| When members of
a deceased person’s family shop for funeral caskets, it is
obviously a time of great emotion. Someone near and dear
to them has just passed away and there are many
arrangements to be made. They do not want to spend a
great deal of money but they do want to bury their loved
one in a funeral casket that they feel is appropriate and
dignified.
Prices of caskets
vary greatly based upon their composition and hardware.
What should you know before making a qualified decision?
The cost of a casket may vary from a minimal amount for a
fiberboard item to many thousands of dollars for a more
soundly constructed casket. Wooden caskets can be
constructed from a variety of woods such as pine, walnut,
cherry, mahogany or oak. Pine is usually the least
expensive but rarely on display in funeral homes for this
reason.
Caskets can also
be constructed from such hardwoods as ash, maple, elm,
poplar and cottonwood. Many of these wooden caskets are
hand sculpted and meticulously polished to a high gloss or
satin finish which adds greatly to the visual appeal of
the object.
For those who opt
for cremation, the cost of a casket is not a consideration
since the remains will be placed in a simple cardboard,
canvas, pressboard or inexpensive, unfinished wooden box
at a nominal cost.
Metal caskets can
be made of bronze, copper or stainless steel
construction. Bronze and copper constructed caskets are
priced by weight per square foot. Stainless steel caskets
are categorized by their thickness (gauge).
Before making a
trip to a funeral home or casket showroom, you should be
aware of the Federal Trade Commissions Funeral Rule.
Central to the Funeral Rule is the General Price List (GPL).
Directors of funeral homes are required - by this law - to
provide a copy of the GPL to anyone who makes a request in
person for information about goods and/or services of the
establishment. This information is not merely shown to
the individual in a bound folder in the office of the
funeral home but a GPL copy must be given to the consumer
to take home.
Additionally, the
funeral home may not refuse to use a casket purchased
elsewhere. Nor are they allowed to add a “handling fee”
if you order a casket on your own. By Federal Law, you
have the right to purchase your casket anywhere you
choose. However, it is possible that you will meet with
resentment at the funeral home since they will be losing a
large percentage of profit on this transaction. .
The terms
“protected”, “gasketed” or “sealed” are often used to make
the purchaser believe that adding these extras to the
casket will keep the body preserved for a longer period of
time. All that can be expected from these additions is to
keep water out of the casket to prevent rust. An
important factor of which you should be aware is the fact
that no casket, no matter how expensive, will preserve the
body forever. All that these extra additions will do is
drive up the price of the casket.
It is also important to
remember that the expense of the casket does nothing to
prove your love and respect for the deceased. |
