Frequently asked questions

Your plan is designed to deliver the services listed on your plan certificate from an Avalon Appointed Funeral Director.
We will usually choose the closest one to your address after you’ve bought your plan – we will notify you of your Funeral
Director in your plan certificate. You can tell us if you have a preferred Funeral Director and if we have a contract with them,
then we can appoint them to your plan. We cannot allocate your plan with a Funeral Director with whom we do not have a
legally binding contract, so as a result, your Funeral Director could change over the life of your plan if contracts with Avalon
change.

These are variable costs charged to the Funeral Director for services associated with your funeral by a third party. The
amount is designed to contribute to the crematorium fee or cemetery fee, the doctor’s fee (if applicable), and a celebrant or
minister fee.

These costs vary across the country and not all of them will be charged for every type of funeral. We’ll describe each one of
these fees in more detail below.

• Crematorium Fee – This is the charge made to cremate your body at time of need and is set by the crematorium
  owners; these can be local authorities or private companies. Sometimes this fee will include a service at the
  crematorium too. Crematorium fees can vary considerably even in the same area and some crematoria apply different
  rates depending upon the time of day that the funeral takes place. There may also be additional fees applied if the
  crematorium is not in the area where you live. It should be noted that in most cases cremations at the weekend are
  almost always more expensive than a weekday fee. The funeral director will discuss crematorium options with your
  nominated representative at the time of need.
• Cemetery Fee – This is also sometime referred to as a Burial or Interment fee. This fee is for the opening and closing
  of an existing burial plot and a service to be held at the cemetery. This charge will be set by the cemetery which may
  be owned by a local authority, religious body or privately. There may be additional charges for burials for people that
  aren’t resident in the burial site’s catchment area. Our plans do not include the purchase of a new burial plot – you
  should consider purchasing this in advance.
• Minister/Celebrant Fee – This is the fee charged by the person officiating the service at the crematorium, cemetery,
  or other building and could be for a religious or non-religious service. We recommend considering the type of service
  you might want and add this to your plan as a request. Our plans do not provide for other charges such as minister
  travel, church, or organist fees.

If your plan has a disbursement contribution in it, the we offer a contribution up to £1200 for these third-party costs in your
plan price and this rises in-line with CPI every year in July. If the 3rd-party costs are higher than the amount available in
the plan at the time of the use, then any shortfall will need to be paid by your family or estate. If the fees are less than the
contribution, then we do not refund any amounts not used.

Dual Certification allows you to nominate a second address in one of the countries we operate in (current UK, Portugal,
Spain, or Cyprus) where Avalon can appoint a local Funeral Director to deliver the services listed on the plan certificate.
It should be noted that the services differ in each country to account for local customs and prices – your plan terms and
conditions will tell you what your equivalent plan is. You don’t have to live in both addresses, you just have to be able to
receive post there – the Avalon Appointed Funeral Director will be allocated within the locality of the address you provide us;
if at the time of need we need to change the Avalon Appointed Funeral Director, there may be additional charges.

Scam Calls

Avalon will only call you from one of our registered numbers and we’ll always tell you where we’re calling from. If you’re concerned about who you’re speaking to, end the call and call Avalon on one of the following numbers or one of the numbers on your Avalon paperwork – do not simply return the call.

• UK Customer Services:
  0161 486 2020
• UK Bereavement Team:
  0161 486 4545
• Spain or Portugal Customer Services & Bereavement Teams:
  +34 966 799 070
• Cyprus Customer Services & Bereavement Teams:
  +357 26 022 696
• Portugal Sales Enquires:
  +351 308 800 141
• Cyprus Sales Enquires:
  +357 230 101 36
• UK Sales Enquires:
  0161 486 2028
• Spain Sales Enquires:
  +34 965 024 522

Reducing nuisance calls

The best way to reduce nuisance calls is to register for free with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS). They’ll add you to their list of numbers that don’t want to receive sales and marketing calls. It’s against the law for salespeople from the UK or overseas to call numbers registered with TPS.

Registering with TPS also won’t stop calls from scammers. There are scammers that will say a company has gone out of business or that they can sell you a better product if you cancel your current one – if you’re unsure, give us a ring.

And don’t forget, as a regulated funeral plan provider, in the unlikely event of Avalon going out of business your plan will be protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme – you can see more information here:

https://www.fscs.org.uk/what-we-cover/funeral-plans/

Phishing or scam emails

Scam “phishing” emails are used to steal people’s personal data and lots of scammers do it really well. Whoever they claim to be, cyber criminals’ goal is to make you believe that their message is legitimate and to do as they instruct.

The attacks often take the form of messages containing malicious links, attachments, or requests for information, masquerading as legitimate correspondences. Scams often impersonate familiar organisations or people the victim knows, such as their colleagues or bosses.

