To whom may it concern,

I am Thomas Oswald owner of Oswald Memorials selling caskets to the public. I been in the Funeral business for 35 years.

Yes - We need a funeral rule; otherwise wall street will dictate what a funeral will cost in urban areas.

Yes - We need to stop "bundling", its nothing but a penalty to the families. There should be a percentage limit (10%) on what they can charge in addition. For example Rose Hills Mortuary in Whittier, CA is up to $1,200.00 for the same services if a casket is brought in from a third party.

Yes - Cemeteries should come under the funeral rule if they sell caskets or other mortuary items.

No - To caskets stores and monuments companies. Why would you regulate a support group because for decades mortuaries has ripped off the public?

No - To casket handling fees, its just not pro consumer (no fees).

Yes - Revise the GPL to include the statement families may purchase caskets, vaults, grave markers and urns from other mortuaries or from third party sellers.

Yes - Modify the rule to require disclosure if a mortuary recommends a casket store that they own - over an legitimate independent caskets store. In CA, if a mortuary recommends a flower shop that they own, they need to disclose that they own the flower shop. Why not a casket store that they own?

Yes - The rule should go further to allow reasonable fees for the monuments and grave marker placements by the monument companies as well as vaults. This would also apply for cemeteries who are now changing huge fees to place vaults instead of letting the vault companies do that.

Yes - The funeral rule should ban "processing fees" What other industry charges a customer $75.00 to write a contract to take their money? It's going on with SCI in our area.

Yes - If you are consumer oriented, we need you to close the loop holes that mortuaries are using to gauge the public.

Thank You

Thomas Oswald

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