Amid Grief, Families Can Overpay for Funerals
Nov. 4 -- Good versus greed is a regular plot line on the HBO funeral home seriesSix Feet Under, where the undertakers are often tempted to put cash ahead of compassion.
"Shopping around for the best deal. Isn't that her right?" one character said in a recent episode, after a customer left. "Wasting our time."
That's TV, but what about in real life?
According to some grieving families, the reality is worse than fiction. A funeral, which costs an average of $5,000, plus cemetery costs, is one of the biggest expenses many families will ever face. Plus, the decisions involved are often made at the worst possible moment, in the midst of tears and mourning.
With 2 million funerals a year, the death care industry is a multibillion-dollar business, but not all consumers are aware of how the costs of a funeral add up. In Lee's Summit, Mo., Kathy Garska's and Dixie Olson's grief turned to anger when they realized they'd agreed to pay more than $7,000 for their mother's funeral.
"They took advantage of us — they took advantage of our grief, and our loss, Garska told ABCNEWS'Good Morning America. "We signed a contract in 15 minutes for $7,700. You spend more time and get more attention when you buy a used car."
Dazed Sisters Sign Off on Charges
Their mother, Verna Milner, was a spunky, independent woman who lived in her own home battling a heart ailment. The family was caught off guard when she died a month before her 85th birthday.
The next day at the Langsford Funeral Home in Lee's Summit, the sisters say they were still dazed as the charges added up. The funeral director's service fee was $1,990; the casket, $3,990; embalming, $475; wake, $390; hearse, $210; and police escort, $150. With other, miscellaneous charges added in, the funeral total was $7,732.30.
They signed a contract, but in hindsight, the sisters say the undertaker put one over on them. In response, the Langsford Funeral Home said the sisters' complaints stem from a billing dispute they are in with the funeral home. They also say they have never had any other complaints.
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