The FTC Funeral Rule is a federal law, in force since 1984, that gives every consumer buying funeral services specific legal rights. These rights apply to every funeral home in the United States — not just Vargas-London. This page explains exactly what you are entitled to and what a funeral home cannot do.
Your 10 rights under the Funeral Rule
1. The right to an itemized price list
You may ask any funeral home for a printed General Price List (GPL) showing every item and service with its price. The funeral home must provide it at no charge, whether you are shopping by phone, in person, or for a current need. Vargas-London's GPL is also published online at our pricing page.
2. The right to choose only the services you want
A funeral home cannot require you to purchase a package. You can pick and pay only for the individual items you want, with limited exceptions (the funeral home may charge a basic services fee that is non-declinable).
3. The right to use your own casket — without a fee
The Casket Rule prohibits any funeral home from refusing, or charging an extra fee to handle, a casket you buy elsewhere — from Costco, Walmart, Amazon, a woodworker, or a family heirloom. Vargas-London honors this without exception. Same applies to urns.
4. The right to know whether embalming is required
Texas law does not require embalming. A funeral home may require it for certain services (like a public viewing with an open casket), but must tell you that embalming is not required by state law.
5. The right to use an alternative container for cremation
You do not need a casket for cremation. Texas law requires only a rigid, combustible container. Funeral homes must offer an affordable alternative container — at Vargas-London, about $95.
6. The right to receive prices over the phone
A funeral home must give you specific prices over the phone when asked — they cannot require you to come in to discuss cost.
7. The right to refuse unwanted services
A funeral home cannot force you to buy unrelated goods or services as a condition of buying the one you want.
What a funeral home cannot do
- Charge a "handling fee" for a consumer-provided casket or urn
- Misrepresent legal requirements (e.g., claiming embalming is required by state law when it isn't)
- Claim a particular casket or vault has "protective" properties that preserve the body — no casket or vault does this, and the FTC prohibits such claims
- Refuse to release remains to a family that has paid for basic services
- Push the most expensive options without offering lower-cost alternatives
Red flags to watch for
- Package-only pricing. If a funeral home will only sell packages and won't itemize, they are violating the Funeral Rule.
- Refusing to email or publish the GPL. Published online pricing is not legally required, but refusal to provide the GPL is a violation.
- "Protection" sales language. Gasketed caskets do not preserve a body. The Funeral Rule prohibits marketing them as "sealer" caskets that stop decomposition.
- Surcharges on third-party caskets. Any fee beyond the published basic services fee is a violation.
- Verbal-only quotes. If they won't put a price in writing, walk away.
How to file a complaint
If a funeral home violates the Funeral Rule, you have two paths:
- Federal Trade Commission — reportfraud.ftc.gov. The FTC investigates Funeral Rule violations and can levy penalties up to $51,744 per violation.
- Texas Funeral Service Commission — tfsc.texas.gov/complaints. TFSC regulates Texas funeral-home licenses and handles state-level complaints.
Vargas-London honors every provision of the Funeral Rule, every time. If you ever feel we have fallen short, tell us first — we will make it right — and you can also file with the TFSC or FTC. We would rather fix a mistake than hide from it.