Cost of Funerals & The FTC
This is Article #3 of a 5 part series that Tate Mortuary had published in the “Tooele Transcript Bulletin” around February of 2005 addressing some frequently asked questions about funeral related issues.
In the decade of the 1970′s, the Federal Trade commission reviewed the way in which Funeral Homes charged for their services and products. As a result, all funeral homes in the United States must provide an itemized listing of the services they provide. This list will give a dollar amount for each service provided, and ranges of prices for merchandise. Caskets and Outer burial containers (grave liners or vaults) have separate price lists at the funeral home. Usually listed as the first item on the general price list is a fee called a “non declinable service fee,” which is assessed to each funeral for the costs of overhead. That fee is added to each of the other services selected. Packages including all costs for services such as various traditional services or grave side only or cremation services may also be listed. I believe that the intent of the FTC was to make it easier for the consumer to shop funeral prices. Experience has proved this not to be the case. In order to find the best price for a funeral, at least 3 items must be compared, 2 of which are difficult. I will discuss funeral home charges first, and then discuss other items that enter into the overall cost of a funeral.
While there are many considerations in selecting a funeral home to provide services, (1) Quality of services, staff and facilities, (2) reputation and (3) cost, are the three most families consider first. Quality of services, staff and facilities alone with the reputation of the funeral home are very important in the comfort and satisfaction that a family receives, but these can only be determined by previous experience or the experience of others you trust. Cost can be mathematically determined, but requires some effort. Many families mistakenly assume that the funeral home with the lowest service fee will provide a funeral at the lowest overall price. This may not be the case. From an advertising stand point, a low service fee is an easy way to attract the attention of a family who assumes other prices to be as low.
The three cost items of major importance at the funeral home are 1-Service fees, 2-Casket or alternative, and 3-Outer Burial container (grave liner or vault). If one is interested in obtaining the best price, all three must be compared. Funeral homes are required by law to provide you with a General Price List with which to compare service fees. Pick a comparable funeral from each home being considered and add that to comparable caskets and vaults. Comparing caskets from various manufacturers is not easy. The same may be true also of grave liners or vaults. Comparing a range of casket prices is not sufficient. Comparing caskets will most often require visits to the funeral homes being considered. You must compare a casket 1. Of the same material and thickness, 2.whether it is protective or non-protective, 3. Same quality of interior, 4.exterior quality (paint, handles, corners etc). One note regarding thickness of metal – the lower the gauge, the thicker the metal. Thus an 18 gauge casket is made of thicker metal that a 20 gauge casket. Whether you choose it or not, it may be best to compare a casket made by the same manufacturer. You may be interested to find a thousand or more dollars difference in the same casket. Similar caution must be used in comparing grave liners or vaults. Other costs that may or may not be associated with the funeral home are: grave space, opening and closing of the grave, headstone and other funeral merchandise such as flowers, clothing, printed materials, and obituaries. Next I would like to make a few observations regard cemetery costs and then discuss “preneed” – selecting and paying for your funeral in advance.
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