A Lanarkshire funeral director has called for an end to companies who "prey upon the vulnerable" and welcomed new regulations being introduced to the industry.
The Competitions and Markets Authority (CMA) has published an information page to help customers understand their rights and avoid being ripped off.
They ordered the funerals sector to take steps to make it easier for families to arrange a funeral that meets their needs and budget, giving all firms three months to implement the changes.
Funeral directors are now legally required to display a Standardised Price List in their window at their premises and on their website.
The introduction of regulation has been welcomed by Fosters Funeral Directors who operate 25 funeral homes across Scotland, including in Rutherglen and Burnside.
Managing director, Nick McLaughlin, told Lanarkshire Live: "We welcome the CMA regulations as over the years Fosters has publicly championed the need for clear and fair pricing within the funeral industry.
"We believe that bereaved families deserve to be treated with the utmost respect and it is disgraceful that some providers continue to take advantage of grieving families by overcharging for funeral services."
Concerns centred around the lack of price transparency within the sector which made it hard for bereaved families to compare costs between providers and choose the right service for their loved ones.
A funeral can cost thousands of pounds yet typically people don’t compare prices before making a purchase.
The 2021 Cost of Dying Report found one in seven families struggled to find funds to pay for a funeral with 50 per cent reporting that they borrowed money to cover the cost, and 14 per cent stating that they got into significant financial difficulty to pay for a funeral.
Mr McLaughlin added: "The new regulations mean every funeral director must clearly display their prices in a standard way and in a prominent place. I expect that customers will rightly start to question why some funeral directors charge extra for services that others include as standard.
"For example, some funeral providers are charging more for a larger coffin, or if the person happens to die during the evening charging extra to collect the deceased after 5pm.”
"This is not acceptable and preys upon the vulnerable at a moment when they need help from a compassionate funeral professional. I sincerely hope the CMA Regulations will put an end to such unethical practices.”
"At Fosters we are transparent in the way that we engage with our customers and are confident that our service is of the highest standard."
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