Ensuring all customers are treated fairly

Avalon is committed to providing a quality service and working in an open and accountable way that builds trust and respect with customers and stakeholders. One of the ways in which Avalon can continue to improve our service is by listening and responding to the views of our customers and stakeholders, and by responding positively to complaints or issues (near-misses), and by putting mistakes right wherever appropriate.

What is a complaint?

A complaint refers to any expression of dissatisfaction where you have suffered (or may suffer) financial loss, material distress or material inconvenience from any stage of your journey conducted by Avalon or any other connected third-party.

• Financial Loss: Financial Loss is a term used to describe a situation where you may have suffered financially due to the actions or perceived actions taken by Avalon
• Material Distress: Where the actions of Avalon have materially and directly affected your emotional state
• Material Inconvenience: Where the actions of Avalon have had a material and direct impact to your life, causing a disproportionate amount of disruption or difficulty

A near-miss is an expression of dissatisfaction but doesn't meet the above definition of a complaint (e.g, you are dissatisfied but there’s no financial loss, material distress or material inconvenience).  We will deal with any near misses in the same way as a complaint, but you may not be able to refer these to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS).

How to complain

If you wish to make a complaint, please contact in the following ways:

Email: complaints@avalonfuneralplans.com

Telephone: UK +44 (0) 161 486 2020 or Europe (0034) 966 799 070

In writing:

Complaints Department, Avalon Funeral Plans, Brooke Court, Lower Meadow Road, Handforth Dean, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 3ND, UK

or Complaints Department, Avalon Funeral Plans, Calle Albatera 1-68, Urb La Finca Golf. 03169 Algorfa, Alicante, Spain.

What happens next?

We aim to assess any complaint or near-miss fairly, consistently, and promptly to determine whether it should be upheld and, if so, what remedial action or redress may be appropriate. We will always communicate with you regularly throughout our investigation.

We will aim to deal with your complaint or near miss as quickly as possible. If we don’t resolve the complaint or near-miss at the first point you contact us, we aim to formally acknowledge your complaint within 3 business days.  

We will always aim to provide you with a final response within 8 weeks of receipt of your complaint or near miss, unless there are extenuating circumstances that don’t allow that to happen. Our final response may be sent with our acknowledgement. In our final response we will tell you whether we uphold your complaint or near-miss, and where appropriate, offer redress or we will reject your complaint or near miss and give you the reasons for doing so.

If you are not happy with how we’ve dealt with your complaint and would like to take the matter further you may have the right to refer your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS), free of charge – but you must do so within six months of the date of our final response. If you do not refer your complaint in time, the Ombudsman will not have our permission to consider your complaint and so will only be able to do so in very limited circumstances. For example, if the Ombudsman believes that the delay was as a result of exceptional circumstances.

Address: Financial Ombudsman Service, Exchange Tower London E14 9SR, UK

Telephone: +44 (0) 300 123 9123 or +44 (0) 800 023 4567

E-mail: complaint.info@financial-ombudsman.org.uk

Website: www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk