The Memorial Society is a non-profit, non-denominational organization for those who believe in preplanning simple, dignified final arrangements at a reasonable cost.

Should You Purchase a Prearranged Funeral?

Cont’d from page 1

We can also inform ourselves as customers by discussing arrangements with our families, phoning and visiting funeral homes, and making funeral plans ahead of time: writing them down, but not pre-paying them. The Consumer Reports article lists various rights consumers can expect under the FTC Funeral Rule.

Funeral providers must disclose prices of all services and merchandise to callers who phone during business hours. On request in person, you must be provided with a price list.
In Alberta, no such requirement exists, and funeral directors rarely will give prices over the phone.

You can limit your purchases to only those items you want, but you can’t decline the professional services fee.
In Alberta, the same applies although the law is silent on the matter.

If embalming isn’t required by state [provincial] law, it is illegal to charge for the service without prior consent. Embalming often is not required.
In Alberta, the law is silent in this matter. It is common practice, but not illegal, for Alberta funeral directors to embalm the body without first obtaining permission from the next-of-kin. The Memorial Society has long opposed this practice.

A funeral provider must accept a casket you buy from somewhere else.
In Alberta, the law is silent in this matter. Funeral directors accept others’ caskets only very reluctantly, and three independent casket manufacturers who started businesses in Edmonton in recent years couldn’t make a go of it, and have all closed their doors.

Funeral homes and crematories can’t require a casket for immediate cremations, but they can require inexpensive alternative containers.
In Alberta, the law is silent in this matter. In practice, the crematories set the rules.

If you buy a pre-arranged funeral contract in Alberta, the funeral provider must:

Hold the money in trust, and all interest accrued must be credited to the customer’s account.

The trust funds are audited by the AFSRB annually to ensure your payment, plus interest, is safe.

You may request your money back at any time, and receive a full refund without penalty within 30 days of purchase.

The funeral provider is entitled to withhold up to 15% of the cost of the services to be provided as an administrative fee, but both the principal and interest are otherwise refundable. Very few pre-paid funerals are paid for in cash these days.

Consumer Reports concludes,
“We strongly advise consumers to stay away from these plans altogether.”

Some suggestions from the Memorial Society of Edmonton & District here.