Email Domain

Emails from Avalon will always end with the following email domains – @avalonfuneralplans.com or @avalon-trustee.co.uk – so always check that it’s one of those. If you get an email from something like avalon@gmail.com, it’s definitely a scam.

Any links in our emails for plan information should link to Avalonfuneralplans.com. We may also link to trustpilot.com, lifelocker.co.uk and surveymonkey.com.

If you’re unsure, give us a ring on one of the numbers on your plan paperwork or on 0161 486 2020 /  +34 966 799 070

Attachments

Take a close look at any email that contains an attachment, because scammers often insert malware in them. If you were expecting the message, or the sender’s email address is genuine, there shouldn’t be anything to worry about – from Avalon, that might be plan documents, for example.

But if the email is unsolicited, your alarm bells should be ringing.  If you’re unsure, give us a ring on one of the numbers on your paperwork or on 0161 486 2020 / +34 966 799 070

Urgency

One of the core principles of any scam is that the victim is told they have to act before it’s too late. Crooks do this to force you into action and avoid thinking about the inconsistencies of their request.

They often do this by scaring you – saying that there has been unexpected activity on your account and asking you to reset your password, for example. But sometimes the scam plays on the victim’s curiosity, perhaps by claiming that an offer is only available for a limited time.

The reason this tactic is so effective is because it encourages victims to think irrationally.

However, you should remember that no matter how urgent an email appears to be, you always have time to give it a quick once-over and think about whether the request makes sense and looks genuine. If you’re unsure, give us a ring on one of the numbers on your paperwork or on 0161 486 2020  / +34 966 799 070

Letters

All our letters and postal marketing will be branded by us and will have one of our registered telephone numbers on it, along with our regulatory and company details. We will generally write to you with plan information and it will include your Avalon Plan ID. If you’re unsure, give us a call on one of the numbers on your paperwork or on 0161 486 2020 / +34 966 799 070

SMS / Texts / Whatsapp

We use SMS/Text services for customer satisfaction surveys, to let you know if you’ve missed a payment or for other plan related information and there will always be the option to opt-out. We will not ask for any personal or financial information to be given to us over SMS/Texts/Whatsapp. To make payments, you can call one of the the numbers on your paperwork or on 0161 486 2020 / +34 966 799 070

Home Visits

If you’re in the UK Avalon will never come to your home. If someone comes to your home in the UK claiming to be Avalon, do not let them in and do not give them information. If you feel threatened, dial 999.

In certain areas of Spain, Portugal, or Cyprus we will come to your home only with a booked appointment. We will not turn up unannounced and we will carry Avalon ID. If you’re not expecting an Avalon Sales agent to your home or you want to confirm their details, do not let them in and call our European office on +34 966 799 070. If you feel threatened, dial 112.

If you feel threatened, report this to the police immediately by calling 999 in the UK or 112 in Spain, Portugal, or Cyprus.

If you’ve been scammed, there are organisations you should report the scam to.

Don’t feel embarrassed about reporting a scam – scammers are clever and scams can happen to anyone. Reporting a scam helps track down and stop scammers. This prevents other people from being scammed.

You should:

• protect yourself from further risks
• gather all the details of the scam
• report the scam to other organisations

Contact the police immediately by calling 101 in the UK, or your local police non-emergency number if:

• the scammer is in your area
• you’ve transferred money to the scammer in the last 24 hours

If you feel threatened or unsafe call 999 in the UK, or 112 in Europe.

If you got a scam email

In the UK: Forward the email to report@phishing.gov.uk. It will go to the National Cyber Security Centre – they might be able to stop other people being scammed.

If you’ve been scammed through the post in the UK

Royal Mail investigates postal scams. If you’ve received something in the post you think is a scam, send it to ‘Freepost Scam Mail’. Include the envelope it came in and a completed scam mail report. You can download a scam mail report from Royal Mail or call them and ask for a form and pre-paid envelope.

• Royal Mail Email: scam.mail@royalmail.com
• Telephone: 0800 011 3466

Calls are free from mobiles and landlines.

If you’ve seen a scam advert online

You should report an online scam advert to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). https://www.asa.org.uk/make-a-complaint/report-an-online-scam-ad.html

You might also be able to report an advert when you see it. For example, Google, Facebook and Instagram let you tell them about scam ads. If you’ve done this, you can still then report them to the ASA.

If the scam involves financial services

If the scam involves cryptocurrency, investments, insurance, funeral plans or pensions, report it to the Financial Conduct Authority. https://www.fca.org.uk/consumers/report-scam

If you think you’ve been scammed into transferring your pension, contact your pension provider immediately. Then get in touch with MoneyHelper. https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en/contact-us

Reporting a Scam

If a scammer is imitating a company or person

Contact the real company or person to let them know their name is being falsely used.

