MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A federal agency uncovered funeral home violations in a nationwide investigation.
For many, the time period when burying a loved one can be one of the most heartbreaking moments for a family.
Randy Hutchinson with the Better Business Bureau of the Mid-South said the Federal Trade Commission in 2023 placed undercover calls to 250 funeral homes across the country to inquire about funeral costs. He said the FTC found out more than 15 percent of those facilities violated funeral rules.
"Some of them just refused to answer question about pricing at all or provided inconsistent pricing. That was 38 out of the 39 cases in which there were some sort of violation," Hutchinson said.
Preparing for the final resting stop for any family member, friend or loved one can be a traumatic situation for anyone.
Cveyln Hicks recently buried her brother Calvin Hicks. Memphis Police said earlier this month he was shot and killed in Orange Mound while trying to help someone change a tire. Cvelyn told ABC24 they weren't prepared to pay for the funeral costs.
"Of course, we didn't have those monies up front so I had to max out all of my credit cards," Cvelyn said.
Cvelyn said her brother Calvin left behind eight daughters and their family had to pay $17,000 in funeral costs. She said there were some costs she didn't know about until they began making arrangements.
"We buried him on a Sunday, it costs extra to bury him on a Sunday, I mean it's just a slew of things," she said.
Hutchinson said funeral homes can't misrepresent state or local laws or make other deceptive statements.
"If you call, ask the funeral home what type of services do you offer, how much does the service cost, what's included, will there be other costs like for transportation, death certificates or obituaries," he said.
The FTC said consumers do have rights when going through the process of making funeral arrangements. They suggest buying only the funeral arrangements you want, get a written itemized price list when visiting funeral home, and receive a written statement after deciding the services you want before paying.
ABC24 reached out to more than a dozen Memphis area funeral homes for a comment. One funeral home representative who did not want to go on camera said the cost of those violations range between $25,000 to more than $50,000.