Funeral/Cremation Prices- Shop Around

Its been a long time since I posted here on my blog.  I am back....

Would you buy a car, new or used, without doing your research? Of, course not, you want to be an informed consumer.  As I have noted here before, but is worth mentioning again.....funeral prices and cremation prices have escalated in many parts of the country. If you are in the need to purchase these services, and I do purposely choose the word "purchase," Shop Around, Shop Around.

With 47% of people in the US electing cremation, the prices for cremation have taken a big jump, except maybe for a few discount crematories who will provide "Direct Cremation"of the body and return of the ashes without any service / gathering for $645 - $4,000 or so.   By 2018, the U.S. cremation rate is projected to reach 50.6 percent, said Barbara Kemmis, executive director of the Cremation Association of North America (http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/06/01/new-cremation-trends/28329461/). The upper end of this price range reflects how much profit the funeral home wants to make (funeral/ripoffs.org) . In my part of the country, near Cincinnati, Oh, many funeral homes charge $2,000 and more for Direct  Cremation. The actual cost of cremation to the funeral home is around $185- 2011 price (funeral/ripoffs.org).

If you want to use their "Chapel" for a body burial service or a cremation the charge increases around $300- $600 and more in some cases. In the case of cremation, often the family receives the ashes in a box, a plastic bag or an urn that you purchase. In either case, you don't need to use their "Chapel." You can arrange your own service or at your Church or Temple or hold a family gathering at your home in a community center or outdoors.

Working in health care since 1990, I have often heard folks say, "My family has gone to that funeral home for years, s/he would never over charge me." "I went to school with him/her, s/he is like a friend." Maybe or maybe not. It needs to be said that there are many ethical funeral home directors that provide good, honest services for the deceased and their survivors.  There are others however, who are not ethical and cheat the families they are entrusted to serve.

I heard of one Social Worker who directed a family to a lower costs funeral home from a more expensive funeral home. The owner of the more expensive funeral home, who served on the Board of Directors where she worked, got wind of it and she was almost fired over the incident. The funeral director accused her of stealing business.

There is much more to be said about how to plan a funeral /cremation and receive a fair price for the services. Before you plan a funeral, thoroughly do your homework by studying this expert consumer web site: www.funerals-ripoffs.org/ and contact the Funeral Alliance in your area https://www.funerals.org/.  Don't be a victim of unethical funeral marketeers.

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