Are Funeral Homes running a Legal Scam?, page 2

posted on Jan, 12 2012 @ 07:00 PM

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The simple fact is that anything to do with funeral expenses are purely optional. Even cremation is free if You don't want the ashes, does anyone think the state would really leave dead bodies laying around just because someone doesn't have the money to pay for disposal?

Now most people of course are not going to just say "they're dead and of no use to me so keep them" because they love their family members and out of this love they feel obligated to treat them with respect. But the reality is that no one is FORCED to pay anything at all, they choose to incur these expenses purely of their own free will.

edit on 12-1-2012 by Adamanteus because: (no reason given)

OhZone

posted on Jan, 12 2012 @ 07:12 PM

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reply to post by alilonthecheekyside

Its not a big decision at all.
It's the practical thing to do.
If they don't have a will, then you are in charge.
And besides, if they wanted the big funeral and expensive burial then they should leave the money to do it, otherwise they get what the family can afford.

alilonthecheekyside

posted on Jan, 12 2012 @ 07:20 PM

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Originally posted by Adamanteus
The simple fact is that anything to do with funeral expenses are purely optional. Even cremation is free if You don't want the ashes, does anyone think the state would really leave dead bodies laying around just because someone doesn't have the money to pay for disposal?

Now most people of course are not going to just say "they're dead and of no use to me so keep them" because they love their family members and out of this love they feel obligated to treat them with respect. But the reality is that no one is FORCED to pay anything at all, they choose to incur these expenses purely of their own free will.
edit on 12-1-2012 by Adamanteus because: (no reason given)

Words of wisdom. But free? Uhm, I doubt that.
Everyone deserves to be "taken care of" in a respectful and inexpensive manner don't you think?
Whether a person is poor, or financially secure.
I still think something needs to be done!

"they're dead and of no use to me so keep them"

Lol! That was funny, but seriously can you imagine? Good grief.

schuyler

posted on Jan, 12 2012 @ 07:29 PM

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Whose problem is this, anyway? I've buried three people now, over the last 25 years and each time it cost about $1000. That's it. If you have a $10,000 funeral bill it's because you wanted to put on a show with the fanciest of everything. It does your dead person not a whit of good. You just do it so you feel better about yourself. If you can't afford a cadillac, don't buy one. It's that simple.

BeforeTooLong

posted on Jan, 12 2012 @ 07:34 PM

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If only you could shoplift a nice funeral

alilonthecheekyside

posted on Jan, 12 2012 @ 07:43 PM

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reply to post by schuyler

If you have a $10,000 funeral bill it's because you wanted to put on a show with the fanciest of everything.

Are you for real? That statement, I'm sure does apply to some but not in our case. I mean come on!
A $1000.00 dollars to dig a hole, just because our loved one happened to pass away during a particularly very cold winter and the ground was frozen.?

You just do it so you feel better about yourself. If you can't afford a cadillac, don't buy one. It's that simple.

I can see your point, from a very dis-passionate angle, that is!
As far as "it" being "that simple" goes? I wish it was, and so do alot of others!

alilonthecheekyside

posted on Jan, 12 2012 @ 07:45 PM

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Originally posted by BeforeTooLong
If only you could shoplift a nice funeral

Or borrow one. If that makes any sense.

I'm just trying to bring attention to something, I feel, needs work!

alilonthecheekyside

posted on Jan, 12 2012 @ 07:49 PM

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reply to post by OhZone

Thank you for your compassion.
Hindsight is 20/20, isn't it though.
It's still daylight robbery!

HomerinNC

posted on Jan, 12 2012 @ 07:56 PM

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I used to work in a funeral home down in Florida, and yes its a huge price gouging racket. You can pay upwards to 2000-3000 for a simple cremation, yet it only costs the FH about 200 to cremate the body and file death certificates, cheaper if the FH has its own crematorium. A 5,000 casket costs the FH about 500.00 or so, so yes they do take full advantage of a grieving family IMHO

ETA: it even costs to donate your body so science, believe it or not

edit on 1/12/2012 by HomerinNC because: (no reason given)

alilonthecheekyside

posted on Jan, 12 2012 @ 08:00 PM

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Originally posted by HomerinNC
I used to work in a funeral home down in Florida, and yes its a huge price gouging racket. You can pay upwards to 2000-3000 fir a simple cremation, yes it only costs the FH about 200 to cremate the body and file death certificates. A 5,000 casket costs the FH about 500.00 or so

See!....See?
I knew it!!!

