Consumer advocate: Compare funeral prices to avoid scams

Sherri Chatman of Dayton called our I-Team after seeing an investigation into funeral homes in the Miami Valley. Sherri had recently experienced several troubling problems with the funeral director who handled her mother's arrangements.

It included a proposed financing plan that would have been both unconventional and costly.

"I was thrown,” Chatman said. “And I had to call back and ask, ‘did you really say this to me?’"

Fortunately for Sherri, she did not accept their financing proposal. Despite having second thoughts about the funeral home she had chosen, she went ahead with the arrangements, but now wishes she had shopped around more.

When the I-Team story was broadcast on WHIO, Sherri was glad to see that the Federal Trade Commission enforces consumer protections through the use of secret shoppers.

Dotan Weinman, an FTC attorney, said the agency uses agents who pose as grieving family members. They put funeral directors to the test to see if they comply with strict rules for timely disclosure of the price list for products and services.

"We are sending investigators into funeral homes all over the country. They pretend to be shopping for funeral services," Weinman said.

Although the FTC does not publicize the names of businesses that are cited for violations, the I-Team used public records to discover that five funeral homes in the Miami Valley were cited in 2013.

Consumer advocates urge people to do just as they would for any major purchase; shop around, ask questions and compare prices. Joshua Slocum, executive director of the Funeral Consumers Alliance, said he realizes people are in a fragile emotional state, but they should be aware of their rights and check out multiple providers of services.

"People don't shop around and these price differences are enormous," Slocum said.

The Dayton Better Business Bureau lists funeral homes on their web site so that consumers can check for complaints or comments from consumers. Sheri Sword of the BBB said people should try to focus on their budgets and what they're buying as best they can, given the situation.

"Our world is in a tailspin in some cases,” Sword said. “Whether you expect it or don't expect it, it's a loved one who has passed. It's really needed to stop, breathe, and think through what you want to do," Sword said.

Any consumer can file a complaint with the BBB by contacting them through their website at https://www.bbb.org/dayton

The I-Team hotline is 937-225-2251.

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