Under the FTC Funeral Rule, embalming a body for a fee is considered unfair or deceptive unless which condition is met?

• A. The final place of disposition is in another jurisdiction
• B. The funeral provider has received prior approval from a family member
• C. Embalming is customary under similar circumstances
• D. The funeral director is reasonably certain the disposition will be delayed for more than 72 hours

Answer: (B)

EmbALming a body for a fee is treated as potentially unfair or deceptive unless the funeral provider has explicit consent from a family member before performing the service. The FTC Funeral Rule protects consumers by ensuring they’re informed about services and fees and that any optional service they pay for—like embalming—has been authorized by the person responsible for arranging the funeral. This requirement helps prevent situations where a funeral home charges for embalming without the family realizing or agreeing to it.

In practice, obtaining prior approval means the family member has agreed to the embalming process, typically after being informed of options and costs. If that approval isn’t obtained, charging for embalming could be considered deceptive. The other scenarios don’t address the essential safeguard of consumer authorization: whether the family has agreed to the service and its price.