Funeral Director charging more for headstone work than I signed for?

[Hurricane Puffrose]

Re: Funeral Director charging more for headstone work than I signed for?

My apologies to you Geebs.

I would suggest you listen to ODC's advice as he is a very respected poster here who is very knowledgeable.

I am with Inca that the accusations are very dangerous indeed, unless you have 100% facts this is the case!

[salsmoss]

Re: Funeral Director charging more for headstone work than I signed for?

1. is a signed "memorial order" a legally binding contract, for the sum wrote on it? YES
2. can FD legally increase the bill without my authorisation? NO
3. if I am in the wrong to refuse to pay the extra charges, what can they do about it? NOTHING

[SpringerSpaniel]

Re: Funeral Director charging more for headstone work than I signed for?

I agree with the advice to seek advice from Trading Standards. If a company has unfair trading practices they can investigate the situation and take up your own case.

An industry body may also help.

The problem seems to be that you have not been given clear and corrct information as ot thee costs involved; indeed the informaation you have been given may well be misleading. However, the amounts involved may well be within thee scheme of an out of court settlement arranged by one of the above bodies, rather than going to court.

[Geebs]

Re: Funeral Director charging more for headstone work than I signed for?

I'll wait and see what they come back with, no doubt some BS excuse as to why they can legally charge me more.
I'll have no hesitation involving trading standards, citizens advice etc.
An extra £20-£30 you can expect, but to more than double a bill imo is disgracefull.

[Inca]

Re: Funeral Director charging more for headstone work than I signed for?

Thats the best plan Geebs

[EXC]

Re: Funeral Director charging more for headstone work than I signed for?

I really dont see your point ODC, why should I contact them? Its upto them to justify a charge without my authorisation.

ODC's advice must be right. None of your issues will ever be solved, by any conceivable method, unless you first make contact with them. It's as simple as that.

[salsmoss]

Re: Funeral Director charging more for headstone work than I signed for?

ODC's advice must be right. None of your issues will ever be solved, by any conceivable method, unless you first make contact with them. It's as simple as that.

My advise is 100% right aswel, the only difference is the post count.

[MissFM]

Re: Funeral Director charging more for headstone work than I signed for?

At the risk of being ++++ on from a very great height:

There is not a complicated problem here - even if the grave had been dug up and re-lined with gold bricks Geebs did not commission that and would not therefore be expected to pay for it. Geebs has payed in full for the work he commissioned.

ODC is no doubt right about the costs and skill needed to do this or that - but it is beside the point - even if the work was done, Geebs did not commission it. There does not appear to be any legal challenge or need to "settle out of court" -why should there be?

Either the FD has made a mistake or he is "trying it on" -who knows? - in either case if Geebs is sure he is telling the truth there can be no challenge, legal or otherwise.

The FD needs to explain in full, in writing, if he wishes to pursue a fee over and above what you have agreed and paid, Geebs.


That might happen but it might not - as others here say you could anticipate this by going to the OFT etc..

All the antler-clashing doesn't help!

[SpringerSpaniel]

Re: Funeral Director charging more for headstone work than I signed for?

I am going to re-iterate the advice that Trading Standards may well be able to help with this and give sensible advice. If a local company does not have clear Ts and Cs and does not communicate effectively with customers they can advise both parties and negotiate this dispute.

[Swampey]

Re: Funeral Director charging more for headstone work than I signed for?

Firstly you should have had an estimate of costs so if you wasnt quoted for it dont pay for it... after all what can they do, if you got a written contract that doesnt include fixing then they are screwed.... not your problem and dependant of type of stone would dictate if the inscription could have been done on site or off site.....and the funeral director if he's any good should have know this

Something to bear in mind...Most funeral directors sub contract the work out.... and they can belong to any trade organisation but from someone whos worked in the industry it accually means nothing.... just a nice badge on the door.. it cons ppl in to using them with confidence

[ODC]

Re: Funeral Director charging more for headstone work than I signed for?

My advise is 100% right aswel, the only difference is the post count.

Obviously you read different law to the rest of us. Barrack Room law is a lot different to Criminal Law and the Laws of Slander and Libel. Go ahead and make whatever wild unfounded allegations you wish. Just make sure you can stand over them. The internet and this board is a public forum and people can and have been taken to court for making false accusations. I offered reasonable advice which wasn't accepted which is fair enough. This is my last post in this thread. I am a fully qualified funeral director and help set up a memorial masons within the firm I managed and also served as a police officer for over 20yrs so I think I have a fair idea what I am talking about.

[labman]

Re: Funeral Director charging more for headstone work than I signed for?

Perhaps the best way to resolve this is to post a redacted copy of hte contract, along with any T&C's. We can all see EXACTLY what the situation is then?

[astraldream]

Re: Funeral Director charging more for headstone work than I signed for?

To Salmoss my qoute and reply is not working so bear with me but there are so many things i need to address here. SALMOSS ODC that FD has his method of business, if he don't lay a concrete base then that's his decision a lot of them do a lot of them don't, some even brick them up to accommodate family members by placing beams from brick to brick or a garden slabs, the subject here is the unagreed money bill, My reply A Funeral Director will instruct a MASON to undertake work whether it is an external company or a mason that they employ. The mason then needs to get authorisation from the Cemetery or Graveyard to erect a memorial and they certainly dont use concrete to lay a foundation, bricks,or garden slabs for the first coffin!! SALSMOSS Then your local FD does not do this or have you travelled the country to check each FD method, our FD does and also bricks from base to the height of the coffin, places slabs from brick to brick and fills back with soil, hens the soil mound. If you dig a hole and place the soil back in that hole it wont fill to the top if you know what i mean My reply Again, it is not for the Funeral director to make the decision to lay a foundation or bricks from the base to the side of the coffin, it is the churchyard or Cemeteries land and are extremely strict on WHO and WHAT is used for memorials. The reason there is more earth is (i thought) quite obvious, the earth is tightly packed so when dug is not compacted anymore and yes does need refilling after a period of time. SALSMOSS Anyway back to the deceit, which is a fraudulent and deceptive misrepresentation used by one or more persons to deceive and trick another who is ignorant of the true facts. Would this legal definition hold truth in your book odc. My reply As suggested, they should contact the FD to see what the problem was, it may be a mistake believe it or not FD's ARE human after all. I have heard some weird and wonderful conspiracy theories in my time about FD's but Slsmoss has got the award for the best of all.

[Geebs]

Re: Funeral Director charging more for headstone work than I signed for?

Thanks for the reply, however it is completely irrelevent to my situation.
Lets not forget the points of this topic are:-

1. is a signed "memorial order" a legally binding contract, for the sum wrote on it?
2. can FD legally increase the bill without my authorisation?
3. if I am in the wrong to refuse to pay the extra charges, what can they do about it?


Anyone know if I can request under the freedom of information act, the names & addresses over the past 5 years of anyone who has had a "memorial order" with them, so I can ask them and find out if FD have done the same to them. Maybe it is something they often do, miss out the removal fee so we take them up on there price, and then get hit afterwards with extra charges.

[Inca]

Re: Funeral Director charging more for headstone work than I signed for?

How about you put the order form up on here (minus any personal details) for the guys to check over for you re Labmans post #57.
Personally,I would wait to see if the FD contacts you about the payment, you may not hear from them again.