Consumer Protection

How can I make sure my funeral arrangements are carried out according to my wishes?

Pre-arranging a funeral is one of the more thoughtful decisions an individual can make for his or her survivors. It ensures that your funeral preferences and desires will be respected upon your death.

To make informed choices, you should know what you want; how much you can afford to pay; what guarantees are provided on merchandise and services; what happens if you move and want to change funeral homes; the tax consequence of the funding arrangements, if any; and if you are protected against inflation.

Your selections and preferences will determine the cost. You may elect to pre-fund the cost through insurance or a special burial fund. Most funeral directors offer inflation-proof funding vehicles that allow you to arrange exactly the kind of service you desire, at today’s prices, and be assured of adequate funds at the time of need.

For additional information visit our Advanced Planning section.

What should I do if a death occurs out of town?

Regardless of the day, time or place of death it is important to contact Parise Funeral Home, Shifler-Parise Funeral Home or Wade Funeral Home first. With only one phone call, we can provide you with our services anywhere in the world. You can rely on us to handle all of the details to transport your loved one home. We have contacts in nearly every city in the United States and throughout the world. Failure to call us first may result in duplication of services and excess cost.

How do I shop around for the best value and services?

Most funeral directors encourage the public to visit their funeral homes. Getting to know the person you will be dealing with at a very stressful time is very important and ideally should happen before the death of a loved one occurs.

After meeting with several funeral directors, you will most likely find one with whom you are comfortable - a person you experience to be patient and understanding, a good listener, an open-minded person you believe and trust, one who offers you choices consistent with your personal needs.

How are funeral directors regulated?

The Pennsylvania State Board of Funeral Directors is responsible for the regulation of all funeral directing activities in the state. The FTC also regulates funeral services. When areas of misunderstanding occur, the consumer should discuss problems with the funeral director first. If the dispute cannot be resolved, the consumer may wish to contact the Funeral Service Help Line which is maintained by the National Funeral Directors Association.

This help line provides information, mediates disputes, provides arbitration, and maintains a consumer guarantee fund for reimbursement of services rendered. (To contact the help line, call 800-228-6332)

What about casket stores and internet funeral products?

Is it better to purchase merchandise through a retail funeral product store, a cemetery, the Internet, or a funeral director?

Consumers can opt to purchase funeral merchandise through retail outlets, cemeteries, and even the Internet. Over exaggerated claims about the savings one can achieve are prevalent, especially on the Internet.

A consumer should always get price quotes and make informed comparisons before purchasing any merchandise. Cemeteries and funeral retail outlets often maintain inferior quality products marked up higher than a funeral home simply because they need to recoup their operating costs from just the sale of those products.

Before purchasing from a third party provider, always get a written quote describing in detail the merchandise, materials, and warranties included. The terms and conditions of delivery should be included. Compare these prices and items to that of your local funeral director.

Please feel free to contact us at no obligation for our advice and a comparison of merchandise and price before you make such purchases.