Funeral and crematorium directors ordered to make prices clear for customers

Funeral directors and crematorium operators must make prices clear for customers or risk court action, the competition watchdog has ordered.

From September 16 all funeral directors must display a standardised price list at their premises and on their website, including the headline price of a funeral, the price of individual items making up the service, and the price of certain additional products and services, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said.

Additionally, from June 17, funeral directors are not allowed to make payments to incentivise hospitals, palliative care services, hospices, care homes or similar institutions to refer customers to a particular funeral director or solicit for business through coroner and police contracts.

Crematorium operators will also be required to provide specified price information to funeral directors and customers.

The CMA said it expects all funeral directors and crematorium operators to take action to ensure they have implemented the changes by the legal deadlines.

An in-depth market investigation by the CMA into the funerals sector last year identified a number of concerns, including that prices for similar services differed considerably between funeral directors, and the way that information was provided made it hard for families to compare prices and choose the right combination of services for their loved ones.

The CMA introduced a package of “sunlight remedies”, on which it has been consulting with the sector, including funeral providers, trade bodies, charities and customer representative groups.

Many of these remedies have now been made into law through an Order, while further remedies around the regulation of funeral directors have been recommended to the Government.

CMA panel inquiry chairman Martin Coleman said: “Organising a funeral is one of the hardest things that anyone must do, and it is vital that people are treated fairly.

“Customers need clear information so that they know what they will be charged and are able, if they wish, to compare the prices of different providers.

“As a result of CMA action, funeral providers must ensure that prices and services on offer are clear upfront, so that people can more easily make the choices that are right for them.

“We urge funeral directors and crematorium operators to start making these changes now.

“We will be keeping a close eye on the sector and stand ready to take action if firms don’t follow the rules.”