New funeral comparison website bringing transparency to the industry

In a pilot with Liverpool City Council’s bereavement services, a Havering businessman has launched FuneralExperts.com, the UK’s first compliant funeral director price comparison website for those that need the services of a funeral director after the loss of a loved one.  Looking into the primary findings of a market investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) the CEO, Jason Ghous, realised that real transparency around funeral pricing and sales practices could not be achieved without a platform which collected all the information that funeral directors would soon be required to publish and make it available freely to the public.  

FuneralExperts.com allows the bereaved the time and space to select funeral directors they want to speak with based on their budget, funeral type, preferred date, and location before making a final choice.  It allows the bereaved to adapt their choices until they can pick up the phone and have a conversation fully prepared on what they want.

The pricing data on the platform indicates, in Merseyside alone, resident savings could be anywhere between £3m and £11m per annum.  Jason contends that at this time, with the country facing economic hardship, those savings could help people struggling to pay bills or provide additional funding for small local businesses related to the funeral industry.

Jason told the Havering Daily,  “No one knows what to do when they lose a loved one unless they have been through this experience before. Though bereaved shopping behaviours are changing, the bereaved rarely look for the best price online, and the emotional stress after losing someone means many people just opt for the first funeral director they know of, find on the high street or have been recommended.  This can lead to poor price outcomes for the bereaved, who don’t understand their choices or may not be able to afford what they are buying and end up in debt or added financial strain.  The bereaved deserve better. Many listing and bereavement websites are owned or have significant investments from funeral directors or provide some form of sponsored listing which puts the bereaved and other funeral directors at a disadvantage.”

Jason is keen to point out that FuneralExperts.com provides serious benefits to funeral directors, too,

“We capture enough detail from the bereaved on the website to allow a funeral director to personalise their first contact with the bereaved.  We are also keen to point out that no funeral director is the same as the next.  One client may require a full traditional burial ceremony which might suit a generational funeral director with a long history of such funerals rather than one who specialises in more niche, such as a ’Star Wars’ themed funeral.  We aim to bring this education to the market by providing transparency and, most importantly, CHOICE to those who need help choosing a funeral director immediately. It isn’t and shouldn’t always be about price”.

Jason is also keen to point out that their journey has only just started, “We have signed an agreement to pilot FuneralExperts.com with Liverpool City Council and are flying the flag for Havering.  We have started conversations with several local authorities across the country and other national organisations dealing directly with the bereaved.  Funeral Directors are joining the platform, and other related industries are starting to contact us.  For a platform that has only been live for four months, we are making progress and exceeding our expectations.”

To find out more visit FuneralExperts.com or follow them on social media

Facebook: www.facebook.com/funeralexpert

Twitter: twitter.com/funeralexpert

Instagram: www.instagram.com/funeral.experts

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/funeralexperts/