The Cemetery Consumer Service Council (CCSC) has announced the results of its Activity Survey Report for the year 1998. A total of 77 complaints and inquiries were processed during the year. Of that number, 67 were resolved. Seven complaints and inquiries were pending at the beginning of the year while 10 remained at year's end. These figures are based on the responses provided by 22 of the 38 state CCSC committees. Unlike past years where the tally included totals reported by a few state regulatory boards to which CCSC referred inquiries and complaints, this year's responses were received entirely from the volunteers at state cemetery trade associations.
Among the various types of complaints and inquiries received, the largest number, 42, dealt with improper cemetery maintenance; seven dealt with deceptive or questionable sales practices, two with truth-in-lending matters and other contractual issues, 15 with cemetery rules and regulations, and another nine with a variety of other issues including simple inquiries into cemetery practices.
The Cemetery Consumer Service Council is now in its 20th year of operation and continues to improve its effectiveness to assist consumers. An increasing number of calls originate as referrals from the Better Business Bureau and similar organizations. The CCSC also contacts members of Congress to advise them of the assistance and information that the Council can offer their constituents.
CCSC is a non-profit organization created in 1979 by the American Cemetery Association (now the International Cemetery and Funeral Association), the Cremation Association of North America, the Central States Cemetery Association and the Southern Cemetery Association. The sole purpose of CCSC is to assist consumers, without charge, in resolving complaints or answering inquiries regarding cemetery services or policies. Participation in the complaint resolution process is voluntary for both the consumer and the cemetery.
Industry members volunteer their time and experience to serve as CCSC representatives in their respective states. The Federal Trade Commission, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, various state consumer protection agencies and offices of attorneys general are periodically notified of CCSC activities and are among the major sources for consumer referrals. CCSC is listed in the Consumer's Resource Handbook, a U.S. government publication that is circulated to public libraries and consumer assistance agencies throughout the nation.
Complaints are handled by the state committees, with the national CCSC office in the Washington, D.C., area being the overall coordinator of the project and the central contact point. Complaints received by the national office are logged in and each is given a file number for tracking purposes. A copy of the complaint is then forwarded to the appropriate state representative for investigation and action. At that point, many complaints are resolved by telephone and the consumer is promptly notified of the results. It is rare for a cemetery to refuse to participate in the CCSC dispute resolution process. Where no state committee exists, CCSC works with the cemetery board or similar government agency to assist the consumer.
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