Burying a loved one can be one of the most emotionally and financially stressful experiences a family faces. A viewer who contacted 21 News revealed just how overwhelming it can get.

A grieving mother said she felt misled after calling a local funeral home seeking cremation services for her deceased daughter. She was quoted one price over the phone, but when the final bill arrived, she was shocked by what she believed were unexpected add-on fees.

This information led to a 21 News Consumer Watchdog investigation that explored what consumers should know and ask when planning a funeral, as well as the push for more transparency.

Funeral Consumers Alliance of Central Ohio (FCACO) is a non-profit consumer advocacy group on the front lines of educating the public and holding the funeral industry accountable. They say the lack of transparency is part of a bigger issue.

"The funeral industry like many industries in capitalist [United States] ... profit, is the only thing they're interested in. Now, it's not every funeral home and it's not every funeral director." Cathy Elkins, membership secretary of FCACO said. 

Members of the FCA said they are pushing for greater transparency from funeral homes. They believe price confusion could potentially be avoided if a general price list was available online. 

Although we live in a digital age, it is uncommon for funeral homes to provide a general price list on their websites. This is due to the fact that the Federal Trade Commission has not required it as a regulation.

"There is no mandate at this time to do so. There has been some discussion amongst the industry, there are some in favor of it, there are some that are not." Jarrod Williams, executive director of the Ohio Board Embalmers and Funeral Director said. 

Consumer advocates believe some funeral providers may be against online pricing because they fear increased competition and prefer sticking with traditional business practices like meeting in person. 

A 21 News review of more than 40 funeral home websites in our viewing area showed seven funeral homes had price information posted.

For the past two years, the Funeral Consumers Alliance has been lobbying for change.

"We have been advocating with the Federal Trade Commission that they mandate that if a funeral home has a website they have their pricelist in a readable fashion so people can understand it." Elkins said. 

Funeral service providers must provide accurate pricing information from their general price list to consumers who inquire by phone, according to the FTC's Funeral Rule.

When you call a funeral home, you can request prices over the phone. However, consumer advocates suggest that you should not expect a complete breakdown of costs unless you specifically ask for it. Visiting in person may help, but questions often remain.

"The Federal Trade Commission has mandated that people can pick and choose what they want. Sometimes funeral homes will group their services. Well you can decide, 'Oh I don't want that.'" Elkins said. 

When reviewing a general price list at a funeral home, the FTC requires the lists to disclose:

- You can select only the services you want.

- Embalming is not required by law but may be r

- You can use an alternative container for cremation.

- You must be given a price list for caskets and burial containers.

- The basic services fee includes overhead.

"Any consumer [can] submit a complaint to the board when they suspect there has been a violation." Williams told 21 News reporter Leslie Huff. 

In 2022 the FTC voted in favor of modifying the Funeral Rule to include online price disclosures. Until a final decision is made, grieving families will have to continue navigating through unclear details.