The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) released a report on itsundercover investigation into funeral providers' compliance with the Funeral Rule, which requires them to provide pricing information over the phone when asked.

FTC staff called 278 randomly selected funeral providers across the U.S. between February and December 2023, both during and after business hours. Key findings include:

• Lack of After-Hours Pricing Info: 26% of funeral providers did not provide pricing information after business hours.
• Business Hours Issues: 7% of providers failed to give pricing information even during business hours.
• Repeated Calls Needed: Staff had to call multiple times or wait for return calls for about 70% of providers after hours and 30% during business hours.
• Incomplete Pricing: Half of the providers gave only estimates or ranges instead of specific prices. About 33% offered package pricing without itemized details, and some quoted different prices for the same service on separate calls.

Read the FTC's full report here.