The Funeral Consumers Alliance (FCA) is a non-profit organization which was started to advocate for consumers and assist them in knowing their death-care and end-of-life funeral and memorial options.  Rodger Ericson is on the FCA national Board of Trustees and is active in their Austin affiliate called Austin Memorial and Burial Information Society (AMBIS). Go to funerals.org  for more information.   

"Shop Around"

One of the slogans of the FCA is  "Shop Before You Drop". On a bumper sticker I prepared for the FCA  I ask if people are 'Dying' to Pay More?. The reason? Situations like this: One San Antonio funeral home charges up to $14,000 for a direct cremation. No, that's not a misprint. $14,000.  An FCA contracted option of $565 is available for the same service.  Providing education and encouragement to consumers and advocacy for consumer friendly legislation is the goal of the FCA.

We encourage people to "Shop Around" in order to understand the options for you and your family. When you need it, you'll be glad you did. Being aware will allow you to help friends and family. You'll  be able to comfort them when they are most vulnerable,  and your information may help them  save money that may have otherwise been wasted  because they were not aware of the alternatives. 

 A funeral can be simple or elaborate, inexpensive or costly. But unless you plan well in advance and shop around, you'll likely pay top dollar. Consumer surveys show that most people don't shop around for a funeral-- they pick the funeral home closest to them, or the one their family has always used. Neither of these criteria tells you whether you're getting a good value. If you've never checked another funeral home for its prices and services, you may have been paying the highest rate in town. For example, many funeral homes which have been around for three generations may now be owned by corporations that buy family funeral homes. Although the name may be the same, the prices may have been raised.

By federal regulation, funeral homes must give you price quotes over the phone. In addition, they must give you printed, itemized price lists when you show up in person to discuss funeral arrangements. That means you have the right to stop in to any funeral home and request a General Price List (GPL), no questions asked. It's a good idea to visit several funeral homes to pick up price lists and take them home for comparison at your own kitchen table. Share them with your family. Compare the cost of the items among funeral homes. You'll likely find a variation in price, sometimes quite substantial. See our pamphlet, How to Read a General Price List, to understand your rights and options.

    The best place to start shopping is your local funeral consumer group. A nationwide directory of our nonprofit information organizations can be found here . These volunteer groups can often recommend reasonably priced funeral homes and crematories. Some of our groups have contracted for substantial discounts for our members, too.

When shopping on your own, the Yellow Pages is a good place to start. You can get numbers for funeral homes and crematories online, too. Google "funerals" and "cremation" to search for businesses in your area.  There are internet based companies, such as aCremations, that can arrange a cremation for around $800 (Texas and California) and arrange for a body burial at a very low cost; this is especially helpful if you did not have a chance to "shop around" and need to make a quick decision. 

-- Rodger Ericson