Complaining about a funeral

This advice applies to England. See advice for See advice for Northern Ireland, See advice for Scotland, See advice for Wales

This page tells you what you can do if you're not happy with the service you've received from a funeral director or a funeral plan.

Your rights when you pay for a funeral service?

When you pay for a funeral, you have a right for the service you get from the funeral director to be carried out:

  • with reasonable care and skill

  • within the time agreed or at a reasonable time if no time has been agreed

  • at the cost agreed or at a reasonable cost if no cost has been agreed.

If you've agreed a price with the funeral director, they shouldn't charge you more than this unless they discussed it with you first and agreed a new cost.

If the funeral director deliberately misled you about the cost of the funeral, they may have broken  the law and you should report them to Trading Standards.

More about your options if you're unhappy with a service.

How to make a complaint

If you have a complaint, speak to the funeral director. If they are a member of a professional association, check the association's code of practice to see the standard of service you should expect. If speaking to the funeral director doesn't work, put your complaint in writing.

If you don't get a satisfactory response to your complaint, you might be able to complain to a professional association, if the funeral director is a member of one. They may have an arbitration or conciliation scheme which can sort out the problem.

If the funeral director isn't a member of a professional organisation, your only option for taking your complaint further may be to take legal action.

If you’re complaining about a funeral plan

If you’re not happy with the funeral director’s response, you can either contact:

  • the funeral director’s professional organisation

  • the organisation that provides the funeral plan

If you talk to the organisation that provides the funeral plan and they don’t solve your problem, you might be able to complain to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

Check what type of complaints the Financial Ombudsman Service deals with on their website.

Next steps

More about how to check whether a funeral director is a member of a professional association.

Report a problem to Trading Standards

Contact the Citizens Advice consumer helpline if you need more help.

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