Thank you so very much for this, I can't tell you how much it is appreciated!

p.s. like the upbeat link, i'll have 2 check it out later.

edit on 12-1-2012 by alilonthecheekyside because: (no reason given)

Adamanteus

posted on Jan, 12 2012 @ 08:43 PM

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Originally posted by alilonthecheekyside

Words of wisdom. But free? Uhm, I doubt that.
Everyone deserves to be "taken care of" in a respectful and inexpensive manner don't you think?
Whether a person is poor, or financially secure.
I still think something needs to be done!

In cases involving unclaimed bodies in the state of North Carolina where a family member does come forth but is unable to pay the necessary fees for transportation, funeral, etc., the State Medical Examiner is required to make preparations for cremation of the body. The remains will then be shipped to the claimant, free of charge.

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As I said previously all expense incurred are voluntary.

We just made arrangements for my girlfriends mother for right around $1,000 USD.

$790 for cremation
$100 for the minister to perform the service
$100 for flowers and $50 for an urn to put her ashes in.
Everyone of her family,friends and co workers thought the arrangements were very nice and respectful.

This of course were her wishes(the cremation) and she left the money to cover the expenses.
anyone that wants a big to do funeral with multiple thousands of dollars in costs needs to plan ahead of time so as to not be a burden on their surviving loved ones. IMHO.

check out Johnny knoxville interviews popcorn sutton on youtube.(warning explicit language and some sexual references) He bought his casket,headstone,flowers and even shovels years in advance.

I personally would rather just be left out in a field to let the critters and bugs eat me and go back into the earth from which I came or be buried sans box and a tree planted over me so that my rotting corpse could nourish the tree but I know this would never be allowed so as of now I will just be cremated and ashes spread somewhere.(unless I can pull off buying 5-10 acres before I die and converting a 1/2 acre or so into a family cemetery with me being it's first occupant.)
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edit on 12-1-2012 by Adamanteus because: (no reason given)

schuyler

posted on Jan, 12 2012 @ 09:23 PM
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Originally posted by alilonthecheekyside
reply to post by schuyler

If you have a $10,000 funeral bill it's because you wanted to put on a show with the fanciest of everything.

Are you for real? That statement, I'm sure does apply to some but not in our case. I mean come on!
A $1000.00 dollars to dig a hole, just because our loved one happened to pass away during a particularly very cold winter and the ground was frozen.?

You chose that approach. A simple cremation is a whole lot cheaper. You chose to have someone physically buried based on your own needs and desires. You wanted the fancy satin-lined coffin. You wanted the burial plot. You wanted the memorial stone or whatever you chose. You CHOSE a fancy ordeal, therefore you have to pay for it. That's not a "scam." It's a reflection of your own desires and what you needed. I don't begrudge you that in the least. If you can afford that and if that's what you need and want, go for it. But then don't turn around and say it's a "scam." You chose it. Take responsibility for it.

So, yes, I am "for real." My three relatives are no less remembered in the hearts of our family than yours are. And we don't need a decaying corpse in a fancy box taking up space in a cemetery to prove it.

edit on 1/12/2012 by schuyler because: (no reason given)

bg_socalif

posted on Jan, 12 2012 @ 09:26 PM
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My dad died Dec 2010. We had him cremated and his ashes put into a big zip lock baggie for $800 or so. My sister and I took the baggie to his favorite bar where all his drinking buddies toasted drinks in his honor. Then we took the baggie to his favorite fishing hole and dumped his ashes in the water.

I hope my kids do something along those lines for me. I don't need a big production of a funeral. It's not like i'll be around to enjoy it.

Is it a racket, yes it is But it's like anything else, go with what you can afford whether is a house, car or....a funeral.

MischeviousElf

posted on Jan, 12 2012 @ 09:37 PM
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Personally I am of the opinion "let the dead bury and worry about the dead"

If those who have a loved one pass spent just one day sending positive prayers and thanks and feelings to the departed I know from an NDE that it makes the deceased much happier than any expensive coffin.

Worshipping and dressing up an bag of bones made of skin filled with liquid.