A common imitation scam involves emails, texts or calls that seem to be from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). They might tell you about a tax rebate or ask for your personal information. Report HMRC scams https://www.gov.uk/report-suspicious-emails-websites-phishing

It’s important to do your research before you decide if a funeral plan is right for you. Prepaid funeral plans are now regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and can shelter your family from financial and emotional strain at the time of need.

Here are some funeral plan pros and cons:

Prepaid funeral plan advantages

1. One of the great benefits of a prepaid funeral plan is that the key costs for the services included in it are fixed at today’s levels, protecting them from any potential future rises in inflation. It’s always worth confirming with the provider before you buy what is and isn’t covered, so you know exactly which costs your family might have to settle when the time comes.
2. When you buy a funeral plan from Avalon that includes a traditional service, it will be passed to a trusted local funeral director, who will carry it out to a highly professional standard.
3. On your passing, all a friend or family member has to do is contact your plan provider, who will put your plan in motion. It saves them looking around to find a funeral director, making difficult decisions about the arrangements and worrying about how to pay for the services in the plan.
4. Most providers offer monthly payment plans for funerals, so you can spread the cost over as many as 15 years, as an alternative to a single upfront payment.

Prepaid funeral plan disadvantages

1. Your family might decide they want a different funeral to the one you’ve chosen and may need to pay more depending on the type of service they prefer.
2. There’s a chance that your chosen funeral plan provider may not have an arrangement with the funeral director you would like to use, offering you an alternative instead.
3. If you were to die somewhere other than close to home, not every plan provider offers unlimited conveyance of your body to your nominated local funeral director.
4. Not all funeral plans have standard names, so it can be tricky to compare them – always take the time to ensure you’re getting exactly what you want.

If the plan holder has previously given permission to us to provide information to you, then you’ll simply need to pass our security checks to enter the account and we’ll provide the relevant information to you. If we don’t have pre-approval but you hold a Power of Attorney (POA) document, then you can provide us with the document, and we’ll check it before providing any information. Please note, it must be a POA covering financial affairs and it must be registered fully with the relevant authority for it to be used. For UK POA, you can provide us with the Office of the Public Guardian’s access code, which is a 13-digit code starting with V-.

If we don’t have permission recorded or if you don’t have a POA document, then we will not be able to provide you with specific information about an individual plan. We can give you generic information about the ways our plans work, however.

In Cyprus there is no crematorium, so if you want a cremation funeral your body will need to be repatriated to be cremated back in the UK, or opt for a burial in Cyprus instead.

Please note, plans enacted in the UK do not include burial plots.

We’re aware that there are plans to build a crematorium on Cyprus and are monitoring the situation. When and if the crematorium becomes operational, we will look to review our products for this region. Updates will be provided on our website if any new products are introduced that may better suit our customers’ needs.

A funeral plan lets you choose the type of funeral you want and pay for it in advance.

It helps protect your family from some of the stress and worry of arranging and paying for your funeral if you live in Spain, Portugal or Cyprus where funerals typically take place within 48 hours.

It provides support from an English-speaking team to help your family navigate the funeral systems in these countries to make the funeral arrangements when the time comes.

Dual certification means that your plan moves with you – Avalon can arrange your funeral in Spain, Portugal, Cyprus or the UK (see terms and conditions for more information)

A funeral plan also fixes the cost of the funeral director services at today’s prices and protects you and your loved ones from any potential rises in funeral costs in the future.

A funeral plan lets you choose the type of funeral you want and pay for it in advance.

It fixes the cost of the funeral director services at today’s prices and protects you and your loved ones from any potential rises in funeral costs in the future.

It helps protect your family from some of the stress and worry of arranging and paying for your funeral at a time which will already be upsetting for your family.

A prepaid funeral plan is an easy way to arrange and pay for the essential elements of your funeral in advance.

You can choose what type of funeral you want and pay for the arrangements in advance. You pay for the funeral services in your plan at today’s prices, so you don’t have to worry if funeral costs increase in the future.

If you would prefer your funeral be held in mainland Great Britain, we have repatriation funeral plans available.

If you choose a dual certification on your funeral plan, the plan will cover the cost of your funeral if you live, or live between, mainland Great Britain and either Spain, Portugal or Cyprus.

When, when the time comes, just one call to our 24/7 bereavement line will put the plan into motion. Our English-speaking team will help your family liaise with the local Funeral Director to take care of the arrangements as per your plan.

Avalon will then pay the allocated Funeral Director to arrange your funeral.

A prepaid funeral plan is the easy way to arrange and pay for the essential elements of your funeral in advance and at today’s prices, so you don’t have to worry if funeral costs increase in the future.

