Bereaved consumers purchasing funeral goods and services will soon experience greater price transparency as funeral directors begin to transition to new consumer focussed regulations from today.
Minister for Better Regulation Kevin Anderson said the new regulation, which supports the Fair Trading Act 1987, will provide greater price clarity for consumers at a time that is often considered one of the most difficult, and allows them to compare like-for-like services across the funeral industry.
“Planning a funeral is an emotional and stressful time. During the consultation, customers told us that they want to be able to make informed decisions quickly and as accurately as possible by having greater price transparency online where they can consider their options in private,” Mr Anderson said.
“Under the new regulations, when planning a funeral for a loved one, you can spend less time worrying about the fees and charges, and more time working with your chosen funeral director to create a service that allows family and friends to feel supported in their grief.”
The new regulation includes an expanded funeral goods and services information standard which will enable consumers to easily compare prices for like products and services. A price list must disclose whether mortuary or crematorium services are managed by an external supplier.
Clearer requirements will ensure people have access to clear and concise pricing information for all goods and services offered by every funeral director.
The information standard applies to all businesses and individuals who are carrying out the services of a funeral director.
The new information standard will commence on 1 February 2020 to allow businesses the opportunity to transition over to the new requirements.
