Having a family member pass away is never easy, and when you add funeral planning into the mix, it can be even more difficult.
However, you must consider funeral planning as soon as you can because planning ahead will save your loved ones the added stress of planning a funeral for someone they care about.
There are general laws and regulations of funeral planning that will give you a little more insight into what is going on. Click here to know more about these laws.
Table of Contents
1. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Funeral Rule
The FTC is one of the most important laws for funeral planning. The rule is in place to protect consumers just like you. It makes sure your rights are protected and that there is no fraud.
The rule has 2 main parts:
*Before final arrangements are made and the exact funeral and/or cremation services are determined, all funeral homes must give you a General Price List (GPL), which includes the price range for each type of service they offer. This is so you can choose what you want before you pay for it.
*All funeral homes also must provide you with a Statement of Funeral Goods and Services Selected which lists all the goods and services you have selected.
2. National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) Code of Professional Conduct
This code of conduct is for all members who are part of the NFDA organization. It is a list of guidelines and what they must do in terms of customer service and business practices. There are rules to ensure they provide accurate information and pricing so that customers can make informed decisions when carrying out funeral planning duties.
3. NFDA Statement on the Good Faith Estimate
This statement is a requirement from the NFDA on all their members. Prices must be given to you in writing and therefore a good faith estimate is required. It is a list of all items and services associated with the funeral, allowing you to compare pricing between different funeral homes.
4. NFDA Statement on Funeral Service Merchandise
The NFDA has a statement on funeral service merchandise. This means that all members of the organization must provide you with a written contract clearly stating all items and services. The statement also outlines their prices and sales practices to ensure everything is above board.
5. NFDA Consumer Bill of Rights
This bill of funeral planning rights states that the NFDA stands for protecting your rights as a consumer and outlines what they will do to ensure you are treated fairly. It also lists some of the things they will do for you, such as:
*Funeral homes must provide all their customers with an itemized list of goods and services including costs.
*All funeral homes must abide by the Statement on Funeral Goods and Services Selected which is a list of all the items and services you have selected.
*They will help make sure your loved one gets buried or cremated within your timeframe and budget.
*They will provide you with a written contract that outlines all the goods and services purchased so there are no misunderstandings.
6. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Mail or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule
This unreal planning rule is to protect consumers who purchase goods via mail, telephone, or internet. It requires companies to ship goods as promised and make sure they arrive on time. It also ensures that you must be able to cancel and get your money back if the company is not willing to make changes to their funeral products or services.
Conclusion
It is important to familiarize and understand all the above general laws and regulations of funeral planning so that you can know the dos and don’ts when you lose someone and you need to carry out funeral plans for their last farewell.