be transferred to a Precious Metals IRA.
Customers are able to purchase for physical possession or they can rollover eligible tax-deferred retirement accounts into a Precious Metals IRA without owing any tax and absolutely zero penalties.
Birch Gold Group’s most recent offering extends into cryptocurrency custody within your Bitcoin IRA or Crypto IRA. This is done through BitIRA, their spinoff company. The top crypto coins by market cap are all available. These include but are not limited to Bitcoin (BTC), Bitcoin Cash (BCH), and Ethereum (ETH).
This is just another testament to how they are staying relevant and on the cutting edge as far as innovative products that blend the traditional finance world with the emerging FinTech industry.
Birch Gold Group Fees & Prices
Fees at Birch Gold for servicing precious metals IRAs and 401(k) rollovers are some of the lowest in the industry overall but since this can vary by custodian, we’ll list the ones used by most customers:
- One-time fees: $50 for setup + $30 for the wire transfer
- Annual fees: $100 management + $100 storage fee
And that’s it.
Requirements & Minimums
NOTE: Only residents of the United States are eligible for Birch Gold Group services, including both IRA and cash purchases.
Minimum Investment Amount for physical delivery: $10,000 for both cash purchases and IRAs.
Ongoing Promotions
Limited-Time OFFERS
- First-year fees waived on IRAs funded with over $50,000
- Shipping is FREE for cash purchases over $10,000
- Up to $10,000 in FREE precious metals on qualified purchases
Storage Options for IRA
At one of the following depository options, you can choose from the following locations closest to you; Delaware, Los Angeles, New York City, Dallas, and Seal Beach, CA.
- Delaware Depository
- Brink’s
- International Depository Services
Custodian Options for IRA
Birch Gold Group recommends Equity Trust and primarily uses their services, however, they will work with whichever custodian you’d like. It is up to you, they are flexible when it comes to catering to your specific needs.
Birch Gold Group Reviews & Ratings
Better Business Bureau (BBB) – as of March 24, 2023:
According to the BBB, Birch Gold Group, Inc. now employs 76 people and opened for business back in 2003. They’ve been accredited since 2011 and were incorporated in 2016.
Based in Burbank, California where they proudly service all 50 states Mr. Andy Klein serves as their Marketing Director. Not much else is available regarding management on their website but could be found on LinkedIn.
Currently, with a total of 77 customer reviews, they have attained a 4.77-star rating out of 5, along with an A+ BBB rating, which is exceptional. This is just a drop in the bucket considering they’ve reached over 10,000 customers.
Here are the latest 6 reviews in the order submitted (almost all 5-stars):
Business Consumer Alliance (BCA) – as of March 30, 2023
Consumer rating agency BCA has Birch Gold at a AAA (triple-A) rating, the highest available. They also have a full 5-star rating based on 7 reviews, with only one complaint; which the company agreed to make an adjustment for the customer.
- The most recent reviewer Chris M. is very happy with the transaction and has rolled over his former employer’s 401k and has stated it was a “Smooth and helpful process”. He also indicated there were never any high-pressure sales tactics used on him and the Birch associates were very pleasant and patient with him.
- Sandra S. moved her Roth IRA over to gold and was a little nervous. She stated that Birch Gold was very helpful and patient. The associate also helped her decide which metals to purchase. She’s now much happier knowing her retirement funds are secure in gold and silver.
- Jon E. highly recommends Birch for gold and silver purchases and states that he had a great experience. Says the staff was knowledgeable and friendly. They made it easy for him to understand everything, from the transfer of funds to the actual purchase.
- In Brandon B.’s review titled Best Customer Service, he writes: “I have never had a customer service experience like I had with Birch Gold Group”. And that he’ll definitely use them again.
- James W. notes that his representatives were responsive and he appreciates their professionalism. Will also use them again in the future.
- Another very satisfied customer, Eduardo O., expresses his thanks and also mentions the rep’s patience as they were excellent when it came to keeping him updated on the status of his 401(k) rollover to gold and silver.
