If Mr. Smith, a competitor, requests a General Price List, what is the funeral home's obligation?

In this scenario, the funeral home is not obligated to fulfill a request for a General Price List from a competitor like Mr. Smith. The regulations surrounding the provision of the General Price List primarily protect consumers and do not extend the same obligation to competitor requests. Funeral homes are required to provide a General Price List to consumers as part of the Federal Trade Commission’s Funeral Rule to ensure transparency and fair competition in pricing and service offerings. However, this requirement does not apply when the request comes from another business rather than a potential customer.

Furthermore, this means that funeral homes have discretion in how they handle requests from competitors. While it could be beneficial to provide such information to foster professional relationships, there is no regulatory requirement compelling them to do so. This acknowledgment gives funeral homes the flexibility to decide on a case-by-case basis whether or not to share their pricing information, based on their competitive strategy, relationships in the industry, and their business interests.