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Laurence Jones Funeral Directors Wirral and Chester TERMS OF BUSINESS
We are a member of  S.A.I.F. Funeral Directors Association 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. 1 Estimates and Expenses The estimate overleaf sets 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 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 may require your written confirmation of the changes. We may need to make an extra charge in accordance with prices published in our current price list. We will add VAT to our charges, where applicable, and at the rate applicable when we prepare the invoice. 2 Payment Arrangements The funeral account is due for payment within 7 days of our invoice, unless otherwise agreed by us in writing or if you option one of our fixed cost, simplified or standardised funerals when the deposit requirements and payment terms will be much shorter. Fixed Cost Direct Funerals ~ Payment in full before funeral date. Simplified Funerals 50% deposit required balance due within 7 days of our invoice. Standardised Price & Traditional funerals £1200 deposit required. If you fail to pay us in full on the due date we may charge you interest: - at a rate of 4% 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 Judgment (unless a Court orders otherwise). We may recover (under Clause 3) the cost of taking legal action to make you pay. 3 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 will 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. 4 Data Protection & GDPR 2018 Words shown in italics are defined in the Data Protection Act 1998 ("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. The new GDPR regulations are dealt with by new written publications. You confirm that you have permission to also give consent to use all information you supply, including your relatives & friends, unless you specify. 5 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 this agreement in the cooling-off period of 14 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. 6 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, be asked to pay a reasonable amount based upon the work carried out up to the time your termination is received. 7 Standards of Service S.A.I.F Funeral Directors’ 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 then S.A.I.F. National Association through SAIF
Please note: to make a complaint, you must firstly submit the Complaints Form online.
If you are not satisfied with SAIF’s Complaints Procedure, you may wish to pursue your case with an external, independent organisation. Our consumer protection scheme is run in conjunction with the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution. 
A client taking a SAIF member to conciliation will have to pay a fee of £100 and for arbitration will have to pay a fee of £200 which will be returned if their claim is successful. This is to protect our members against malicious claims motivated solely by money.
In Conclusion Once the Review Procedure has been completed, no further steps can be taken by any Party under these Rules. Any party considering the possibility of an appeal to the courts, if indeed such an appeal is legally possible, is strongly advised to seek legal advice. Should you have any further questions or concerns, please do contact us at the SAIF Business Centre: Tel no: (01279) 726777 Fax no: (01279) 726300 E-mail Address: standards@saif.org.uk The National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors SAIF Business Centre, 3 Bullfields, Sawbridgeworth, Herts CM21 9DB
All dates and times provided on the estimate cannot be guaranteed until final bookings are made and confirmed. Although we endeavour to provide a prompt and efficient service for 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. We can not be responsible for the performance of all third parties which may include, but not specifically, Crematoria, Councils, Grave Diggers, Ministers, Civil Celebrants, Florists, Printers, Vehicle Hire, Newspapers, Hospitals, Doctors, Coroner, Registrar, International Repatriation Service Providers,
8 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. 9. Additional legal requirements Any inappropriate items found in a coffin during our final closing down procedure will be discreetly disposed of. 10. If additional bearers are required, due to the size of Coffin or difficult access to the place of service then additional costs of £35 per bearer will be charged. 11. Any unclaimed items of clothing / effects will be discreetly disposed of after 14 days of date of death. 12. Instructions regarding cremated remains are to be issued by the cremation applicant and remain their ownership. Unless other wise agreed 13. We will update our website with funeral details. You will be asked your preferences with the information to be displayed. 14. Love2Donate, our on-line charitable donation processing partner, makes charges for use of their services, currently 5% & card charges. Please advise us if you do not wish to use their services. 15. Offers. Any special offers however presented (verbally, written, leaflet drop, virtually, perceived, etc.) will have a limited time of availability and may be amended or withdrawn without notice. This includes “Simplified Cremation” and “Direct Cremation” packages.