You can choose what type of funeral you want, make a note of your wishes and pay for the arrangements in advance.

Plans can be paid for in a lump sum, or in monthly instalments so you can choose a payment option to suit your budget.

When the time comes, just one call to our 24/7 bereavement line will put the plan into motion. We will inform your Funeral Director, who will then take care of the arrangements as per your plan.

Avalon will pay the nominated Funeral Director to arrange your funeral.

A traditional funeral plan includes the costs of the appointed funeral director to care for the deceased, to take care of the funeral arrangements including the handling the legal paperwork for the funeral to go ahead and includes a service at a crematorium or burial ground. These types of plans include a hearse to transport the deceased as well as the option to include limousines, a coffin and the funeral director will conduct the service on the day.

There are also certain third-party costs associated with a funeral that the funeral director will pay on your behalf, such as doctor’s fees, crematorium fees, and minister’s fees.

For people that don’t want all the fuss that comes with a traditional funeral it’s possible to have a funeral plan that includes a cremation without a service or mourners present (commonly known as a direct cremation), or one with a family-led service at a crematorium.

To see exactly what is included in each Avalon funeral plan, including any disbursement contribution to contribute towards third party costs, please visit the relevant plan page; Direct to Cremation Plan (GB), Celebration Funeral Plan (GB), Standard Funeral Plan (UK), Plus Funeral Plan (UK) and the Premium Funeral Plan (UK).

What a plan includes differs across Avalon’s range of plans and between Avalon and other providers, so please ensure you are aware of what your plan includes and doesn’t include before making a purchase.

Yes, it is possible to transfer your plan to someone else, such as a family member or friend – you’ll just need to give us written consent to do so. The new plan holder will be entitled to all the same products and services covered by the plan.

If you’re part way through paying for your plan in instalments when you transfer it, the balance of what you have paid will be used as a deposit towards the transferred plan. Payment plans for funerals cannot be transferred after the plan holder dies.

Avalon’s Direct to Cremation Plan (GB) and Direct to Cremation (Spain) provides only a cremation. A direct cremation is a lower-cost alternative to a traditional funeral and is ideal for those with a smaller budget or looking for a simpler send-off.

The deceased will be carefully and respectfully taken from their place of rest to the crematorium for cremation. There will be no ceremony or mourners present. The crematorium may not be local. The ashes will be returned directly to the family or scattered in the garden of remembrance.

If they wish, family members can choose to arrange and pay for their own celebration of  life service, however and wherever you or they wish.

For more details see Direct to Cremation (GB) or Direct to Cremation (Spain)

If instead you would prefer a simple cremation service your loved ones can attend, our Celebration Funeral Plan (GB) might be the right plan for you.

Direct cremation funerals are different from traditional funerals as the cremation takes place without a service or mourners present. This makes direct cremation prepaid plans a more affordable option.

Family members can choose to arrange and pay for their own send off to celebrate your life in a way that is unique and personal to you.

While direct cremation is a lower-cost option, some people may find a traditional funeral an important part of the grieving process.

If you are thinking of a direct cremation, Avalon’s Direct to Cremation Plan (GB) or Direct to Cremation Plan (Spain) could be the plan you’re looking for, but it’s important to think carefully about your wishes and discuss them with your loved ones to ensure you get the funeral you wish for.

Legally, there is no requirement for a funeral service. However, when someone dies, their body must be disposed of safely. In most cases, this is through cremation or burial.

That means that even if you don’t want the fuss of a ceremony when you die, your family or friends will still have to make arrangements and pay for a cremation or burial.

Taking care of these costs in advance with a funeral plan allows you to pay for the costs at today’s prices and means your loved ones won’t have to find the money when the time comes.

The cremation takes place at a crematorium of the funeral director’s choice without a service or mourners present. The ashes will be returned to the family or scattered in the garden of remembrance.

Note: this may be a central location and not local to the deceased home address

To see exactly what is included in each Avalon Funeral Plan, including any disbursement contribution to contribute towards third party costs, additional mortuary days and repatriation options, please visit the relevant plan pages; Expat Funeral Plans in Spain, Portugal and Cyprus. Please note this is only relevant if the plan takes place in Spain, Portugal or Cyprus. There are differences if ‘dual certification’ is used and the plan is enacted in the UK. Please see your terms and conditions for details.

What a plan includes differs across Avalon’s range of plans and between Avalon and other providers, so please ensure you are aware of what your plan includes and doesn’t include before making a purchase.

Different plans and providers include and exclude different things in their plans, so it’s important to be aware of what the plan you’re considering includes.

Most importantly, an Avalon Funeral Plan does not include for the services of any funeral director not appointed by Avalon.

