Funerals
When a loved one dies, grieving family members and friends often
are confronted with dozens of decisions about the funeral - all
of which must be made quickly and often under great emotional
duress. What kind of funeral should it be? What funeral provider
should you use? Should you bury or cremate the body, or donate
it to science? What are you legally required to buy? What other
arrangements should you plan? And, as callous as it may sound,
how much is it all going to cost?
Each year, Americans grapple with these and many other questions
as they spend billions of dollars arranging more than 2 million
funerals for family members and friends. The increasing trend
toward pre-need planning - when people make funeral arrangements
in advance - suggests that many consumers want to compare prices
and services so that ultimately, the funeral reflects a wise and
well-informed purchasing decision, as well as a meaningful one.
A Consumer Product
Funerals rank among the most expensive purchases many consumers
will ever make. A traditional funeral, including a casket and
vault, costs about $6,000, although "extras" like flowers,
obituary notices, acknowledgment cards or limousines can add thousands
of dollars to the bottom line. Many funerals run well over $10,000.
Yet even if you're the kind of person who might haggle with a
dozen dealers to get the best price on a new car, you're likely
to feel uncomfortable comparing prices or negotiating over the
details and cost of a funeral, pre-need or at need. Compounding
this discomfort is the fact that some people "overspend"
on a funeral or burial because they think of it as a reflection
of their feelings for the deceased.
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