Privacy and Cookie Policy

Our Privacy Policy

We take data protection and your privacy very seriously at Avalon Funeral Plans and we are committed to doing the right thing when it comes to how we use your personal data. This is our Privacy Policy in which we explain how we handle your data (your personal information).

Avalon Funeral Plans collects and processes your personal data through your use of this Website, including any data you provide when you submit an online application form or our online contact form. It’s important that you read this privacy policy so that you are aware of how and why we are using your data.

Who We Are

We are the Avalon Trustee Company Limited and we are the data controller responsible for your personal data (collectively referred to as “Avalon Funeral Plans”, “https://avalonfuneralplans.com /”, “we”, “us” or “our” in this privacy notice).

Avalon is registered with the Information Commissioners office under Z2182327 (Avalon Trustee Company Limited), Z2182344 (Avalon Europe Limited) and ZA242950 (Avalon Direct Limited).

Security and Cookies

We have put in place appropriate security measures to prevent your personal data from being accidentally lost, used or accessed in an unauthorised way, altered or disclosed. In addition, we limit access to your personal data to those employees, agents, contractors and other third parties who have a business need to know. They will only process your personal data on our instructions and they are subject to a duty of confidentiality.

Where we suspect that your data has been breached we will notify you and the applicable regulator of this breach when we are legally required to do so.

The Data We Collect About You

Personal data means data that identifies you as an individual. You should only provide your data to Avalon if you are happy for us to process it in accordance with this Privacy Policy and the consent you’ve provided to us.

We may collect, use and store different kinds of data about you which we have grouped together as follows:

Identity Data - your first name and surname along with other names you may provide and your date of birth

Contact Data – including your address(s), email address(s) and telephone number(s)

Your payment details when you apply for and pay for a funeral plan on line

Usage Data includes information about how you use our Website

Technical Data – including internet protocol (IP) address, various browser information including operating system, locational, platform and other technology on the devices you use to access our Websites

Product Data includes your form responses (the data entered and selected within our online contact form or funeral plan application form)

We may also collect, use and share aggregated data such as statistical or demographic data for our business purpose. Aggregated data is usually derived from customer’s personal data but does not in any way identify those individual’s concerned. For example, aggregated data used to calculate the percentage of users accessing a specific Website feature.

We do not collect Special Categories of Personal Data and we will note share your data with any party unless we have your express consent to do so.

How We Collect Your Personal Data

We use different methods to collect data from and about you including through:

Direct interactions. You may give us your identity data, contact and marketing and communications data by filling in online forms or by corresponding with us by post, phone, email or otherwise

Third party interactions. You may give us your identity data, contact and marketing and communications data by filling in online forms from websites operated by third parties such as social media service providers. When you provide your data via a third party you accept that you data will be processed under the terms of both Privacy Policy’s.

Automated technologies or interactions. As you interact with our Website, we may automatically collect Technical Data about your equipment, browsing actions and patterns. We collect this personal data by using cookies, pixels, server logs and other similar technologies. Please see our cookie policy for further details

Technical Data from analytics providers such as Google

How We Use Your Personal Data

We only use your data in accordance with our Privacy Policy and the consent you’ve provided to us. We will use your data:

Where we need to effectively perform the service to fulfil a contract you may hold with us

Where it is necessary for our legitimate interests (or those of a third party) and your interests and fundamental rights do not override those interests

To keep you informed of special offers, promotions and features that we believe might be of particular interest to you in harmony with your consent rights

Our ‘lawful basis’ for processing your Personal Data:

Performance of Contract: The information collected by us is used for the purposes of setting up and administering your funeral plan, therefore the legal basis for the processing of your personal data is for the performance of a contract to which you are a party or in order to take steps at the request of the data subject (you our customer) prior to entering into a contract. Should we ever vary the legal basis for processing your personal data we will contact you prior to any further processing with all the relevant information

Where it is necessary for our legitimate interests (or those of a third party) and your interests and fundamental rights do not override those interests

Sharing of Your Personal Data

We may have to share your personal data with the parties set out below, in accordance with our lawful basis for the processing of your data:

Funeral Directors acting as data processors in order to provide the services required

If we are under a duty to disclose or share personal data to comply with legal obligations

Credit reference agencies for the verification of your identity (This may include the supply of anti-fraud and credit-insight information to us but not for credit referencing)

Data Retention

We will only retain your personal data for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes we collected it for, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements.

