Question for anyone who is involved in the Funeral Industry

[Okla-homey]

Please explain why it costs over three thousand dollars to cremate someone, host a one hour memorial service at the funeral home, and afterwards bury the one pound can of ashes in a cemetery plot the family already owns.

:pop:

[Sooner Born Sooner Bred]

Because the funeral business, like the wedding business, is a racket. They know they can bilk people for lots of $$$ when they are emotional.

Some are worse than others.

[OU4LIFE]

on a semi-related note...

For years as a kid going to OU games with my grandfather, we always sat in front of the same people, so it was like getting together with family every fall at the ball games. Except as a kid, I didn't really know people's names, and didn't really care too much. I was there for the FB. For years my Grandfather would refer to the gentleman that sat in front of us as 'digger'...

I never realized until years later that he never said it while he was there, so I asked him about it. He said "I couldn't ever remember his name, but I knew he owned a funeral parlor somewhere, so I always called him Digger'.

it was funny to me.

[VeeJay]

It costs a lot of money to keep those guys outfitted in nice suits.

And you ever been to a funeral home with crappy furniture?

[OUHOMER]

Its a scam, Like not being able to buy a casket on line. There is some state law that protect them from this.

Dont know how they get by with it, I know it was heavy in the news a few years back on how the OKlahoma undertakers had the market corner on their services.

Oh yea, there was a casket company trying to open there doors in OKC. You could go and buy a casket from them like 70% cheaper from the funeral home. But all the funeral homes refused to bury you if had your own casket.

but i also think there is some kind of law that protects them as well.

at least this is how I remember it.

[VeeJay]

But all the funeral homes refused to bury you if had your own casket.


I guess that's sort of like letting people in to Bingo if they bring their own daubers.

I'd be hesitant to let the cheapskates in either.

[mdklatt]

Please explain why it costs over three thousand dollars to cremate someone, host a one hour memorial service at the funeral home, and afterwards bury the one pound can of ashes in a cemetery plot the family already owns.


How much money would it take you to work around dead people all day?

[OUHOMER]

I guess that's sort of like letting people in to Bingo if they bring their own daubers.

I'd be hesitant to let the cheapskates in either.

Oh come on, gouging you for 70% mark up. I understand making a buck, but come on.

[Viking Kitten]

SBSB pretty much nailed it. And because funeral directors are strong lobbyists in Oklahoma, it is unlikely to change anytime soon. It would be interesting to see what a grassroots organization dedicated to consumer protection in this area could accomplish though.

[JohnnyMack]

Cremate me. Spread my ashes on Owen Field.

[OUDoc]

To bury my grandfather, it cost $1200 to dig the hole.(They had some other fancy name for it, I can't remember it right now.)
I told them I'd do it for an even grand.

[yermom]

that is our most modestly priced receptacle.

[Okla-homey]

One of my colleagues was involved in a case a few years back in which the funeral home d00d was selling extry-big caskets for dead lard-butts. The problem was, they didn't fit in the standard concrete vaults required by the cemetery. His solution? After everyone left, flip that casket on its side, and bash it into the burial vault with a back-hoe bucket. I kid you not.

They had to exhume a few for evidence of the practice. Lots of heavy meemaws and pawpaws had been resting on their sides, and of course, all the fancy casket ornamentation had been skinned off by the bashing and cramming.

Grrrrrr.

[SanJoaquinSooner]

homey,

open your own cremation business and charge $500 less.

[Viking Kitten]

If my kids ever spend a bunch of money on some expensive casket that's only getting buried in the ground, I will come back and haunt them. What a colassal waste of money. And if my fat a** ever had to get shoved in sideways, well, really WTF do I care? I'm dead.

[bent rider]

And if my fat a** ever had to get shoved in sideways, well, really WTF do I care? I'm dead.

More side sleepers sure would cut down on the snoring emanating from the cemetaries.

[SelmaBamaFan]

I used to be in the funeral business, but that was in Alabama... not Oklahoma.

I am shocked that a cremation service cost that much. Usually cremation is the cheapest way to be interred. Some things you should know about being cremated though:

- Does the crematory require a casket? The ones here do not, but the funeral homes still try to sell you one. Yeah, they sell you a casket just so it can get burned up... typical. Most funeral homes sell services in a package. As in you pay one price and it includes the casket, vault, service, and sometimes opening and closing of the grave. If the deceased pre-paid for a service, and you decide to change it (as in deciding to cremate them instead), then I highly doubt that pre-paid money will be refunded. Also, when you meet with the funeral director and they try to sell you a package, you most likely can decline a package (especially when being cremated). Why take a package when you dont need the casket, vault, or embalming?

- Cremations (or regular caskets for that matter) do NOT REQUIRE vaults, unless the cemetery makes it mandatory. It is the cemetery's call, not the funeral home's. Ofcourse, a lot of cemeteries are owned by funeral homes, so you will be fighting an up hill battle more likely than not. If you are being buried in a family church cemetery or something of the like, dont let the funeral home tell you it requires a vault... go to the cemetery official and find out for yourself.

- Some funeral homes actually try to embalm the deceased before they are cremated. This is another 'extra' that is not needed. Funeral homes in Alabama are required to get permission (or used to atleast) to embalmed the deceased before they could go through with it. Here, embalming is NOT required, but the deceased must be interred within 24 hours of death if not embalmed (dont know the laws in Oklahoma obviously).

The laws of different states vary a lot. I havent been in the business for almost 10 years, so things might have changed. As for my background, i was the office manager of a local cemetery in Selma, and I spent the night at the funeral home on the weekends.

[1890MilesToNorman]

How much money would it take you to work around dead people all day?


Minimum wage, one Del Rancho Steak sammich a day, use of the hearse and an annual bonus of 4 bodies worth of organs to sell at my discretion! :P

[Ace]

I want this casket!

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://modculture.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/kasket.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.electricroulette.com/2007/02/kiss_kasket.html&usg=___pQtAFNWMZyhgj_pMh2jnQuciNs=&h=272&w=800&sz=69&hl=en&start=1&um=1&tbnid=HyCZQTId691eoM:&tbnh=49&tbnw=143&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dkiss%2Bkasket%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa %3DX

[Curly Bill]

I cremated my 20 lb. doggie last year for $250. Didn't cost a cent to bury him, he's locked up in my gun safe now. :D

[yermom]

you could always get one of these: http://www.lifegem.com/

[olevetonahill]

Just roll My carcass off in the ditch someres
Dayum Coyotes Got to Eat to .