VIDEO: Consumers RIP: It’s OK To buy Casket From Walmart|YourFuneralGuy

Consumers all across the land can now rest in peace. A Funeral Director has stated that it is OK to buy your casket at Walmart online.
However the Funeral Director in the video displays his displeasure with the shipper of the Walmart, Star Legacy Casket
FED EX. Update 7/25/10: The Funeral director who posted the video on You Tube made the video private.

THis Video goes beyond just showing what to expect, and does put FED EX in a bad light, for not allowing tail gate off loading assistance, something the video does not define. It is unreasonable for Fed EX to accommodate funeral home(or any receiver) delivery requests or restrictions without extra charge, The Video does not reveal the conversation with Fed Ex on the phone so to point a finger at them without further detail is a tad bit unfair to the shipper-Fed Ex

A Batesville casket is cleverly shown in the video is a subtle advertisement for the world’s largest casket maker. .

Walmart starting to sell caskets on line shook the funeral world last October and created an internet explosion of commentary, jokes on Wamart selling Caskets.

Funeral Industry|Funeral News| Funeral Blog by R Brian Burkhardt Your Funeral Guy

The 2009 Funeral Event of the Year alerted The World to High Cost Batesville Caskets-Your Funeral Guy

In 2009 The Funeral event of the year alerted the world to High  “funeral cost” Batesville Caskets. It was the Michael Jackson Golden Casket at the Memorial Service and it’s going missing afterward that brought high end Batesville Casket knowledge to many an internet user.

The MIchael Jackson Memorial Funeral Service Informed the world about Batesville High Price Caskets.

Between July and September the world wondered and speculated as to where Michael was in that Golden Casket. As focused turned from Michael to the casket maker the price was revealed.

The Price $25,000 USD Plus.

Instantly Batesville  Casket Company became known as the high priced bread of caskets. This was always the case  but most of  the Consumers did not know.

Now 2009 was bad year for the Economy, Cremation was up,Casket demand down, in fact people were opting for lower priced coffins. Batesville(Hillenbrand Inc, HI) was in Financial Trouble.

And then Walmart Started selling discount Caskets! The story Continues.

People thought- Maybe I do not need a Casket from the Company that made Michael Jackson’s Golden Casket

Funeral Industry| Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy

Michael Jackson Golden Casket pic from flickr under under the creative commons license from

DianthusMoon’s photostream

Batesville Casket Testing Vault Sales after Very Bad Revenue Year-YourFuneralGuy

Batesville Casket  has been testing the sale of Funeral Vaults.  Reasons are revealed here on Why Families do not need  a Batesville Golden casket or any other coffin from the company. Batesville  Financial Reports  have been the worst in recent memory another indication of Funeral Industry Decline.

Reasons are Revealed Here Why You Do Not Need a Michael Jackson Golden Casket or any other "Batesville"

Snippet Batesville 3rd Quarter Results  From RTT:

Revenue came down to $496.0 million from $519.3 million in the same period (9 month) last year.

As I have stated in other corners of the web.

“Batesville and SCI have no choice but to acquire to survive. With Financial numbers and net revenues for the year down in the 10s of millions,you cannot just keep cutting expenses to be profitable….

Batesville is the Largest casket supplier in the United States of America. The official Company Name is Hillenbrand INC(HI). Astute Funeral Industry Observers have known about the Batesville Vault Beta Test.

Detail from  Goria Vault Corporation Web Page-

“Goria Vault Corporation”My purpose in writing today is to advise you of a change in our business. Effective November 16, 2009. Goria sold the molds and intellectual property rights on which our vaults are produced. Goria has closed its burial vault business and have ceased all manufacturing operations and will no longer be a supplier of burial vaults. For a number of reasons, we felt the time was appropriate and are confident we made the right decision in choosing the reputable organization we sold too.”

Connecting directors.com is reporting that Batesville has purchased  a portion of  Goria Vault  and that the Goria Vault Beta Test is extending into 2010.

A Casket is much more reasonable at Walmart Online.

It is my opinion that  a Family should not purchase the high end Batesville Casket, because you do not need to pay up to and  $25,000 dollars for a golden casket like  the Michael Jackson Family!

THE FUNERAL CONSUMERS ALLIANCE MAY HAVE LOST THEIR ANTI TRUST LAWSUITS AGANST BATESVILLE AND SCI-but  it appears they may be winning the war as these funeral giants experience massive financial and other difficulties.

