Beijing funeral homes face big penalties

Two funeral homes in Beijing were fined about 1 million yuan($146,700) each for illegal pricing behaviors on Monday.

According to the official website of Beijing market supervision bureau, Tianyuan funeral services center violated Beijing regulation in body facelift fee by charging over the prescribed price 150 yuan.

In body transportation, it arbitrarily set three price levels based on car brand, rather than the distance-based charging standard, and does not publicize the charging items and standards at the business site.

The other funeral home, Changjiu Funeral Services, was also fined for illegally raising its body transport fee to 1,500 yuan and non-publication of charges and standards.

Additionally, it illegally raised its farewell room rent from 300 yuan to 2,300 yuan, the authorities said.

Beijing Daily said this is not the first time for Tianyuan to face a penalty. When it undertook funeral services at China-Japan Friendship Hospital and at Civil Aviation General Hospital, the funeral services center raised its farewell room rent from the government's preferential price of 200 yuan to 1,900 yuan. It did not publish a price for body bills, body bags, undressing and labor.

In August, the company was fined around 500,000 yuan by Chaoyang district's market supervision bureau for a serious price offense.

Wang Songsong contributed to this story.