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Document 12

Because of the GREAT DIFFERENCE in mortuaries' prices, the FOUR MOST IMPORTANT points of Consumer Advice are:

. 1. . KNOW how much funeral services and caskets SHOULD COST -- that is, a LOW, REASONABLE price.

. . The SERIOUS MISTAKE of most families is choosing a mortuary because it is NEARBY. Many mortuaries take advantage of this and highly overcharge. Many charge $3,000 to $10,000 or more for funerals; $800 to $2,000+ for direct cremation; and $1,500 to $10,000+ for caskets (many with harmful "protective" neoprene seals). To increase profit: in addition to charging for services you choose, most mortuaries and plans add a high "professional" fee of $600 to $2,000, not charged by any other kind of business. (Mortuaries and pre-pay plans make profits of $1,000 to $4,000 on many caskets. Many use deceptive sales tactics and contracts; and exert pressure on families to buy costly caskets and services to "show love," despite financial harm.)

REASONABLE PRICES:


• COMPLETE "traditional" funerals WITH beautiful metal caskets in many colors are available in many U.S. communities for less than $2,000 TOTAL.
  
• Direct cremation is available for $350 to $550 total.
  
• Many beautiful metal caskets are available for $300 to $900.

  SO, every family needs to find out the lowest prices in its metro area (or the range of prices)

  • by consulting a price comparison list (like this);
    
  • by calling their local consumer Memorial Society (1-800-356-5563); or
    
  • by phoning a number of mortuaries (10 or more) in various parts of the metro area.
  Because of the ridiculous difference in prices for the same items, federal law forces all mortuaries to give you all their prices over the phone.
  BE WARY of recommendations by friends, clergy, etc. Most know little of the great difference in prices. Many high-priced mortuaries coax churches and hospital personnel to distribute their advertising calendars and materials -- misleading and seriously harming many of their families and elderly.

. 2. .CHOOSE a mortuary with REASONABLE PRICES -- REGARDLESS OF ITS LOCATION in the metro area.

. . Choose a FAIR-PRICED mortuary ANYWHERE in the metro area and arrange viewing and all services in your local church or synagogue so that you don't need to use the chapel of an unfairly-priced mortuary nearby. Fair-priced mortuaries will come to your home to make arrangements if you wish. You can easily select a time when your church is not busy. All churches should urge families to use church facilities for visitation and all funeral services to enable families to choose a reasonably-priced mortuary outside the area if there are no fair-priced ones nearby. From the thousands of dollars you save by using this list and your church chapel, you can easily afford a fee or donation to the church for its use.

. 3. . AVOID HARMFUL "protective sealer" caskets. (Highly-promoted, costly. Cause RAPID BLOATING/decay, instead of "protecting.")

These caskets are a cruel SCAM and HOAX -- promoted by most morticians and plans because of the large profit that can be made. These caskets (with neoprene/rubber gaskets; some with "safety valves" or nearly-useless 25 to 75-year warranties that most people won't be able to check on) do little to protect bodies. Instead, all sealer caskets HARM BODIES by causing RAPID BLOATING, gases and LIQUEFYING decay. Gas pressure caused by seals sometimes bursts seals in mausoleums and underground, damaging bodies further. (Many mausoleums break seals for safety.)

. . A noted pathologist: "If you seal up a casket so it is more or less airtight, you seal in the anaerobic bacteria, the kind that thrive in an airless atmosphere. These are putrefactive (produce gas and odor; and liquefy body tissue) bacteria, and the results of their growth are pretty horrible. ... you're better off with no casket at all." (Dr. Carr, in Death to Dust, 1994, p. 471)
. . Comments of two mausoleum builders: Because of the tremendous pressure that builds up: If the seal gives, the (body) liquids "come out in a BIG GOOSH." "Unfortunately, a lot of people do it the old way...seal 'er up and LET 'ER RIP (burst),"

