Funeral Home Scams: How to Protect Yourself and Your Family

Funeral arrangements are made during the most vulnerable moments of a family's life — under time pressure, under grief, often without any prior knowledge of the industry. Funeral home abuses are among the most documented consumer complaints in the country. Knowing your rights before you need them is one of the most practical things you can do.

Your Rights Under the FTC Funeral Rule

The Federal Trade Commission's Funeral Rule (in effect since 1984, updated periodically) establishes specific consumer protections:

The General Price List

Any funeral home must give you a written, itemized General Price List (GPL) at the beginning of any in-person arrangement conference, or immediately if you ask for it. The GPL must list the price of every good and service offered. Ask for this immediately if it's not offered. A home that is evasive about providing pricing information is a warning sign.

Telephone pricing

Funeral homes must provide pricing information over the phone upon request. You can call multiple homes for price comparisons before making any in-person visit.

Itemized selection

You have the right to purchase only the specific items and services you want. A funeral home cannot require package purchases or bundle services you don't want. The law requires them to quote an itemized price for individual selections.

No casket handling fees

If you purchase a casket elsewhere (online retailers, Costco, and direct casket retailers often offer significant savings), the funeral home cannot charge a "handling fee" for accepting it. This is explicitly prohibited by the Funeral Rule.

Embalming is almost never legally required

Embalming is not required by federal law. State laws vary but most do not require embalming except in specific circumstances (interstate transport across certain state lines, for example). A funeral home that presents embalming as legally required is likely misrepresenting the law. You generally have the right to decline embalming — refrigeration is typically the alternative.

Common Abuses to Watch For

Misrepresenting legal requirements

Beyond embalming, common false claims include: outer burial containers (burial vaults) are not required by federal law, though many cemeteries require them — ask the cemetery, not the funeral home; death certificates are required but funeral homes markup their actual cost; specific types of caskets are not required for cremation.

Inflated casket pricing

Caskets are among the highest-markup items in the funeral industry. Funeral home caskets often cost 2–5x the price of identical or comparable caskets from outside retailers. Costco, Walmart, and online casket retailers (Overnight Caskets, Casket Depot) sell caskets that funeral homes must accept under the Funeral Rule. This is one of the most significant ways to reduce funeral costs.

Pre-need plan mismanagement

Pre-paid funeral arrangements are sometimes mismanaged — funds spent, accounts inaccessible, or businesses closed. If you have or are considering a pre-need arrangement: verify that funds are held in a state-regulated trust or insurance product (not accessible to the funeral home); get receipts documenting every payment; review the contract for cancellation and transfer provisions; check whether your arrangement transfers if you move or if the home changes ownership.

How to Protect Yourself

Get the General Price List upfront, before discussing anything else
Never feel pressured to make decisions on the spot — you have the right to go home and think
Bring someone with you to arrangement conferences — a second person makes it easier to slow down and catch issues
Compare prices from at least two homes
Understand what's legally required (almost less than you think) and what's optional
Consider purchasing the casket separately
File complaints about violations with the FTC (ftc.gov/complaint) and your state attorney general

Resources

Funeral Consumers Alliance (funerals.org) — nonprofit consumer organization with local chapters and price comparison guides
FTC Funeral Rule overview — ftc.gov (search "Funeral Rule")
NFDA member search — nfda.org to find members who have agreed to a code of ethics

Related Guides

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the most common funeral home scams and abuses?

The most frequently documented funeral industry abuses: (1) Refusing to give itemized pricing — the FTC Funeral Rule requires funeral homes to provide a written General Price List on request, but some homes don't comply or make it difficult to obtain; (2) Misrepresenting legal requirements — falsely claiming that embalming, caskets, or other items are legally required when they're not; (3) Charging for services not requested or performed; (4) Inflating casket prices significantly above retail when family members are in a vulnerable emotional state; (5) Refusing to accept caskets purchased elsewhere (the FTC Funeral Rule prohibits charging a "handling fee" for outside caskets); (6) Pre-need funeral plan mismanagement — funds paid for pre-arranged funerals that are then misused by the funeral home; (7) Price gouging, particularly when a family is planning under time pressure after a sudden death.

What does the FTC Funeral Rule require?

The FTC Funeral Rule (16 CFR Part 453) sets consumer protection standards for funeral homes: (1) General Price List — funeral homes must give you a written, itemized price list for all goods and services at the start of any in-person arrangement conference, or immediately upon request; (2) Telephone price disclosure — funeral homes must give price information over the phone upon request; (3) Itemized selection — you have the right to purchase only the specific goods and services you want; the home cannot require package purchases; (4) Casket price list — must be given before showing caskets; (5) Outer burial container price list — same requirement; (6) Statement of goods and services selected — a written itemized statement must be given before final arrangements are made; (7) Embalming disclosure — unless embalming is required by law (it almost never is), the home must get your permission and cannot charge for it without authorization; (8) No casket handling fees — if you supply a casket purchased elsewhere, they cannot charge a fee for accepting it.

How do you verify that a funeral home is legitimate and fairly priced?

Check the Better Business Bureau rating and any complaints. Look for membership in the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) or the Selected Independent Funeral Homes association — members agree to a code of ethics. Read online reviews, particularly on Google and Yelp, filtering for patterns rather than individual complaints. Ask for the itemized General Price List upfront — a home that is reluctant to provide this is a warning sign. Compare prices across at least two homes in your area; prices can vary dramatically for identical services. Consider using a funeral consumer advocacy organization: Funeral Consumers Alliance chapters in many areas offer price comparison guides for local funeral homes and can help you understand what is and isn't required.