Calling a funeral home about prices and services

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Maybe you're pre-planning a funeral for yourself or a loved one and decide to get some pricing information by calling a few funeral providers. Or you need to make urgent arrangements for a loved one who passed away in another state. When you’re making funeral arrangements, you have a right to get funeral pricing information over the phone.

A new FTC staff report about funeral providers’ practices revealed that it can often be hard to get clear and accurate price information over the phone. FTC staff made calls to funerals homes at all times of day. They were unable to get funeral price information by phone from some providers. For others, staff had to make several calls, especially after hours.

When FTC staff did get price information by phone, some providers gave different prices for the same services on different calls. Others gave out estimated prices or price ranges, instead of specific prices. And some didn’t disclose required third-party fees or government fees unless asked.

The Funeral Rule gives you the right to get accurate information over the phone. If you’re researching funeral costs by phone

• Ask the funeral provider what types of services they offer, how much these services cost and what’s included in the price. If they offer a package of goods and services, ask about itemized prices. They must let you buy only the services you want and need.
• Ask if there will be other costs. For example, fees to transport the body, get required permits or death certificates, or place obituary notices.

If a funeral provider won’t give you accurate price information over the phone, try calling another provider. To learn more, check out Shopping for Funeral Services by Phone or Online.