. . AVOID sealer caskets or demand that morticians REMOVE THE GASKETS ENTIRELY or at least NOT SEAL them. Some morticians fear lawsuits by families and pre-pay buyers for harming relatives' bodies by selling sealer caskets, sealing them, and for not warning of harm. Salespersons are told to pressure you into higher-priced items; don't give in! (Columns 1 and 2 of the price list show the high markups and profits of most firms.)
. . (WEB NOTE: Web viewers can see a sample of the casket price columns mentioned above in Part 3 of the ENTIRE document, or in separate Document 3 -- Caskets. To see more about sealer caskets, embalming, decay and cremation, go to Part 2 of the ENTIRE dcoument, or to separate Document 2 -- Planning.)

. 4. . BE CAUTIOUS about PrePay Plans. (Most "lock-in" high prices; and/or are non-refundable, non-cancellable.)

DO NOT PRE-PAY unless you have the plan checked first by an attorney or accountant. Pre-pay plans are NOT recommended by AARP and other consumer groups because many offer only high-priced caskets and services, and "lock-in" the high-prices and/or unfavorable terms (as: a high salesperson's commission ["service fee" they call it), often 15%-25%, $500-$1,000, not refundable -- added to your bill). You lose much or all you've paid if you cancel, or you can't cancel; etc.). Plans invest your money and earn interest on it, and they can take "administrative fees" out of your money each year.
High cost: Many pre-pay ("preneed") plans end up costing several times more than the cost of a fair-priced funeral bought when needed, or funded in another way.

RECOMMENDED: Open a "Funeral Savings Account" ("Totten" trust), "POD-Account" (Payable-on-Demand account) at a bank, savings firm or credit union for the cost of the funeral items at today's prices (call or visit a fair-priced mortuary for prices). Put the account in the name of two or three family members. In this way, the money is yours, always in your control, safe, earning you interest, and available for your funeral anywhere. If a mortuary only wants to sell you a pre-pay plan, or if a small bank doesn't know about the "Totten Trust" or funeral trust account, go to another one. (A non-revocable funeral savings/trust account [or insurance limited to a funeral] doesn't count as assets to qualify for nursing home care.)

REFUNDS: Show any plan you now have to a banker or accountant. You may have a bad plan, wasting thousands of dollars. You may be able to cancel, obtain a funeral savings account, and use the money saved for other needs or a vacation.
Insurance: Don't assign an entire funeral policy to a mortuary, but only the amount you wish to spend. Keep the rest for medical and other expenses.

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ADVICE SECTION 2

CHANGING MORTUARIES: If the body is at an unfairly-priced mortuary -- even if the mortuary has done some work on the body -- you have the right to change to another mortuary. Call a fair-priced mortuary to obtain the body. You don't need to talk to the first mortuary again.

CASKETS: The FTC requires mortuaries to let you use a casket that you construct, or buy from another mortuary or casket dealer (as at top of list, 10% over wholesale). Fair-priced mortuaries offer MANY BEAUTIFUL METAL CASKETS for $300 to $900 retail. (Hundreds of attractive non-sealer metal caskets in many styles/colors are available immediately to all mortuaries for low wholesale prices of $250 to $450. HOWEVER, most mortuaries display almost none of these, and in only unpleasing colors -- and mainly show "sealer" caskets with high prices; so phone ahead.) Cloth-covered wood caskets in many colors cost about $100 less than metal. Many leading clergy urge buying the least-expensive casket.

Decorating: You can buy an inexpensive basic casket, and personalize with pillow/bedding from home. Personalize the funeral any way you wish (as weddings and other celebrations); you don't need the mortician's permission. Cooperative fair-priced mortuaries offer decorative hardware, symbols, religious pictures you can put in the casket lid; use art from stores or family photos; let children help with poems, art, streamers, balloons, flowers from home.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

THE FUNERAL INDUSTRY'S PROFIT SYSTEM and HOW IT AFFECTS YOU
(Note: The media need to provide this basic information to the public.)

