FTC Funeral Rule doesn't require online price disclosure

The FTC Funeral Rule, enacted in 1984 and last revised in 1994, requires funeral homes to provide an itemized General Price List (GPL) — but only to people who ask in person or by phone. There is no requirement to post prices online. As a result, less than 25% of funeral home websites display any pricing information. This means a grieving family, often making a $10,000+ decision within 24–72 hours of a death, must physically visit or cold-call multiple funeral homes to comparison shop — during the worst emotional moment of their lives. The time pressure is structural: most states require disposition within days, and bodies deteriorate without refrigeration or embalming, so families cannot spend weeks shopping around. The reason this persists is that funeral industry trade groups (NFDA, SCI) have lobbied against mandatory online disclosure for decades, arguing it would cause 'confusion.' The FTC proposed an update in 2022 requiring online pricing, but as of 2026 the rule remains unchanged. Families overpay by thousands simply because price opacity is the default.