When grief clouds judgment, some funeral homes see dollar signs. Funeral homes are hitting Georgia families with emotional upsells, vague contracts, and overpriced packages they never wanted—all while navigating the loss of a loved one.
💰 Why It Matters: The average funeral now costs between $8,300 and $9,995 for burial and $6,280 for cremation—before any “extras” that funeral homes sell as “essentials” when you are too devastated to argue.
🚩 The Warning Signs: Anthony Martin, founder of Choice Mutual, says predatory funeral homes deploy several tactics:
- Bundling unnecessary services into seemingly “convenient” packages
- Using guilt-laden phrases like “Wouldn’t your loved one want the best?”
- Implying certain expenses (like embalming or fancy caskets) are legally required when they’re not
- They may refuse to provide clear, itemized pricing until you’ve already invested emotionally.
📋 Know Your Rights: The FTC’s “Funeral Rule” guarantees you can:
- Demand an itemized price list before discussing arrangements
- Refuse package deals with unwanted services
- Buy caskets or urns from third parties without penalty
- Receive written cost breakdowns before payment
Yet a 2022 study found only 18% of funeral homes post full prices online—making comparison shopping nearly impossible when you’re grieving.
🛡️ Protecting Your Wallet: Martin recommends:
- Shop around and demand prices upfront (they must provide them)
- Never reveal your maximum budget
- Skip embalming unless absolutely necessary (it’s rarely required by law)
- Buy caskets elsewhere—funeral homes can’t charge extra for using them
- Get everything in writing before paying a cent
- Take your time—you usually have at least two days to make decisions
Sources: National Funeral Directors Association, Funeral Consumers Alliance, Consumer Federation of America, Choice Mutual, Federal Trade Commission.
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Before You Dismiss This Article…
We live in a time when information feels overwhelming, but here’s what hasn’t changed: facts exist whether they comfort us or not.
When A&W launched their third-pound burger to compete with McDonald’s Quarter Pounder in the 1980s, it failed spectacularly. Not because it tasted worse, but because customers thought 1/3 was smaller than 1/4. If basic math can trip us up, imagine how easily we can misread complex news.
The press isn’t against you when it reports something you don’t want to hear. Reporters are thermometers, not the fever itself. They’re telling you what verified sources are saying, not taking sides. Good reporting should challenge you — that’s literally the job.
Next time a story makes you angry, pause. Ask yourself: What evidence backs this up? Am I reacting with my brain or my gut? What would actually change my mind? And most importantly, am I assuming bias just because the story doesn’t match what I hoped to hear.
Smart readers choose verified information over their own comfort zone.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
