Still Waiting For My £500.00

[chrissa1]

https://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Business-and-Finance/Question1681356-2.html

As can be seen and after all your kind AB comments, I cancelled this Funeral Policy with Prosperous Life on 5th November within the 30 days allowed for a full refund.

I am still waiting for my refund and having rung them many times, I was told last week that the money would be in my account, today. Nada!!

I rang this afternoon and I was told that they have had to issue a cheque which I will receive next week sometime.

What diabolical service!! Should I complain to the FCA?

[Buenchico]

Although plans to announced to bring funeral plans within the remit of the FCA were announced in June of last year, I can find nothing online to suggest that they've actually done so yet.

One funeral plan website was welcoming the development as something yet to come as recently as last month, so it seems unlikely that the FCA currently formally regulates such plans. (Funeral plan companies have always been able to voluntarily register with the FCA, and agree to abide by their code of conduct, and that appears to still be the current position).

A better option might be to send a formal written demand to the company (using Royal Mail's 'Signed For' service), demanding your money and indicating that you will commence legal proceedings if you don't receive it within seven days.

[chrissa1]

Thanks for that, Chris. I think I will take your advice and send a letter. I had a web chat with my bank last week and was advised that they would look at the case if I wanted to make a complaint.

I’m nearly sure that when I was sold the plan, I was told that the company was under the control of the FCA. Maybe I got that wrong.

Cheers.

[ladybirder]

Have a look at their website Chrissa, it'll show on there if they are a member of the FCA.

[sherrardk]

You might find this interesting https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/nov/27/government-faces-calls-to-speed-up-regulation-of-funeral-industry#maincontent

[chrissa1]

Wow, sherr!!! I remember that the very nice lady who came to visit me showed me an Office program and all I noticed was the last and cheapest amount per month that I was supposedly happy with.

There were no questions about, “are you sure you can afford it?”

[sherrardk]

There’s some right vultures about, I hope you get it sorted out. Shame there isn’t an official body to complain to about them.

[chrissa1]

I’m sure I will but, it’s been a long time to be without the £500.00. :(

[THECORBYLOON]

I seen in the link to the previous thread, a comment from ROCKROSE who wrote,
"The social payments that allow the government to bury you comes with caveats! One of those being that no one can attend your service"

Not surs if that refers to funerals paid fir with money from Government or from local councils.

Local councils have their own rules but in a recent Royal London survey of 400 councils, only fourteen said they did not allow attendance by relatives or friends at the Public Health Funerals (aka Paupers' Funerals).

Non-attdndance may be the policy of ROCKROSE's council but it is NOT a national policy.

For funerals arranged with money from Social Security Scotland (or the Social Fund, outwith Scotland) there is NO bar on folk attending the funeral.