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GBI Direct (Formerly Hard Assets Alliance) Reviews 364

TrustScore 4.5 out of 5

4.3

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Review summary

Created with AI, based on recent reviews

Reviewers overwhelmingly had a great experience with this company. Customers consistently praise the staff for their knowledge, helpfulness, and the time they dedicate to assisting with inquiries. The overall service is frequently described as excellent, with many appreciating the simplicity and efficiency of processes like purchasing and selling. Reviewers also highlight the positive user experience, noting the ease of navigating the website and managing accounts. However, some customers expressed dissatisfaction with aspects of the payment process. A few people mentioned issues with funds not being applied immediately or experiencing delays in transfers, leading to frustration. There were also occasional concerns about the waiting period for funds to clear.

What people talk about most

User experience

Consumers find the user experience to be positive, highlighting the platform's ease of use and intuitive... See more

Staff

Customers consistently note positive experiences with staff, highlighting their courtesy, knowledge, and... See more

Service

Users describe positive interactions with service, highlighting its ease of use and efficiency. Many... See more

Customer service

Clients share positive opinions on customer service, frequently highlighting the professionalism, efficiency,... See more

Payment

Customers had ambiguous experiences with payment. While some reviewers found transactions simple,... See more

Reviews shaping this summary

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Navigating the site is easy. Idid have a problem in that I had funds available that were not used to pay my storage fees. I was informed my fees were unpaid so I quickly had funds transferred to my ac... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Prices on silver coins are consistently cheaper than other large dealers like APMEX or JM Buillon. Usually $1-2.5 cheaper retail price even when these dealer offer lower prices when one is buying larg... See more

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Samantha was fantastic and furthered my education on what the words on line during market closed hours really mean regarding what can reasonably be expected for the price when markets open. I Greatly... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Samantha was incredible today. She not only answered all my questions on how storage fees are billed and calculated but she also educated me on related topics such as options for taking any RMDs from... See more


Company details

  1. Gold and Silver Trading Company

About GBI Direct (Formerly Hard Assets Alliance)

Written by the company

GBI Direct, formerly Hard Assets Alliance – Precious Metals Investing Made Simple

Whether your goal is to preserve wealth, protect against currency risk, or build long-term stability, GBI Direct delivers a secure and convenient way to invest in physical metals—backed by technology, transparency, and a customer-first approach. Our leading online platform is used by some of the world's largest financial institutions and is available to individual investors aiming to diversify their portfolios with tangible assets like gold, silver, platinum, and palladium.

We understand the critical role that precious metals play in investment strategies as a hedge against inflation and economic uncertainty. That's why our platform allows investors to easily browse, compare, and purchase a wide selection of bullion products from reputable global dealers who bid against each other to give you the best price.

Through our trusted vaulting partners, we offer secure storage options in multiple international locations, giving you peace of mind that your assets are safe.

Transparency and trust are at the core of everything we do. With real-time pricing and a straightforward fee structure, investors can make informed decisions without worrying about hidden costs or surprises.

GBI Direct is committed to educating and empowering investors through expert research, market insights, and in-depth educational content. Our team regularly publishes articles, guides, and reports to help you navigate the precious metals market with confidence.

We strive to make your precious metals investing experience the best it can be and welcome your feedback—leave a review at GBIDirect.com and let us know about your experience.


Contact info

4.3

Excellent

TrustScore 4.5 out of 5

364 reviews

5-star
4-star
3-star
2-star
1-star

Replied to 66% of negative reviews

Typically replies within 1 week

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Rated 5 out of 5 stars

This is my second purchase

This is my second purchase. Both were simply, i had all the information I ask for and the purchase was smooth. in about a week, in both cases, i had my precious metals in hand!!

January 18, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I have had my account since the inception

I have had my account since the inception of HAA. The metals I bought have paid off handsomely, but I haven't sold since I believe the best is yet to come. The most important aspect for HAA is the metal is as easy to sell as buying/selling a stock. The storage options are excellent!

January 16, 2026
Unprompted review
GBI Direct (Formerly Hard Assets Alliance) logo

Reply from GBI Direct (Formerly Hard Assets Alliance)

Thank you for your review!
Selling from storage is as easy as a click of a button, or call when you are ready. Payment of your sale transaction takes 2 business days to settle before it can be withdrawn, but the most important part of locking in the sale is complete.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

I liked the final result but likely…

I liked the final result but likely because I don't understand the process between the order being executed and the money being ready for withdrawal, I didn't like how long it took for the money from the sale being accessable.

January 12, 2026
Unprompted review
GBI Direct (Formerly Hard Assets Alliance) logo

Reply from GBI Direct (Formerly Hard Assets Alliance)

Thanks for the comment, Doug. When a trade or payment (ACH or Check) takes place, there is a "settlement" date located under your transaction details, at which time it is then free to use for trading or withdrawal. This should only be 2 business days.

Our team is more than happy to add that extra step and schedule a withdrawal for you over the phone in order to make your experience better.

Customer Service

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

1-14VERY PLEASED,

1-14

INTELLIGENT PERSON VERY PROFESSIONAL AND
PATIENT.THAT'S A PREMIUM IN TODAY'S WORLD.TANKS.

January 9, 2026
Unprompted review
GBI Direct (Formerly Hard Assets Alliance) logo

Reply from GBI Direct (Formerly Hard Assets Alliance)

Thanks!

Rated 2 out of 5 stars
GBI Direct (Formerly Hard Assets Alliance) logo

Reply from GBI Direct (Formerly Hard Assets Alliance)

We don’t see an account under this information, but we’d still like to address your comment. Our pricing is competitive within the precious metals market and reflects factors such as secure custody, insurance, liquidity, and buyback support. Unlike big-box retailers, we also provide the ability to sell your metals back directly through us when you choose.