For decades, consumer organizations (Consumers Union, AARP and others) have complained about the high prices of the funeral industry.

. . The two main reasons for the high prices are that there are FIVE TO TEN TIMES TOO MANY MORTUARIES in most communities, and a desire for HIGH PROFITS ("greed"). (There are about two million deaths per year in the U.S., and about 22,000 mortuaries, so an average of about 91 bodies per mortuary. However, some mortuaries have as many as 1,000 bodies (cases) per year, leaving others with as few as 25 bodies per year.)

. . Many low-volume mortuaries (with only one or two funerals a week) charge outrageously high prices in order to unfairly stay in business. (In any other industry, such firms would have to merge or go out of business, but the funeral industry has adjusted itself to enable them to continue.)
. . Most high-volume mortuaries (five to 15 funerals a week) could charge one-half or one-third as much as low-volume firms, but charge the SAME high prices or HIGHER to make tremendous profits. The high prices SERIOUSLY HARM modest- and low-income families and senior citizens.

. . 1) . ABSOLUTE secrecy throughout the industry to keep media, churches, agencies and families ignorant of low wholesale casket costs, exorbitant markups and deceptive sales tactics,
. . 2) . misleading the media and public via ads, interviews and deceptive literature (as Funeral Costs) by the National Funeral Directors Association itself,
. . 3) . charging outrageous prices, "professional" fees, service and casket prices (caskets regularly marked up 300% to 700%, often a markup/profit of $1,000 to $4,000 on a single casket -- the reason why they do not advertise prices),
. . 4) . promoting costly, harmful "protective sealer" caskets,
. . 5) . high-pressure and deceptive sales methods and plan contracts,
. . 6) . harassing low-priced firms to try to force them to raise their prices,
. . 7) . providing gifts to many clergy to coax them not to warn families about unjust prices and sales tactics, but to recommend the high-priced mortuaries and distribute their literature and advertising calendars,
. . 8) . getting laws/regulations made to assist profit-making via legislatures and state funeral boards, and creating "consumer" booklets to mislead the public.
. . . (See Funerals: Consumers' Last Rights, Consumers Union.)

. . Individuals, churches and media can END the abuse by BECOMING INFORMED and then taking TWO STEPS recommended by consumer groups:
. . 1. SHAME unfair mortuaries by widely-exposing their low wholesale costs, outrageous markups and prices, and widespread deceptive practices.
. . 2. urge families to AVOID unfair mortuaries.
. . Only SHAME of price exposure and LOSS OF BUSINESS will cause them to use fair prices and practices.
. . To inform consumers, IFIC and Memorial Societies publish information about industry methods, casket wholesale prices, markups, and mortuary prices.

. FIND A MORTUARY WITH REASONABLE PRICES anywhere and use their own church for services to avoid unfairly-priced mortuaries nearby.

Bad advice is often given to families by TVs, newspapers, financial publications and others which don't know about casket wholesale costs, high markups and deceptive methods and contracts. Churches harm their families by distributing advertising calendars of unfairly-priced mortuaries and plans. Common media "consumer" advice,"Take a stable friend with you," doesn't help those who go to firms with high prices and unfair tactics.

. . All churches and organizations should MAKE COPIES of this price comparison list and provide them to all families, and urge families to avoid unfairly-priced firms. (This will benefit families -- and cause unfair mortuaries to end their continuing and growing abuse.)

. . All churches should OFFER THEIR FACILITIES for visitation and all funeral services to enable families to have all services nearby yet use a reasonably-priced firm outside the area so that they're not forced to use an unfairly-priced one nearby in order to use its commercial "chapel." In this way, churches can prevent SERIOUS FINANCIAL HARM to their own modest- and low-income families and elderly. From the thousands of dollars families save by using this list and the church chapel, families can easily afford a fee or a generous donation to the church for its use.