Some of the things not included in a funeral plan are venue costs to host a service including a church service, a wake, obituary notices in media, floral tributes or any items requested in celebration of the deceased such as specialist hearses, memorial caskets, burial plots or headstones, hymn cards or orders of service.

To see exactly what is included and not included in each of Avalon’s Expat Funeral Plans, including any disbursement allowance to contribute towards third party costs, please visit the relevant plan page; Expat Funeral Plans in Spain, Portugal and Cyprus.

What a plan includes differs across Avalon’s range of plans and between Avalon and other providers, so it’s important to be aware of what the plan you’re considering includes or excludes.

Most importantly, an Avalon funeral plan does not include for the services of any funeral director not appointed by Avalon.

Some of the things most commonly not included in a funeral plan are venue costs to host a service including a church service, a wake, obituary notices in newspapers, floral tributes or any items requested in celebration of the deceased such as specialist hearses, memorial caskets, urns or scatter tubes, burial plots or headstones, hymn cards or orders of service and repatriation from outside of mainland Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

To see exactly what is not included in each Avalon funeral plan, including any disbursement allowance to contribute towards third party costs, please visit the relevant plan page; Direct to Cremation Plan (GB), Celebration Funeral Plan (GB), Standard Funeral Plan (UK), Plus Funeral Plan (UK) and the Premium Funeral Plan (UK).

We offer a range of funeral plans in Spain, Portugal and Cyprus. The plans vary in price depending on what kind of funeral you want and the features you require.

To see how much our plans cost please visit the relevant plan page; Expat Funeral Plans in Spain, Portugal and Cyprus.

We offer five funeral plans in the UK that vary in price depending on what kind of funeral you want and the features you require. To see how much our plans cost please visit the relevant plan page; Direct to Cremation Plan (GB), Celebration Funeral Plan (GB), Standard Funeral Plan (UK), Plus Funeral Plan (UK) and the Premium Funeral Plan (UK).

We offer a range of flexible payment methods. You can either pay for your plan in full or spread the cost with monthly payments.

You can pay in a lump sum or over 18 months with no additional charges.

You can pay for your plan in full or over 18 months with no additional costs, or you can choose to spread the cost from 2 to 10 years (or 5 years for repatriation plans) where an instalment charge will be added based on the term you select (age restrictions apply); see terms and conditions for details.

If we or you cancel your plan outside of the moratorium period, we will retain 50% of the instalment charge you have paid in addition to the cancellation fee. See plan cancellation section of your terms and conditions.

Paying off your plan in fewer years is generally cheaper, and you can reduce the term at any time to lower the instalment charge.

We offer a range of flexible payment methods. You can either pay for your plan in full or spread the cost with monthly payments.

You can pay in a lump sum or over 12 months with no additional charges.

You can pay by flexible monthly instalments by paying a deposit now and spreading the cost over two to 15 years. This option is subject to an annual instalment charge, see terms and conditions for details.

If we or you cancel your plan outside of the moratorium period, we will retain 50% of the instalment charge you have paid in addition to the cancellation fee. See plan cancellation section of your terms and conditions.

Paying off your plan in fewer years is generally cheaper, and you can reduce the term at any time to lower the instalment charge.

It is important that you contact us as soon as you encounter difficulties with the instalment payments. We understand that sometimes a payment could be inadvertently missed and to accommodate this occurrence we will allow you to miss a monthly payment without losing the full benefits of the plan. If you miss any instalment payment, we will write to you advising you that your payments have not been made. We will cancel your plan if you miss the equivalent of 2 consecutive monthly payments or 5 non-consecutive payments over a rolling 12 months, and do not rectify the missing payments within 10 working days of us requesting the payment. If you elect to discontinue with your instalment payments or we cannot contact you to rectify the issue, we will cancel your plan and return the monies paid less any applicable fees. Full details can be found in the Generic Terms and Conditions. Please see UK Funeral Plan Terms and Conditions or Expat Funeral Plan Terms and Conditions

If you buy your plan today, in accordance with the Avalon Promise, if you’ve chosen to pay for your plan by instalments and pass away before it is fully paid, we could cover the cost of the services included in your plan.

If you die within the first 18 months due to a sudden and unexpected accident outside of the plan holder’s control, you will be covered by the Avalon Promise.

If you die within the first 18 months, your chosen representative will have the option to pay the outstanding balance before the funeral. Or they can cancel the plan and get a full refund, find more details in your plan terms and conditions.

If you are already an Avalon plan holder your plan may include the Avalon Promise, you can find more details here.

If you buy your plan today, in accordance with the Avalon Promise, if you’ve chosen to pay for your plan by instalments over two or more years and pass away before it is fully paid, we’ll cover the cost of the services included in your plan.

