Yes its true, The only place a casket store profits, is from the sale of caskets.  They want you to believe, that the funeral director is "out to get you", and "take advantage of you at your most vulnerable time."  This is the essence of their whole sales pitch.   They advertise a $600.00 (plus shipping) casket, claim that a funeral home sell the same product for $2000.00,  yet the majority of their merchandise is well over $1000.00.  What they are hoping, is that you don't like the $600.00 (plus shipping) model, and purchase one that costs 3 - 4 times that.  The casket store needs to sell you a casket, or they will go out of business.  A well run funeral home on the other hand, has the majority of costs covered by their professional service fees.  Because of this, you will probably find that your funeral home, or more importantly OUR funeral home, has many caskets below $1000.00.  Our minimum metal sells for $665.00, and there is NEVER a delivery charge on caskets.

What the casket stores won't tell you is that the shipping charge will negate any savings that the casket stores claim to offer. The shipping charge that casket stores charge could add over 15% increase on the cost of your casket.   Sure, you may select a  $600.00 casket, but don't forget to add the nearly $100 in delivery charge, making your casket $700, not $600.00.

That Casket they claim funeral homes sell for $2000.00, a 20 gauge, non seal metal casket, would never sell for that in a funeral home.  They are relying on the consumer to believe that the funeral home is trying to force them into purchasing a casket that the family cannot afford.  The truth is that in our funeral home, we do not want anyone spending more than they can afford, that is why we have several caskets offered below $1000.00.  AND, we have never, and will never charge for shipping.  Our minimum metal sells for $665.00, and there is NEVER a delivery charge on caskets.

When at a casket store, ask them if their caskets are made in America.  Chances are they are not.  All of our caskets, whether hardwood, metal, or cloth covered, are made in America, by hard working Americans. 

Just how much do you have to put down when buying your casket from a casket store?  The full purchase price, PLUS SHIPPING.   That's right, you are expected to come up with the full amount, or they wont be shipping any casket for you.  Here at the Weir Funeral Home, we know that the cost of a funeral can be burdensome.  That is why we work with families and allow for payment plans.  Sometimes, when working with things like insurance, a family can have a funeral service performed with no money down.   At a casket store, with no money down, you walk away with nothing.

The Reality 

For many years, funeral home did expect to cover a portion of their operating costs through the sale of the casket, not their professional service fees.  In fact, before the Federal Trade Commission  began requiring funeral homes to provide itemized general price lists, in some funeral homes, the  price of the casket included ALL of the professional services.  All that changed with the FTC ruling.  But, the funeral trade is a service industry.  To expect to cover necessary expenses focuses the value of the funeral through the sale of merchandise,  which overall is bad for the image of the funeral homes.

So what should a consumer do?  Shop around!  If you have time, then take the time to shop around.   Don't assume that either the funeral home, or the casket store will give you a better deal  Find out for yourself.  Learn about caskets, what kind of metal are they,  what kind of wood are they, are they solid wood or a veneer,  what is they interior made of.  Caskets are like cars, they come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors, all at different costs, but they all do the same job.   Find out what YOU want in a casket, and then make your choice.