The Funeral Rule is a law enforced by the FTC in the US to protect consumers arranging funerals. Funeral directors have obligations to consumers, who have the right to choose services and receive pricing information. The law also allows consumers to bring in coffins from outside sources and requires funeral homes to disclose legal requirements and pricing information. The law was passed in 1984 in response to concerns about rising funeral costs and industry practices. Despite attempts to weaken it, the Funeral Rule still provides important protections for consumers.
The Funeral Rule is a law enforced by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in the United States. It is designed to protect consumers as they arrange funerals and consider options for disposing of a body. Under the Funeral Rule, funeral directors have certain obligations to consumers, and consumers are entitled to certain rights. Despite the Funeral Rule, some unscrupulous members of the profession take advantage of consumers, and the FTC encourages consumers to report such incidents so they can be investigated.
Under the Funeral Rule, consumers can choose the services they want at a funeral home, although they can also opt for basic packages of services that are commonly in demand. If they come in person to request information, the funeral home must provide a general price list that includes pricing information for all of their services, along with legal information relating to the Funeral Rule, and consumers may keep this price list. Consumers who request price information by telephone also have the right to receive relevant price information.
Consumers also have the right to bring in coffins from outside sources, and funeral homes cannot refuse to use such coffins. The funeral home must also disclose any legal requirements relating to the funeral and cannot falsely claim that something is required by law when it is not. The Funeral Rule also specifies that funeral directors must provide information about embalming, including that it is usually not required by law, and must provide prices and descriptions of caskets and urns before showing samples to clients.
Prior to the passage of the funeral rule, many funeral homes were accused of taking advantage of consumers during a time of need. Funeral buyers really don’t have much time to research their options and may feel pressured to make certain choices. Many have complained in retrospect that they were driven to expensive funerals or to decisions they later regretted. Many funeral homes have also been specifically accused of misrepresenting legal requirements for funerals and blurring their pricing and policies to mislead consumers.
The funeral law was passed in 1984, in response to significant unrest from individuals and organizations concerned about the rising costs of funerals. Many of the advocates who fought for the Funeral Rule were inspired by Jessica Mitford’s groundbreaking The American Way of Death, a searing denunciation of the American funeral industry. While the American funeral industry has been able to weaken some of the provisions of the original Funeral Rule, it has not been able to completely defeat the Rule, meaning consumers have enjoyed many more protections in a difficult time than before. .
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
