Doing Business with CMI

Locking in Prices

Because gold and silver prices change by the minute, all orders must be placed by telephone so that prices can be locked in at the prevailing market. For buy orders, payment must be remitted the same day that the order is placed.  For sell orders, the items sold must be shipped the same day.  Prices cannot be altered due to market changes after prices have been locked.

During periods of high volatility, and for large orders, we may require that funds be on deposit with CMI before prices can be locked in.

Methods of Payment

Payment by Check

CMI accepts payment by check, either personal, company, or cashier’s check. For check payments less than $25,000, it will be 5 business days before the product is released for shipment. For checks greater than $25,000, it will be 10 business days before the product is released for shipment.

Persons familiar with cashier’s checks may ask why we wait up to 10 business days when the money is pulled from their accounts at the time the cashier’s checks are purchased. Not all banks will verify that checks have cleared, and to do so one must call the issuing bank, which is a timely process; therefore, CMI allows ample time to make certain that checks have cleared. Further, there is the concern of fraudulent checks, which the precious metals industry is all too familiar with.

Payment by Bank Wire Transfer

Payment by bank wire transfer means that your order can be shipped generally within 24 to 48 hours. However, payment by wire transfer means allowance must be made to send the wire before the wire cut-off time, which is 6:30 pm ET, 5:30 CT, 4:30 MT, and 3:30 PT at most banks. Many banks will not initiate wires less than thirty minutes before the wire cut-off time.

Before calling to place an order, please determine your bank’s wire transfer procedures. Most banks require the wire instructions documents to be signed in person. Yet some banks accept faxed documents. Only a few banks accept wire instructions by phone.

Investors considering more than one precious metals investment may want to see if their banks provide convenient phone, fax, or internet bank wire services. Nowadays, many businesses can initiate wire transfers from their office computers.

Payment by bank wire transfer enables us to provide the quickest service. We start the shipping process as soon as the wire is confirmed, which means that the order is often received by the buyer within a week or so of the order being placed, depending on how far you live from Phoenix, Arizona.

However, during periods of high activity, shipments can be delayed. When we anticipate delayed shipments, we inform buyers at the time orders are placed.

Wire transfer instructions are provided when orders are placed.

During periods of high volatility, we may require that funds be on deposit with CMI before prices can be locked in.

Payment Notification

When payment is received by CMI, an email is sent to the buyer along with the expected date of shipment. A copy of the invoice will be included in the shipment.

Shipping Notification

When an order is shipped, CMI notifies the buyer by email and provides a tracking number along with the expected date of delivery.

Selling

If you are interested in selling gold or silver, visit our page dedicated to selling gold and silver to CMI. CMI Gold & Silver Inc. is the nation’s oldest bullion dealer.  We stand ready to buy most gold, silver, platinum, and palladium bullion products. Much the same as buying (payment must be remitted same day), the product must be shipped to us the same day.

Hours

CMI brokers take orders Mondays through Thursdays, 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. MST, and Fridays 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. MST.

If you get a recording when calling CMI, it means either our lines are overloaded or that you are calling when we are not open. In such cases, please leave your name and phone number and we will return your call. If you do not hear back from us as quickly as you would like, you are encouraged to call again.

Make checks payable to:

CMIGS

Mail checks to:

CMIGS
3800 N. Central Avenue
11th Floor
Phoenix, Arizona 85012

CMI does not accept credit cards or debit cards.
CMI does not accept third-party checks.
CMI does not accept checks drawn on foreign banks, not even Canadian banks.
CMI does not accept payment by cash in any amount.

Shipping, Handling, and Insurance

For orders less than three (3) ounces of gold, platinum, or palladium and 100 ounces of silver, there is a $30 shipping, handling, and insurance fee. Shipping and handling are free for quantities in excess of those or otherwise stated on our Gold Specials Page and Silver Specials Page.

Methods of Shipment

Orders are shipped by either Registered, insured U.S. Mail or insured FedEx “Hold at Location”. Large orders are sometimes shipped via armored car.

When orders are shipped, CMI notifies the buyer by email. Additionally, a tracking number is provided, which enables the buyer to verify the date that the carrier expects to make delivery.

Some products shipped to Hawaii and Alaska may require additional costs.

There is always the possibility of unforeseen delays due to shipper issues, such as unexpected weather. In any event, customers can always rest assured because all packages are fully insured, by us, up until they are signed for by the receiver.

Shipping Gold and Silver to CMI

When sending gold and silver to CMI, always ship via Post Office Registered U.S. Mail. We recommend using the Post Office’s Flat Rate boxes. Registered mail is the safest and most secure way to ship, as the Post Office rarely loses a registered package. You only need to purchase insurance for the minimum declared value of $2,500.00. In doing so, CMI’s insurance will cover the remaining value of the package up to $150,000.00. This helps to keep shipping costs down, but it also does not alert Post Office employees to the true value of the contents of the package. We can provide evidence of insurance documentation upon request.

The Post Office’s Flat Rate fee also provides the lowest shipping costs. The big advantage of using Flat Rate boxes combined with Registered Mail is the high reliability of Registered Mail.

A requirement for Registered Mail is the use of brown paper tape on all package seams. Brown paper tape is sometimes available at your Post Office. If not, an office supply store should carry it.

Flat Rate boxes are free at your local Post Office. The boxes are sturdy enough to handle gold, but for silver, the boxes need to be reinforced. The medium “shoebox” size is the most commonly used.

For tips on packaging silver for shipment, view our slide presentation How to Ship Silver. It illustrates a typical packing job for selling silver, but it applies to gold just the same.

References

CMI has dealt with the same bank since 1973. Bank and other references are available upon request.

Client Confidentiality

CMI strives to ensure client confidentiality. Consequently, we do not put clients’ names on invoices, thereby providing even more investment privacy and protecting them from record theft.  This became policy in the mid-1970s as CMI pioneered the bullion precious metals industry in Phoenix, AZ.

At CMI, we recognize the importance of keeping precious metals transactions as private as possible; therefore, we require no account set-up, no 8-page account agreement to sign, and no credit card or social security numbers to secure your trades.

Please call with any questions about doing business with CMI. We accept calls Monday through Thursday, 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. MST, and Fridays, 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. MST. Our toll-free number is 1-800-528-1380. If you have what you think is a straightforward question and want to use email, it’s info@cmigs.com.

You will be pleasantly surprised that our brokers do not start the conversation by asking for your phone number but rather by answering your questions. We do not need your phone number unless you place an order with us. CMI Gold & Silver Inc. has been buying and selling gold and silver bullion since 1973. You will find CMI pleasant and easy to do business with.