Complaining about a funeral

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.

All funeral directors operating in Scotland must follow the Funeral Director Code of Practice. They must have a written complaints procedure that is published on their website if they have one, or made available in writing or electronically if you ask for it.

The complaints procedure must be followed and must include:

• advice about how to make a formal complaint

• the procedure for dealing with complaints and timescales for responding

• a requirement that the complaint resolution or answer will be provided in writing.

Find out more about making a complaint in the Funeral Director Code of Practice on the Scottish government website.

You can also check if the funeral director is a member of a professional association. They may have an arbitration or conciliation scheme that can sort out the problem.

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.

If you need more help, including reporting a problem to Trading Standards, you can contact Advice Direct Scotland's consumer service.