My Local Mortuary Sure Asks A Lot Of Questions!

Recently, a survey from "local" mortuaries was sent to many homes throughout the Bay Area asking some very personal questions.  We did some checking and this is what we found:

The mortuaries that sent out this survey, despite hiding behind a locally recognized name, are huge publically traded companies gathering information for marketing of cemetery property, pre-need funeral plans or other cremation and burial related products.

The information you provide them is used strictly for marketing purposes.  Answering their questions and providing your personal information may subject you to countless other companies marketing other products and services.  Needless to say, you just provided your information to another marketing list and you have no idea who has your personal information or who has access to it.

Due to identity theft, it is not recommended that you provide your personal information to any solicitation that comes in the mail.

When the time comes to make funeral arrangements, call around to different firms.  Ask questions, find out who owns them, the services they provide and prices.  You want to look for the most affordable price because providers of cremation and burial services are highly regulated by state and federal agencies and provide very similar services; a high price does not guarantee a better service - it just guarantees a high price.

For more information or to ask a question, please write to:  info@AcaciaSociety.com

How Do I Avoid An Expensive Cremation Service?

There is nothing wrong with shopping for the best price when planning a cremation, burial or funeral service; and knowing what to ask could save you thousands of dollars.

Currently, the most common service requested is Direct Cremation (a simple service with no ceremony).  Direct Cremation can be a personal, dignified and affordable way to memorialize the life of a loved one – or, you could pay more than you should by not knowing what to ask in advance of meeting with a funeral professional or salesperson.

Providers of cremation services are only required to quote their “price for a Direct Cremation”.       Their price is not usually complete and they know that once you are meeting with them you will most likely not walk away, but rather pay a price much higher than originally quoted.  Walking away from anyone, including a funeral establishment representative, when they intentionally misquote prices or try and make you purchase products and services you do not want is absolutely acceptable.

When making a cremation arrangement, the following components apply in order to know an accurate and complete price (**denotes a cost sometimes not included in a “Direct Cremation” quote):

Basic Services of Funeral Director and Staff (includes taking care of all paperwork and authorizations, producing the Permit for Disposition and Death Certificate and overhead)

            Arrangement Conference with Responsible Party

**Transportation from Place of Death (night, weekend, holiday, residential or other differential fees may apply)

            **Fee for the Disposition Permit

            **DCA Tax (a tax charged by the State of California)

            **Refrigerated Shelter

            **Alternative Cremation Container (minimum cardboard required by crematory – no need to purchase a casket)

            **Transportation to Crematory

            **Cremation and Processing of Cremated Remains

            **Durable Cremation Urn

The only additional charge to a Direct Cremation should be Certified Death Certificates, which are a per copy charge determined by the county of death.  You should never pay a membership fee to “join” a mortuary or cremation society.

Currently, the cost for a Complete Direct Cremation in the San Francisco Bay Area ranges from under $900 to over $3,000.