08 May 2021
Which? Money press release jumps ahead of the CMA
It’s unusual for an influential organisation like Which? to publish something so inaccurate and alarmist.
Funeral directors aren’t making costs clear enough – Which? News
While the NAFD wholeheartedly agrees with the CMA over the importance of ALL funeral firms putting clear and transparent pricing information online, the CMA has yet to finalise what it wants funeral firms to publish in terms of their pricing,
it certainly hasn’t ‘put them on notice’ or instructed them to do anything yet – a fact that we had to point out to Which?, leading them to recall their original press release.
To berate a minority of funeral homes – most of which are small businesses with very few staff and all of which have been working 24/7 as critical responders, in a pandemic – for not jumping blindly ahead of a future regulator, smacks of headline-grabbing tactics rather than a desire to cover the subject in a balanced and informative way that doesn’t unnecessarily alarm the public. It’s also important to remember that websites are not the only places where prices are provided. All NAFD members must already provide comprehensive price lists and estimates to clients, to help them arrive at an informed decision.
Perhaps if Which? surveys funeral firms again in September, when the CMA’s remedies (instructions) are expected to come into force, it will be more reassured by the levels of compliance it finds?
That is certainly what we plan to do, as it will become a compulsory part of our code of practice at the same time.