By Nastassia Strackbein The state of Colorado has shut down Heritage Cremation Provider for misleading consumers and acting as a middle-man to generate business for funeral homes. But Heritage Cremation’s website implied to consumers that the business is locally owned and services were provided by the consumer’s “friends and neighbors. Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee and… Read More >
Category: BLOG-The Daily Dirge
Uniquely Vulnerable
By John Lantz At the time of “at need” funeral planning, we often refer to the funeral consumers as “uniquely vulnerable.” There are several reasons why those shopping for a funeral are vulnerable in a way they are not in any other retail transaction. 1. THE NEED TO MAKE DECISIONS – The person responsible for making… Read More >
What’s your metaphor for death?
By Karen Smith, Ph.D. “What we do to the earth we do to ourselves” is an adage many people have come to believe. How we connect to nature matters and can have benefits for our health, according to New York Times journalist David Suziki. Do you believe your living and dying are part of a… Read More >
He championed racial parity in the Detroit funeral industry
We thought you might “Digg” this historical excursion, courtesy writer and historian, Amy Elliott Bragg. While this true story is set in Detroit, racially discriminatory practices in the funeral industry that continued well into the 1960s, were widespread. Charles Diggs Sr. was fed up with cemeteries. It was 1925, and if you were black, cemeteries could… Read More >
Funeral Consumers Alliance And Consumer Federation of America’s Joint Press Release
Death With Dignity? Nation’s Largest Funeral Home Company Charges High Prices and Refuses to Disclose These Prices On Their Websites Read FCA’s full report on how SCI-owned corporate funeral homes charge up to 72 percent higher prices than independently owned funeral homes. Read a summary of this joint project with our partner Consumer Federation of America… Read More >
Learning from our Fellow Affiliates – A Valentine
by Alison Rector, FCA of Maine “What’s the biggest challenge at your FCA right now?” This is the question I use to get to know colleagues at our national conference. I really enjoy the encounters with fellow volunteers at national conferences, meeting new friends from around the USA and Canada. And I’ve learned a lot… Read More >
NPR News Investigation – “Despite Decades-Old Law, Funeral Prices Are Still Unclear”.
NPR reports on a two part investigation into the funeral industry, which includes interviews with our executive director Josh Slocum, funeral directors, consumers and regulators. NPR says, “We collected price information from around the country and visited providers. We found a confusing, unhelpful system that seems designed to be impenetrable by average consumers, who must make… Read More >