CHOICE Campaigner Amy Pereira – Images: https://shwca.se/Shonkys2020
InvoCare has been given a CHOICE Shonky award for doing the "bare minimum" in response to laws that require them to display itemised prices for their funeral services.
After the NSW government introduced laws that required funeral companies to disclose their price lists, InvoCare (the parent company behind White Lady Funerals and Simplicity Funerals) quietly implemented the changes required by NSW, but ignored the rest of the country.
"InvoCare is profiting from keeping grieving families in the dark," says CHOICE Campaigner Amy Pereira.
"NSW made funeral companies display their prices upfront so families wouldn't be taken advantage of. Companies like InvoCare have done the bare minimum, leaving grieving families in the rest of Australia behind. InvoCare needs to be upfront with all Australians and provide itemised costs," says Pereira.
"Providing your customers with itemised prices online is a bare-minimum expectation that the funeral industry fails to meet. Without these prices online, families who have lost a loved one can't easily compare their options during a difficult and time-sensitive period."
CHOICE has provided state and territory governments with its proposal to improve funeral industry practices.
"CHOICE is calling on all state and territory consumer affairs ministers to make transparent funeral pricing the norm. InvoCare should step up and implement itemised prices across the country now," says Pereira.
Amy Pereira is available for interview.
The other Shonkys for 2020 are:
Greentech air purifiers – for pathetic purification
Harvey Norman – for a toxic partnership with Latitude Finance
Floor cleaners – for being flawed cleaners
Revitalife – for a sales scheme that needs to be put to bed
Main media release and more Shonkys information available at: https://shwca.se/Shonkys2020
Media contact: 0430 172 669, media@choice.com.au
Due to COVID-19 protocols, the Shonkys event is available as a pre-record. Extra filming can be arranged on release day in Sydney (Tuesday November 10), but capacity will be limited.
CHOICE CEO Alan Kirkland and CHOICE Editor Marg Rafferty are available for interview. Other media releases, photos, videos and graphics are available for media use here: https://shwca.se/Shonkys2020
Editor's notes:
CHOICE first uncovered tricky pricing behaviour from InvoCare after discovering a late fee masquerading as an "administration fee". Following public pressure, the company backed down on the fee.
