“They are there to make money at the expense of families”: the funeral sector in the sights of the Repression of fraud

The funeral home sector is in the crosshairs of the Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF). According to an administration report, almost half of the companies inspected in 2024 and 2025 had anomalies. Professionals in the sector denounce overbilling which can increase the cost of bereaved families.

Also read "It's celebrating life rather than death": why funerals are increasingly punctuated by music These abusive practices are denounced by several embalmers, including Christophe, who has worked for several large groups of funeral directors in the Toulon region for 37 years. According to him, "they are there to make money at the expense of families." As a subcontractor, he charges for his mortuary toilet services and is therefore well aware of the mechanisms that allow certain companies to make more money.

“Large companies will charge families between 500 and 600 euros per week, and I will charge them 200 euros. So, families would lose 400 euros of margin,” explains Christophe. He also denounces overcharged services and sometimes totally abusive fees.

“I was asked to intervene on mutilated bodies by asking me to dress them.” Despite his refusal, Christophe claims to have been obliged to do so. “They told me: 'You're going to charge for a toilet', and they charged the family 300 euros.

"It is these commercial practices that the Fraud Repression has tracked in recent years. Nearly 500 companies have been inspected, giving rise to 47 fines for a total amount of 130,000 euros. "Families are extremely manipulable" According to the associations, these companies sometimes take advantage of the distress of their customers.

“Families are destabilized, uninformed of their rights and extremely manipulable,” explains Michel Kawnik, president of the French funeral information association. Every day, he advises families free of charge and helps them dissect funeral directors' quotes. His advice: take the time to compare offers before choosing a company.

"You should never act urgently. There are up to fourteen calendar days following the death for there to be a burial or cremation. We always recommend having two, three or four quotes from different companies.

“Funeral prices can vary from one company to another, but they have increased by 15% in four years, according to INSEE figures.

Machine-translated from French