SevenPonds Helps You Shop Funeral Services

Are the details of shopping funeral services a mystery? Today I present four tips to help you sort through your options and make better-informed decisions when shopping funeral providers for cremation services:

1 What if I only want to purchase a cremation, and have no interest in a full funeral service or memorial service at a funeral home?

You’ll want to ask specifically for “direct cremation,” which means you’re requesting only the cremation service and not any other bells and whistles. Be sure to state your wishes clearly to your service provider to let them know you do not wish to use their facility for a memorial service. Always be clear. We recommend you request a “no frills” direct cremation.

2 When seeking a cremation service provider, is there a difference in the types of providers?

Yes; knowing what type of provider you are requesting pricing from helps inform you as to their overhead costs, which can impact your costs. There are five types of providers, and asking which type they are will give you a keener insight into their scope of offerings. These are:

1. Funeral Home, Crematorium & Cemetery: Typically a funeral home, which also owns a crematorium and cemetery, located on the outskirts of a city or town, or in some cases, what was once the outskirts. Typically the funeral home, crematory and cemetery are all on one parcel of property but not always.
2. Funeral Home & Crematorium: Some funeral homes own their own crematorium, which may not be located on the premises.
3. Funeral Home: Most funeral homes do not own a crematorium and purchase their cremation services from a local crematorium.
4. Cremation Retailer: A cremation retailer only provides direct cremation through a relationship with a local crematorium. Unlike funeral homes, they are simply a retail storefront and do not have any facilities for a full funeral service or memorial service hence typically are a good price and value.
5. Direct Crematorium: Most crematoriums do not deal with the public, but some will provide services both to funeral homes and the public. Note they may not have the vehicles to transport the body. This would be a great price if you can locate one in your area.Be sure to inquire.

3 Is there a difference in pricing between service providers, and if so, how best can I compare these costs?

Yes, there is a wide range in costs for cremation services. Keep in mind if you are shopping in a city vs a rural area you have more service provider options to choose from. Most important is to be aware that there are publicly held companies that own a number of funeral homes in cities or urban areas across the US. These publicly held funeral homes tend to be more costly. We recommend you shop providers over the phone to compare costs (see number 4). You can shop a wider radius than you would think. Simply let the provider know what city and perhaps location your loved one is located. When doing so, it’s important to compare exact line items (see 4). We suggest you use our SevenPonds Comprehensive Step-by-Step Planning Guide: Choosing Funeral Arrangements and Disposition along with the checklist to shop service over the phone.

4 Is there anything else I should know?

Yes, there is the Funeral Rule, a law put into effect by the Federal Trade Commission to protect consumers when shopping funeral goods and services. It specifies that anyone requesting pricing on goods or services when visiting a provider, must immediately upon commencement of discussing services, hand you an itemized general price list (GPL). Many service providers now offer pricing on their website, but if they do not, by law you can call to ask for pricing and the provider must quote prices over the phone. They are not supposed to bundle services without also providing single line item costs, and are only allowed to charge you one non-declinable fee called a “Basic Services Fee”. If you need assistance with concerns regarding protection under the Funeral Rule, we recommend you contact the Funeral Consumers Alliance, a national non-profit organization with chapters of volunteers all over the US working on behalf of your consumer rights.