Are Funeral Homes running a Legal Scam?

Hello all, Licensed funeral director and embalmer here. The funeral industry is regulated by the Federal Trade Commission. Are there bad people in the funeral industry? Yes. Are the caring and compassionate funeral directors? You bet there are. The greatest job satisfaction I get is from helping a family through the most difficult days of their lives. You would be surprised at the number of hugs I receive.

I would question any families decision to put grandpa in a backyard bonfire. Their neighbors might as well, not to mention the legality. Colorado is the only state I know of that allows funeral pyres. Not quite as easy as it seems folks.

In my twenty years as a funeral director I have never taken advantage of anyone, Ever!! In the industry we present options and suggestions to families. If you're concerned with the financial aspects of the funeral process, pre-arrange your service. You can lock in todays prices for tomorrows services.

Btw, some of the things and situations we have to deal are so bad that our compensation doesn't come close to paying for the service.

reply to post by The Undertaker


then why would a funeral home charge $2,000 or more for a simple cremation that costs the FH 150-200 to actually do?

reply to post by HomerinNC


When you purchase a product, do you pay what the retailer paid for that product? Of course not. In an economic system where capitalism prevails, companies have the right to make a profit. Not only is profit a consideration but so is keeping the lights on, paying employees, licenses, taxes, fuel for the crematory etc. We charge about $1,100.00 for a direct cremation. It all depends on competition in that area.

Originally posted by jewells
reply to post by bg_socalif

 

Lol, I like the way you think!

When my dad passed away in 2001, it happened around 2am. The funeral director was at my mums at 3am, asking question after question. We were all shell shocked, & in no frame of mind to answer most. We all regret not being assertive enough to tell him to take a hike, but the next death, he'd better watch out!
Needless to say we agreed to things that in a clearer frame of mind we wouldn't of.

I've told my kids, present me in the 'nice' casket, but cremate me in a cardboard box! (If they want to decorate my cardboard box ,then hey, just present me in that!:lol

The thing I don't want, is to leave my family in unnecessary debt. As long as theres love around me, the rest is unimportant.
My dads funeral taught us all about the many rorts to watch out for. For instance, I wasn't aware that family members could share the same plot (Cutting huge costs). I actually like the idea, of family being able to visit everyone in the one place!
Its a shame funeral parlors aren't required by law to hand out pamphlets on cutting costs of funerals. Pfffttt, yeah right! Greedy bas**rds.

Sorry for the one -liner but "yeah"!

Originally posted by ahmonrarh
reading this reminded me, why i'm working towards buying my own land....that way, when my keister gets old, and I've managed to annoy my kids, their kids and their kids(even if their just toddlers), all they have to do is follow 3 easy steps:
1) dig
2) roll
3) cover

no use for having a "note" on my old arse.

edit on 13-1-2012 by ahmonrarh because: (no reason given)

Not even so much as a "Good-bye cruel world"??

reply to post by CranialSponge


With all the burning feces skin and hair... I dont think it would be a pleasant experiance.

I think being fired into a black hole would be pretty sick....

Originally posted by The Undertaker
Hello all, Licensed funeral director and embalmer here. The funeral industry is regulated by the Federal Trade Commission. Are there bad people in the funeral industry? Yes. Are the caring and compassionate funeral directors? You bet there are. The greatest job satisfaction I get is from helping a family through the most difficult days of their lives. You would be surprised at the number of hugs I receive.

I would question any families decision to put grandpa in a backyard bonfire. Their neighbors might as well, not to mention the legality. Colorado is the only state I know of that allows funeral pyres. Not quite as easy as it seems folks.

In my twenty years as a funeral director I have never taken advantage of anyone, Ever!! In the industry we present options and suggestions to families. If you're concerned with the financial aspects of the funeral process, pre-arrange your service. You can lock in todays prices for tomorrows services.

Btw, some of the things and situations we have to deal are so bad that our compensation doesn't come close to paying for the service.

edit on 13-1-2012 by The Undertaker because: Grammar

Well, good to know...then you are one of the good ones and thank you sir for your response!
Regulated hey, hm?
Clearly I'm up here in Canucksville, thanks for info on Colorado(sounds like they have a bit of an ancestral heart). Often times, believe it or not, people don't have much of choice. =(

P.s.Off topic question, if that's okay, "what's your favorite Movie"?
Just curious.

reply to post by alilonthecheekyside

The holy trilogy aka Star Wars

reply to post by alilonthecheekyside


Those of you who live in Michigan close to Dearborn, go to Dearborn Mosque and ask the Management, how Muslims bury their loved one's when they die. There are those Muslims that want to display their wealth. They normally opt to the regular funeral homes with pomp and show which costs upward of $ 12000. Then there are those who are wealthy but they follow the religion. Religion not only demands simplicity but it also discourages competition in pomp and show. In Dearborn, Michigan, a funeral costs less than $ 2000 including grave, but all the Muslims pitch in as volunteer community support. The grave is given on a first come first basis plot what is available and not what you prefer. People love the looks of funeral homes. This is why it costs more. I went to funerals that were low costs and also to very expensive funerals where they provided security. And those are not cheap. Where I come from, we don't have funeral homes. Community supports and help each other including food for those that come from out of town, especially in villages where there are no restaurants.

Let me tell you where the scam is. The scam, when it comes to deceased, is the tissue donation racket. This is a touchy double edged sword of a subject. The topic of "Tissue donation" quite possibly deserves it's own thread and discussion but I don't mind adding it here, because we are talking about "Funeral Homes running a legal scam".

When a person elects to become an organ donor on the back of your drivers license, they are making a life giving decison for life to another sometimes. With that being said, there is another side to that and what I'm talking about is amount of money charged to either the recepient patient or the insurance company for that gift. This is a free product given as a gift by the deceased with no compensation and then sold to a needy patient for big money. This is where I believe the scam lies.

The act of "organ donation" happens in a situation where you can harvest and transplant from operating table to operating table. "Tissue donation" occurs at the funeral home and this is really what I'm talking about here as it is the procedure I am most familiar with. Now I'm going to admit that I don't have any financial figures to back my theory up but, what is basically happening is that a tissue procurement team comes in and harvests skin, long bones, ear bones, and cornia's from a deceased. These gifts are donated with permission by the family and or deceased to a procurement team. These gifts are then sold on the medical market for what I am positive is an exhorborant amount of money and profit to needy patients. Again this is kind of a double edged sword, because I agree with the act, but not the financial exorborance of the medical costs associated. If anyone has some numbers to back this up, it would be appreciated but I know it's true. This is what is going on today.. Funeral Homes are becoming parts department. It's legal, and in my opinion a scam.