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Terms and conditions of the funeral bond

  1. DEFINITIONS
    1. "The Society". Mutual Services (Portsmouth) Ltd (and its successors in title) whose registered office is 44 High Street, Fareham, Hants, PO16-7BN or its duly appointed agents.
    2. “Bondholder”. Any person named on the application form for which the Bond is being purchased.
    3. "Funeral Services". The services for the funeral which are specified in the Funeral Bond.
    4. "Funeral Bond". The document issued by the Society which contains the full agreement of the terms of the Funeral Services to be arranged by the Society.
    5. "Applicant". Aperson who has completed a funeral bond.
  2. AGREEMENT
    1. Receipt of your completed application form by us confirms that you are agreeing to buy your Selected Funeral Bond upon the following terms and conditions of business.
  3. CERTIFICATE
    1. Once you have paid for your Selected Funeral Bond in full and in accordance with any Payment Arrangement, we will send you your certificate.
  4. PAYMENT
    1. Cost. The cost of the Funeral Bond will depend upon the individual Funeral Service requirements specified therein.
    2. Payment Method. Payment may be made in either one lump sum by cash, cheque, credit or debit card. Alternatively twelve interest free monthly instalments or 24, 36 or 60 months with interest charged.
  5. ALTERATIONS TO THE FUNERAL SERVICES
    1. Alteration by the Applicant. Any alterations to the Funeral Services made prior to the funeral will be chargeable at the prices prevailing at the time of the alteration. Alterations may only be accepted through written confirmation from the Applicant.
    2. Alteration by the Society. Whilst every effort will be made by the Society to carry out the Customer’s wishes as detailed in the Funeral Bond, the Society reserves the right to alter the specifications if circumstances so dictate.
  6. REDEEMING THE FUNERAL BOND
    1. Redeeming the funeral bond before all Instalments have been Paid. If the Client dies before payment of the final instalment, it shall be at the Society’s absolute discretion whether to:
      1. Use the instalments in its possession towards the Funeral Services and invoice the applicant for the balance which must be paid before the funeral takes place.
      2. Return the instalments already paid to the applicant’s personal representatives less an administration charge of £100.
    2. Death outside the mainland of England, Scotland or Wales. If the person in respect of whom the Funeral Services are to be provided dies outside the mainland of England, Scotland or Wales, it shall be in the Society’s absolute discretion whether to:
      1. Arrange the Funeral Services specified in the Funeral Bond, and invoice the Customer’s personal representatives for the additional expenses involved; or
      2. Refund the cost of the Funeral Bond less an administration charge of £100.
    3. We will not pay a refund if you or your Representatives decide not to receive any Funeral Bond Services that you are entitled to.
    4. Any additional services required not covered by the Funeral Bond will be charged at the price prevailing at the time of the funeral bond certificate being redeemed.
    5. Funeral Bonds purchased via full payment and redeemed within 28 days of purchase may be cancelled without an administration charge.
  7. CANCELLATION
    1. In the event (each an ‘Event of Default’) that:
    1. The Applicant cancels the Funeral Bond prior to death; or
    2. The funeral is performed by a Funeral Director unauthorised by the Society; or
    3. An applicant has not completed or maintained instalment payments and the Society has cancelled the Funeral Bond by written notice on the grounds that an instalment has been due and unpaid for a period in excess of fourteen days; or
    4. The death of the person in respect of whom the Funeral Bond is to provide a funeral results from (or the Society cannot meet its obligations because of war, invasion, act of foreign enemy hostilities (whether war declared or not), civil war, rebellion, revolution, insurrection, terrorism, military or usurped power, riot or civil commotion.
    5. The society at its absolute discretion may cancel any funeral bond and return any monies paid up to the date of termination.
    1. The Society will refund the amount paid less an administration charge of £100 following written confirmation of cancellation and returning of the funeral bond certificate.
  8. AVAILABILITY
    1. Whilst every effort will be made by us to comply with the specified funeral plans services, the location of the burial or cremation may require to be amended owing to changes in the available facilities over the passage of time. If this happens we may have to provide reasonable alternative places or services. NB: In the respect of burials, it is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure pre-purchase of the grave plot.
  9. RESPONSIBILITY FOR CLAIMS
    1. The applicant is responsible at all times for claiming the funeral bond services.
  10. MISCELLANEOUS
    1. No contractual relationship shall exist until such time as full payment for the Funeral Services shall have been received by the Society.
  11. COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE
    1. If you have a complaint about your Funeral Bond please write to:
    2. Funeral Bonds Complaints Department
      Mutual Service (Ltd)
      157 Fratton Road
      Portsmouth
      PO1 5ER
    3. We will attempt to settle your complaint within a period of 28 days.
  12. UNCLAIMED MONEY
    1. If the Funeral Bond Services have not been claimed by the applicant by the bondholder’s 110th birthday or if we are told that the bondholder may have died, then we may write to you at the last address we have, to ask whether you still plan to claim the Funeral Bond benefits. If we do not hear from you within a period of 28 days of writing to you, we will consider that you have chosen not to claim the Funeral Bond benefits, and we may cancel the Bond and keep any payments which you have made.
  13. EXTRA CHARGES
    1. We reserve the right to charge reasonable additional amounts for the following:
    2. Removal of artificial limbs and mechanisms, such as pacemakers, and To reflect the effect of any change in regulations, surcharges, tax and laws relating to our provision of the Funeral Bond Services.
    3. [Your bond does not include value added tax because it is not charged on a funeral service at the moment. However, if government policy changes and VAT is charged on a funeral service or any part of it in the future, then you or your Representative will become liable to pay the same].
    4. We agree to take the body, where necessary, up to a distance of 20 miles only. Should you wish us to take the body further than 20 miles, then we will be entitled to charge a reasonable mileage charge.
  14. GENERAL
    1. These Terms and Conditions, together with the information pack and your Application Form, make up the Agreement between us and you concerning the Selected Funeral Bond and the Funeral Service arrangement. They do not affect the rights you have as a consumer, buying products and services. No other person (including the Applicant or their Representatives) has any rights under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 to enforce any term of this agreement. This does not affect any other rights these people may have. If any part of the agreement is not effective the rest of the agreement will still apply. English Law will apply to the terms of this agreement. No interest will be payable on the payments you make to buy your Funeral Bond.