Gold bechna hai? Pehle yeh teen sawaal poochein

Gold bechna hai? Ask any buyer three things before you hand over a single piece: how will you test it, how will you work out my figure, and how and when will I be paid. A buyer who answers all three plainly, and in front of you, is worth considering. We are in Noida Extension (Greater Noida West), and pickups cover Delhi NCR, but these questions work at any counter.

Gold bechna hai? Yeh teen sawaal pehle poochein

Most people who come to sell have never done it before. Many are selling because money is tight. That is exactly when it is hardest to ask questions, and exactly when they matter most.

So keep it simple. Three questions. You can ask them in Hindi, in English or in a mix of both. The words matter less than what comes back. Pay attention to whether the answer is specific, and whether the buyer is willing to show you.

If you want the Hindi version of the process, the page on gold bechna hai walks through it.

Sawaal 1: "Mera sona kaise check karoge, aur kya main dekh sakta hoon?"

This is the first question because everything else depends on it. Purity decides what your gold is worth. If you cannot see how it was measured, you are taking the buyer's word.

What a straight answer sounds like:

• "We test it on a karatmeter, and you can watch the reading."
• "We will tell you the karat reading out loud and you can see the screen."
• "If you want, we will test a second piece, or test the same piece again."

What should make you pause:

• The gold goes into a back room and comes back with a number.
• "Trust me, this is 18 karat" with no reading shown.
• A touchstone scratch and a quick guess, with no explanation.
• Annoyance when you ask to watch.

At our counter the gold is tested on a karatmeter while you watch. There is a separate post on how a karatmeter reading is taken, so you know what you are looking at before you arrive.

A note on stamps. A "916" or "22K" mark on a piece is a claim, not a measurement. A good buyer tests anyway. Read what a karat stamp does not tell you if your jewellery is old, handed down or has no mark at all.

Sawaal 2: "Mera figure kaise banega? Kaunsa rate, kitna weight, kitni purity?"

Your payout for a piece comes from three inputs: the weight of the gold, its purity, and the rate the buyer applies. If any of the three is vague, the figure is vague.

Ask the buyer to name all three for your piece, one at a time.

What a straight answer sounds like:

• "Your piece weighs this many grams on this scale. The reading is this karat. This is the rate we are applying, and here is how we get to the figure."
• "The rate is on our board and on our gold rate page. The figure for your piece is worked out once it is tested."
• "Stones, meena and clasps that are not gold are not counted as gold weight. Here is what that removes."

What should make you pause:

• A figure given before anything is weighed or tested.
• "Rate is high today" with no rate named.
• A weight that is different from the one you saw on the scale.
• A buyer who will not say which rate they used.

Two shops can give different figures on the same gold, and not always because one is dishonest. Rate choices, deductions and testing methods differ. We explain this in why two shops quote different rates. The number in the news is also not your payout, which is covered in why the published rate is not your payout.

One more thing on weight. Your family may speak in tola or ratti, while the scale reads in grams. Ask the buyer to show you the grams on the scale, and use tola, ratti and grams if you need to convert.

Sawaal 3: "Paisa kab aur kaise milega? Koi katauti ya charge hai?"

Many sellers forget this question until the end. Ask it at the start.

You are asking about three things: the way you are paid, the time it takes, and any deduction or fee that is not part of the figure you were quoted.

What a straight answer sounds like:

• "You can be paid in cash or by bank transfer. This is when it happens."
• "There is no charge on top of the figure we agreed. If anything is deducted, we tell you what and why before you agree."
• "If you do not like the figure, you can take your gold back."

That last line is the most important. A seller who can walk away with the gold in hand is not under pressure. If a buyer has already melted, cut or kept your piece before you agreed to anything, that is the wrong place to be.

Payment and timing are covered in how you get paid, and how fast. If you are looking for cash for gold, the page on cash for gold in Greater Noida West sets out how it works here.

Aur kya dekhna chahiye?

The three questions above get most of the way. A few smaller checks help.

• Photo ID. A genuine buyer will ask for it. That protects you as well as them. See why a gold buyer asks for photo ID.
• No bill. Old jewellery often has no bill. That is normal, and it is covered in selling gold without a bill.
• Pressure. Nothing has to happen today. If a buyer pushes you to decide quickly, treat that as an answer in itself. Take your time, go home, and compare.
• Other shops. It is fair to visit two. Ask all three questions at each and compare the answers, not only the figures.

For a longer list, see five questions to ask any buyer before you hand over your gold.

Gold bechna hai, lekin abhi pakka nahi hai?

That is a common place to be. You may be unsure about selling at all, or only a few pieces, or you are waiting for family to agree.

You do not have to commit to come in. Ask your questions first. If you want to run them past us before you travel, call or WhatsApp 9217742656 and ask how the testing and payment work. We will answer in Hindi or English, whichever is easier for you.

If you do decide to sell, bring your ID and the pieces. What to bring when you sell gold has the short list. The locality page for selling gold in Noida Extension has our address and how to reach us, and visit us has the details of the visit itself.

If you cannot travel, we have written about selling gold without leaving home, and about carrying gold safely if you do come to the counter.

Three questions to remember

1. Kaise check karoge? Test in front of you, reading shown.
2. Figure kaise banega? Weight, purity and rate, each named for your piece.
3. Paisa kab aur kaise? Payment method, timing and any deductions, before you agree.

If a buyer answers these clearly, you can decide with a clear head. If not, you have lost nothing by asking, and your gold is still with you.

Questions people ask

Gold bechna hai, what should I ask the buyer first? Ask how the gold will be tested and whether you can watch. A karatmeter reading shown to you at the counter is a straight answer. A number given with no reading is not.

Should I trust a figure quoted before my gold is tested? No. The figure depends on weight, purity and rate, and purity is only known after testing. Any figure before that is a guess.

Can I ask questions before I come to the shop? Yes. Call or WhatsApp 9217742656 to ask how testing, payment and ID work. Nothing has to be decided on the call.

How the karatmeter reading is taken · Why the published rate is not your payout