Rules about selling pre-paid funerals
You are a funeral benefit business if you provide:
- pre-paid funerals, burials or cremations
- a funeral benefit agreement that covers the cost or part of the cost of a funeral, burial or cremation.
If you do this, you must obey the rules in the Funeral Benefit Business Act 1982 (the Act).
Talk to a lawyer about your responsibilities.
Client Care Statement
If you sell funeral benefits to Queensland consumers you must fill out a Client Care Statement and give a copy to each client before they sign a contract with you.
You must write the statement in plain English, and clearly outline:
- the services you provide
- fees and charges they will pay
- the cooling-off period.
Cooling-off period
There is a 30-day cooling-off period for all new pre-paid funeral contracts.
If the client cancels in the cooling-off period, you must give them a refund. You can keep a $50 cancellation fee, but you must return the balance. You must do this within 7 days of receiving their notice.
Fines
Serious fines apply if you don’t:
- give the client the signed statement
- explain what the statement means
- retrieve the signed statement
- give the client the cooling-off period as required.
Forms
If your corporation was registered under the Act before 1 December 2003, you need to lodge an annual return.
You must notify us if you:
- change your nominated office
- change your secretary
- amend your rules
- have a dispute with a client
- need to see a determination and order of the registrar of funeral benefit businesses.
Contact us if you need any of these forms (fees may apply).