Funeral directors: Nearly one in two companies sanctioned for abuse or failures
Nearly half of the funeral homes controlled in 2024 and 2025 by fraud repression were subject to corrective and repressive measures
A survey of more than 550 professionals in the funeral sector (i.e. around 10% of operators), by the Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Repression (DGCCRF), reveals that almost half of the funeral homes controlled in 2024 and 2025 “were the subject of corrective and repressive measures” through the repression of fraud. Non-compliant funeral quotes, unfair clauses, misleading commercial practices… The investigation highlighted “numerous breaches”, including “undue invoicing of certain services such as disinfection costs linked to Covid-19 or double invoicing of the same service”. Worse still, “A professional was also sanctioned with a fine of 5.
000 euros and had to compensate consumers for deceptive commercial practices which consisted of overcharging transport mileage costs,” also indicated the DGCCRF. The prices of services have increased by 15% since 2021. The organization also notes that certain companies “do not master the regulations”, particularly “missing price displays for certain products on display”. In addition, controls have led to the removal of unfair clauses among certain professionals, such as that authorizing them to unilaterally modify the essential characteristics of a contract, including the price.
“More serious breaches, aimed at making the consumer captive, have been noted,” continues the organization. “Controls show that certain operators divert the quote submission process to contractually bind the consumer, for example by delivering a quote after the first services have been carried out,” he specifies. These controls took place while the prices of funeral services increased by 15% between 2021 and 2025, according to INSEE.
In total, the DGCCRF issued 250 compliance injunctions aimed at removing unfair clauses or improving consumer information, 47 administrative fines for a cumulative amount of nearly 130,000 euros and issued nine criminal reports for misleading commercial practices.
Machine-translated from French
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