| March
7th 2002 - Bereaved consumers - beware unscrupulous funeral directors
A Which?
investigation published today (7 March 2002) found dramatic differences
in prices and quality of service offered by funeral directors across the
UK.
£800
million a year is spent on funerals in the UK, with two-thirds arranged
by independent funeral directors and the remainder split between the Co-op
and Dignity Caring Funeral Services. Which? found good and bad advisors
at funeral directors all over the UK. But, researchers found that, on average,
independent funeral directors were the cheapest, and Dignity the most expensive.
No
training is needed to be a funeral director, and there is no compulsory
licensing or regulation of funeral businesses. Understandably, bereaved
consumers are unlikely to 'shop around' for a funeral and may be vulnerable
to poor service. Many people don't know what to expect from a funeral director
and reports show they are less likely to complain than consumers purchasing
other goods or services. Numbers of complaints to the Funeral Ombudsman
Service more than doubled between 1997-2000, although actual numbers of
complaints were low.
During
October 2001 Which? sent undercover researchers to 25 funeral directors
around the UK to arrange a cremation for a terminally ill relative. In
line with the industry codes of practice Which? expected funeral directors
to provide clear information about price and a written estimate of costs;
offer a choice of services, give good advice, for example on how to register
a death; and to behave in a professional and dignified manner. Dramatic
variations in price and quality of service were revealed, including:
-
Estimates
of the funeral directors' own costs for a comparable service and coffin
ranged from £660 from an independent in Sheffield to £1,415
from a branch of Dignity in Scotland. The average price quoted was £1,040
-
10 out
of the 25 didn't mention any costs until the researcher asked, at the end
of the meeting. An OFT investigation in 2001 found that a staggering 28%
of people had no idea of costs until after the funeral had taken place.
-
14 of
the funeral directors failed to give an adequate choice of coffins (coffin
price can range from £85 to over £2,500), and 7 didn't offer
a choice at all. On the plus side, none of the funeral directors tried
to sell the researcher an expensive, inappropriate coffin.
-
12 out
of the 25 gave insufficient advice and information about what was involved
in arranging a funeral.
-
16 funeral
directors failed to give researchers sufficient choices about the type
of funeral they wanted
-
The attitude
of most of the funeral directors was professional, tactful and sensitive,
but some were rude, unhelpful and abrupt. Several made tactless or insensitive
remarks, one adviser said 'the gentleman hasn't died yet… I can't even
say he's cold.'
Helen
Parker, Editor of Which?, said:
"People
who have just suffered a bereavement are particularly vulnerable, so it's
vital that the funeral industry is properly regulated."
"Which?
research found inexplicable price variations in funeral services and patchy
service and advice given by funeral directors. This needs to be addressed."
"We want
to see all funeral directors in the UK signed up to a standard code of
practice. The code should be monitored and enforced by an independent body."
Ends
Notes
-
1 To receive
a full copy of the Which? magazine article call Martin Chapman on 020 7770
7373.
2
What to Do When Someone Dies is published by Which? Ltd. It can be ordered
on Freephone 0800 252100 (£15.99, p&p free), quoting WTD, or
at
www.which.net or bought from bookshops.
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