Payment Arrangements

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We are a member of the Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors (SAIF) and subscribe to its current Code of Practice, a copy of which is available upon request.  We aim to act in a professional manner and provide a courteous, sensitive and dignified service to you.

 

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Estimates and Expenses

 

Our estimates set out the services we agree to supply.  This estimate is an indication of the charges likely to be incurred on the basis of the information and details we know at the date of the estimate.  While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of the estimate, the charges are liable to alteration particularly where third parties change their rates or charges.

We may not know the amount of the third party charges in advance of the funeral; however, we give you a best estimate of such charges in the written estimate.  The actual amount of the charges will be detailed and shown in the final account.

If you amend your instructions we will require your written confirmation of the changes.  We may need to make an extra charge in accordance with the prices published in our current price list.

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The payment of the funeral account is the responsibility of the person who arranged the funeral.

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Our Standard Payment Terms

The ‘Estimated Funeral Account’ is due for payment at least 7 days prior to the funeral (the due date).

 

If full, cleared payment is not received by this time, we reserve the right to postpone or cancel the funeral without notice.

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If you fail to pay us in full on the due date we may charge you interest:
-    at a rate of 8% above our bank’s Base Rate from time to time in force;
-    calculated  (on a daily basis) from the date of our account until payment;
-    compounded on the first day of each month; and
-    before and after any Judgement (unless a Court orders otherwise).
We may recover (under Clause 3) the cost of taking legal action to make you pay.

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Ways to Pay and Our Bank Details

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The various ways to pay us and also our bank details can be found on the back of the Estimated Funeral Account that is sent to you after you have made arrangements with us.

 

Bank / Solicitor making payment

 

If you intend for the bank or solicitor to make payment, please ensure that they can pay this invoice before the due date, shown above.

If the bank or solicitor are unable to make payment by this date, we would expect the person arranging the funeral to make payment themselves, on the basis that they will claim from the estate later.

 

Get help with funeral costs:

Funeral Expenses Payment

 

You could get a Funeral Expenses Payment from the government if you get certain benefits and need help to pay for a funeral you’re arranging.

Unfortunately, the Funeral Expenses Payment is only a contribution to the cost and never covers the whole of the funeral. It also takes several weeks to process and will often be less than expected.

As a small, independent family firm, Rounce are regretfully unable to finance any delays in payment beyond the due date and are therefore unable to wait for a Funeral Expenses Payment.

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Problems paying?

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Call us on 01903 692626 during our office hours of 9 am - 4 pm.  We can help you to make changes to the funeral service that will make the cost more affordable.

 

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Get in touch

 

By email

rounce@outlook.com

 

By phone

01903 692626

 

Write to

Rounce Funeral Services,

3 Half Moon Parade,

Half Moon Lane,

Worthing,

West Sussex

BN13 2EL

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Indemnity

 

You are to indemnify us in full and hold us harmless from all expenses and liabilities we may incur (directly or indirectly including financing costs, and including Legal costs on a full indemnity basis) following any breach by you of any of your obligations under these Terms.

This means that you are liable to us for losses we incur because you do not comply with these Terms.  For example, we may charge you an administration fee where we receive a cheque from you which is subsequently not honoured or if we write to remind you that an account is overdue.  If we instruct debt collection agents we may also recover from you the fees we incur.  Further details regarding these fees are available on request.  We may claim those losses from you at any time and, if we have to take legal action, we will ask the Court to make you pay our legal costs.

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Data Protection

 

Words shown in italics are defined in the Data Protection Act 2018 (“the Act”).
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. 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.  Under the Act you have the right to know what data we hold on you and you can, by applying to us in writing and paying a fee, receive copies of that data.

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Cooling-Off Period

 

The Cancellation of Consumer Contracts made in the Consumer’s Home or Place of Work etc Regulations 2008 may give you the right to terminate an agreement with us in the cooling-off period of seven days.  If you wish the performance of the agreement to which this right applies to commence before the end of the cooling-off period, you must sign the authority in the form which will be handed to you.  In the event that you exercise the right to cancel this contract during the cooling-off period, you will be required to pay a reasonable amount for goods and services already supplied.

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Termination

 

This agreement may also be terminated before the services are delivered: (1) by us if you fail to honour your obligations under these Terms and (2) by you communicating to us in writing, terminating your instructions.
If we or you terminate your instructions you may, depending upon the reasons for termination, may be asked to pay a reasonable amount based upon the work carried out up to the time your termination is received.

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Standards of Service

 

The Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors (SAIF) Code of Practice requires that we provide a high quality service in all aspects.  If you have any questions or concerns about the service we provide to you, please raise them in the first instance with our designated senior person.  If that does not resolve the problem to your satisfaction the Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors (SAIF) through the Independent Funeral Directors Arbitration Scheme provides a low cost dispute resolution service, as an alternative to legal action. You can contact the Independent Funeral Directors Arbitration Scheme at SAIF Business Centre, 3 Bullfields, Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire CM21 9DB.

All dates and times provided on the estimate cannot be guaranteed until final booking are made and confirmed. Although we endeavour to provide a prompt and efficient service to you, there may be instances where, because of circumstances beyond our control, we are unable to fulfil our obligations to you on the date or time specified. Where this is the case we will attempt to contact you in advance, using the details overleaf, and advise you of alternative arrangements.

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Agreement

 

Your continuing instructions will amount to your continuing acceptance of these Terms of Business.
Your instructions will not create any right enforceable by virtue of the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties Act 1999) by any person not identified as our client.
If any of these terms are unenforceable as drafted;-
-      it will not affect the enforceability of any other of these Terms; and
-      if it would be enforceable if amended, it will be treated as so amended.
Nothing in these Terms restricts or limits our liability for death or personal injury.
This agreement is subject to English Law.  If you decide to commence legal action, you may do so, in any appropriate UK Court.