Funeral Industry|Funeral News Funeral Blog By Your Funeral Guy

Michael Jackson Golden Casket pic from flickr under under the creative commons license from

DianthusMoon’s photostream

UPDATE ON THE CONNECTING DIRECTORS SIDE OF THIS STORY
UPDATE ON THE BATESVILLE SIDE OF THE STORY.

Here are the top 25 Funeral News Stories of 2009-Your Funeral Guy

Top 25 Funeral Stories of 2009

Here are the Top 25 Funeral Stories of 2009:

1 .Walmart Selling caskets online

2. When someone dies setup a Facebook Memorial

3.Sadly|Pics,Places,Logo Virginia SCI Body Desecrations-rbrianburkhardt

4.Michael Jackson Memorial

5.Average Cost of a Funeral-Average Funeral Home

6.President Obama Stirs the soldiers At Fort Hood Memorial Service-

7.More than 100 graves dug up in Cemetery Horror Burr Oak Cemetery.

8.Digital Assets need to be a part of Every Funeral Arrangement

9.Funeral Preneed is Dead Even in the Richest Towns

10.Service Corporation International’s Burr Oak Cem. Scandal

11.Brittany Murphy Death and Funeral|has celebrity death gone too far n 2009?

12. Farrah Fawcett Memorial

13. SCI  Denies wrong doing in Veterans Corpse Abuse Scandal

14.Chicago Cubs Cemetery is for Burned Fans.

15 So Where is Farrah Fawcett Buried?

16.Ted Kennedy Funeral | Mass- Full Program-Your Funeral Guy

17. Burr Oak Cemetery  owners have a funeral home scandal

18. NFDA Exec Sec Earl Should Resign with Fed Investigation of IFDA

19.Neptune Society fined for Preneed Violations

20.Walter Cronkite Memorial Service: Video of President Clinton’s Eulogy-R.Brian Burkhardt

21. Senator Ted Kennedy Funeral Mass|Program-from Mission Church.

22. Funeral Preneed is Dead.

23. Service Corporation International, mishandled the Kennedy Funeral

24.Oral Roberts Funeral arrangements|Live Streaming Video-

25.Missouri Legislature passes reform in response to National Prearranged Services Scandal

Funeral Industry Funeral blog by Your Funeral Guy

Be sure to Check Out the Top 100  Funeral News Stories of 2009.

7-Secret, New, Improved,Ways Funeral Directors took your money in 09-YourFuneralGuy

Funeral Directors found new ways to raise your funeral cost in 09.

In 2009 the Funeral Industry came up with secret, new improved ways to take your money in 2010. 1)Funeral Webcast 2) new casket sales tricks 3) collectors 4) Social media  5) improved websites 6).paid online obituaries.7). raising the basic service fee.

1. The Number one new way Funeral Directors took your money in 09 was the Funeral Webcast. With Michael Jackson, Walter Cronkite and Teddy Kennedy Funerals the public  has accepted and come to expect the Funeral Webcast. Funeral One-is one of the popular places selling this service to Funeral Homes. The Funeral  home often charges too much for the webcast. Video the funeral yourself. Replay it on the web, e mail it yourself  or mailed burned dvds to friends and relatives-Save your money

2. Things improved dramatically in profit taking in in casket sales through a secret Batesville Casket(#1 Casket provider to Funeral Homes) discount. If a Funeral Home guaranteed Batesville a certain number of casket sales a year, that funeral home could receive a 20% discount on from Batesville. The discount in most cases was not  passed on to the Consumer.

3. Funeral Bill Collectors came into their own in 2009. There are many folks helping funeral homes collect money The fees charged to these folks raise your Funeral Prices. One company that made out big time in this area in 2009 is American  Funeral Financial LLC, which also makes loans to Funeral Directors.

4. Social Media has allowed the funeral home to dip in to your pocket. Twitter and Facebook(Fans) are not just for friends but for businesses as well.  Funeral Homes use these services to connect with the elderly and get them to come in to prepay or purchase a preneed funeral plan.  Guarranteed Preneed plans happen to be dead and outdated.

Preneed was also fraught with Scandal in 2009. Avoid Social media and the funeral home . It will not help you with your funeral cost.

