Buyer Beware! Pre-paid Funeral / Cremation plans

[Precision]

Neptune Society is now owned by SCI the largest funeral provider in the world. Recently there have been a rash of articles in Rip off reports, Readers Digest, and The Wall Street Journal etc. about massive fraud, and gross mismanagement in a multi- billion dollar industry. Currently there are over 20 million people who have pre-paid funeral plans.

 

Neptune Society markets a expensive two-tiered pre-paid cremation plan starting at $2200/$2900.  One article mentioned that the funeral industry is a major wealth killer. Highly compensated Funeral directors and commissioned sales associates will never discuss marketing strategies.

 

Locally you can purchase cremation services, which covers certificates, transportation /pickup, cremation, a viewing room and an urn with your loved ones ashes, for $575.  2 other providers charge $695. and another charging $775.

 

You can pre-arrange your own trust account set up with the local bank, and deposit as little as $575. backed up with a living trust or will, to cover the cremation services. 

 

It is highly recommended that with purchased on-line wills or living trusts, an attorney or legal assistant go over the forms with you, ie settlements, beneficiaries, donations etc. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Qapla]

In our area the lowest cost cremation is $795 - we used to have a local Brother who offered cremation services, but he is now retired and out of that business.

[Precision]

In our area the lowest cost cremation is $795 - we used to have a local Brother who offered cremation services, but he is now retired and out of that business.

That's still a great price John.  So many people have had problems with pre-paid plans especially if they had been purchased a few years ago. Neptune Society actually does not do the cremations. They take your money and contract 3rd party crematories.  And the price of a full service funeral can easily top 10K if not more. 

Edited May 5, 2015 by Precision

[Dustparticle]

 Just take my body a throw it in the ditch. That should solve most of the problems. I think.

[Musky]

 Just take my body a throw it in the ditch. That should solve most of the problems. I think.

 

I'm for that!!

 

Oh, wait, you mean after you are dead? 

Edited May 5, 2015 by Musky

[pnutts]

 Just take my body a throw it in the ditch. That should solve most of the problems. I think.

Except for the Smell!  What was it that Lazarus' sisters said " It has been xxxx days, surely he will xxxxxx

[Dustparticle]

LOL you guys are crazy.

[Qapla]

We own a backhoe and 30 acres .... so, "disposal" is not a problem

[pnutts]

We own a backhoe and 30 acres .... so, "disposal" is not a problem

However there is the problem of ground water contamination

[Hammerhead]

I installed oven in funeral home about ten years ago. Fuel cost per single cremation runs about $50. The actual oven cost about 60k. All the other work to get operational was about 40k. Recovered his money inside 30 days. He charged about 2000.

[RaymondG]

You've got it good there...

My wife's cremation, arranged as she wished at the cheapest possible price with all the options based on that assumption, a 'no viewing, no attendance' cremation, cost over $AU3,000.

We have a strong insurance presence in the funeral costs business here. People are paying through the nose to insure their funerals so their loved ones aren't put out on their passing. People sign up and, generally, find that their premiums continue to increase every year long after they've paid more than the future benefit in premiums.

If you leave the money in a bank account, and if that account's in your name only, nobody can touch it for some time so family will have to pay prior to having access to that money.

In a discussion with a local hearse builder a few years ago he told me of the excitement among the delegates to the International Funeral Industry Association conference in Florida. "They were all talking about the fact that 'baby boomers' start to turn 65 in the coming year," he told me. They were expecting a boom in business.

It will be good to see them out of business real soon...