Can you charge someone who buys a casket from a third party?

In the context of funeral services, when a family chooses to purchase a casket from a third-party supplier instead of from the funeral home, regulations often govern what kind of fees can be charged. Typically, under the Federal Trade Commission's Funeral Rule, funeral homes must provide transparency in their pricing, and they cannot charge handling fees simply because a family opts to use an outside service for a casket.

This means that if a consumer brings in a casket purchased elsewhere, the funeral home cannot impose additional charges merely for accepting that casket. They may charge for services rendered, such as the handling and preparation of the body, but cannot impose arbitrary fees simply because the casket was sourced externally. This regulatory framework is intended to protect consumers and promote fair practices in the funeral industry. Thus, the understanding is that charging additional fees beyond the service costs related to the funeral service itself is not permissible in this context.