5. In 2009 Many Funeral homes improved their websites saying they provide better service. It is also a quick way to gather information and get folks in the door so the funeral director can plan their profit taking!  Many of these new website offer preneed sign up which allows the home to to tailor a preneed contract to you so they can take your money.” Robin H……” a consultant to the funeral l industry is actively helping funeral directors pull this off. Funeral One provides websites to Funeral Home as well.

Plan your funeral at a free funeral planning site like thefuneralsite.com rather than a funeral home website.

6. Funeral Homes continued  working with paid on line obituary sites like Tribute.Com, Legacy.com when free comprehensive obituary sites  like Otrib.com are available. Use a free site for your loved ones obituary. Or you can simply set up a blog for that purpose. Best – Simply use facebook for an online memorial.

7 Some Funerals are embracing third party caskets and raising their basic service fee. They may appear to lowering the costs for you but in doing  that they raise the costs of their basic service fee. The Federal Trade Commission  has ruled this year that the consumer can negotiate a lower cost funeral on alternative funerals. Connecting Directors.com is advocating, promoting, raising your funeral cost through accepting third party caskets, while rasing the Basic Service Fee.

This is all a reaction to Walmart selling caskets online which is a good thing for the funeral consumer.

If you negotiate your way around the top seven ways funeral directors raised your funeral cost in 2009 you can come in under the average cost of a funeral in 2010.

Funeral Industry|Funeral blog by Your Funeral Guy

Be sure to Check Out the Top 100  Funeral News Stories of 2009.

Update:

Connecting Directors Posted a blog response to this post

Your Funeral guy posted a blog reply to Connecting Directors.

Connecting Directors.com says Funeral Industry accepting Third Party Caskets?-YourFuneralGuy

Connecting Directors.Com has posted negatively on the Funeral Consumers Alliance

In a Blog posts that attacks the Funeral Consumers Alliance (FCA) and comments that discuss how to get rid of this organization, Connecting Directors.com states that the funeral industry is accepting Third Party Caskets.  From the Web Reaction and resentment  from Funeral Homes and directors on Walmart Selling Caskets, this is simply  not the case.

I think we learned from the article I posted yesterday (Funeral Director Reacts to Handling First Walmart Casket, You Might Be Surprised)that funeral professionals are open to and willing to accept third-party caskets.

via www.connectingdirectors.com

The FCA states that third party caskets are good for the consumer. This is true. You can have a beautiful casket for much less and come in under the average cost of a funeral by purchasing a casket at a place other than the funeral home.

In the Case of the Burr Oak Cemetery Scandal, and the Bereaved Consumers Bill of Rights Act  the Funeral Consumers Alliance was one of the first to speak up for consumer rights.

The Funeral Consumers Alliance has long been hated by Funeral Industry Insiders. Their Lawsuits have hurt Batesville, Service Corporation International,SCI and pointed out consumer ripoffs by these companies.

If funeral directors were more pro consumer and focused less on their own profit as the Connecting Directors  post above does, the funeral industry would not be in decline and there would be less need for the FCA and  more profit for the Funeral Directors. It also would create a  better situation for Funeral Consumer.

Funeral Industry|Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy

Connecting Directors. com is chasing Walmart Casket sales-Your Funeral Guy

Picture of website at Connecting Directors.Com

The Funeral Industry Website Connecting Directors.com is chasing Walmart Caskets and seems to think they are low quality.

Problem is the webmaster has not seen a Walmart Casket. There is another problem:In his one case  the Family who purchased the casket was very satisfied according to the Funeral Director in his article.

The funeral director reported a not what is expected  casket quality but refused to produce pictures as proof.

“everything went very smooth and in the end the family was very pleased with the service they received from the funeral home and Walmart, and that is what really matters.

I think in the end what made this experience a pleasant one for Jeff was the fact that the family was happy with they product they had purchased. Obviously, if they would not have been it would have been a tougher situation for Jeff. I don’t doubt that as more funeral directors experience the “Walmart casket”, not every story is going to be as smooth as this one.

If anyone else has had to deal with a Walmart casket, please share your experience and story with us.”

via www.connectingdirectors.com

Now it does appear that this website is setting Walmart up with a casket fall.

Walmart is selling caskets online. This Started right before Halloween. The initial story created an internet storm with extremely negative feedback from funeral directors and the Funeral Industry.