If you die within the first 12 months, your chosen representative will have the option to pay the outstanding balance before the funeral, or they can cancel the plan and get a full refund, find more details in your plan terms and conditions.

If you die within the first 12 months due to a sudden and unexpected accident outside of the plan holder’s control, you will be covered by the Avalon Promise.

If you are already an Avalon plan holder your plan may include the Avalon Promise, you can find more details here.

Funeral director fees are paid to the funeral director for the services they provide. For funerals including a service, these include bringing the deceased into their care and preparing them for the funeral, preparation of the legal paperwork, making the arrangements with the crematorium or burial ground, and liaising with other third parties. For traditional funerals this could include provision of a coffin, suitable vehicles and attending on the day to conduct the service.

Funeral director fees are paid to the funeral director for the services they provide. For funerals including a service, these include bringing the deceased into their care and preparing them for the funeral, preparation of the legal paperwork, making the arrangements with the crematorium or burial ground, and liaising with other third parties. For traditional funerals this could include provision of suitable vehicles and pallbearers to attend on the day and conducting the services on the day.

For direct cremations, the services to care for the deceased, to make arrangements with the crematorium and to provide the committal are delivered by a trusted funeral services provider.

It is not possible to pay for additional extras to be included in Avalon’s Expat Funeral Plans.

Yes, our Standard, Plus and Premium plans can include a contribution towards additional products and services that the plan holder will have paid for in full or covered in the instalments over the term of the plan.

Any payments made into your plan for contributions or additional extras will increase in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) each year.

See the UK plan terms and conditions for more information.

We will allocate your plan to the most local funeral director in our network, or you can ask for another one in our network. We work with over 600 trusted and reputable funeral directors, in more than 2,500 funeral homes across the UK.

For our Direct to Cremation Plans, please note that the crematorium may not be local and the cremation may take place several hundred km/miles away, but Avalon will arrange collection and transportation of the deceased and the ashes will be returned directly to the family.

At Avalon we monitor all the Funeral Directors we work with to ensure that they meet our high standards and will provide your family with the personalised service you and they deserve.

If you pay in full you can cancel within 30 days with no cancellation fee. After 30 days, we will refund all the monies paid into the plan less the cancellation fee.

If you pay by instalments you can cancel within 12 months with no cancellation fee.

If we or you cancel your plan outside of the moratorium period, we will retain 50% of the instalment charge you have paid in addition to the cancellation fee. See plan cancellation section of your terms and conditions.

If you buy your plan today our cancellation fee is £395.

If you already have an Avalon plan please check your terms and conditions for details of the cancellation fee or contact customer services on +44 (0) 161 486 2020

If you pay in full you can cancel within 30 days with no cancellation fee. After 30 days, we will refund all the monies paid into the plan less the cancellation fee.

If you pay by instalments you can cancel within 18 months with no cancellation fee. After 18 months, we will refund all the monies paid into the plan less the cancellation fee.

If we or you cancel your plan outside of the moratorium period, we will retain 50% of the instalment charge you have paid in addition to the cancellation fee. See plan cancellation section of your terms and conditions.

If you buy your plan today our cancellation fee is €495/£395, depending on which currency you use.

If you already have an Avalon plan please check your terms and conditions for details of the cancellation fee or contact customer services on +34 966 799 070

Yes, if you need to make any changes to your plan, simply contact our customer service team.

However, it is not possible to add extra services to our Expat Funeral Plans.

Yes, if you need to make any changes to your Standard Funeral Plan (UK), Plus Funeral Plan (UK) or Premium Funeral Plan (UK), simply contact our customer service team. If you wish to add extra services, additional costs may apply.

It is not possible to make changes to our Direct to Cremation Plan (GB) or Celebration Funeral Plan (GB).

Please see full Terms and Conditions for details.

Yes, you can buy an Avalon funeral plan for a friend or family member.

Your plan can have two named plan holders and the plan can provide the products and services on the event of either the first or second plan holder’s death. This is a joint plan and will cover either person named on the Plan Certificate for one funeral only.

There is no additional charge for a joint plan but it will only cover one funeral. If you need to cover both funerals, then two plans will be needed.

If you have a second home in Spain, Portugal or Cyprus and either live or spend part of your time between these countries and the UK or Northern Ireland, we offer dual certification on our Standard Funeral Plan (UK), Plus Funeral Plan (UK) and Premium Funeral Plan (UK) OR our, Avalon Direct to Cremation Plan in Spain, Avalon Standard Funeral Plans in Spain, Portugal and Cyprus and Avalon Plus Funeral Plans in Spain and Portugal

This gives you the option to have a funeral in the UK or abroad. You can choose Dual Certification now if you already have a residence or if you move abroad to one of these countries after buying your plan. Just get in touch so we can update your address and assign a new Funeral Director to you.

