Pricing for Cremations !

Sooner or later, every family is tasked with making funeral arrangements for a loved one.  It is usually a time of grief and high emotion and because of the shrinking availability of burial plots the choice today is overwhelmingly towards cremation.

The funeral industry is competitive and the prices if offers vary but few ask for competitive quotes because that does not seem  appropriate, and the lack of pricing details up front has been criticised by the New South Wales independent pricing tribunal.

The industry standard requires  funeral providers to prominently display an itemised  price listing of services on their website and at their business address.  However, only about two thirds actually comply with this requirement and  fewer than half were supplying all of the information required.

The tribunal found there was a wide variety of prices charged and these ranged from less than $2000 to more than $7000.  It was difficult for customers to gain a final estimate of costs beforehand.   The vice president of the Australian Funeral Directors Association NSW  said most reputable providers were already transparent about prices.

As anyone who has been involved in arranging a funeral will know, a lot of the cost is associated with what happens after the cremation has been completed.  There is a thriving " memorial " industry that swings into place and usually offers a suitable repository for the ashes.

Often, the deceased have left clear instruction for the disposal of their ashes.  Some instruct that they be scattered at a place that holds fond memories but we now have vast memorial gardens replacing former cemeteries offering a range of choices.  Ashes can be scattered in a rose garden or the life of the deceased commemorated by a plaque  set in a well manicured lawn.  In many cases, the engraved  testimonial can have a costing of several thousand dollars.

This is frequently offered at the time the funeral is being arranged, but  the exact details left to be decided at a later date.  In some instances, relatives are led to believe this is part of the service to which they have agreed and they are locked into that commitment.

A death in any family is a time of grief and relatives need a clear head when making the necessary funeral arrangements.  It is usually a task with which they are unfamiliar and often it will be placing a burden on family finances which were unplanned.   It is essential that these costs are easy to follow and the arrangements can be organized without delay.

Pressure is building for the government to intervene to ensure that prices are prominently displayed in clear detail. It is usually an essential service, required at short notice.