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Buckminster Funerals Ltd Est 2004 STANDARDISED PRICE LIST FEBRUARY 2024
All funeral directors are legally required to publish this Price List for a standardised set of products and services. This is to help you think through your options, to make choices and to let you compare prices between different funeral directors (as prices do vary considerably).
¹ This fee (which is sometimes called the interment fee) is the charge made for digging and closing a new grave, or for reopening and closing an existing grave. ² In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, you will usually need to pay doctors’ fee(s) as well. This is the charge for a/two doctors to sign the Medical Certificates for Cremation.
OWNERSHIP
Buckminster Funerals Ltd trades as a Limited Company number 05318606 registered in England & Wales at 15 Buckminster Road, Leicester. LE3 9AT. The directors of the company are Simon Cotton and Marianna Cotton. The ultimate owner of the company is Simon Cotton. None of the directors have a beneficial interest in any other funeral related business, price comparison website, crematoria or group.
DONATIONS, CONTRIBUTIONS & GRATUITIES
We are legally required to disclose any donations, contributions or gratuities which amount to £250.00 or more over a 12-month period that have been paid to a third party connected with the funeral sector which do not relate to a cost incurred or service provided. We can confirm that no payments have been made in relation to the above statement.
TERMS & CONDITIONS
1 General
The Company’s primary concern is to provide a high quality service and as such it would not seek to enter into a long and unnecessarily detailed contract for service. It does however acknowledge that its areas of responsibility and obligations should be clearly defined in writing to its clients who should also be aware of the level of protection offered to them and of their obligations to the Company. Throughout these terms and conditions the “Company” is Buckminster Funerals Ltd.
The Company has no means of independently establishing who has the legal right to arrange a particular funeral and it will therefore contract with any person that purports to have the authority to arrange the funeral by virtue of being the next of kin, being an executor of the estate, acting on the instructions of at least one of those individuals or, in the absence of any such individual, acting in their own capacity to facilitate the funeral. Hereafter called the “Client”.
The Company employs qualified and experienced staff who will use their best professional skill to ensure that the requests of its client are honoured. During the initial planning the Company representative may not be aware of all the individual family circumstances and as these are disclosed it may transpire that certain requests cannot be met. In these circumstances the Company will assist in making alternative arrangements but it will not accept any liability for additional costs or losses that may arise as a result of it.
2 Changes to Funeral timings
The dates and times of funerals cannot be guaranteed until final bookings are made and confirmations received from all third parties involved. On occasion, even after confirming details to its client, the Company is forced to make other minor changes to arrangements and timings due to reasons beyond its control, therefore timing is not the essence of this contract. Wherever possible any changes will be notified to the Client in advance however the Company accepts no liability for delays caused by a third-party supplier or any other factor outside of its control and in such circumstances the Company’s charges remain payable in full. The company always attempts to contact its Client to agree changes but that is not always possible. If the Company cannot contact the Client it assesses the situation and acts in what it believes to be the best interests of the Client. It reserves the right to make additional charges for any extra services provided which will be added to the final funeral account.
3 Estimation of Cost
Following the arrangement meeting the Company will send you a letter of confirmation and an itemized cost estimate of the goods and services it has agreed to supply, both directly and through third party suppliers and a reasonable indication of charges likely to be incurred. Upon receipt of this, it is the Client’s responsibility to advise the Company if any of the instructions do not reflect their wishes. Lack of communication will be assumed as acceptance of both the instruction and the associated approximate costs.
4 Data Protection
We respect the confidential nature of the information given to us, and where you provide us with personal data (“data”) we will ensure that the data will be held securely, in confidence and processed for the purpose of carrying out our services unless you give us your express permission for use in our marketing. In order to provide our services we may need to pass such data to third parties and those third parties, who are performing some of the services for you, may contact you directly. We will not pass your details to third parties for marketing purposes whatsoever. Under the General Data Protection Regulations 2018 you have the right to know what data we hold on you and you can, by applying to us to in writing and paying a fee, receive copies of that data. When you sign the acceptance you are giving us permission to keep your details on record. Our Privacy Policy can be found at www.buckminsterfunerals.co.uk
5 Clothing & Personal Effects
The Company transfers the deceased person to its premises in the clothing worn unless given instruction to the contrary. All underwear, socks, nightwear and/or soiled outer garments, are treated as waste and disposed of in an appropriate manner. All other garments (excluding shoes, which must be removed for cremation and are donated to charity unless express alternative instructions are received at the time) are removed and held for 7 days after which time, if not collected (and without further notice) will be disposed of in any way deemed appropriate by the Company. All valuables or keepsakes with the deceased person at the time of collection are recorded and dealt with in accordance with instruction of the Client. When jewellery or any other keepsake item is provided to us for placement into the coffin and left with or on the deceased person during visits to the chapel of rest, the Company is not responsible for its safekeeping and accepts no liability in the event of loss or damage.