Trustlink – as of March 30, 2023:
Based on 133 reviews Birch Gold Group has a full 5-star rating on Trustlink. Comments left by customers range from “Extraordinary job!”, “Excellent.”, “Fast.”, “Very happy.”, “Solid people at Birch.”, to “Exemplary”.
There are 7 pages chock-full of great reviews almost all 5-star, only a couple of 4-star reviews. There’s one 1-star found based on the company agreeing to buy back the coins at lower than market price (by the way, which is standard practice). It also states they’ve been named a ‘Major Gold and Silver Dealer’ by Newsmax.
Trustpilot – as of March 30, 2023:
4.7-stars out of 5 with 127 reviews and an ‘Excellent’ rating from Trustpilot. Also, 94% of all reviews left on Trustpilot are 5-star.
- There were only two 1-star reviews, one left back in 2019 and the other in 2021. They were regarding selling their purchased metals or buybacks and the other was about purchasing proofs and how they wish they hadn’t.
- One 3-star review (shown below)
- And four 4-star reviews have also been left.
Here are the newest reviews left (in the order received) by real customers. All are 5-star, except the first one. As you can see Birch Gold values each client and has provided a response to almost all reviews.
Consumer Affairs – as of March 30, 2023
Birch Gold Group has received 4.8 stars out of 5 from 114 ratings, which is exceptional. Consumer Affairs moderates every comment and makes sure the reviews are from real verified buyers by requiring contact info. Also, Birch Gold has been very diligent in replying to every review thanking their clients for their honesty.
Here are some of the latest 5-Star reviews left by verified reviewers:
Birch Gold Group Complaints (as of March 30, 2023):
When viewing these complaints remember to keep in mind that just a handful of bad customer reviews with low ratings are expected. Every company has them. What is important is to notice that there is such a small number of these compared to the hundreds of positive reviews and they have made the effort to resolve and respond to each one. This means that the vast majority of clients, close to 99% are happy with the services provided by Birch Gold Group.
Better Business Bureau (BBB):
There are a total of only 8 complaints within the last 3 years, of which all have been resolved and answered personally by the company representatives. Three of the complaints were closed in the last 12 months.
They do respond to all complaints and resolving them shows they give great importance to preserving client satisfaction. Based on the resolutions we can see due diligence and good faith, despite some of the desired outcomes.
To summarize some of the complaints which go as far back as 2020:
- 04/07/2022 – This customer is complaining that the precious metals purchased were marked up more than stated and also acknowledged signing their literature that states clearly that pricing should be about 7% to 12% above the spot price. 05/16/2022 and 06/29/2022 ANSWERED – The company responded twice. Here is a summary: They tried reaching out by phone and email however the client didn’t want to discuss unless they were willing to work out a resolution, to which the company responded that they communicate pricing in three ways. Two of these are relayed prior to a purchase being made, and the last pricing communication is the customer’s receipt. Prior to a purchase being finalized, a customer is placed on a recorded line where we state each precious metal they have chosen to purchase and the price for that precious metal. A customer must agree to the precious metals and prices in order for us to move forward.
- 03/05/2022 – Similar complaint as above where customer is complaining that their investment is significantly down and that they cannot get anyone of authority on the line to get copies of the transactions of what was purchased. 03/22/2022 ANSWERED – The company has reported that they have reached out to this customer and cleared up any misunderstandings. The misunderstanding stemmed from the way Equity Trust reports precious metal values solely based on spot price.
- 06/18/2020 – Although the customer wanted bullion she was advised to purchase gold and silver proof coins.
07/02/2020 RESOLVED
- 06/12/2020 – Too many attempts at contacting as a potential client.
07/10/2020 ANSWERED – Company Response:
- 06/02/2020 – Deceptive sales tactics and poor customer service.
06/16/2020 RESOLVED – Company Response AND Customer ACCEPTED response on 6/22/2020
- 01/07/2020 – Misrepresentation of their IRA product.