To determine the appropriate retention period for personal data, we consider the amount, nature, and sensitivity of the personal data, the potential risk of harm from unauthorised use or disclosure of your personal data, the purposes for which we process your personal data and whether we can achieve those purposes through other means, and the applicable legal requirements.

Data Transfers to Third Countries

The data that we collect from you will be transferred to, and stored at, a destination within the European Economic Area (“EEA”). It will be processed by staff operating within the EEA and who work for us or for one of our suppliers. This includes staff engaged in, among other things, the fulfilment of your order, the processing of your payment details and the provision of support services. By submitting your personal data, you agree to this transfer, storing or processing.

Marketing

We may use your data to improve our products and services. Also, using the data you have provided, we may periodically contact you by phone, email, post and SMS to inform you about our products, special offers or other information which we think may be of interest to you.

Your personal information may be used for the purpose of advertising services provided by advertising service provider’s organisations such as Google, Facebook, Snapchat, Experian, Outbrain, Verizon Media and Taboola. We may share data with them to carry out this activity. We carry out these activities to help us understand customer behaviour, advertise and improve our services for you now and in the future.

We will not share your data without your express consent.

If you would rather not receive marketing contact or would like to change your preferred method of communication (such as email, post, telephone or SMS), please contact us via email or phone including your contact details:

UK: compliance@avalon-trustee.co.uk or EU: customercontact@avalonsl.es

UK Phone: 0161 486 2020 or EU Phone: +34 966 799 070

Rights and Your Data

Under European data protection laws you have:

The right to be informed: In other words to be told how we use your data.

The right to rectification: This means the data we hold on you should be up to date, accurate and complete. When we amend or update your information we will do this without delay and confirm this to you.

The right to erasure: Sometimes referred to as the right to be forgotten. You can ask us to remove your data from our business process and your request will be extended to any party we may have shared your data with. We may retain your data when it is necessary for establishing, exercising or defending legal claims (In affect this will mean your data is segregated from our business process and cannot be processed).

The right to restrict processing: You can limit the way we use your personal data if you are concerned about the accuracy of the data or how it is being used. You can also exercise your right to restrict the erasure of the data we hold about you.

The right to object: You can withdraw your consent to the processing of your data either in part or in total at any time by contacting us.

The right to access the data we hold about you: This is known as Subject Access Request.

To obtain a copy of your personal information, please write to us at the contact address below. We will tell you what personal information we hold relating to you, the purposes why it is being processed and to whom the information has been disclosed. We will normally provide this information within 30 days of your request and the service is free, unless your request is complex or numerous.

In terms of our Privacy Policy your consumer rights are not restricted in any way. If you have a concern about the way we have used your data please tell us using our contact details below.

The Data Controller, Avalon Funeral Plans Brooke Court, Lower Meadow Road, Handforth Dean, Wilmslow, SK9 3ND

Or email us at: compliance@avalon-trustee.co.uk

You also have the right to contact the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) in respect of any concerns you may have relating to how we have used your data by.

Going to their Website at https://ico.org.uk/

Calling them on 0303 123 1113

Writing to them at: Information Commissioner’s Office, Water Lane, Wilmslow, SK9 5AF

Online Dispute Resolution

If you’ve bought one of our plans online and have a compliant regarding your purchase please contact Avalon directly.

In the UK:

Email: compliance@avalon-trustee.co.uk

Phone: 0161 486 2020

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

In Europe:

Email: customerservices@avalonsl.esPhone: (0034) 965 021 640

Avalon Europe, Calle Albatera 1 – 68, La Finca 03169, Algorfa, Alicante, Spain

You can find more information here: https://www.avalonfuneralplans.com/useful/making-a-complaint/

Changes to this Privacy Policy

We keep our Privacy Policy and legal disclaimer under regular review and will place any updates on this webpage. This privacy policy was last updated in July 2019.

