The "American
way of death" is more elaborate and costly than in most other countries.
Competition in the usual sense is absent in the US funeral business.
Yet, paradoxically, there are too many mortuaries, and their prices
must be high to stay in business.
In the late 1970s,
the Federal Trade Commission determined that "the emotional trauma
of bereavement, the lack of information and time pressures place the
consumer at an enormous disadvantage in making funeral arrangements."
It was our national organization that prompted that survey and pressed
for funeral consumer protection. The FTC Funeral Rule (1984) provides
that funeral homes
- must disclose
in writing the prices for all goods and services and give prices
over the phone
- must disclose
in writing certain consumer rights
- may not
force a consumer to purchase more than is wanted, and
- may not
lie to consumers about state laws or make preservative claims
for embalming and caskets.
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Just like speed
limit laws don't always slow drivers, the Funeral Rule isn't able to
keep a consumer from making quick decisions and "being taken for
a ride." Our goal is to help you understand your options and make
wise decisions - preferably in advance.
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We are a nation
of planners. We spend hours and hours planning our investments,
family weddings, vacations. Don't our final trips deserve our best
thought? Someone will have to make these decisions. Shouldn't it be
yours? |