Dual certification is not available on our Direct to Cremation Plan (GB) or our Celebration Funeral Plan (GB).

Dual certification does not include repatriation. Please see the UK plan terms and conditions or the Expat plan terms and conditions for more information.

Repatriation is the return of the deceased to their home country, most of our funeral plans do not include this.

Our European repatriation funeral plans provide the services to bring the deceased back to the UK for either a cremation of burial funeral, depending on the funeral plan you choose.

When you make an application for an Avalon Funeral Plan we will not ask you any health questions and we don’t require you to undergo a medical examination.

You should disclose a life limiting medical condition during your application, so we can establish if the funeral plan you have chosen is suitable under your specific circumstances.

Avalon funeral plans can be purchased by anyone aged 18 or over.

If you wish to purchase a plan over monthly instalments, you must have made all payments before your 80th birthday.

Our funeral plans are designed to move with you, if you move house, you should tell us as soon as possible.

If you have a second home in Spain, Portugal or Cyprus and either live, move or spend part of your time between these countries and the UK or Northern Ireland, we offer dual certification on our Standard Funeral Plan (UK), Plus Funeral Plan (UK) and Premium Funeral Plan (UK) OR our, Avalon Direct to Cremation Plan in Spain, Avalon Standard Funeral Plans in Spain, Portugal and Cyprus and Avalon Plus Funeral Plans in Spain and Portugal.

Just remember to let us know so we can update your address and assign a new Funeral Director if necessary. Please be aware that we can only assign an Avalon appointed Funeral Director

If you let us know about your move before the time of need, there will be no additional charge.

If you move to one of the expat areas in Spain, Portugal or Cyprus in which we operate, you can take your plan with you. Plus, if you split your time between one of these countries and the UK or Northern Ireland, your Avalon funeral plan will be valid in both countries, giving you extra peace of mind. This is called Dual Certification and applies to our Standard Funeral Plan (UK), Plus Funeral Plan (UK) and Premium Funeral Plan (UK) OR our, Avalon Direct to Cremation Plan in Spain, Avalon Standard Funeral Plans in Spain, Portugal and Cyprus and Avalon Plus Funeral Plans in Spain and Portugal.

Dual certification is not available on our Direct to Cremation Plan (GB) or our Celebration Funeral Plan (GB).

If you move to a country we don’t cover, then you’ll need to cancel your plan, please check your terms and conditions for more details.

Yes, you can change the funeral director if the alternative funeral director is in our approved network. Please give us a call and we can arrange this for you.

For our traditional plans you can list Special Requests in your plan that will be retained with your plan documents and passed onto the Funeral Director at the time of your funeral. Special Requests include personal preferences for the day of the funeral such as:

• Dress code (colourful clothes, formal wear)
• Songs, hymns, readings for the service
• Flowers or charitable donations
• Alternative coffin to the one provided with the plan
• Specialist hearse or transport (such as a horse drawn carriage)
• Procession for the funeral cortege other than a direct route

If your Special Requests incur a cost and are not included in your plan, these will have to be paid for by your Nominated Representative at the time of need.

It is not possible to add Special Requests to a Direct to Cremation Plan (GB).

For our traditional plans you can list Special Requests and keep them with your plan documents so that your family can arrange these at the time of your funeral. Special Requests include personal preferences for the day of the funeral such as:

• Dress code (colourful clothes, formal wear)
• Songs, hymns, readings for the service
• Flowers or charitable donations
• Alternative coffin to the one provided with the plan

If your Special Requests incur a cost and are not included in your plan, these will have to be paid for by your Nominated Representative at the time of need.

It is not possible to add Special Requests to the Avalon Direct to Cremation Plan in Spain or the Avalon Standard Funeral Plans in Spain, Portugal and Cyprus.

If you buy a plan today and choose to pay for your funeral plan in instalments, you could benefit from the Avalon Promise. Avalon will still provide all the services included in your plan if you pass away before your plan is fully paid, if:

• You die as a result of an accident at any time
• Your plan has been in place for 12 months for a UK plan or 18 months for one of our Europe plans

This means your loved ones won’t have to make up the difference for the cost of the services in the plan and can focus on celebrating your life, instead of worrying about finding the money to pay for your funeral.

If you die within the first 12 months for UK plans or 18 months for our expat plans, your chosen representative will have the option to pay the outstanding balance before the funeral. Or they can cancel the plan and get a full refund.

Full Avalon Promise terms, conditions and exclusions can be found in the UK plan terms and conditions or the Expat plan terms and conditions

Find out more about the Avalon Promise.

If you are already an Avalon plan holder your plan may include the Avalon Promise, you can find more details here.

All our range of plans available today include the Avalon Promise if you choose to pay for your plan in monthly instalments.