Funeral home owners do not take kindly to Third Party Casket Sales. The Largest retailer in the country selling caskets online pose a threat to the major casket Companies, Batesville, Aurora, and York Casket Company.

Funeral Industry| Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy

Your Funeral guy receives no compensation from Walmart or any company selling caskets.

The funeral industry has much to gain by suggesting that Walmart is selling inferior Caskets.

Amazon.com selling cremation urns Caskets to come online-yourfuneralguy

Amazon.Com will sell caskets online in the First Quarter of 2010. They started carrying cremation urns from the same company that provided Wal Mart with the online  caskets. This happened on November 10th, 2009.

In several weeks they will start selling Pet Urns and Keepsake Jewelry from the “Star Legacy Funeral  Network” as well.

Star legacy cremation Urn on sale at Amazon.com

Check here for a Star Legacy Cremation Urn on Sale at Amazon.com

“Star Legacy Funeral Network, the casket supplier to Wal-Mart, has reached an agreement with Internet giant Amazon.com to add an extensive line of cremation products to the site. The first wave of the rollout, 117 SKUs of cremation urns, appeared on Amazon.com on Nov. 10. In about two weeks the rest of Star Legacy’s cremation offerings — pet urns, jewelry and flowers — will be added.

Caskets distributed by Star Legacy are expected to appear on Amazon.com in the first quarter of 2010.” snippet from www.memorialjournal.com

Funeral Industry|Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy

Walmart selling caskets online caused an internet funeral storm. Imagine what amazon selling caskets online will do! The sale of third party caskets online was predicted in the Funeral Book “Rest in Peace Insiders tips to the Low Cost Less Stress Funeral” by R. Brian Burkhardt

The sale of Caskets by amazon.com was predicted at a lowercostfuneral.com blog along with some other events that have occurred this year.

creepy Wal Mart Caskets comments stopped on Casket Page-Your funeral Guy

Comments and Reviews have been disabled at the Wal Mart selling Caskets page due to jokes and pranks.

Wal Mart selling caskets has brought quite a few comments at their site: strange creepy and bizarre reviews. Wal Mart has put an end to the mocking, jokes and creepy reviews at their casket selling page. This is a good thing for Wal Mart Customers. Walmart has build its brand on its pro customer promotions.

In the meantime strange comments and commentators continue on the Web both in the News and on the blogs.

But far from silly, the comments posted on Walmart’s casket selection were creepy — and creepiness, presumably, is not a trait Walmart wants its customers to see when they’re choosing a burial option for a loved one. Before Walmart shut down the caskets’ review section, Advertising Age documented a few of the reviews, like this one: “I picked one up to bury my cat in. Other than having room for about 100 cats, it worked well. Oh, had to dig a really big hole too, and that was rough on my back. But at least when my dog dies I can just open ‘er up again and stick him in too.”

via www.dailyfinance.com

Wal Mart selling caskets continues to go viral both in the news and the blogs. This is indeed a turning point for funerals in the United States of America. It spells a better future for the funeral Consumer. Funeral Directors an Funeral Homes as well as the traditional casket companies continue their opposition to third party caskets. Some quite vehemently.

Funeral industry|Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy

Walmart Selling Caskets drawing fire-YourFuneralGuy

Walmart  selling caskets is drawing fire from the Funeral industry. This should be expected as there prices are far less than you will find at the Funeral Home. First in the AP Story the President of the NFDA dismissed the concept  of selling caskets online. This is disputed here.

Some are calling Wall Mart selling caskets a beta test. This is not the case. The original Associated Press Story released to the media addressed the beta test issue. One Wall-Mart spokesman called it a beta test(Ravi Jariwalla) while the Star Legacy Casket CEO said there was a deal(contract) and not a simple test.(the lower level spokesman Ravi may have had incomplete information.) See the AP Story .

Many Funeral directors are trying to dismiss Wall-Mart selling Caskets at a discount  as not useful and meaningless.

Other are engaging in direct attack and putting out the lie that WalMart is selling Chinese Caskets.http://www.pamil-visions.net/walmart-caskets/27406/

This is not the case, the Caskets Walmart is selling are made in the NORTH AMERICA..

Funeral Industry|Funeral blog by Your Funeral Guy

walmart picture from wikipedia under the creative commons license