Funeral costs are ‘still too unclear’

Some funeral directors need to be more transparent about their pricing up front, according to Which?

Vulnerable customers could be put at risk of paying inflated prices, the consumer group warned.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has previously said that it is keeping a close eye on the sector.

The CMA is consulting on new requirements, which it is proposing will come into effect in September.

The watchdog said in December that pricing information should be provided in advance of a customer committing to purchase a service, so that people know what they will be charged.

Which? said its research in February into 112 funeral directors found about a quarter (29) of them did not include pricing on their websites.

Of those that did show their prices, information was often not presented in a consistent way, potentially making it difficult for people to understand how their money was being spent.

Which? said about 40 funeral directors showed package costs with a description of what is included but provided no cost breakdown. It said only 18 showed itemised price lists.

It said even those signed up to the National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD) were not always transparent with their costs.

An NAFD statement said: “We are reviewing the CMA’S draft order in respect of online pricing to make sure we align our online member directory capabilities to the order.”

Jenny Ross, editor of Which? Money, said: “Organising a funeral is already a stressful time for families – that stress shouldn’t be compounded by the fear of paying inflated prices.”