Terms of Business
1: Estimates and Expenses
Your funeral arranger will always provide you with an estimate of 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.
Whilst 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 and may differ from the estimates.
If you amend your instructions we may require your written confirmation of the changes.
2: Prices
Certain items of our service (eg including but not limited to hospitality, flowers) are or may be subject to Value Added Tax. This will be charged to you at the prevailing rate at the time of the invoice.
3: Payment Arrangements
The funeral account for the Direct Cremation or Direct Burial service must be paid in advance of the cremation or burial service date. We reserve the right to postpone the funeral if our fees for the Direct service are not paid when due.
The funeral account for non direct cremation/burial services is due for payment no later than 7 days after the date of the invoice, unless otherwise agreed. We normally invoice our account on the day after the funeral. At times we may request that burial fees are paid in advance of the burial date. If this is the case, you will be invoiced separately for the burial fees and payment will be required no later than 48 hours before the burial date.
Please do inform us as soon as possible if you intend to claim assistance for the funeral expenses from the Social Fund. Generally these payments are a contribution towards the costs and will not cover the entire cost of the funeral so there will be a balance to pay. Any balance outstanding or, in the event of an unsuccessful claim the full amount of the funeral account, remains the liability of the client. Your funeral arranger can provide you with advice and assistance in claiming from the DWP.
Payment via bank transfer is preferred, although major credit cards (excluding Amex and Diners) and cheques are accepted.
4: Late Payment
Please do speak to us at the earliest opportunity if you forsee any difficulty in paying for our services.
Exit Here may charge interest on the late payment of invoices at the rate of 5% above the base lending rate of Natwest Bank, compounded daily, from the invoice due date up to and including the payment date.
5: 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, for example, we incur 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.
6: 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 fourteen 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 the contract during the cooling-off period, you will be required to pay a reasonable amount for goods and services already supplied.
7: 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.