Scott R. Hillford
Author & Founder Gold Is Money 2
Disclaimer: Some or all of the companies reported here may provide compensation to us, at no cost to our readers. This is how we keep our reporting free for readers. Compensation and detailed analysis are what determines how companies appear on this website.
Investing in gold comes with its own set of challenges. With numerous options, types of gold, products, and services on the market, it can be daunting to navigate, even for experienced investors.
To help those looking to invest in precious metals make well-informed choices, we've assessed a range of platforms to pinpoint the most trustworthy and top-tier websites for gold investments.
In this detailed review, we focus on Orion Metal Exchange.
Prior reading further, it is important to acknowledge that investing your savings is a not easy. When it comes to incorporating precious metals into your investment portfolio, how can you tell which companies are reliable?
After devoting extensive time and effort, we have conducted thorough research within the precious metals industry and compiled a selection of the most trustworthy companies.
Take a moment to read our list and determine if Orion Metal Exchange has what it takes to make the list this year!
This lets you to quickly compare the leading companies in this field and select the one that aligns with your specific requirements and investment objectives.
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About Orion Metal Exchange
Orion Metal Exchange has an entire "About Us" page, and this page does a good job of laying out who they are, their business model, and their services. They also explicitly lay out their competitive advantage, which they list as being highly rated in customer service (based on reviews) and numerous certifications.
Finally, they have a "Meet The Team" section, although this section is lacking in specific details about who works for Orion and what their qualifications are. Unfortunately, this information is missing.
However, we could find other pieces of information across the internet. For example, the Better Business Bureau website noted that they had 27 employees.
Services Offered
Orion Metal Exchange's services can be roughly broken down into two separate sections, both of which are clearly laid out on the website. First, Orion Metal Exchange offers a variety of precious metal coins.
These coins are sorted by type on the website and come in four varieties: Gold, silver, platinum, and palladium. Bullion is also offered, but these are "by availability" only, and you have to call a number to complete this order.
This is different than other products on the website, which can be purchased directly from the online store. Clicking on each product reveals a comprehensive array of information on each product, including year of manufacture, weight, description, and more.
As of this writing, Orion Metal Exchange offers 21 gold coins, 13 silver coins, 19 platinum coins, and 2 palladium coins. It seems apparent that the website coin inventory changes based on the availability of coins, and this is a good thing, as it ensures customers are kept up-to-date about available inventory.
Next, Orion Metal Exchange does offer a Precious Metal IRA. This self-directed IRA allows individuals to make purchases of precious metals through the website, then load those coins or bullion into their IRA.
Orion Metal Exchange advertises itself as the facilitator of the IRA program, not as the custodian or a financial advisor. They help customers select a custodian, then sell those customers IRA-approved precious metals to load into their IRA. They will then ship the precious metals to an IRS-approved storage facility, facilitating this process.
It is also clear that Orion Metal Exchange offers some storage services. According to a review from Consumer Affairs, these storage services are free for the first three years, provided that you purchase the gold from Orion itself.
This can be a huge benefit and enable users to achieve significant savings over the start of their gold investment. Alternatively, you can order precious metals, have those metals shipped securely to your house, and store them on your own. However, this is not possible for an IRA - more on that later.
Orion Metal Exchange does a good job of explaining the advantages of a precious metal IRA, as well as why individuals should do business with them. They also have a solid FAQ that explains the ins and outs of a precious metal IRA, including laying out the various restrictions about an IRA, as well as other bureaucratic regulations.
Website Design & Messaging
If you are going to use an online store to potentially purchase precious metals from a website, then that website has to be operating perfectly and as easy as possible to navigate. Fortunately, Orion Metal Exchange hits all the marks here.
Their website is clearly constantly updated and fresh and uses the latest design principles. It is easy to find what you are looking for. Furthermore, the design is highly responsive, and you can use it on any device.
It is also noteworthy that the messaging here is highly sharp and professional. Orion Metal Exchange doesn't want you to buy precious metals to avoid financial Armageddon, something that far too many websites encourage.
Instead, they advertise precious metals as a serious investment, one worthy of time and consideration. There are no political undertones on the website: Even the news section is very straightforward and factually based.
One of the most important aspects of any precious metal website is customer service, specifically how easily a customer can get in touch with the brand in question. Fortunately, Orion Metal Exchange does very well here.
They have a phone number, email address, and physical address listed right on their website. They also have a "Contact Us" page that has you answer a few brief questions, then gets you in the right direction in terms of who in their company to contact.
Resources Offered
One of the most critical components to any precious metal vendor is whether or not they have enough resources to allow a prospective customer to make a purchase and feel comfortable. This means that the goal of the website should keep individuals informed and help them make educated decisions about the best precious metals to work in.
