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[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

My father is in the final stage of terminal stomach cancer. He has a very short time left to live, we think days. My mother has asked me to arrange his funeral. I'm more than happy to do this.

She recently handed me the documents for Dad's "Funeralcare" policy which he has with the Co-operative. We both have one of these she tells me, we've paid in more than £2600 each since 1990. With interest and bonus payments she  hopes the policy will realise about £4,000, maybe more.

I contacted "Funeralcare", who tell me  the policy will in fact only payout £1,186.......Yes, that's right......A f**king derisory £1,186. Even if payments are made for another thousand years they will still only payout £1,186. (roughly 40% of what has been paid in)...Unbelievable...

My elderly parents believed this policy to be a savings plan. It is clearly nothing of the kind.

If you live for more than  five years after the commencement of the policy, you will almost certainly get back far less than you paid in. If you die within the first two years, they are not obliged to pay out. It really is a win-win situation for them.

These "over 50 plans" are being aggressively marketed at present, by eminent coffin-dodgers such as June Whitfield and Parky.....who barely draw breath, as they tell you how wonderful and comforting these schemes are


Beware......They are a huge con...



 

[Tony H]

So sorry to hear about your Dad I lost my mum to something similar two years ago. I know it's not the right time now but it may be worth looking into the possibility of the policies being miss sold in the future

[SIR Philbutt]

Sorry to hear about your dad - can empathise - mine died 8 years ago and still miss him.

Can I suggest you repeat what you have put on here to the ombudsman and even watchdog. You never know

[Kevin Wood]

Really sorry to hear about your Dad, Opti. 

People pay into these policies to avoid just the anguish you are going through. What a disgrace that they are sold short just when they can't stand up for themselves.

When you are past your current troubles and minded to do so, It'd be well worth looking into whether the policy was mis-sold, as said.

[bertie1.8vectra]

I also have 1st hand experience of these funeral plans after my year of hell in 2009... Co-op arranged the funeral for mum but refused 4 months later to arrange my dads funeral because I did not have the money available to pay up front and would not wait for the insurance payout... So yes steer clear of them you are much better off opening a savings account and paying that money into it.... 

[jonnycool]

Bad news Opti, so sorry to hear about your Dad 

Good advice about the Funeralcare policy, I'll steer clear..

[Debs.]

  Oh, dear-Opti, I`m so saddened for you and yours upon reading your post!
......Please try your hardest to set to one side, the very dubious business practices of the corporate funerary-business` and simply make these final days with your dad, as comfortable as is humanly possible under such circumstances. 
You (and yours) will be in my daily thoughts and prayers.

[robmac]

really sorry to hear about your dad, awful thing for anyone to be going through. i'm saddened but sadly not surprised by the policy not being worth much to you, all too often this happens but you don't expect it from the co-operative funeral care service!!..thats shocking and despicable.

[cleggy]

So sorry to hear about your dad Opti, and the situation you and your mum find yourself in at this sad time.

Thank you for the heads up, not something I would expect from such a trusted organisation , I hope everything goes as well as it can for you.

[cem_devecioglu]

Sorry to hear about your dad Opti

someone must crash the heads of those companies..I cant think of a worse robbery than these companies do

[Tony H]

So sorry to hear about your dad Opti, and the situation you and your mum find yourself in at this sad time.

Thank you for the heads up, not something I would expect from such a trusted organisation , I hope everything goes as well as it can for you.

I was always under the impression that the Co-op took a moralistic standpoint with there business ventures. Just shows how wrong you can be

[Dishevelled Den]

The news about your father saddens me Opti and I earnestly hope that the next step is as painless and dignified as possible for him.

I'm sure that both you and your mother will get the strength necessary to deal with this sad event so, at least, your father will have all the love and support necessary to help him through it.

My thoughts are with you and your family.

[Marks DTM Calib]

No need to go this far Opti! 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15928833

[pscocoa]

I would ask for a meeting with them as this is rotten to the core.

You need to get to the Chief Exec - this does not appear to be insurance or savings. Once you had paid in the value equivalent to the package maturity then something should have happened - a letter advising some options.

Just check for sure your family paid in the amount they said - sometimes my parents get monthly figures mixed with quarterly or annual

[pscocoa]

http://www.funeralplanningauthority.com/

In fact Co-op Funeral Plans hold themselves out as covered by Financial Services Authority.

I think you may also be protected by the Funeral Planning Authority (FPA) (call 0845 601 9619). The FPA have a dispute resolution service.