Big Three Casket Companies being sued-Your Funeral Guy

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The big three Casket Companies are being sued, for market manipulation. From my perspective this is has been going on for decades. A lawsuit will be brought before a judge in Houston this week on this matter.

The big three casket company sales have already been crippled by the rise of cremation.

There are secret in agreements in place between one of the three big casket Companies and funeral homes… but they will not admit to it generally only in specific cases.

This is a hot topic in the funeral business. and funeral homes are very reluctant to talk about their agreements with the casket makers.

April Dembosky: To get around current FTC rules, the top three casket companies in the country wrote new internal distribution policies. They said they would sell caskets to anyone, but they would only deliver them to funeral homes. Consumer attorney Gordon Schnell says that allowed these companies to dominate 70 percent of the casket market.

Gordon Schnell: The defendants along with other funeral homes have entered into a conspiracy to restrict competition from discount casket sellers so they can keep their casket pricing artificially high.

via marketplace.publicradio.org

Now  a casket can be obtained for a reasonable funeral cost  by ordering it on the Internet, Walmart and Costco both sell caskets.

If you Google Caskets the leading Casket Maker Batesville comes up  along with a leading online seller Star Legacy Caskets.

The big three casket companies are Batesville, York and Aurora.

Funeral Industry, Funeral news, Funeral blog by Your Funeral Guy

IKEA offering Do It Yourself Caskets|Your Funeral Guy

IKEA is now offering do it yourself Caskets.  IKEA is joining the Trendsetters of WalMart, Costco and Amazon.com. The Do it Yourself Casket is nothing new. Amazon.com has been selling  one for several years.

It is pretty much common knowledge that the parts for a wooden coffin go for around $200. Priced at $400, The retailer is making less than $100% profit when you take into account the paint Job

“it was only a matter of time before IKEA ventured into coffins. Artist Joe Scanlan has created simple coffins for $15,000—or a book for $27.50 that tells you how to make your own coffin from IKEA parts for less than $400.

Joe Scanlan’s artist statement advocates staging death in times of personal turmoil or rebirth like changing careers.

Whether natural selection, death with dignity, or suicide, intimations of death have gotten artists through many a hard night. Staging death is also an effective way to express a wish, foment resistance, or change careers. You can enjoy the same piece of mind by investing in your eventual demise. Here at Things That Fall we offer three different burial options. Custom is an elegant and unique vessel crafted in Australia entirely from Tasmanian Blackwood and shipped to you. via www.trendhunter.com”

Funeral Industry|Funeral News|Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy

Some Facts On the “Plastic Casket” Company|YourFuneralGuy

Plastic Caskets come to help with funeral cost in June.

At a  City Council Meeting in Greenville Michigan last fall the city manager joked about Casket personalization, something the funeral industry takes quite seriously.

Clarion technologies plans to continue making furniture, auto parts and plastic Caskets.

Here are some facts on the Plastic Casket, Company Clarion Technologies, of Greenville,Michigan that will be making and selling plastic, marble and wood caskets in June.  These are multi-piece caskets.

Snippet From: Clarion Technologies seeks tax breaks for new product: plastic caskets

FACTS

Clarion Technologies Inc.
501 S. Cedar St., Greenville

• Plastic-injection molder, auto parts maker
• New product: plastic caskets
• Supplied Electrolux here until 2006
• Employs 60
• Expects to add 52 jobs
• $570,000 investment in new equipment/building upgrade
• 12-year tax abatement:
• $22,647 city property tax

via www.mlive.com

Funeral Industry|Funeral News |Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy