Golden Charter Funerals

AVENUE

Has anyone any experience of these pre paid funeral plans please? Looking online I'd seen now a quote for a "select" pre paid plan of £3850. I have also had a meeting now with an Independent Funeral Director who uses the Golden Charter Scheme but their quote is £4000 plus a fee of £299 for something that looks pretty similar if not the same as the "select" one. I've seen mention of companies doing an Independent plan via Golden Charter but that these are not the same as the off the peg online ones, so wondering what others experiences are please?

Yorkshireman99

AVENUE wrote: »

Has anyone any experience of these pre paid funeral plans please? Looking online I'd seen now a quote for a "select" pre paid plan of £3850. I have also had a meeting now with an Independent Funeral Director who uses the Golden Charter Scheme but their quote is £4000 plus a fee of £299 for something that looks pretty similar if not the same as the "select" one. I've seen mention of companies doing an Independent plan via Golden Charter but that these are not the same as the off the peg online ones, so wondering what others experiences are please?

Avoid them all like the plague unless they guarantee the full costs upon death. I believe The Co-op May do this. Also consider a cremation only at about a third of the cost. Far better to put some money aside than use one of these questionable schemes.

AVENUE

I have a Disabled Son and need to get something in place to go along side my discretionary trust so that his wishes and my wife's wishes, who passed away last year, are fully guaranteed if/when something happens to me. Its a very difficult situation & emotive too.

Mojisola

As YM99says, check out exactly what's covered.

My parents had the middle range plan from AgeUK and there were no extras to pay for but it didn't include things like flowers, notifications in newspapers, etc so you may want to put some savings aside with instructions if you want such things.

sheramber

I have Golden Charter plan for the basics of a cremation and a maximum sum for officiant fees. I think it was the second tier plan.

I chose what I considered was required. Extras such as cars, flowers, out of hours visiting etc are not included. It is up to those organising the cremation if they want to pay extra for these out of the state.

You can include as much or as little as you want.

My sister took out a policy with the Coop 12 years ago and paid £1500 for everything that she wanted covered even down to the music she wanted played.

It is unlikely she would get a full cremation now for £1500.

Yorkshireman99

sheramber wrote: »

I have Golden Charter plan for the basics of a cremation and a maximum sum for officiant fees. I think it was the second tier plan.

I chose what I considered was required. Extras such as cars, flowers, out of hours visiting etc are not included. It is up to those organising the cremation if they want to pay extra for these out of the state.

You can include as much or as little as you want.

My sister took out a policy with the Coop 12 years ago and paid £1500 for everything that she wanted covered even down to the music she wanted played.

It is unlikely she would get a full cremation now for £1500.

There are a number of firms offering direct cremation ONLY for under £1,400. My local independent FD quoted £1,250. A quick google will reveal them.

Larac

sheramber wrote: »

I have Golden Charter plan for the basics of a cremation and a maximum sum for officiant fees. I think it was the second tier plan.

I chose what I considered was required. Extras such as cars, flowers, out of hours visiting etc are not included. It is up to those organising the cremation if they want to pay extra for these out of the state.

You can include as much or as little as you want.

My sister took out a policy with the Coop 12 years ago and paid £1500 for everything that she wanted covered even down to the music she wanted played.

It is unlikely she would get a full cremation now for £1500.

A bargin nowadays - my Mum's funeral in November 17 with the Co-Op was c4K. I do believe the Co-op do offer a no frills service, straight to the Crem no service etc for alot less.

Yorkshireman99

Larac wrote: »

A bargin nowadays - my Mum's funeral in November 17 with the Co-Op was c4K. I do believe the Co-op do offer a no frills service, straight to the Crem no service etc for alot less.

Direct cremation means no frills at all. The FD collects the body and takes to the crematorium. No service no nothing.

AVENUE

Cremation is not an option as he doesn't want that. I'd been told to certainly avoid the Co-Op previously as money not safe with them & in danger of going bust, but don't know the reality of that.


I was confused though as to why they quote these fixed prices online & then if you go via an Independent Funeral Director (which is who they claim to represent) then you get quoted a different amount with a booking/arrangement fee of £299?

Yorkshireman99

AVENUE wrote: »

Cremation is not an option as he doesn't want that. I'd been told to certainly avoid the Co-Op previously as money not safe with them & in danger of going bust, but don't know the reality of that.


I was confused though as to why they quote these fixed prices online & then if you go via an Independent Funeral Director (which is who they claim to represent) then you get quoted a different amount with a booking/arrangement fee of £299?

There is no known valid reason why the Co-op should not be sound. These plans usually involve the money being held separately. If you use something like one of these schemes expect to pay more than approaching the FD direct. Obviously direct cremation will not suit you but it DOES offer s huge saving.

AVENUE

Yorkshireman99 wrote: »

There is no known valid reason why the Co-op should not be sound. These plans usually involve the money being held separately. If you use something like one of these schemes expect to pay more than approaching the FD direct. Obviously direct cremation will not suit you but it DOES offer s huge saving.

What's baffling me a bit is that when I first asked FD they said it would be cheaper going direct with them even though it is the Golden Charter scheme they use, yet when I've come to purchase one it seems to be dearer to go direct with them rather than online via Golden Charter. £4299 as opposed to £3850 for what seems to be the same cover, in fact online they offer a free will, although I've already got one set up so don't need that.