Funeral directors asking for more money after we paid bill in full

dawn_b

Hi,

I'll try to keep this brief:

We used a funeral directors to organise a funeral for us. When they spoke to the church doing the service over the phone, the church said that they sort out the organist. Therefore, organist wasn't added to the bill. We paid in full once the plans were arranged that day, 25th April. Funeral was on 9th.

Received a letter today 18th saying that £100 is outstanding to pay for the organist. 1) can they just present us with a bill like this? 2) that seems pretty steep for 5-10 minutes at the end of a half-hour service. Are they trying it on? Has the church charged them for the organist seperate from the fee we paid for the clergy and now they are passing on the cost, probably with a big markup?

Thanks,
Dawn

wealdroam

Normally the organist is an 'extra', on top of a charge for clergy.

The organist can be arranged by the church or the funeral directors. There is no hard and fast rule.

You need to ask the funeral director and/or the church to explain to you what exactly is going on.

MamaMoo_2

£100 for an organist is about the going rate I'm afraid. When I was arranging my wedding I was told it was £100 for the organist to play as I entered and exited the church (10 minute total).
Organists are separate from the clergy. I seem to remember things such as having the heating on etc were also chargeable extras

dawn_b

Thanks. So honest error on their part, just poor customer service.

bris

The Funeral directiors would have just passed the bill on to you when they got it from the church, they may not have known how much it was untill they got so didn't know what to charge you, could have been an understandable delay.

Apart from that it makes no difference really, the £100 could have been added to the bill or seperate it's still £100 you need to pay one way or the other.

Fergie76

Church should be ashamed of themselves.

So much for caring sharing religion, not when there is a fast buck to be made...

ThumbRemote

Fergie76 wrote: »

Church should be ashamed of themselves.

So much for caring sharing religion, not when there is a fast buck to be made...

Yes, how dare they charge their costs. The organist should be made to take time off work unpaid, travel to the church, give up a chunk of their day and use their skills completely unpaid - potentially multiple times a week.

In addition the church members should pay to upkeep the building, pay the heating and lighting bill, pay for the vicar, and have the organ serviced, just so the building can be used for funerals.

I think if you look at the figures, the costs charged by the church will be extremely small in comparison with the other parties involved.

In the OPs case, the fault lies with the funeral directors. They organised the funeral, they should have informed the OP of these costs.

Fergie76

ThumbRemote wrote: »

Yes, how dare they charge their costs. The organist should be made to take time off work unpaid, travel to the church, give up a chunk of their day and use their skills completely unpaid - potentially multiple times a week.

In addition the church members should pay to upkeep the building, pay the heating and lighting bill, pay for the vicar, and have the organ serviced, just so the building can be used for funerals.

I think if you look at the figures, the costs charged by the church will be extremely small in comparison with the other parties involved.

In the OPs case, the fault lies with the funeral directors. They organised the funeral, they should have informed the OP of these costs.

Religion is the biggest con going. Way of controlling the masses...

£100 for half hours work, what is the organist a top QC?

Simple profiteering at it's worst, from an organisation that should know better.

wealdroam

Fergie76 wrote: »

Religion is the biggest con going. Way of controlling the masses...

[STRIKE]I am not sure a consumer rights board is the right place for you to try and educate the masses into you way of thinking.[/STRIKE]

Scrub that.

I am absolutely sure a consumer rights board is not the right place for you to try and educate the masses into you way of thinking.

Please can you not do it here.

halibut2209

Fergie76 wrote: »

£100 for half hours work, what is the organist a top QC?

As an organist myself having spent years and years learning and practising, I have no choice but to give you a look of derision and slight amusement.

ThumbRemote

Fergie76 wrote: »

Religion is the biggest con going. Way of controlling the masses...

£100 for half hours work, what is the organist a top QC?

Simple profiteering at it's worst, from an organisation that should know better.

Ah, and there was I thinking you simply thought it a bit expensive; I hadn't realised it was a mindless rant.

Anyway then, yes, yes, we all agree, it's terrible, everything any religion does it wrong, you're perfectly right. Does that make you feel better?