01/20/2020 ANSWERED – Company Response: AND 01/27/2020 RESOLVED – Customer Response: (The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)
Business Consumer Alliance (BCA):
Two complaints have been filed with the BCA. Both have been answered and resolved. Both of them are from the same people that made complaints on Trustpilot (see below). Birch Gold has agreed to make an adjustment for the clients and has stated they’ve resolved all of their concerns.
For one of the complaints, Birch Gold has made a full refund as the customer has requested. The other has been adjusted. The total amount in dispute from these complaints is $307,300 and the total amount settled is $102,500.
09/04/2020 – Company Response:
01/27/2020 – Customer and Company Response:
Trustlink:
The only complaint we could find on TrustLink is a customer stating that the company’s buyback price is low.
Trustpilot:
There are only two negative 1-star reviews on Trustpilot out of 108. There has not been a response by the company.
- Customer Complaint #1: Birch Gold is offering less than paid for on a buyback.
- Customer Complaint #2: The client was led to buy proofs.
Consumer Affairs:
This is the only 2-star review listed, here you can see how the company addressed the issue:
- 04/30/2020: Mark of Venice, FL (2-stars) – 05/19/2020 Birch Gold Group RESPONSE:
There are also three 1-star reviews back from 2018-2019, and that’s it.
One person is claiming to have lost 50% of their investment, however also states that he should have done more research regarding the type of coins they purchased.
The other customer stated that they could not get an answer regarding the true value of their account.
And the last customer is stating that Birch Gold had the highest price when comparing proof American Gold Eagles. Birch Gold does not guarantee that they have the lowest prices, since this fluctuates and their answer below reiterates that they don’t always have the best prices. That absolutely does not make them rip off artists.
Is Birch Gold Group Scam?
We want to make it abundantly clear that Birch Gold Group is NOT a scam by any stretch of the imagination. They have been and are still one of the most reputable companies in the business after all these years and just because a few customers have expressed disappointment, having had some issues, does not substantiate any such claims. Some complaints here and there are quite normal, especially out of thousands of interactions.
To sum up, customer complaints consist of the following:
- Not being upfront with costs and commissions.
- Selling Silver and Gold proof sets rather than bullion.
- Sold silver and gold proof sets at an inflated value.
- Customer service reps were not available to take customer calls.
- Is not honoring fair price for buying back precious metals.
The company has responded within the month to help clarify the concerns of their clients successfully. Every time they have covered any discrepancies and most of the time the inaccuracies in account valuations are due to the reports provided by the trust company in the custody of the IRA.
It is further mentioned that “spot value” is not an accurate reflection of the true value. Long story short, the customers later acknowledged their misunderstanding regarding the issues and have come to an agreement after the company has apparently converted some of the proof sets to bullion.
Based on the resolutions of complaints it shows Birch Gold Group does everything in its power to keep clients happy.
Our Recommendation
The vast majority of issues have been resolved, with customers accepting Birch Gold Group’s answer and proposed solution. This proves they put a conscientious effort to work with their clients to ensure their satisfaction. They care enough to find a resolution for each complaint filed.
When researching precious metal IRA companies, if you are finding it difficult to locate sufficient well-rounded information this could be a red flag and a sign that the company may be a new kid on the block (which is definitely not the case here).
After considering their high ratings across the board on all the major consumer rating agencies and 95%+ of Birch Gold Group reviews being 5-star, it is safe to say these are good reasons to consider giving them your business. With such a minimal amount of Birch Gold Group complaints, as well as no scam alerts – all-in-all our review weighs heavily on the positive side.
Doing further research on your own will help solidify your decision to move forward.
*If you’re interested in receiving a Precious Metals Investment kit from Birch Gold Group click ‘Get Your Free Kit’ above. They have a strict policy of ‘no pushy or aggresive sales tactics’, so you don’t have to be worried about that.
Birch Gold Group is definitely a company we are highly recommending to try for all your precious metals and IRA needs. They have hundreds of satisfied customers and have been in business for nearly 20 years. Now, who can say that!?
Hopefully, you found all the answers you were looking for and feel more confident in taking some action. If so, grab the kit above and you can ask any question after receiving it within a friendly, ‘non-salesy’ environment.