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Crematoriums Are Still The Best Deal: Don't Let The Death Care Industry Take Advantage Of You!
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Bad Guys At The Crematorium
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Could Hospice Workers Be Getting Kickbacks?
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Get Smart, Get Informed and Get Prepared For The Inevitable
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Don't Let The Funeral Homes Take Advantage Of You!
Air Date: February 28, 2002
The tragic mess that surfaced at the crematorium in Georgia a few weeks ago has focused new (and unwanted) attention on the funeral industry. Yes, what happened in Georgia is exceptional and (fortunately) rare. But it also spotlights an industry that angers me to my innermost core because of how many in this industry manipulate vulnerable consumers.
One of my closest friends lost his mother recently (she died at home after a long illness); he frantically called me soon after he discovered her death because of pressure from hospice workers that had been caring for his Mom.
“They’re all over me, pushing me to call [Name Withheld] funeral home to pick up the body.”
“Relax!” I told him: “You don’t think they could they have an ulterior motive to promote [Name Withheld] funeral home to pick her up, do you???”
I put him in touch with a local provider of discount funeral services and 45 minutes later, his dearly-departed mother was taken away with dignity...and at a reasonable price. The ulterior motive I’m referring to? Finder’s [also known as “Birddog fees”] Fees paid by funeral homes for directing a grieving consumer to their business.
It’s no secret to anyone that’s ever dealt with the Death Care industry that it’s a big business. The fact that many funeral home sales representatives take advantage of consumers that may not be thinking clearly has disturbed me ever since I first covered this subject for
Leeza Gibbons’ NBC morning show back in 1996. Ridiculous mark-ups on essentials such as caskets, headstones, grave markers, etc. is just the tip of the iceberg....with thousands of documented cases around the country of unnecessary services being sold to unwitting consumers. Decades of misconceptions about what’s really needed to bury loved ones only exacerbates this problem and sets consumers up for a financial whipping when they can least afford it.
My friend that that I told you about was tickled by the deal he ended up getting: The company I directed him to picked up Mom, cremated her and included the urn for $950. I warned him that the cemetery (where she was to join her husband that passed away in 1989) may give him a hard time because he didn’t use their services, and I was right. Not only did they get an “attitude” when they figured out what he’d done, they were extremely uncooperative when he tried to book a chapel for the memorial service. It didn’t matter once they finally gave him a price: The $750 fee for booking their chapel for an hour sealed the deal; he ended up doing the memorial service at her church and donated a few hundred dollars to them for providing this service in her name.
Sooner or later, all of us are going to have to deal with end of life issues.
It’s so important that you understand what your rights are ahead of time, when you’re not emotionally stressed out. Educating yourself about your options and rights is crucial; I’m a huge fan of Funeral Consumers Alliance of North Texas [FCANT], formerly known as the Memorial Society of North Texas. This non-profit organization has been helping members make simple, dignified and economical death arrangements since 1965. Whether it's a traditional funeral, a minimum cost disposition or something in between, FCANT has a wealth of resources to assist consumers when making these personal choices.
Here’s the deal of the century: A family membership to FCANT for $35; the one-time membership fee gets you their current database of posted prices [as required under federal law] charged by funeral homes for services, but perhaps even more valuable is the counsel and documents they provide their members. Durable Power of Attorney forms, binding Physician Directives, inside scoop on pre-paying for funerals, how to form a Totten Trust (special bank accounts designed to pay funeral expenses immediately upon death) and more. Contact them toll-free: (800) 371-2221 or check out their website: www.texasfuneralconsumers.org . And I urge you to read the wealth of additional information I’ve been compiling about the Death Care industry on my website for the last six years: www.bendover.com/funeralHome.asp
Let's make you smarter for the long haul! Here's
9 Steps guaranteed to make you smarter when you are eventually forced into dealing with the funeral-cemetary industry. Print it out and put it in a safe place. Remember: It's all about leveling the playing field and not caving in to the emotions of the moment.
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