After an undercover federal investigation, a New York funeral home has agreed to pay a $32,000 fine to settle charges it violated federal consumer protection laws.
Funeral homes are required to provide consumers with accurate, itemized price information about services at the outset of making funeral arrangements, according to the Federal Trade Commission.
Harrison Funeral Home and its owner, John Balsamo, were accused of violating that law after FTC inspectors posed as consumers seeking to make arrangements and the funeral home failed to provide price lists.
The FTC "funeral rule" gives consumers numerous rights when dealing with funeral homes, including getting prices over the phone, getting casket prices before you actually see them, and making funeral arrangements without having to pay for embalming.