If you’d like to discuss pricing or services in more detail, our team is always happy to help.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Redemption practices

Your customer support folks are really good. They respond fast and are quite knowledgeable.
Your clients need to know the procedures and rules for selling assets AND the rules for transferring resources in and out of your custody. I’ve been a client for years yet I didn’t know you can only send assets back to the exact same account as the initial funding. Recommend you send a simple and concise redemption procedure.

January 6, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 2 out of 5 stars

HAA lost a funding wire transfer for…

HAA lost a funding wire transfer for over a week before finally finding my money. Delay cost me entry into silver trade just prior to recent run up. Very frustrating and costly for me . . . Mark

January 14, 2026
Unprompted review
GBI Direct (Formerly Hard Assets Alliance) logo

Reply from GBI Direct (Formerly Hard Assets Alliance)

Hey Mark,
In situations like this, delays can occur when a wire is sent from a bank account under a different name than the precious metals account. Our compliance and verification policies are in place to protect our clients and their funds, and in these cases additional review is required before funds can be credited.

We understand how timing can impact trading decisions, and we regret the inconvenience this caused. If you’d like to discuss this further, our Compliance Team is always available to assist.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

The Bottom Line

The decision to do business with your company has been an excellent choice.

While the bottom line counts, it is not the only criteria for measurement. Your team of professionals is obvious.
Customer Service and the customers are number one. We really appreciate your company as they are hard to find.

Hard Assets and Harder to Find should be your Motto! One of a kind.

Thanks
Richard Edmisten
E.J. Tanner

January 12, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 3 out of 5 stars

WebSite Login

I would like to acknowledge the help and support that Lindsey provided me with during a problem, of my own making, that I had logging on to the HAA website. For some time, I was getting nowhere leaving me very concerned with regard to the security of my investments.
Once I had contact with Lindsey she took ownership of the problem and the issue was resolved to my relief and satisfaction.

November 12, 2025
Unprompted review
GBI Direct (Formerly Hard Assets Alliance) logo

Reply from GBI Direct (Formerly Hard Assets Alliance)

We’re very glad Lindsey was able to step in, take ownership of the issue, and get everything resolved for you Barry!

We understand how concerning access issues can be, especially when it comes to the security of your investments, and we’re happy to hear she was able to put your mind at ease.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Great to work with

Hard Assets Alliance provides a great service. When my father passed away, the estate required a lot of structural changes and they were very communicative and easy to work with through the entire process. And working through their online portal makes purchasing, selling and shipping metals so straight forward.

November 12, 2025
Unprompted review
Rated 3 out of 5 stars

This is an overall review of my…

This is an overall review of my experience with HAA. First of all, my main issue is about the very high round-trip costs, especially for metals like silver. This is something that is rather transparent and I kind of knew when opening my account, but it helps to remind: the round trip costs for buying silver are around 20% because of the enormous spreads charged. This is nothing too uncommon in that buisness, but it still hurts a lot - despite good recent gains, especially if one needs access to one's funds. For a very long-term investment, it might be less of a big deal, but anything below say 5-10y holding period is IMO simply not worth it. So about my recent experience: for the privilege of having sold 400 oz of silver this week at a 12% discount to spot I'm now asked to wait more than 3 days business days until I can withdraw my funds (from the site: "rades take two full business days to settle. … funds cannot be withdrawn until 2 full business days after the trade has been placed and after 5:15 PM EST."). I just added a new bank account and of course I'm not gonna wire $18k out of the blue when I've had so many issues already with HAA - manly funding my account (with exactly the account I'm trying to withdraw from now, I tried with something like $50 in the past, luckily the money went back to my Revolut account and didn't disappear into the nirvana). So yeah, just I withdrew $26 with a $25 fee, a nice little touch after having lost around $4k in total on the round trip (despite still satisfying gains overall of course).

Dealing with customer service in the past has also not yielded satisfying results.

I guess the only positive thing is that despite all the fees, at least the metal and money seems to be safe.

I've updated my rating to 3 stars as HAA has offered to kindly refund the transaction cost for the wiring. I still keep a 3 star rating as I think it's important to highlight the high fees in every step of the investing process.

October 24, 2025
Unprompted review
GBI Direct (Formerly Hard Assets Alliance) logo

Reply from GBI Direct (Formerly Hard Assets Alliance)

Thank you for taking the time to share your detailed feedback — we appreciate you giving us the opportunity to clarify a few important points.

We understand that transaction costs can feel high, especially for silver. Silver carries unique physical handling and storage requirements, and as you noted, the larger spreads are an industry-wide factor rather than specific to HAA. Our goal has always been to provide secure, fully allocated ownership of REAL, vaulted metal, which includes insured storage, audits, and liquidity through global partner vaults. For clients with longer-term horizons, this model offers significant transparency and security benefits compared to purely digital or unallocated platforms.

Regarding the withdrawal timing, the settlement period you referenced (two full business days after trade completion) is a standard financial control to ensure accurate reconciliation and fraud prevention, particularly when a new bank account has just been linked. Rest assured your sell transaction was locked in of course. We know waiting can be frustrating, but this process exists solely to protect our clients’ assets.

The wire fee is a pass-through charge from our banking partner — we don’t profit from it, and we disclose all fees clearly before withdrawal, but I will say that if our service team knew your intention was to "test", we would have happily accommodated.

We do appreciate that you recognized your metals and funds remained safe — security and integrity of ownership are our top priorities. Your feedback helps us improve the balance between protection, accessibility, and transparency.

If you’d be open to discussing your experience further, we’d truly value the chance to make things right. You can reach our Client Services team directly at support@hardassetsalliance.com
for personalized follow-up.

Thank you again for sharing your honest experience.

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