WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The Federal Trade Commission is seeking public comment on whether to make changes to its Funeral Rule as part of the agency's systematic review of all current FTC rules and guides.
The Funeral Rule, enacted in 1982, protects consumers from unfair and deceptive practices in the sale of funeral products and services. Consumers, who often are under significant emotional strain and tight time constraints, are being exploited in the market for such products or services.
The Rule, formally known as the Funeral Industry Practices Rule, requires funeral providers to disclose to consumers itemized price information, and provide additional information about the price of caskets and burial vaults when discussing or showing those items.
The Rule also gives consumers the right to buy just the funeral goods and services they want and need from the provider. Funeral providers should let customers by caskets elsewhere, and should not charge 'handling fees' when customers do so.
The Rule also prohibits funeral providers from making certain misrepresentations, such as insisting that embalming the dead body is required when it is not; and prohibits funeral providers from embalming remains for a fee without authorization from the customer.
In a Federal Register notice, the FTC is seeking comment on a number of questions, including whether consumers have benefited from the Rule; whether new unfair or deceptive industry practices exist that could be addressed by changes to the Rule; whether providers should be required to post their itemized price lists online; and whether itemized price lists should have a standard format to help consumers compare prices between providers and help providers comply with the Rule.
The Commission said it will publish the notice in the Federal Register soon. Comments from the public must be received 60 days after publication and will be posted on regulations.gov.
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