[Suzanne rose]

Is your Pre Paid Funeral Really Paid​

Sadly my uncle passed away yesterday in an Aged care facility.
He had no children and his wife hardly visited .
My mother was listed as his next of kin and needs to deal with funeral arrangements, due to her recent surgery and illness , I have to arrange it.

My uncle was a proud man and had what he thought Paid for his entire funeral.

I ve just spoken to the funeral place and found out other cost that can't be prepaid but was never mentioned to my uncle.

$3200 to open and close the grave

$600 to transport him from nursing home to funeral palor After hours

$375 to use on-site chapel.

Plus cost of Headstone

These expenses were not included in his prepaid funeral

 

[Suzanne rose]

I just found out if we stay at the grave while they fill it in then that's a charge of $650

 

[Iggydi]

That’s so wrong. When you pre pay for something they should advise you of any extras that you will have to pay for. Thieves is all I can call them. Sorry you had to go through that extra stress when it wasn’t really necessary if the company is truthful for the start. Condolences

 

[Shane O'Neill]

Sorry for your loss , what a rip off obviously your uncle didn't have the full story what a low act from the funeral company he wanted the family to have no stress at a sad time but this is wrong what did he pay for tin the funeral directors eye's

 

[Monty]

I just found out if we stay at the grave while they fill it in then that's a charge of $650

That is so wrong. transfer from nursing home to funeral parlor would have been in the pre-paid, so would the cost of using their chapel. You are being ripped off and should not pay it. I used to be a funeral director.

 

[trakn]

My condolences.
I struck the same problems in 2001 when my father passed. I argued that my father asked for and believed that he had a fully paid for funeral. He had huge expenses when mum died with her funeral plan. He asked for and paid for everything he knew would be needed. I discovered that it is not possible to prepay ($600) for delivery from place of death to the funeral home. (Dads had prepaid for his funeral 20+ years before his death.)
Interest would have covered this figure. As you see the price hasn't changed much since 2001.
My complaint and argument led to the other $2000 being waived.
My biggest concern was that he was sold an average size coffin which (for people less than 5'11'' ) dad was 6'1' so his knees had to be bent to make him fit.
IT'S TIME for government to fix the rip off mentality that exists in the funeral industry.

 

[Veggiepatch]

Copped the same "deal" when Mum said goodbye in September 2007. Ended up costing a bit over $3000 on top of her contributions she had been paying since the early 1960s.

I immediately cancelled my contributions to the same funeral fund.

 

[Annie]

I would want to ask…… what did the prepaid for funeral actually pay for?

 

[Suzanne rose]

Sorry for your loss , what a rip off obviously your uncle didn't have the full story what a low act from the funeral company he wanted the family to have no stress at a sad time but this is wrong what did he pay for tin the funeral directors eye's

It's with every funeral place

 

[Veggiepatch]

I would want to ask…… what did the prepaid for funeral actually pay for?

I actually forget. Not much apparently.

It was with Metropolitan Funeral Fund at Hurstville, which no longer exists.... for good reason.

 

[Suzanne rose]

I ended up finding out he had paid for his headstone. But this was after some digging

He had paid for his body to be transported but the extra cost was because he needed to be transported on a weekend , he passed on a Saturday and the nursing home didn't have a morgue and could only keep him for 6 hours .

Opening the grave ,that cost should definitely be in the pre paid cost but it isn't, and this they don't tell you.

I couldn't understand why it cost extra if we stayed while they covered the grave ?

In the end we did stay at no extra charge , my uncle was married to a Fijian lady and all her men relatives filled in the grave and covered it with a Fijian Mat. They were still going to charge but then accepted it was Fijian Religious ceremony

 

[Suzanne rose]

I would want to ask…… what did the prepaid for funeral actually pay for?

The grave, the funeral cars and transporting his body during business hours not after hours.

The thing now is no nursing homes have a morgue , this stopped due to health regulations 10 years ago

 

[Janet g]

Wow I’m looking into what mine covers later today

 

[KatKop]

@SDC Staff, I'd really appreciate it if you could share information about funeral options and costs. This is far more relevant to me (and probably all your readers) than the latest amazing fantabulous offering from Kmart.

 

[starrysnan]

This article highlights how dependent we are on what is said at the time of arranging a prepaid funeral. For most it is not the most comfortable conversation and as the consumer we may forget to ask some questions and some funeral directors do not tell us all the facts. We were fortunate when my mother in law passed away in hospital in Singleton NSW that her pre paid funeral covered all the costs and the funeral director was extremely helpful.

 

[Grumpyolelady]

Can you expose this company to assist others considering pre paid funerals? There have been many "collapses" of these pre paid funeral companies over the years, so I made all arrangements with a Funeral Parlor, accepted their quotation for my disposal, BUT, did not prepay! I have funeral insurance, and told them it would be paid, and the accepted quotation come into force, as soon as my Son, my Executor advised them of my death. I have written confirmation of ALL items I stipulated, BUT, getting my Insurance Policy honored is another question altogether, as I wanted a Funeral Policy, and later found that I had a Life Insurance Policy. This causes delays in paying up, as they will consult my doctors, and anyone else they can, to deny the claim. Unfortunately this is their modus operandi, so I do have concerns that my arrangements will still hit hurdles, due to this duplicity practiced by so many these days.

 

[Veggiepatch]

I actually forget. Not much apparently.

It was with Metropolitan Funeral Fund at Hurstville, which no longer exists.... for good reason.

Must have been damn expensive gas. Mum was cremated.

 

[Luckyus]

To save my wife the hassle of all the associated bullshit involved I've left my body to science.

 

[Suzanne rose]

Wow I’m looking into what mine covers later today

I think everyone needs to do this and make sure you have everything in writing what it includes including opening and closing of the grave

 

[Suzanne rose]

Can you expose this company to assist others considering pre paid funerals? There have been many "collapses" of these pre paid funeral companies over the years, so I made all arrangements with a Funeral Parlor, accepted their quotation for my disposal, BUT, did not prepay! I have funeral insurance, and told them it would be paid, and the accepted quotation come into force, as soon as my Son, my Executor advised them of my death. I have written confirmation of ALL items I stipulated, BUT, getting my Insurance Policy honored is another question altogether, as I wanted a Funeral Policy, and later found that I had a Life Insurance Policy. This causes delays in paying up, as they will consult my doctors, and anyone else they can, to deny the claim. Unfortunately this is their modus operandi, so I do have concerns that my arrangements will still hit hurdles, due to this duplicity practiced by so many these days.

You have to remember if it's not prepaid then prices could go up which is what we found with my uncles, what he paid 20 years ago prices have doubled with funeral cost , some more