TestedGold curb chain
9 carat gold, tested and weighed, 50 cm long
$480
A loan you can read before you sign
Second Chance lends against gold, jewellery, watches and electronics. The loan, the monthly charge and the last day to repay are printed on your ticket before you sign, and when you repay, the item comes back to you. We also sell tested pre owned goods, from rings to laptops.
6 monthsto repay a standard loan
One visitvaluation, ticket and loan
No credit checkthe item is the only security
- Photo ID checked on every loan and sale
- Valuations while you wait
- Every term printed on your ticket
- Repay early, pay only the months used
How a pawn loan works, step by step
Pawning means leaving something you own with us as security for a loan. If the loan is not repaid, the item is all we keep: nothing else you own is at stake.
Valuation
Bring the item and photo ID. We test and weigh gold, check that watches and electronics work, and tell you both the value and what we can lend. Taking the offer home to think about is always fine.
Your ticket
If you agree, the loan, the monthly charge in dollars, the yearly rate and the last day of the term are printed on a ticket. Read it, ask anything, then sign and leave with the money and the ticket.
Repay or extend
Repay any day within six months, in full or in part, and pay the charge only for the months the loan ran. Need longer? Paying the charges so far starts a fresh term, where the rules allow it.
Collect
Bring the ticket and your ID and repay. The item is handed back in the sealed pouch it went into, checked in front of you against the description on the ticket.
One loan, worked through in dollars
A $300 loan against a gold chain we valued at $600, with a charge of 5% of the loan for each month or part of a month. Your own ticket shows your own figures.
| Repaid after | Loan | Charges | To collect the chain |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 weeks | $300 | $15 | $315 |
| 3 months | $300 | $45 | $345 |
| 6 months | $300 | $90 | $390 |
The monthly charge is the only cost: valuing the item, writing the ticket and keeping it safe add nothing. In this example 5% a month comes to 60% over a year, which is far dearer than a bank loan, and we say so at the counter. A lost ticket is replaced for $5 once we have checked your ID.
If the loan cannot be repaid
Tell us early, because there is nearly always a way through. Paying the charges so far can start a fresh term, and paying off part of the loan lowers the charge for the months ahead.
When a term ends with nothing paid, we write to you and hold the item for another 14 days. After that it may be sold. If the sale brings in more than you owed, the difference is yours and we write to tell you how to collect it; if it brings in less, we do not chase you for the rest.
- A letter before anything is sold
- Any money left over from a sale paid back to you
- No debt follows you once the item is sold
Pre owned, tested and ready to buy
Everything here was sold to us by a seller whose ID we checked, or was held past the end of a loan as set out above. Jewellery is tested and cleaned; electronics are tested and reset.
Tested
Diamond solitaire ring
Platinum band, stone graded by our valuer, viewing by appointment
Price on enquiry
Enquire
ServicedAutomatic wristwatch
Steel case and bracelet, serviced, keeps good time
$360
14 inch laptop
Battery tested, reset to factory settings, charger included
$290
Mirrorless camera
With a 24 to 70 mm zoom, shutter count checked
$540
Acoustic guitar
Solid spruce top, set up and restrung
$210
Every item comes with a receipt saying what it is and how it was tested. The delivery fee is added at checkout. Jewellery and watches can be returned unworn within 14 days, and electronics carry our own 3 month guarantee.
What we lend against, and what we turn away
We lend against things that hold their value and can be tested at the counter.
- Gold and silver jewellery
- Rings set with stones
- Wristwatches and pocket watches
- Laptops and tablets
- Cameras and lenses
- Games consoles
- Musical instruments
- Power tools in working order
We turn away anything we believe is stolen, items with a serial number scratched off or altered, phones and laptops still locked to someone else's account, weapons of any kind, and anything brought in by a person under 18. Serial numbers are checked against stolen property registers where the country keeps one, and we work with the police when something does not add up.
Photo ID and proof of address are needed to pawn or to sell, every time, even for customers we have known for years.
Behind the counter
Where things are tested, valued and kept safe until they go home.
Borrowers and buyers (example reviews)
The ticket spelled out the charge in dollars and the last day to repay. The ring came back four months later in the same sealed pouch, exactly as it went in.
Asked twice whether the loan was more than needed, which nobody expects at a pawn shop. Repaid in week seven and was charged for two months, not six.
A serviced automatic watch bought as a graduation present. It came with a receipt listing everything that had been checked, and it keeps better time than expected.
Questions asked at the counter
Is pawnbroking regulated?
Yes, though the rules vary between countries, and within some countries between states. They decide who may lend, how charges are shown, how long an item must be held and what happens to money left over from a sale. Our licence hangs behind the counter, and the terms on your ticket follow the rules that apply here.
What should be brought along?
The item, photo ID such as a passport or driving licence, and proof of address from the last three months. We ask every time, because checking who brings things in is how stolen goods are kept off our shelves.
Will a pawn loan show on a credit file?
We do not run a credit check, because the item is the security. If a loan is not repaid, the item is sold as described above and that is the end of it.
Can a loan be repaid early?
Any day, in full or in part. The charge is worked out for each month or part of a month the loan ran, so repaying in the second month means two months of charges, not six.
How is the loan amount decided?
Gold is tested, weighed and valued on that day's gold price; other items on what they fetch second hand. We usually lend between a third and two thirds of the value, and you hear the value as well as the offer.
Can items be sold outright instead?
Yes. We make a separate offer to buy, which is usually higher than the loan, and you choose which suits you. Selling cannot be undone, so take the time you need.
Ask for a valuation before you come in
Describe the item in words and we reply with a rough range within one working day. The firm offer is made at the counter once the item has been tested, and nobody will ask you to decide on the spot.
- A rough range by message, a firm offer in person
- Pawn, sell or only ask: nothing is binding
- Photo ID needed at the counter
Find the counter
No appointment is needed while we are open. Jewellery worth over $2,000 is valued by appointment, so the valuer has time to do it properly.
The counter
Shopfront on the high street, two doors along from the post office
Opening hours
| Monday to Friday | 09:30 to 17:30 |
| Saturday | 09:30 to 16:00 |
| Sunday | Closed |
Before you come in
Bring photo ID and proof of address, and bring the charger for any laptop, tablet or camera so we can test it on the spot.