We have put together some important information about purchasing funeral plans to help you make an informed decision.
It can only be guaranteed that Albert E. Hicks Limited Funeral Directors will be your funeral director at the time of your passing if you buy a pre-paid funeral plan directly from us and no other third party.
If you buy your funeral plan though us, we will provide a tailor-made funeral service according to your wishes. The price will be in accordance with our current charges and any disbursements.
Payments made into the pre-paid funeral plan will be held in trust by a Trust Company. The Trust Company will deduct their fee from your payment for their services as laid out in the contract. If you purchase a pre-paid funeral plan direct from a third-party Trust Company, the sum they allocate to your plan may not represent the actual amount required to guarantee you of our services in the future.
When you buy a pre-paid funeral from any organisation other than Albert E. Hicks Limited Funeral Directors, we cannot guarantee that your plan will be tailor made. This would be due to the monies being released from the third-party trust company at the time of death being insufficient to secure the exact services you wished for.
Third-party trust companies will deduct their charges and other fees, meaning that the third party pre-paid funeral plan fund that you have paid into may not actually have sufficient funds to guarantee our services.
If you wish Albert E. Hicks Limited Funeral Directors to arrange your funeral according to your wishes you must buy your funeral plan directly through us to guarantee our services. Third -party funeral plans cannot offer a guarantee for our services.
There are many national companies offering pre-paid funeral plans.
Many do not allow you to choose Independent Funeral Directors. Golden Charter will only assure you of our services if you pay for a plan which guarantees choice of funeral director. Their standard prices will not guarantee our services.
Our tailor made pre-paid funeral plans are costed according to current rates are suit your requirements and needs. There are no further costs to you or your family at the time of passing, provided the terms and conditions of the plan have been fully complied with. When you buy a pre-paid funeral plan from us, you will be able to discuss the arrangements either at your home or our office.
Any plan that is paid in full or within the first year can be surrendered at any time (see terms & conditions) less the Trust Company administration charge. Plans paid by fixed monthly payments over longer periods, may be cancelled subject to penalty fees (see terms & conditions).
If you pay for your funeral plan either by a single payment or over 12 months, your payment will go directly into Trust.
The Trust is a separate legal entity and – provided that payments are made according to the set terms and conditions, at the time of your passing – the Trust will release the funds to us, so we can provide the funeral service that has been agreed prior to your passing.
Albert E. Hicks Limited Funeral Directors are able to provide a legally binding contract which protects your interests, ensuring that your funeral arrangements will be carried out according to your wishes.
If you choose to pay by fixed monthly payments, our services will be guaranteed after the first two years provided payments are received according to the specific terms and conditions outlined upon signing of the contract.
This type of plan is managed by Golden Charter, who will use your payments to take out a whole life policy which will fund your funeral when you die. The alternative monthly plan guarantees our services, provided payments are made in accordance to the specified terms and conditions. Payments must be made until you either pass away or until your 90th birthday.
If you fail to make a payment on time, your funeral plan will be cancelled, therefore you will have no funeral plan, no plan value and no right to refund. It is essential that you enter into the monthly fixed payment plan option with caution.
If you have any questions or are interested in discussing plans for your loved one, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