Our Website Cookies and How We Use Them

Cookies are small data files that are used in conjunction with your web browser. They are widely used in order to make websites work, or work more efficiently, as well as to provide information to us. If you are happy to accept our cookies, that’s fine please keep using our website. You can set your browser to refuse all or some browser cookies, or to alert you when websites set or access cookies.

We use the pieces of information that cookies record to help us improve services for you by, for example:

enabling a service to recognise your device so you don’t have to give the same information several times during one task

keeping track of items in your shopping basket

measuring how many people are using services, so they can be made easier to use and there’s enough capacity to ensure they are fast

to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse the traffic visiting our website

analysing anonymised data to help us understand how consumers interact with our service and helps us improve the consumer experience

improve security

We may also share information about your use of our website with our social media, advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information that you’ve provided to them or that they’ve collected from your use of their services.

Approved third parties may also set cookies when you interact with our website. These include search engines, providers of measurement and analytics services, social media networks, and advertising companies. Third parties use cookies in the process of delivering content, including ads relevant to your interests, to measure the effectiveness of their ads, and to perform services on behalf of Avalon.

Some cookies known as ‘strictly necessary cookies‘ are stored on your device for the smooth operation of our website. We don’t use cookies to collect personally identifiable information about you.

How to control and delete cookies:

You can manage your cookies through your own browser settings. The ‘Help’ feature on most browsers will tell you how to prevent your browser from accepting new cookies, how to have the browser notify you when you receive a new cookie, how to disable cookies, and when cookies will expire. If you disable all cookies on your browser, neither we nor any third parties will transfer cookies to your browser. However if you choose to do this, you may have to manually adjust your preferences each time you visit our website and unfortunately some aspect of our website may not work for you.

For further information on our use of cookies, please visit www.allaboutcookies.org

We may use the following cookies and technologies in the delivery of our Website:

Google Cookies

Google Analytics helps us measure how users interact with our website content. Avalon may use cookie data to remarket to website visitors across the Google search network. This feature allows Google to display an Avalon ad to previous website visitors. You can opt out of Google’s cookies by visiting Google’s Ads Settings. Here you will be able to opt out of cookies and control the data Google stores on you.

You can find information about these here;
https://www.optimizesmart.com/google-analytics-cookies-ultimate-guide/

Strictly necessary cookies: Necessary cookies help make a website usable by enabling basic functions like page navigation and access to secure areas of the website. The website cannot function properly without these cookies

Statistics cookies: Help us to understand how visitors to our website interact by collecting and reporting information anonymously

Marketing cookies: Are used to track visitors to our websites. The intention is to display ads that are relevant and engaging for the individual user and thereby more valuable for publishers and third party advertisers.

Preferences cookies: Enable us to remember information that changes the way the website behaves or looks, like your preferred language or the region that you are in.

Analytical/performance cookies: Allow us to recognise and count the number of visitors and see how visitors move around our Website when they are using it. This helps us to improve the way our Website works, for example, by ensuring that users are finding what they are looking for easily.

Additional Cookie Data

Real reviews from real customers

I had a very helpful visit from David Cuthbert no hard sell. He explained everything fully and left me in no doubt this was definitely for me. It is such a good plan my sister-in-law also signed up. Would recommend this company to everyone.

Anna Bannerstaff

Real reviews from real customers

Very many thanks for taking me through the whys and wherefores of taking out a funeral plan. I can now rest a lot easier with the knowledge that my family will also have an easier time when my final day arrives.

David Blackcross

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Why choose Avalon

Award Winning Plan Provider

We’re officially the UK's Best Funeral Plan Provider for three years running, after thousands of people voted at the Personal Finance Awards.

Peace of mind with the Avalon Promise

If you pass away before your plan is fully paid we can cover the cost with the Avalon Promise.

Rated excellent by our customers on Trustpilot

We have over 3,000 reviews on Trustpilot and are rated 'Excellent' by our customers. For over 25 years we’ve helped over 85,000 people feel reassured their funeral is planned and paid for.

Safe and secure

Your money is kept in an independent Trust.

Local Funeral Directors

We work with over 1,800 local, independent Funeral Directors – that’s more than the Co-op (1,079) or Dignity (1,200) which means you can feel reassured you and your family will have support close by.