Funeral plans

I'm having issues with customer services

If you're running into customer service issues with your funeral plan provider or you need to get in touch about a funeral director or the funeral service itself, there are a few things you should expect.

I'm unhappy with the funeral director and their services 

Generally speaking, you should expect any funeral director to act in a courteous and respectful manner.

Any marketing or advertising presented by a funeral plan provider or funeral director should be accurate and should not be misleading. This means that if any promotional materials have promised you a certain standard of service from the funeral director or plan provider, you should expect to get what you’ve paid for.

If you’re unhappy with the quality of the funeral service provided by an FPA registered organisation, you should be aware that the FPA doesn’t regulate or handle complaints about the funeral itself.

However, if you’re otherwise unhappy with the funeral director nominated by your funeral plan provider, you should contact your provider via Resolver to let them know. They will often consider suggesting an alternative funeral director from the list of directors that they work with – and, if you have a complaint about the services provided by a nominated funeral director, may be able to resolve the matter for you.

If you don’t accept the alternative, your funeral plan provider may (in some cases) cancel your plan and charge you a cancellation fee.

If you try to appoint an independent funeral director yourself who isn’t part of the plan, your funeral provider may cancel the plan and charge you a cancellation fee. The majority of funeral plans will refund your original investment (minus the cancellation fee), so you won’t see any return on your investment – or any adjustments for inflation.

Requested funeral dates not available

Depending on the plan you’ve chosen, there may be some restrictions on the dates and times that are available for funerals.

Funeral plan providers should always display this information clearly in any promotional material and in their terms & conditions. If you feel that you’ve been misled or poorly informed about the dates and times that were available, you should get in touch with your plan provider via Resolver.

• If the dates you’re looking to book for aren’t available, your funeral plan provider should work to find a resolution. This may involve recommending an alternative funeral director.
• If you decide to cancel a funeral plan because the requested dates aren’t available, you may be charged a cancellation fee.

Desired funeral director not covered by plan

The majority of plans will have a list of funeral directors to choose from. You will not normally be allowed to nominate a funeral director from outside of this list.

Be aware that if you try and appoint a funeral director yourself who isn’t covered by the plan, your funeral plan provider may cancel your plan and charge you a cancellation fee.

If you're unhappy with the fact that a specific funeral director is not covered by a plan, you can always consider contacting your plan provider via Resolver. While they may not be able to do anything to resolve the matter immediately, they will consider your feedback and may be able to suggest a compromise.

If you're unhappy with the funeral director nominated in a plan and would like to change to another on the list, you should contact your plan provider. You will generally be allowed to change funeral director when needed (ideally before the deceased has been taken into care of the original nominated funeral director – you may be liable for any initial fees charged by the funeral director after this point).

You should be properly informed about any restrictions on the funeral directors available to you before you buy a plan. If you feel that you weren’t – or that your plan provider is acting unfairly – you should get In touch with them via Resolver.

Special requirements recorded incorrectly

Funeral plan providers should always act in a courteous manner ­– and you should always expect them to try and honour special requirements (if they’re reasonable).

If you make a special request that falls outside of the plan, it is likely to cost you extra. Your funeral plan provider should give you a confirmation of any special requests.

What falls inside a plan may vary from provider to provider – always check your terms and conditions before taking a plan out!

Generally speaking, though, the cost of a burial plot, flowers and catering are often not included.

You should contact the funeral plan provider as soon as possible if it looks like a mistake has been made. They should be able to resolve the matter for you.

• If a special requirement was represented in any estimates you were given, you should expect it to be delivered as requested.
• It’s worth noting, though, that the cost of a special requirement is generally not guaranteed, the additional money paid will represent a contribution towards the requirement  when the time comes, but won’t necessarily cover the full cost.
• If any special requirements that have been approved aren’t available at the time of the funeral, most plan providers will provide a reasonable alternative at no further charge. There are, however, no guarantees here – things may vary from provider to provider.
• If you don’t agree with the alternative service, the plan provider may cancel the plan and charge you a cancellation fee (although this is extremely rare). Generally, you’ll be given the option to cancel the plan or carry on without the special requirements you’ve asked for.

Sometimes you may find that you're having issues with what's covered by your plan, the terms and conditions of your funeral plan or lapsed instalments. Here are some guidelines for you to follow.

Costs aren’t covered by this plan

Certain plans may not cover every cost associated with a funeral service. If you ask for something that isn’t included in the plan, you may be charged for it. If you’ve organised independently for something that isn’t covered by the plan, you may be liable for the costs.

What’s covered by a plan may vary from provider to provider – always check your terms and conditions before taking a plan out!

Most plans cover the funeral directors’ costs, some will cover the cremation costs, but the majority will only contribute to burial costs rather than cover them in full. Generally speaking, the cost of a burial plot, flowers and catering are often not included.

Funeral plan providers should make clear exactly what you’re getting in a plan. If you feel that you were poorly informed or misled, you should get in touch with your plan provider via Resolver.

Plan lapsed

Generally speaking, there are a number of reasons your plan may have lapsed.

Most commonly, if you’re paying by instalments or insurance and miss a payment by more than 60 days (the time period may vary from provider to provider), any price guarantee included in your plan may lapse.  The consequence of not maintaining payments will vary depending on whether you’ve got an instalment or insurance plan.

Funeral plan lost/not found

Finding a lost funeral plan can be tricky, but there are some ways of tracking one down.

First of all, try and find a policy document or a relevant direct debit on an associated bank account. If you’ve found either of these, you should contact the company listed on them. If you have either a policy document or evidence of a relevant direct debit, you can demonstrate that a plan was taken out. The company should work with you to find a solution. If they are unable to, you can take the matter to the FPA (if the plan provider is registered).

The FPA’s website can be used to check if any FPA registered provider has a plan. This is a free service and only needs you to give a few key details.

In the event that the plan was taken out with an organisation that has since gone out of business, the Funeral Plan Authority may be able to help..

Mis-sold plan

You should always be properly informed about a plan before you buy. The details of a plan have to be clearly set out. You should be told any costs and charges that you may need to pay, as well as what is covered by the plan and what isn’t.

Funeral plan providers must not make misleading comments about a funeral plan, should never use pressure-selling tactics and should never make unsolicited calls to drum up business.

There are some things you should always expect to be made clear in your terms and conditions. From cancellation fees to processing times, here's the facts.

Cancellation

Generally speaking, most funeral plan providers will have a set cancellation period in which you can cancel your plan with no charge.

• If you decide to cancel your plan outside of this time, you may be charged a cancellation fee.
• If you choose to cancel a plan, you should be refunded any payments you’ve made to date (excluding any cancellation fees).

You should expect any refund to be in your account within 14 days, although this may vary by provider.

Your funeral plan provider may cancel your plan under certain conditions. If, for example, something can’t be delivered as planned and you refuse any alternatives offered, your plan provider may choose to cancel your plan and charge you a cancellation fee.

The reasons your provider may cancel should be set out in their terms & conditions.

You should be aware that any refund you’re given will not include interest, as funeral plans are not investment products.

If you want to either cancel your plan or are unhappy with your account being cancelled, you should contact your funeral plan provider via Resolver.