Photo by permission of Nature's Casket. www.naturescasket.com
A few years back, I went on a shopping trip to see what it was like to shop for a funeral in my local area. I went out knowing the Federal Trade Commission’s Funeral Rule to guide me on my way. The Federal Trade Commission declares that funeral homes must meet certain criteria to protect consumers from up-selling or guilt selling. One of the most important rules funeral directors must follow is handing out a price list at the beginning of the interview with clients. I have yet to meet with one who did not first present me with a price list before engaging in an interview of my wants. He or she must also present a price list for the merchandise the funeral home sells. This gets a bit tricky. On my visits to funeral homes, general price lists have always included a range of prices for coffins, and urns (rarely shrouds). The range can look something like this: Caskets $650- 27,550. To me, that is quite a range and not helpful in the least. I found it impossible to guess what I might expect to see in their coffin room. When I got there I did not see any solid gold coffins in the rooms, which made me wonder which coffin cost so much.
Many funeral homes I researched offered a discount on the coffins if you bought one through them. Let’s look at this. The funeral homes set their own prices. No one from the outside sets their price. Sure, they use the wholesale price as a guide to help set their retail price, but no one makes them set the price. If they set their prices and stock their coffin showrooms, why are they offering a discount for purchasing through them in the first place? Well, some funeral homes were charging a delivery cost to clients that purchased a coffin from an outside vendor, which goes directly against the Federal Trade Commission Funeral Rule. By giving a discount, you might think you are getting a better deal on your merchandise and the funeral home hopes you purchase through them so they can keep the profit from the sale. In the end, you have every right to purchase your own coffin, urn or shroud. You need not purchase through any funeral home you have hired.
There is no disgrace in purchasing an inexpensive container for burial. It does not mean you love the person less if you choose one from a lower end of the price scale. Purchase what you can afford, and do not worry about it. In fact, a shroud can be an old quilt or blanket. Nothing you purchase for a funeral or burial can ever fully express your love and devotion to the person who has died. Do not even think about that when you purchase a coffin, shroud or urn. Their memory lives on in stories that are shared by family and friends. An expensive coffin, or urn does not help you remember them more, nor will it make a difference in to how much you love them.
Having said all this, there are some really interesting green coffins, shrouds and urns out there. Here are a few.
Many funeral homes I researched offered a discount on the coffins if you bought one through them. Let’s look at this. The funeral homes set their own prices. No one from the outside sets their price. Sure, they use the wholesale price as a guide to help set their retail price, but no one makes them set the price. If they set their prices and stock their coffin showrooms, why are they offering a discount for purchasing through them in the first place? Well, some funeral homes were charging a delivery cost to clients that purchased a coffin from an outside vendor, which goes directly against the Federal Trade Commission Funeral Rule. By giving a discount, you might think you are getting a better deal on your merchandise and the funeral home hopes you purchase through them so they can keep the profit from the sale. In the end, you have every right to purchase your own coffin, urn or shroud. You need not purchase through any funeral home you have hired.
There is no disgrace in purchasing an inexpensive container for burial. It does not mean you love the person less if you choose one from a lower end of the price scale. Purchase what you can afford, and do not worry about it. In fact, a shroud can be an old quilt or blanket. Nothing you purchase for a funeral or burial can ever fully express your love and devotion to the person who has died. Do not even think about that when you purchase a coffin, shroud or urn. Their memory lives on in stories that are shared by family and friends. An expensive coffin, or urn does not help you remember them more, nor will it make a difference in to how much you love them.
Having said all this, there are some really interesting green coffins, shrouds and urns out there. Here are a few.
Photo by permission of Nature's Casket. This coffin can be stored flat and assembled when needed.
Photo by permission KINKARACO ® www.kinkaraco.com
Photo by permission of Nature's Casket
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