Monex Precious Metals boasts a rich legacy in the precious metals sector, drawing from over 50 years of know-how. Their website is captivating, emphasizing their stellar customer service. Yet, feedback from external sources paints a contrasting picture.
Regrettably, Monex Precious Metals faces some truly concerning reviews. It's not just a single issue; there's a variety of concerns:
Agents have misrepresented investment risks, leading many customers to incur hefty losses.
At times, the team seemed reluctant to execute their buyback promise.
Hefty commission structures shift the focus of sales reps to selling more than advising.
The overall customer service, especially when clients seek assistance with their assets, leaves much to be desired.
Unveiling the Truth: Monex Precious Metals - Genuine or Scam?
Monex Precious Metals operates as a genuine business, given they deal in precious metals. However, their feedback on Consumer Affairs is disheartening. Only a few people have them five stars; reviews seldom cross two stars. Their overall rating hovers around a meager 1.2 out of 5. Almost every client who engaged with them faced disappointment.
So, even if Monex isn't deceitful per se, these warning signs strongly suggest looking elsewhere. Why engage with an entity likely to sour your experience? Numerous alternatives offer commendable customer support.
But it's not just customers voicing concerns. Monex faced expulsion from the CFTC and NFA due to a barrage of legal complaints. They've faced multiple legal actions over dubious and illicit marketing strategies, with some clients alleging severe financial losses.
Customer Complaints
These grievances originate from Consumer Affairs. It's crucial to highlight that Consumer Affairs diligently ensures the reliability of their feedback. They employ smart tech to scan reviews and guarantee a real person evaluates everyone before publishing. Each reviewer provides their contact details.
This lends credence to the complaints. Individuals shared their contact details, vouching for the authenticity of their experiences with the firm.
In a recent feedback, a customer shared their buying experience, emphasizing they were assured a commission-free resale. After confirming with a representative, they were convinced of this promise.
However, the promise fell flat when they decided to resell the silver. Contrary to repeated affirmations by various company reps, a $180 commission fee was deducted. The bewildered customer reached out to the sales rep for clarity but was met with silence.
Another client narrated their 2015 purchase of roughly eleven pounds of silver coins. The rep had painted a rosy picture of a significant silver value surge. Fast forward to 2020, the silver's value had nudged above the purchase price.
When this client approached the firm intending to sell, the rep pushed for another sale instead of assisting. To the customer's astonishment, the tone turned unpleasant when they expressed skepticism about the price projections.
Wishing to return the silver, the client was promised shipping boxes. But the only mail they got was yet another sales pitch. The rep persisted with sales calls but needed help with the return boxes. When pressed, the rep candidly stated his role was to push sales rather than facilitate returns.
Another client shared their experience of purchasing coins from the firm years prior. Included in their buy were three "one-ounce" platinum coins in neat packaging. Upon attempting to resell, they found the coins weighed under half an ounce and were crafted from silver-coated copper, not the promised platinum.
A certain feedback mentioned a son whose mother had acquired coins via this establishment. Post her passing, he reached out to the company to resell the coins to settle her assets. His request was flatly denied.
A particularly distressing account came from an individual who had grown to trust their account manager for what seemed like sound advice. He and his spouse consistently bought gold from the firm without any hitches. However, after some time, their rep suggested a hedge trade to counteract potential market dips.
Convinced by the representative's pitch, they invested 19,000 dollars. The belief in their rep's expertise led them down this path.
Yet, instead of safeguarding their assets, the decision backfired monumentally. A turbulent two-day period saw them incurring losses amounting to 100,000 dollars. The representative had only mentioned the initial 19,000 dollar expenditure, with no alerts on latent risks or pitfalls.
Their plea for assistance to the company's sales head was met with indifference.
Another patron noted their interaction with four different company reps. Each one fervently proposed specific trades, glossing over potential hazards. All suggestions culminated in financial losses. Furthermore, the client shouldered storage and transactional charges.
A cautionary tale from a buyer emphasized the company's commission-based operation, alerting potential customers. They stressed that salespeople might distort product value, pricing, or margin details to secure a sale.
Another lamented ambiguous fees and the lack of clarity in tracking monetary allocations. Physical metal dispatches also came with extra charges.
One client voiced his frustration over his representative's persistent dishonesty. He felt cornered into continual purchases and, at one stage, was advised to liquidate his assets prematurely, right before gold and silver prices soared. The dangers weren't highlighted.
A particular individual chose to bypass any dealings with the company, mainly due to misleading narratives from sales reps that didn't align with his needs. He felt the primary aim was sales at any cost.
Yet another sad account came from a lady who had deposited a 10-ounce gold bar only to face a car mishap shortly after. She struggled with medical expenses and sought to revoke her order and reclaim her deposit. Far from receiving empathy, her rep saw this as an opportunity to extract more money, undeterred by her dire situation.
The firm informed her that her deposit was non-refundable, leading her to risk losing over a thousand dollars if she pulled out. She tried reaching out to the head of the dealership but was informed he was unavailable. She expected a call from him the day she penned her review, but that call never came.
Another customer shared that the company promptly processed his payment upon purchasing a substantial quantity of silver coins. However, two weeks passed with no sign of his order being dispatched. He noted that rival businesses typically finalize orders within five days post-payment.
A different individual shared his experience purchasing a ten-ounce gold bar online, anticipating its delivery. After paying in full, he waited two weeks without the product being sent out. When he inquired, he was informed the payment had cleared, and there was no apparent reason for the hold-up. He was assured of a return call from the company.
Predictably, the follow-up call has yet to arrive. After waiting another week, he felt compelled to visit the Los Angeles Brink's directly to collect his order. They had pledged additional coins to compensate for the delay, but that promise fell flat. His ordeal extended beyond a month, culminating in personally visiting the vault to secure his purchase.
Yet another patron expressed dismay over a staggering $50,000 loss, attributing it to the company's deceptive marketing ploys. He recounted how the representatives consistently misled him about the growth potential of his investments. Instead of appreciation, his assets dwindled to nothing.
The firm showed little compassion, focusing more on prolonging its revenue stream. The customer highlighted that several legal actions have been initiated against the company's leadership for their deceptive practices.
The Advantages & Disadvantages of Monex Precious Metals.
Advantages
- Consider seeking alternatives promptly.
Disadvantages
- Disturbingly negative customer feedback, confirmed by independent entities.
- Numerous legal cases over misleading and dishonest marketing strategies.
- Due to these legal challenges, the firm faced expulsion from esteemed precious metals groups.
- Many patrons claim losses amounting to vast sums.
- The representatives seem solely focused on extracting every penny from you.
Final Thoughts
Honestly, this ranks among the most alarming firms we've ever evaluated. The way the business operates displays a concerning lack of integrity. Not only are the representatives prone to misleading and evading, but they also show a clear absence of compassion, consistently break promises, and take a slice of your account as their fee.
Some firms need to meet expectations. Others are downright dreadful. This one aligns with the latter. Avoid being lured by the antics of the Monex Precious Metals team. You'd be better off steering clear of them.
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