100 signatures reached
To: FTC
Hold Funeral Homes Accountable by Reforming the FTC's Funeral Rule
The Funeral Rule is designed to protect consumers by requiring disclosure of itemized funeral costs. However, it currently excludes online pricing, thereby creating a potential barrier to transparency and affordability. Moreover, oversight of the Funeral Rule Offenders' Program, aimed at businesses that fail to comply with the Rule, is presently done by the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA), a private, trade organization. This petition requests a shift in authority from the NFDA to the FTC to regulate this critical consumer protection program, thereby eliminating potential conflicts of interest and ensuring unbiased enforcement of the Funeral Rule.
The non-inclusion of online pricing in the Funeral Rule potentially deprives consumers of the vital ability to shop around and compare prices from the comfort of their homes.
We believe it is vital to foster better transparency and pricing standards in the funeral industry by including online pricing in the Funeral Rule's purview. It is equally crucial to entrust the Funeral Rule Offenders' Program to a federal organization like the FTC for fair and impartial regulation.
The non-inclusion of online pricing in the Funeral Rule potentially deprives consumers of the vital ability to shop around and compare prices from the comfort of their homes.
We believe it is vital to foster better transparency and pricing standards in the funeral industry by including online pricing in the Funeral Rule's purview. It is equally crucial to entrust the Funeral Rule Offenders' Program to a federal organization like the FTC for fair and impartial regulation.
Why is this important?
Funeral homes are taking advantage of customers by gouging prices and not properly disclosing their prices. The NFDA's Funeral Rule Offenders Program does not hold funeral homes who engage in these practices accountable since they have a direct stake in the success of the industry. By signing this petition, we can guarantee bad actors in the funeral industry are held accountable and people who have lost their loved ones are treated with the respect and empathy they deserve.