Author: Josh Slocum

FTC “Sweeps” NYC Metro Funeral Homes

Funeral Rule Violators The Federal Trade Commission announced the results of a “sweep” of metropolitan New York City homes on December 29, 2003. The FTC press release stated that 12 of 29 funeral homes were found by test shoppers to have violated the Funeral Rule. Read more

Memory’s Garden Cemetery in Trouble

CHARGES OF WRONG BURIALS, UNAUTHORIZED EXHUMATIONS, AND COVERING UP THE EVIDENCE
11/05/03 THE LATEST NEWS From The (Albany) Business Review (scroll down for the history of this case): Board of Directors at Albany Cemetery to Resign The board of directors of a Colonie cemetery will resign under the terms of an agreement with the New York State Cemetery Board designed to resolve mismanagement complaints. Read more

Bones, Bugs, and Batesville

(This is a reprint of an article that appeared in the FAMSA Newsletter, Spring 1999)
by Lisa Carlson The “Body Farm” it’s been called—the brain-child of Dr. William Bass, a forensic anthropologist—and the only location of its kind in the country. Read more

Bait and Switch in Las Vegas

Bait and Switch Price Gouging at Palm Mortuary May 13, 2001 Leroy Wright
Palm Mortuary
1325 North Main Street
Las Vegas, NV 89101 Dear Mr. Wright: I am writing this letter to register my dissatisfaction regarding my experience at Palm Mortuary in handling the funeral arrangements for my brother, Martin A. Read more

FTC Complaint Against SCI for Multiple Price Lists

April 17, 2001 Myra Howard
FTC
600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20508 Dear Myra, Apparently, Service Corporation International (SCI) is now selling funerals to veterans via mail. See the enclosed sales material being sent to California vets. Read more

Funeral Insurance Scam

Beware of anything called funeral “insurance.” INSURANCE – A formal social device for reducing risk by transferring the risks of several individual entities to an insurer. The insurer agrees, for a consideration, to assume, to a specified extent, the losses suffered by the insured. Read more

Corporate Preneed Sales Tactics

Sales tips from one of the big-three, anonymously leaked to the FCA office: How often do you ask a prospect for the order? The answer, “One more time.” You should be prepared to ask at least four to five times. •46% ask once and quit •24% ask twice and quit •14% ask three times and quit •12% give up after the fourth attempt. Read more