The person is not their anymore, the real them has moved on, funerals in the west are a way for the Living to deal with the process and a very bad one, and have nothing to do with the departed.

They are only happy when they see everyone in the night having an drink, more relaxed and laughing about good times in the persons life, being together, family not seen all year being together, friends coming together, old family wounds being healed if only for the day, estranged brothers and sisters hugging each other offering comfort.

Some happiness maybe now that maybe someone thinks about life, and god or whatever spirit, life purpose in the ceremony, maybe the only prayers or hyms sung by some mourning for all year or many years.

I am sure most would be happy for us to dig a hole in the back garden let the worms eat it, give new life and give the money to charity or enjoy it now if used positively have fun, share.

But of course thats from the deceased point of view and as said none of the western ceremony and traditions around death are about the loved ones gone, its all about the alive.

In Tibet they put your body on the mountain tops as bird food, as they are wise enough to know that the body was just an shell and not even that when you pass on, at least something of benefit as the final act of your body do some good, feed something.

I cant even imagine the police and council response if I arranged for my naked body to be left on the top of Snowden in Wales for the crows lol....

but why not?

Its illegal, see they control even our last wishes, and the western ceremonies are just ways of control to.

No Black at mine allowed only Bright colors, no sad hyms only happy music, cardboard coffin, no flowers send them to the dying in hospital... that is if anyone turns up lol.

Kind Regards,

Elf

alilonthecheekyside

posted on Jan, 12 2012 @ 09:54 PM
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reply to post by bg_socalif

Hello, fellow ATSer. Thank you for your reply, and for sharing.

I do have something positive to say...that being, I can't tell you how pleased I am that at least this time people are staying "on topic"!
Not like my other "first thread".
=)

jewells

posted on Jan, 13 2012 @ 02:56 AM
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reply to post by bg_socalif

Lol, I like the way you think!

When my dad passed away in 2001, it happened around 2am. The funeral director was at my mums at 3am, asking question after question. We were all shell shocked, & in no frame of mind to answer most. We all regret not being assertive enough to tell him to take a hike, but the next death, he'd better watch out!
Needless to say we agreed to things that in a clearer frame of mind we wouldn't of.

I've told my kids, present me in the 'nice' casket, but cremate me in a cardboard box! (If they want to decorate my cardboard box ,then hey, just present me in that!:lol

The thing I don't want, is to leave my family in unnecessary debt. As long as theres love around me, the rest is unimportant.
My dads funeral taught us all about the many rorts to watch out for. For instance, I wasn't aware that family members could share the same plot (Cutting huge costs). I actually like the idea, of family being able to visit everyone in the one place!
Its a shame funeral parlors aren't required by law to hand out pamphlets on cutting costs of funerals. Pfffttt, yeah right! Greedy bas**rds.

ahmonrarh

posted on Jan, 13 2012 @ 07:24 AM
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reading this reminded me, why i'm working towards buying my own land....that way, when my keister gets old, and I've managed to annoy my kids, their kids and their kids(even if their just toddlers), all they have to do is follow 3 easy steps:
1) dig
2) roll
3) cover

no use for having a "note" on my old arse.
edit on 13-1-2012 by ahmonrarh because: (no reason given)

ignorant_ape

posted on Jan, 13 2012 @ 07:55 AM
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no - they are running a business for the enrichment of thier owners / stockholders

ANNED

posted on Jan, 13 2012 @ 08:27 AM
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I knew a carpenter that built his own coffin.

It cost him about $300 and was a work of art compared to the $10,000 Funeral Home ones.

He ended up buried in Nevada because the state of Calif would not allow home made coffins even ones that were built better the required.
edit on 13-1-2012 by ANNED because: (no reason given)

crayzeed

posted on Jan, 13 2012 @ 12:30 PM
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I don't know the US systembut in the UK you can donate your body to teaching hospitals. As long as you die in the area your body is registered to it costs nothing. If you die out of the area your estate must cover the cost of transporting your body to the appropriate hospital. If you die in area cost to family zero. You must also realise Funerals are for the living not the dead. Caught up with keeping up with the neighbours. My mother always said "I want no money or trouble over me dieing. Just throw me out on the street. They never leave anybody on the top".
edit on 13-1-2012 by crayzeed because: (no reason given)