Two consumer groups are petitioning the Federal Trade Commission to revise the Funeral Rule so consumers can get price information on the Internet.
A nationwide survey by the Funeral Consumers Alliance and Consumer Federation of America found that few funeral homes fully disclosed prices online.
Many consumers use the Internet to compare prices for the goods and services they buy. However, the most vulnerable consumers in the marketplace, those arranging a funeral, must spend thousands of dollars on a funeral and can’t compare prices online, said Stephen Brobeck, executive director of the federation.
The alliance and federation are urging the FTC to change the Funeral Rule so consumers can make an informed decision on one of the largest purchases they’ll ever make.
They submitted their petition Tuesday on Amazon’s “Prime Day,” often called the “Cyber Monday of the summer.” Millions of Americans shop online before midnight in hopes to get a great deal.
The Funeral Rule has protected consumers for more than 30 years by requiring funeral homes to disclose price information in a meaningful way, Brobeck said. It requires that any person who asks for a general price list, an itemized list of funeral products and services, be furnished with complete and accurate price information by telephone or in person.
Consumers are likely spend at least $50 billion on funeral services between 2016 and 2019. The FTC’s currently is schedule to review the Funeral Rule in 2019.
“The Federal Trade Commission should update antiquated disclosure rules developed in the pre-Internet 1980s,” said Josh Slocum, executive director of the alliance. “Almost all funeral home websites feature stories on how the funeral home has been providing caring, compassionate service since the days of the horse and buggy but nothing about how much it actually costs.”
The petition requests online price disclosure, refutes common misconceptions about extending the Funeral Rule, and shows that consumers will be harmed if the FTC waits until 2019 to review the rule.
“We hope that the FTC acts promptly upon our request,” said Slocum. “Grieving families don’t have time to wait.”
