How to File a Complaint Against a Funeral Home in New Brunswick

Most people who feel overcharged or misled by a funeral home in New Brunswick do nothing. They are grieving, exhausted, and assume there is no point fighting a company that already has their money. That assumption is wrong. New Brunswick has two distinct regulatory bodies with authority over funeral homes, and filing a formal complaint with either one can result in refunds, sanctions, and — at minimum — a documented record that protects other families.

Knowing which body handles which type of complaint is the first step to using the system effectively.

Two Regulators, Two Different Roles

The Financial and Consumer Services Commission (FCNB) regulates consumer transactions involving funeral homes — specifically, prepaid funeral contracts governed by the Pre-arranged Funeral Services Act. The FCNB handles complaints about:

• Cancellation fees that exceed the legal maximum of $250
• Failure to deposit prepaid funds into a trust account within 10 working days
• Failure to provide written proof of trust deposit within 15 working days
• Refusal to cancel a prepaid contract or return funds
• Misleading contract terms or non-compliant Form 2 contracts
• Failure to provide itemized pricing as required by law

The New Brunswick Board of Registration of Embalmers, Funeral Directors and Funeral Providers handles complaints about professional conduct and licensing standards — meaning the conduct of individual funeral directors and the practice standards of the funeral home itself. This body handles complaints about:

• Unprofessional conduct or misrepresentation during arrangements
• Violations of professional practice standards under the Embalmers, Funeral Directors and Funeral Providers Act
• Licensed funeral directors making false claims about legal requirements (such as falsely stating embalming is mandatory)
• Improper handling of remains

Some complaints may be appropriate to file with both bodies simultaneously, particularly in cases involving both contract violations and professional misconduct.

What New Brunswick Funeral Homes Are Required to Do

Before getting into the complaint process, it helps to know what the law actually requires of funeral homes — because that is the standard against which a complaint is measured.

Under the Embalmers, Funeral Directors and Funeral Providers Act and related regulations, a licensed New Brunswick funeral home must:

• Maintain a current price list for all goods and services for sale
• Display that price list in a conspicuous location on the premises
• Provide clear, itemized descriptions of what is and is not included in any package
• Not falsely represent legal requirements to sell services

Under the Pre-arranged Funeral Services Act, they must also:

• Use Form 2 for all prepaid contracts
• Deposit prepaid funds in trust within 10 working days
• Provide trust deposit proof within 15 working days
• Limit cancellation penalties to no more than $250

If a funeral home fails on any of these fronts, you have grounds for a formal complaint.

What the FTC Funeral Rule Does Not Cover

Many New Brunswick residents search for their rights under the FTC Funeral Rule, which is a U.S. federal regulation that gives American consumers the right to an itemized price list, the right to buy goods and services separately, and other specific protections. The Federal Trade Commission has zero jurisdiction in Canada. The FTC Funeral Rule does not apply in New Brunswick.

However, New Brunswick has equivalent statutory protections — they are just less well known and not as aggressively publicized. The price list requirement under provincial law is functionally equivalent to the FTC's general price list (GPL) requirement. You do not have FTC rights here, but you do have rights under provincial legislation that are enforceable by the FCNB and the Board of Registration.

How to File a Complaint with the FCNB

The Financial and Consumer Services Commission accepts complaints online and by phone. Before you contact them, gather the following:

• Your full name and contact information
• The name and address of the funeral home
• The specific service or contract at issue
• A written timeline of events: when you signed the contract, what was agreed, what the funeral home did or charged, and when you raised the issue with them
• Copies of any contracts, invoices, correspondence, and receipts
• Any written communications with the funeral home about the dispute

File the complaint through the FCNB's official website (fcnb.ca) under the consumer complaints section, or contact them by phone to initiate a formal file. The FCNB has investigative authority — they can compel the funeral home to produce records and can impose penalties for violations.

The FCNB complaint process is free to use. You do not need a lawyer.

How to File a Complaint with the Board of Registration

Complaints about a funeral director's professional conduct go to the New Brunswick Board of Registration of Embalmers, Funeral Directors and Funeral Providers. This body can investigate and discipline individual licensees — up to and including revoking a funeral director's license.

Contact the Board directly to obtain the complaint form. The complaint should document the specific conduct you found objectionable, name the individual funeral director involved if known, and include any documentation supporting your account.

What to Do Before Filing a Formal Complaint

A direct complaint to the funeral home's management or owner is worth attempting first — not because you are required to, but because it can sometimes resolve a dispute faster than a regulatory investigation. Put your complaint in writing (email is fine) and state clearly what you are disputing, what resolution you are seeking, and that you will escalate to the FCNB and Board of Registration if the issue is not resolved.

Keep a copy of every communication. If the funeral home refuses to engage or provides an unsatisfactory response, you have a documented record showing you attempted to resolve it first — which strengthens your formal complaint.

Common Scenarios That Warrant a Complaint

Cancellation fee above $250: If you cancelled a prepaid contract after the 7-day window and were charged more than $250, that is a clear statutory violation. The FCNB is the right authority.

No proof of trust deposit: If you or the original purchaser paid for a prepaid plan and no trust deposit confirmation was ever provided, file with the FCNB.

Verbal claim that embalming is legally required: If a funeral director told you embalming was required by provincial law when it was not, that is misrepresentation. File with the Board of Registration and document what was said.

Itemized price list refused: If you asked for an itemized price list and the funeral home refused to provide one or displayed nothing on-site, that is a licensing violation under the Embalmers, Funeral Directors and Funeral Providers Act.

Invoice charges for services not authorized: If the final invoice includes services you did not request and did not agree to, dispute it in writing with the funeral home first, then escalate to the FCNB if unresolved.

For a complete walkthrough of consumer rights under New Brunswick funeral law — including the exact statutory protections you can cite when disputing charges, and step-by-step guidance on the FCNB complaint process — see the New Brunswick Funeral Laws & Consumer Rights Guide.

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