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There have been a few changes in the funeral home industry since its inception in the early 20th century. More options are available to the deceased and their family in regard to planning, consumer rights, and their preferred final resting place...
Pre-Need
As the name suggests, pre-need is planning and paying for one's funeral arrangements before the need arises. This takes some of the stress off of the family of the deceased when the time comes, assures the funeral will be up to the deceased's expectations, and saves everyone a lot of time and money.
General Price List
When funeral homes first began to take shape, families very rarely knew exactly what they were being charged for when paying for a funeral, only being told they were billed for a casket and a "full range of services."
This all changed in April 1984, when the Federal Trade Commission's Funeral Rule came into existence. The Funeral Rule requires funeral homes to provide consumers with a list of goods and services at the start of any arrangement meeting, referred to as a General Price List.
The General Price List must also include:
This all changed in April 1984, when the Federal Trade Commission's Funeral Rule came into existence. The Funeral Rule requires funeral homes to provide consumers with a list of goods and services at the start of any arrangement meeting, referred to as a General Price List.
The General Price List must also include:
- disclosures about consumer rights
- the laws regarding embalming
- information about alternative containers
- information regarding the nondeclinable service fee added to every funeral bill
- an offer to produce a price list for caskets
- an offer to produce a price list for vaults
Coffins vs. Caskets
Weird Coffins & Caskets
The "Fisk Airtight Coffin of Cast or Raised Metal" was the brainchild of American inventor Almond D. Fisk. Patented in 1848 and composed of cast-iron and a glass faceplate, the coffin was meant to let mourners "to behold again the features of the departed." While revolutionary and built with the best intentions, Fisk's coffin didn't do too well in the coffin market, as it tended to creep people out.
One of the biggest caveats regarding caskets is the price associated with them. Caskets range in price anywhere from $200-$65,000. An alternative to families is to rent a casket. This can be done two ways, depending on whether you want to be buried or cremated.
If burial is the method of disposition, funeral homes sometimes offer to place the deceased in an expensive casket during viewings. Then, when the body is to be buried, they are transferred into a less expensive container.
If cremation is to occur, you can rent a casket from a plethora of sites online. The casket rented has a removable lining container where the deceased is laid in. When the viewing is over, the container and deceased are removed and sent for cremation.