The Department of Justice and Attorney-General has issued a new options paper aimed at ensuring people seeking to organise a funeral know exactly what they are paying for.
Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Shannon Fentiman said organising a funeral was challenging enough.
“This Options Paper will look at price transparency in the funeral industry and at issues such as providing upfront costs and giving consumers the ability to compare funeral prices,” Ms Fentiman said.
“Organising a funeral is an extremely emotional process, sometimes with added time pressures if the death of a loved one was unexpected,” she said.
“A person’s decision-making ability is often considerably impacted by their vulnerable state, time constraints and cultural expectations.”
Ms Fentiman said funeral homes could offer a bundle of goods and services without clearly stating which of these were required and which were optional.
She said the absence of easily-accessible pricing information could make it difficult for consumers to make the best choice for their needs.
Commissioner for Fair Trading, Victoria Thomson said upfront price transparency would provide consumers with the pricing information they needed to compare like with like.
“The ability for people to access and compare costs will make it easier for grieving families to consider their options,” Ms Thomson said.
“I urge people from all parts of the industry — from funeral providers to consumers and advocacy groups — to read the Options Paper and have their say on the way forward,” she said
Consultation closes on 7 October and the 14-page Options Paper can be accessed at this PS News link.
