Client Care, Pricing and Consumer Protection Policy

Purpose. This policy sets how families are treated, informed and charged, so that every arrangement meets the Australian Consumer Law, the Victorian funeral pricing requirements and Everlasting's own standards of honesty.

1.Commitment to families

Families come to Everlasting at one of the hardest times of their lives. Staff will treat every family with patience, courtesy and cultural sensitivity, and will never pressure a family toward a more expensive option. The arranger will explain each choice, its cost and any alternative, and will give the family time to decide.

2.Itemised pricing

Everlasting will publish a current itemised price list for its services, coffins, caskets and disbursements and will make it available on request, at the funeral home and on the website. Before an arrangement is confirmed, the family will receive a written itemised quote showing the professional service fee, each product, each third-party disbursement and the total, with the basic funeral option clearly identified.

• Professional service fee
• Transfer and mortuary care fees
• Coffin or casket at the selected price
• Cemetery or crematorium fees
• Celebrant, clergy, flowers, notices and other disbursements
• Total, deposit and payment terms

3.Contracts and cooling off

The funeral arrangement record signed by the family is the contract. Any change requested after signing will be documented as a variation with its cost, and no charge will be added without the family's agreement. Pre-need contracts include the statutory cooling-off period and the trust arrangements required by Victorian law.

4.Grief and cultural needs

Arrangers will ask about faith, cultural and family customs and will accommodate them wherever the law and safety allow, including same-day burial, ritual washing by family members, viewing at home, and specific handling and dress requirements. Where a request cannot be met, the arranger will explain why and offer an alternative.

5.Complaints

Any expression of dissatisfaction is a complaint. Staff must record it on the day it is received, acknowledge it to the family within two business days and refer it to the Funeral Arranging Manager. The business will respond in writing within ten business days and will tell the family how to escalate to Consumer Affairs Victoria or the industry association if they remain dissatisfied.

6.Advertising and communications

All advertising, price lists and website content will be accurate and will not describe any package as inclusive unless every listed item is included. Death and funeral notices will be published only with the family's written approval of the wording.