SINGAPORE: Funeral service providers are encouraged to provide greater price transparency for their products, Singapore’s competition watchdog said on Friday (Nov 17).
Among the best practices include highlighting to consumers that package prices could be subject to change if additional items are procured, added the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS).
Those who seek out these services “do not generally have a good sense of how much funeral products cost”, according to findings from a market study conducted by CCCS with the support of the National Environment Agency (NEA).
“This is because consumers are unlikely to be familiar with the associated costs of arranging a funeral, given its nature and the fact that price information is not readily available,” said the study, adding that funeral packages can vary significantly in price depending on what they cover.
More than a quarter of respondents in the market study expected a funeral arrangement that includes a wake to cost less than S$1,000 (US$750). However, very few respondents – about 1 per cent – who had experience planning a funeral actually paid less than this amount.
Those polled for the survey reported spending various amounts for at-need funeral arrangements in the three years from 2018 to 2020. This ranged considerably from S$1,000 to more than S$9,000, with the median respondent paying between S$5,000 and S$8,999.
Consumers may also not know the final price at the time of engaging these services as clients are typically given the option to purchase add-ons, or to refuse or cancel certain items during the course of the funeral.
The funeral service industry can make this process clearer by being more transparent about the items included in a package, said CCCS.
Businesses can also provide consumers with a reference list of optional items not included in the package and their corresponding prices.
The study showed that arranging a funeral is “highly customisable” and may involve various add-ons, ranging from the option to embalm the deceased’s body, to the type of casket and desired religious rites. The location and duration of the wake as well as related amenities and catering are factors as well.
The commission said funeral service providers are also encouraged to issue consumers with a written copy of terms and conditions, and to provide an invoice with sufficient details about the items provided when collecting payment.