6 Size of the deceased person
At the time the funeral is arranged is it usual for the Company to be unaware of the size (height or weight) of a deceased person. Prices and information or products or services is done so on the assumption that a person is no larger than certain reasonable limits. Once known the company takes account of the size of the deceased person as there are limitations on every product and service in relation to size (weight and or dimensions). Its preferred method of movement on a funeral is to shoulder carry the coffin but as a responsible employer conforming to the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992, a risk assessment is carried out before each movement. Where this indicates there is or could be an unacceptable avoidable risk, the Company either moves the coffin on a wheeled bier or arranges for additional staff or both. Where the size exceeds any of the limits the Company may, at its absolute discretion, provide additional staff, transport and equipment, and changes may be made to the type of coffin/casket (or method of construction), crematorium, cemetery or to any other part of the service and any additional costs involved in these changes will be shown on the Company’s final invoice.
7 Termination and Your Rights to Cancel the Contract
Under the Consumer Contract (Information Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 any Client signing a contract with the Company in their home or their place of work, a right to cancel within a period of 14 days (day one being the day the contract is signed). If the Client wishes to cancel this contract, the cancellation must be received in writing within the 14 day cancellation period to The Managing Director, Buckminster Funerals Ltd, 15 Buckminster Road, Leicester, LE3 9AT. Please note that until the cancellation notice is received the Company will be unaware of the Client’s intention to cancel. If you have not received a telephone call from us confirming its receipt, please telephone us as we cannot be responsible for delays in receipt of such a notice. If the Client wishes the Company to provide goods or services before the end of the 14-day cancellation period, the Company requires the Client’s written consent, following which the Client become liable for payment for all goods or services provided after that written consent is provided. A suitable consent is included within the client agreement. This may be deleted before the client signs the agreement to delay provision of any service or goods until after the 14-day cancellation period has ended, if the client so wishes.
8 Deposit
The Company requires a deposit payment in advance of the funeral date for some services or goods, as detailed in section 9. This payment must be received 2 working days prior to the date of the service. If a Client fails to make the payment before the required deadline, they will be in breach of the contract to provide those service or goods and the Company may not provide them. Any new arrangement to provide those services or goods will only be made when full payment for them is received (including any cancellation or penalty fees incurred as a result of the delay in payment).
9 Final Account
The Company will usually produce its final account 7 days after the date of the funeral. It will itemise the applicable charges that make up the final account and note aggregated payments already made (except where covered by a pre-paid fund). The final account may vary from the estimate as it will include any goods or services instructed since the estimate was generated. Any values of third-party costs may be updated to their usual gross price if different to the estimated value. Any errors found subsequent to the compilation of the estimate will be rectified on the production of the final account.
10 Payment and payment terms
The Company will forward the final account to another person if instructed by the Client. However, the Client is personally responsible for the full payment of all charges and disbursements. Re-directing the final account does not discharge that responsibility. The Client remains responsible until payment is received in full. This includes any outstanding balance remaining if either not paid or covered in full (if applicable) by the person to whom the final account was re-directed, the Department of Works and Pensions or the administrator of the deceased person’s estate. In any case the Client is responsible for ensuring payment within the payment terms set out below : The Company requires a deposit payment equal to the value of disbursements paid to third parties, two working days in advance of the funeral date for the total estimated cost of a bespoke funeral. The Company requires a 100% deposit payment, two working days in advance of the funeral date for the total estimated cost of exhumation, assistance when working without a Funeral Director, and an unattended funeral. The Company may require payment in advance of placing a manufacturing or delivery order of any item (including coffins or caskets) over the value of £2,000. The Company retains the ownership of all goods, service and third-party supplies for a specific contract until payment for the full and final invoiced amount is received. The Company does not make a surcharge for payments made by debit or credit cards. The final account is due for payment in 28 days from the date of issue unless otherwise agreed in writing. If the Client or other person to whom the account has been passed, fails to pay us, the Company may charge interest. Interest will be charged from the first day of the calendar month following the date the final account is due. (e.g.1st of February for an account dated 25th December). At a rate of 2%, added on that first calendar day, plus a further 2% to any outstanding balance of the first day of each calendar month thereafter until paid in full. If, at its absolute discretion, The Company, deems it necessary, the account will be passed on to a Solicitor, Collection Agency or Court and add all associated charges and fees to the outstanding balance for settlement by the Client.
11 Complaints
The Company is a member of the National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors (Member 2077) and subscribe to its current Code of Practice, a copy of which is available upon request. The Company acts in a professional manner and provides a courteous, sensitive and dignified service to you. We acknowledge that some of the subject matters may not be considered acceptable to all clients, however it may be necessary to hold that discussion with the best interests of either the deceased person or client at heart. If the Client has a complaint or concern about the service provided, please contact the Company in writing addressed to The Managing Director, Buckminster Funerals Ltd, 15 Buckminster Road, Leicester, LE3 9AT; in the first instance. If that does not resolve the issue to your satisfaction, please direct your concern to Professional Standards Chairman, SAIF Business Centre, 3 Bullfields, Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire, CM21 9DB. This is a simple, free and independent service for effective dispute resolution, further details of which can be found online at https://saif.org.uk/about-saif/complaints/ or ask the Company for a leaflet.
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