Nearly half of inspected funeral homes faced fines or corrective actions for billing and contractual abuses, as fraud authorities uncovered widespread misconduct.
Funeral homes face widespread scrutiny
Nearly half of the funeral homes inspected by the Direction générale de la concurrence, de la consommation et de la répression des fraudes (DGCCRF) in 2024 and 2025 were subject to corrective and repressive measures. The inspections targeted over 550 professionals in the sector, roughly 10% of all operators, and uncovered multiple issues.Billing practices under fire
Among the issues found were the improper charging of services such as disinfection fees linked to the Covid-19 pandemic and double billing for the same service. One professional was fined 5,000 euros and required to compensate consumers for misleading practices involving transportation mileage fees.Regulatory knowledge lacking
The DGCCRF noted that some companies do not fully understand the regulations, particularly in areas like the absence of price displays for products on display. Inspections also led to the removal of abusive contract clauses, including those allowing businesses to unilaterally change essential contract terms, such as the price.Consumer capture tactics identified
More serious issues were uncovered, including practices designed to make consumers feel trapped. Some operators manipulated the quotation process to commit consumers to contracts before services were even provided, for example by giving quotes only after initial services had been performed.Rising funeral costs and enforcement actions
Funeral service prices increased by 15% between 2021 and 2025, according to Insee. In response, the DGCCRF issued 250 compliance orders to remove abusive clauses or improve consumer information, 47 administrative fines totaling nearly 130,000 euros, and nine criminal records for misleading commercial practices.
