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

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

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

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

Is SCI’s Marketing Plan
Set to Gouge the Poor? In press articles that appeared in Phoenix, Arizona and Louisville, Kentucky papers on October 19, 1999, SCI launched a new marketing plan—”Dignity” funeral packages. These plans run from about $2,000 to over $9,000 and can be financed at the rate of 12.9% to 21%, or so the article implied. Read more

The Jig Is Up (The following is an excerpt from the casket chapter in “Caring for the Dead: Your Final Act of Love,” available through the FCA bookstore.) There is no amount of embalming or any particular casket that will preserve a body in a life-like condition forever. Read more