To be eligible for the Avalon Promise you will be aged between 18 and 77 and paying for your plan over a period of two or more years.

Your plan must have been fully paid for by no later than your 80th birthday. The Avalon Promise commences after your plan has been in place for 12 months on our UK plans and 18 months on our European plans and as long as all payments are up to date.

If you are already an Avalon plan holder these plans include the Avalon Promise:

In the UK, you’ll benefit from the Avalon Promise if you purchased your plan on or after 1st January 2019, providing your instalment term ends before your 80^th Birthday and you keep your payments up to date. The Avalon Promise is applicable for the following funeral plans: UK Cremation Only Plan, Direct Cremation, Cremation with Service, Direct to Cremation Plan (GB), Celebration Funeral Plan (GB), Standard Funeral Plan (UK), Plus Funeral Plan (UK) or Premium Funeral Plan (UK), or a Build Your Own plan online.

In Europe, all Avalon Funeral Plans purchased from the 29^th July 2022 benefit from the Avalon Promise. Between 1^st August 2021 and 29^th July 2022 if you have chosen to pay over two or more years, providing your instalment term ends before your 80^th Birthday and you keep your payments up to date, then the Avalon Promise applies to the following funeral plans: Expat Simple Funeral Plan or Expat Plus Funeral Plan in Spain or Portugal, or an Expat Plan in Cyprus.

See our UK plan Terms and Conditions and Europe plan Terms and Conditions for full details.

Find out more about the Avalon Promise.

To cancel your plan please contact us:

Call us on: +34 966 799 070

Email us at: customercontact@avalonfuneralplans.com

Or write to us at:

Avalon Funeral Plans
Calle Albatera 1–68
Urb La Finca Golf
03169 Algorfa
Alicante
Spain

If you have paid for your funeral plan in full, you can cancel your plan within 30 days of the receipt of your Welcome Pack with no cancellation fee. If you cancel after 30 days following receipt of your Welcome Pack, we will refund all monies paid into the plan, less the cancellation fee.

If your plan is paid by instalments, you can cancel within 18 months of the receipt of your Welcome Pack with no cancellation fee. If you cancel after 18 months following receipt of your Welcome Pack, we will refund all monies paid into the plan, less the cancellation fee.

If we or you cancel your plan outside of the moratorium period, we will retain 50% of the instalment charge you have paid in addition to the cancellation fee. See plan cancellation section of your terms and conditions.

If you have already purchased a plan, your cancellation terms may be different. Please check your plan documentation for details. For terms and conditions for new plans, please see here

If you have paid for your funeral plan upfront, you can cancel your plan within 30 days of the receipt of your Welcome Pack with no cancellation fee. If you cancel after 30 days following receipt of your Welcome Pack, we will refund all monies paid into the plan, less the cancellation fee.

If your plan is paid by instalments, you can cancel within 12 months of the receipt of your Welcome Pack with no cancellation fee.

If we or you cancel after 12 months following receipt of your Welcome Pack, i.e. outside of the moratorium period, we will retain 50% of the instalment charge you have paid in addition to the cancellation fee. See plan cancellation section of your terms and conditions.

The cancellation fee is £395.

If you purchased your plan before the 29th July 2022 your cancelation terms may be different. Please check you plan terms and conditions for details.

In the unlikely event of failure of Avalon there will be a reasonable likelihood that your funeral plan contract will be transferred to and continue to be carried out by another regulated funeral plan provider but that could potentially generate extra costs for you.

In the event that the relevant funeral plan contract will not continue to be carried out by us or another firm then you will receive a payment corresponding to your balance, but this may not be the full amount you’ve paid in.

Avalon are a member of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). Should Avalon be unable to meet its liabilities, you may be entitled to compensation from the compensation scheme. Further information about the scheme is available on the FSCS website: www.fscs.org.uk.

Avalon is committed to providing a quality service and working in an open and accountable way that builds trust and respect with customers. One of the ways in which Avalon can continue to improve our service is by listening and responding to the views of our customers, and in particular by responding positively to complaints, and by putting mistakes right whenever appropriate.

If you wish to make a complaint, please contact us via email at complaints@avalonfuneralplans.com, by telephone on +44 (0)161 486 2020 or by writing to Complaints Department, Avalon Funeral Plans, Brooke Court, Lower Meadow Road, Handforth Dean, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 3ND.

If you have made a complaint and you are not satisfied with our response or you have not had our final response within 8 weeks of us receiving your complaint, you may be able to refer your complaint free of charge to the:

Financial Ombudsman,

Service Exchange Tower,

London E14 9SR

Telephone: 0300 123 9123 or 0800 023 4567

E-mail: complaint.info@financial-ombudsman.org.uk

Website: www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk