Q: there are some friends, relatives and friends who have died. What preparations do you need to do before preparing for their funerals?
A: as with birth, relatives and friends need to report to the birth death and marry departments of various states as soon as possible after the person is gone. This time is about seven days, to fill out a death registration form. The person filled in may be the contractor who specializes in the funeral, or the relatives or friends of the dead. In China, funerals are generally borne by their children. But in Australia, many people are willing to arrange things before they die. He will buy some funeral bonds, funeral insurance, or some of the products attached to the funeral.
Therefore, if relatives and friends, before preparing for the funeral, to see if the dead have any arrangements before they die: have they bought some funeral products in advance, such as coffins, cemeteries, ashes boxes, etc., and can also see if the deceased has any funds to pay for the funeral services?.? If none of them, or if they can`t afford the funerals, government, Australia, is quite humanized. People who can`t afford it can apply for subsidies from government and can pay in installments. There are also widows who can apply to government for cost-of-living subsidies after funerals if they lose their economic source.
Q: you mentioned just now that funerals have such a role as funeral contractors on the Australian side. Can you tell us whether these contractors need qualifications or license plates and so on?
A: we just mentioned that if relatives and friends are sad and unable to run funerals, then they can choose to ask the funeral contractor to take care of all this. Funeral organizers, they don`t need any training or education; they don`t have a license in Australia (that is, License) for them to take the exam. There are funeral organizers, who may be members of some trade associations, so there may be relevant rules and mechanisms for handling complaints. In the new state, for example, there is an association of special funeral contractors. That is to say, there are still many hidden problems in this industry, which need to be planned in the future.
Although the undertaker himself does not require industry-related qualifications, the goods and services provided are still part of Australia`s consumer law.
Q: What is the basic flow and content of the funeral? May I have an introduction?
A: the size of the funeral can be large or small, depending on the individual`s economic ability. If it is the most basic funeral service, it is the most cost-effective funeral service. It basically includes a single farewell ceremony: usually in the funeral contractor`s own place, where the dead are buried or cremated, usually between 8: 00 a.m. and 5: 00 p.m. from Monday to Friday.
The basic funeral services include: the funeral organizer arranges to preside over the funeral, and then carries the body to the place of the funeral ceremony, and then to the place where the body is buried or cremated, each distance should not exceed 30 kilometers; and in the morgue, including the parking of the body in the morgue, in preparation for the funeral and cremation of the body (but does not include visiting the remains); There is also the cheapest coffin, death proves, buried or cremated. If you want to add more services to your basic services, such as if you want to see your face, or if you need someone to sing like a choir, or if you want to add a variety of activities, these parts will have to be paid extra.
Q: you mentioned just now that the funeral contractor has an association. If you want to find the contractor, where can I find them?
A: you can look on the Internet. As I said just now, they do not have a license or a qualification, so anyone can become a funeral contractor. For example, if you want to make a website tomorrow and start a company as funeral contractor, it is also possible. If you want to be insured, you can contact the New State Funeral contractors Association, which may have some registered funeral contractors, and then contact them through them; or you can find some funeral contractors online, and when you contact him, you can ask them if they belong to the New State Funeral contractors Association. If they belong to the association of funeral contractors, they must abide by the rules of some associations. If there is any dispute, the association itself can accept complaints, and they have their own mechanisms to deal with complaints. So, if you go to the funeral contractor from the funeral contractor association, there will be one more layer of protection.
Q: funeral service is also a transaction. If you choose a certain kind of funeral service, should there also be a contract?
A: that, of course, is to have it. Because you choose a service after all, we generally advise consumers to get a contract, because the words are unfounded, everything has to be written down. Contract number one can ensure that you want the service, they will provide. Second, it will also avoid, for example, he told you in advance that it would cost 200 yuan to run the service, and afterwards he said it would cost 300 yuan. Therefore, we suggest that the funeral contractor should be in charge of a written offer. The funeral organizer must provide a written basic quotation to consumers interested in his service. The details of the goods and services, as well as any expenses that can be incurred, must be specified above. For example, if a doctor issues a death certificate, you can also ask for a consumption tax on GST goods to be included. All these things must be provided before signing any contract. In other words, you must get the quotation before you sign any contract. Consumers may be required to sign the quotation, but signing does not mean that you must choose the service, just to prove that you understand the charges. Then you can make a decision like buying a general service after you get this offer and make a decision after you compare the goods to the three.
If he wants to choose a non-basic funeral service and he has many other activities to join the process, the funeral contractor must also provide a written quotation for each item, indicating the fees for goods and services, including any expenses to be incurred. For example, what kind of project, how much money, are listed in a written way, including the following additional services should also be clearly listed, after understanding, after signing the quotation, and then consider signing the contract.
The host of the funeral usually gives different prices to meet the needs of different groups of people. For example, the prices of coffins and ashes boxes are high or low. If you choose a basic funeral service, the price may be the lowest for you. Some funeral organizers will provide their own or through their own relationship network to provide consumers with the goods needed for the funeral, then sometimes consumers may find this very convenient and do not need to find other suppliers themselves. However, in this way, consumers generally can not compare the goods to the three. So before signing the contract, if the consumer has doubts about these, it must be put forward. Although he was the organizer of the funeral, it was the consumer who made the final decision.
Q: you mentioned the funds for the funeral just now. If the people who handle the funeral do not have enough funds, the Australian government is still very humanized and can give it a certain grant; the other part is about the relevant insurance from the funeral. Can you tell us about it?.
A: funeral insurance is the insurance that the dead bought with the insurance company before they died. Well, after he leaves, the insurance company will provide the beneficiary with a special amount of money for the funeral of the dead. So, in general, consumers pay insurance companies every two weeks or every month until they die. Sometimes, however, insurance companies suddenly increase the amount of insurance in the middle of the way, and if consumers cannot afford it, the contract may be terminated. As soon as the contract is terminated, all premiums he has paid before will be annulled. We have also received complaints before that consumers bought funeral insurance for almost 20 to 30 years. By the time they reached the age of six or 70, the guarantee had suddenly risen. For retirees, they could not afford it, so they had to terminate the contract. As a result, all the premiums he had paid for more than 20 years were scrapped.
Q: what reason do you think the guarantee will suddenly rise?
A: in their insurance contracts, sometimes it is stated that it may be due to economic or other reasons each year, and they have authority to increase premiums. It is the same as health insurance. If you buy health insurance, the premium is increasing every year, and the premium is not the same every year. As far as my insurance company is concerned, I pay it year by year. In my first year, I bought more than $300, which has risen to more than $400 this year. That is to say, it is rising every year. It is estimated that by the time I am 60, it will not be more than $400, it may be $600. There is a clause in it that allows it to increase the guarantee. If you look at this clause, you agree, which means that the amount it increases each year is implemented with your consent. If you don`t want to hand it out, you break the contract yourself. Then it doesn`t have to pay you any compensation. Therefore, before buying funeral insurance, consumers must carefully read the terms and conditions to see if it says that the insurance is likely to increase and will increase again every year. If there is this, I advise you to consult law first, consult relatives and friends who know knowledge of the insurance industry, and finally make this decision. Consider your own economic situation. Maybe you have the rich money to pay the guarantee now. If you are 60 years old and 70 years old, do you still have the rich money to pay the guarantee when the guarantee rises every year? If not, then we must consider signing again and again. Then think about it, or you can put the money directly in the bank, so you may save more money by then.
Q: I just said a grant, and we`d like to ask which department to claim for this part of the funeral.
A: the funeral grant mainly belongs to the welfare department and is in the CentreLink, which in itself does not fall within the scope of the Fair Trading Office. If you want to ask more about the grant, you can contact the welfare department.
Q: what should consumers do if the organizers of the funeral do not carry out the funeral in accordance with the contents of the original contract, or if the goods and contracts they provide do not match the number, the wrong board and the quality of the contract?
A: when we talk about funerals, the organizer can be a funeral organizer without any qualifications or training, but that doesn`t mean he can`t comply with Australia`s law. In this case, the Australian consumer rite protects the consumer, it can ensure that the supplier provides you with the right board service or the best service. If you do not provide reasonable quality services or incorrect goods, you can ask for a refund or compensation. If you have a dispute with the funeral contractor, it is recommended that you first try to solve the problem with them. If it doesn`t work, then we just mentioned that it belongs to the New State Funeral contractors Association, then you can contact the Association, they have their own mechanism to deal with complaints. If it is not successful in the end, you can contact our New State Fair Trading Office and submit a complaint online. Be sure to keep the written evidence and provide the best proof when dealing with the dispute in the future.
Q: do you have anything else to tell our audience about today`s funeral?
A: Although the undertaker is a well-planned industry, there are many hidden problems. But we need to tell consumers that whether it is the funeral service industry or some funeral products, it belongs to the Australian consumption law. Our consumers are still protected by the Australian consumption law. So, if you encounter any disputes in the funeral service industry, you can still use the Australian consumption law to protect yourself.
Q: how can I get in touch with an audience friend who wants to complain about their case to the Fair Trading Office in New State?
A: you can go to our website www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au, and you can submit complaints online. If it is not convenient for you to surf the Internet, you can also go to our new state service center (Service NSW), with a small counter of our Fairtrading, in which you can get a paper complaint application form, fill in and submit it, and contact you by our professional staff.
Useful contact information
Centrelink
Telephone:13 23 00 www.centrelink.gov.au
New state law path (Law Access NSW)
Telephone conversation: 1300 888529 www.lawaccess.nsw.gov.au
National Association for loss and sadness (National Association for Loss and Grief)
Telephone: 6882 9222 www.nalag.org.au
New State Department of Health (Public Health Service) NSW Health (for Public Health Units))
Telephone: 9391 9000 www.health.nsw.gov.au
Reprinted from: the Voice of Hope
