3. Religious groups and memorial societies. Some funeral providers enter into agreements with religious groups, burial societies, or memorial societies to arrange funerals for their members at special prices. You are free to enter into such arrangements, but you must still comply with the Rule’s requirements. You must provide price lists to representatives of these groups when they inquire about funeral arrangements on behalf of their members. In addition, if an individual group member inquires in person about funeral arrangements, you must provide the individual with your price lists. Even if a member chooses a package available only to society members, the member must have the opportunity to look at your price lists. You can either have separate price lists for qualifying members or include such prices on your regular price lists. that is not in stock and not part of your regular offerings to your customers. Except for the requirement that you make an alternative container available if you offer direct cremation, the Rule does not require you to offer any particular caskets or alternative containers. However, both caskets and alternative containers should be listed on the CPL. You should not have a separate list for alternative containers. The Rule does not require you to list the caskets or containers that you offer in any particular format or order. The Casket Price List can be in any form, including in a notebook or on a chart, as long as it contains the required information, displayed in a clear and conspicuous manner. Moreover, you do not have to include customized caskets on your CPL, or list caskets that you keep in your inventory to fill pre-existing, pre-need contracts, but which you no longer regularly offer for sale. Nor is it necessary to prepare a new price list if a casket or container is temporarily out-of- stock. You can simply tell the consumer which casket is not available when you give the consumer the CPL. Also, if a particular casket is available in a variety of interior materials and designs or exterior hardware and finishes, you can simply note that fact on the Casket Price List; you need not list each variation separately. (See also Sample 2: CPL, at the end of this course.) containing photographs of the various caskets offered for sale. In this case, you must incorporate in the book all the information required for the CPL, including the heading “Casket Price List.” If you use a manufacturer’s or supplier’s casket showroom outside of the funeral home, you must offer the CPL when the discussion of caskets begins. If you begin discussing caskets in your place of business, you must offer the Casket Price List at that time. However, if you do not begin discussing caskets until you arrive at the manufacturer’s or supplier’s showroom, you do not have to show a CPL until you arrive and the discussion begins. In addition to using a CPL as described above, you must show a Casket Price List to anyone who wishes to modify the particular casket already purchased under a pre-need contract. Example : Ms. Todd’s father entered into a pre-need contract in 1999. If Ms. Todd chooses to upgrade the casket provided under the pre-need contract or inquires about other casket offerings, you should show her a CPL.
If you prepare a separate price list, you need not make it available to anyone except the government agency or persons who qualify for the special arrangements. Some government agencies choose to contract for funeral arrangements on a package basis. You can offer funeral arrangements to anyone — including a government agency — on a package basis, as long as the funeral packages are offered in addition to, not in place of, itemized prices. When qualifying persons inquire about these package funeral arrangements, you still should provide the GPL, with itemized prices and disclosures, and comply with all other Rule requirements at this time. Note : You should check your state laws to determine whether arrangements handled as part of an agreement with a government agency can be supplemented or modified by qualifying persons. The casket price list: Information and use If you do not list the retail price of each casket on your General Price List, you must prepare a separate printed or typewritten Casket Price List (CPL). Information to be included The CPL must include the following basic information: ● The name of your business; ● The caption “Casket Price List”; ● The effective date for the Casket Price List; and ● The retail price of each casket and alternative container that does not require special ordering, with enough information to identify it. You must give enough descriptive information about each casket on the CPL to enable consumers to identify the specific casket or container and understand what they are buying. For example, the CPL could describe the exterior appearance (including the gauge of metal or type of wood), the exterior trim, and the interior fabric. You also may give any other information, such as a photograph or manufacturer name and model number. However, a photograph or model number alone is not a sufficient description under the Rule. You need list only those caskets that you usually offer for sale that do not require special ordering, as well as the alternative container(s) you offer for direct cremation. “Special ordering” means purchasing a casket or container Using the CPL You must show the Casket Price List to anyone who asks in person about the caskets or alternative containers that you offer or inquires about their prices. You must offer the CPL when you begin discussing caskets or alternative containers — but before showing these items . Consumers must be able to look at the price list before discussing their options or seeing the actual caskets. Note : Consumers should not first learn of casket prices by entering the casket showroom and reading price cards placed on individual caskets or by having the funeral director recite such information orally. You can use individual price cards, but only in addition to a Casket Price List. Unlike the General Price List, you do not have to give the consumer a Casket Price List to keep. However, you may do so if you wish. The Rule does not require that you display the caskets in any specific manner. (Note, however, that many states have regulations regarding the manner of display.) In fact, the Rule does not require that you display any caskets. Some funeral providers present their selections through a book
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Book Code: FTX1625
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