Orion Metal Exchanges does okay here, albeit not great. They have a scrolling feed of precious metal prices at the top of their website, letting customers know immediately what these current prices are.
They also have a chart section that allows users to track the historical price of gold, silver, platinum, and palladium. This chart can be customized by length of time, and it makes it easy for users to determine the current and past price of any of these precious metals.
In addition to the IRA FAQs note earlier, Orion Metal Exchange also offers a FAQ page that lays out answers to additional questions related to a precious metal exchange. This includes IRS regulations, information on forms you have to file, and more.
Orion Metal Exchange also offers a "Free Investor Kit." What's in this kit? It doesn't say and you have to give your contact information to get the kit.
This is relatively standard practice, and there's nothing wrong with it, but the marketing slant of the kit - as well as the likely misleading promise of qualifying for up to $20,000 in "free precious metals" - is a bit strange. If the offer is so great, the company should be more willing to explain what the offer actually contains!
Finally, Orion Metal Exchange does contain a relatively robust news feed of information on the economy, gold, and precious metals in general. The information in this feed goes back and forth between broad overviews and news.
These blog entries are often relatively straightforward SEO pieces designed to create some content and pull users into the services that Orion provides. However, the information in the articles is useful and well-written, making it a nice touch.
So, what's the takeaway on this resource page? It's nice, but it could be much better. Many metal exchanges go the extra mile, offering users tutorials, classes, beginner investment information, and much more. The information found on this website is fine, but it's not anything special, and it's certainly not content that wouldn't already be available with a quick Google.
Our Rating
Advantages
So, what can we say about Orion Metal Exchange that is positive?
Many things. First and foremost: Their website is among the simplest, easy to use, and cleanest that we have seen. Finding what you are looking for is as easy as can be on this website. It is highly intuitive and easy to navigate.
It doesn't suffer from an overabundance of links that can make navigating these websites confusing, and you can use the eCommerce section of the website to buy gold coins without picking up the phone (for most products).
Next, the Orion Metal Exchange clearly takes customer service seriously. There are many ways to contact the company, all of which are displayed on every page and on the "contact us" page.
Furthermore, as we will soon discuss, their review page is loaded with positive comments about the customer-friendly nature of the business - maybe more than most businesses are. The product page - at least for coins - is also relatively robust.
Orion Metal Exchange has a solid array of coins available for purchase, making it easy for you to find whatever you are looking for. The same applies to opening an IRA, the process for which Orion lays out on their IRA page. Thanks to the information displayed, customers can easily make purchases or begin to invest in a precious metal IRA.
Disadvantages
That being said, there are some issues on this webpage, and it is worth keeping these issues in mind when going forward. First, as noted above, Orion Metal Exchange does have a solid mix of coins. However, what they don't have are bars or bullion.
Bullion is listed on each product page, but you have to call to find out more information, and you can't just make a purchase directly from the website. This is strange and done without explanation. If bullion is available - and maybe it isn't at all - why would you have to call to get more information on what is actually there?
Even more problematic is the lack of information on the website. Yes, basic information - including price charts and some FAQs - is there. However, informed buyers need more than just a chart - they need a broader financial context about the advantages and potential pitfalls of investing in gold.
On this front, Orion Metal Exchange is sorely lacking. We've spent quite a bit of time on other precious metal websites, and we have found many, many other sites to have a more robust variety of information than what we have here.
Reviews
One of the best ways to get a strong grasp on the ability o a company to serve your needs is to check out other online reviews. While not perfect, these reviews can often provide an excellent starting point that can help guide your ability to make a solid judgment about a company's effectiveness.
It is worth noting that Orion Metal Exchange advertises its review rating at the top of its website, noting their positive reviews from Trustpilot and Google reviews, among others. A quick review of the customer reviews on Orion Metal Exchange shows the following ratings:
Better Business Bureau: 5 out of 5 stars, 52 reviews. Orion Metal Exchange is also A+ rated and accredited. Furthermore, the company has no complaints filed against them - in fact, they have never had a complaint filed against them.
The interviews showed remarkable consistency: Customers were clearly extremely happy with the customer service of Orion, citing their ability to meet customers' needs, create a pressure-free atmosphere, and ensure that customers had all of the information that was necessary before making a purchase.
Multiple reviews mention different staff members by name and site and the positive relationship that clients were able to build with these individuals.
Verdict
Final Verdict
Orion Metal Exchange isn't the greatest website that we have ever seen. It is missing some products and lacks the resources that some competitors have.
However, it does have a vast array of coins that can make it very easy to do business with the company. Furthermore. their customer reviews were overwhelmingly positive - among the best we have ever seen.
While there are some weaknesses with the website itself, it is clear that Orion is a solid company and one that is capable of meeting a vast array of business needs. As such, we certainly recommend this website to fulfill your precious metal purchasing needs.
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