Which of the following best defines a deceptive pricing practice under the Rule?

• A. Advertising only a discount
• B. Providing a price range
• C. Excluding taxes
• D. Misleading price representations, hidden charges, or stating a price without including required items.

Answer: (D)

Deceptive pricing means any price claim that misleads consumers about what they will actually pay. Under the Rule, the focus is on statements or representations about price that are false or that hide costs, or on presenting a price without including items that must be part of the total cost. In funeral service practice, this translates to avoiding quotes that look lower but secretly add taxes, mandatory service charges, or other required items after the fact, or presenting a price that omits items the consumer would reasonably expect to be included. The option that describes misrepresenting the price, revealing hidden charges, or stating a price without including required items captures the essence of deceptive pricing: it addresses both misleading representations and the failure to disclose all components of the total price. Other practices like advertising a discount, giving a price range, or excluding taxes are not automatically deceptive if they are accurate, clear, and include all required terms and disclosures.