OTHER AREAS: If you live in an where there is no price comparison list, PHONE mortuaries until you find a fair-priced one (you may need to phone 10-15) or phone a consumer Memorial Society (in 140 areas of the U.S.; 1-800/458-5563). (Compile a price list for your area; contact us for help.)

YOUR RIGHTS: In 1984, the Federal Trade Commission's "FUNERAL RULE" consumer protection regulations were instituted after its nationwide investigation of the funeral industry revealed abuse by nearly every mortuary surveyed, including the best-known and "trusted" ones. The FTC's report said that there was little help for consumers from state funeral boards, all composed of a majority or totally of morticians; rather, there was harassment of mortuaries which charge low prices or advertise their prices (because they put the others to shame).

The FTC Funeral Rule gives you important federal rights (which morticians don't mention in the Arizona Funerals Information "consumer" booklet -- written by morticians, not consumers).

Among your rights are:
. 1) . Correct, complete price information by phone to anyone who calls;
. 2) . Itemized General Price List and Casket Price List before discussion of services/caskets; you should keep both. (The state requires these be mailed, so phone for both.);
. 3) . Salespersons must not mislead you (as saying falsely that: a casket is needed for cremation; embalming is required; or a mortuary employee must accompany a body being shipped).
. . Call the FTC and other numbers below about any violations.

Complaints about: Mortuaries (misleading, pressuring): FTC, 1-310-235-7890 (LA), 1-202-326-3024 (Wash.DC); Better Business Bureau, 264-1721; Attorney General's Office "Fraud Line", 542-5763; Community Legal Service Senior Citizen Office, 258-3434; TV/newspaper consumer advocates; State Funeral Board, 542-3095. Cemeteries: State Real Estate Dept., 468-1414. Pre-pay plans: State Insurance Dept., 912-8444, & numbers above.

Lack of funds: Indigent Burial Program (county), 506-8040, provides cremation or burial (no viewing or church services) for persons with no funds.

CONFIDENTIAL WHOLESALE PRICES/MARKUPS/PROFITS for sample caskets:
CLOTH-COVERED WOOD: PBF Casket Co. C60 "SQUARE STATE", 16-colors/fabrics, $195 wholesale (mortuaries charge $390 to $1,500; profit up to $1,305).
20-GAUGE STEEL:
. . Palo Verde Casket Co. "ECONO PC", ("hammertex" gray, copper), non-seal, $222 wholesale (mortuary retail $360 to $1,680 (7x whse.); profit to $1,458).
. . Palo Verde "REGAL", 5-colors (silver, gray, copper, rose, blue), non-seal, $260 wholesale (retail $460 to $1,800; profit to $1,540).
. . PBF/Aurora "PARIS", (blue, orchid), non-seal, $315 wholesale (retail $515 to $2,400; profit to $2,085).
. . Batesville L48 "ANTIQUE SILVER, etc.", 5-colors, seal, $375 wholesale (retail $570 to $2,660; profit to $2,280).
COPPER: York "CITADEL", seal, $6,500 wholesale (retail to $21,615; profit to $15,115).

"REASONABLE retail" price ranges on the chart for caskets, services, cremation and shipping are based on reasonable operating costs of an efficient mortuary, confidential casket wholesale prices, reasonable markups and reasonable profit. However, many mortuaries and plans CHARGE TWO TO FIVE TIMES MORE than others for the SAME caskets and services. Several Valley mortuaries have reasonable prices - USE THEM. There is no need to pay MORE for the SAME caskets and services. And it will cause mortuaries to lower their prices to decent levels.

See the attached Consumer Information Sheet (two pages) for additional important advice. (Write for it if it is not attached.)

(WEB NOTE: You can obtain a copy of the complete "Mortuary Price Comparison List" by sending a SASE (self-addressed, stamped envelope) to the mailing address in Document 1 -- Introduction.)

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